MANCHESTER CITY 2-1 LIVERPOOL
Kompany 31, Negredo 45 Coutinho 24
A mistake by Liverpool goal keeper Simon Mignolet just on the stroke of half
time saw Manchester City claim victory in the battle of the title rivals in the
Premier League fixture in the Boxing Day clash.
Both sides played some very entertaining
football over another enthralling contest between two rivals for the Premier
league crown this seasons, though the game wasn`t without controversy either.
As Liverpool Manager Brendan Rodgers was
left fuming over a goal that was given offside when replays shown that Rahman
Sterling effort, should have counted, as the referee`s assistant got the
decision wrong to make the defeat hard to take, as he saw his side miss out going
back to top of the league once more after a 2-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium.
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| Sterling onside, but given offside PIC: thesportreview |
The game saw both teams feeling each
other out at the start, as neither wanted to go behind early on in such a big
game. City had the opening chance of the game, when a cross from Aleksandar
Kolarov saw Spanish midfielder Jesus Navas get a head onto the ball and watched
it strike the far post, as it went out of play for a dead ball as City`s attacking
play early sent the warnings signs out to the visitors.
The home side enjoyed early pressure in the
Liverpool half, without them really making the goalkeeper having to do much, as
the attempts were mainly off target. Vincent
Kompany had a header from a Samir Nasri corner go wide, as the Belgian
defender`s header went yard wide of the near post, as City were looking the
aggressor in the game. Liverpool were much like City during the half in which
they had a chunk of possession, but didn`t really making the possession count
either.
Alvaro Negredo went close to breaking the
deadlock for the hosts, when another fizzing ball from down the Liverpool right
saw Kolarov ball find the "Beast", but he just couldn`t direct it on
goal, as it went past the far post and you sensed a goal was on the imminent
with these two sides.
Liverpool then thought they had scored the
opener, after a good through ball by Luiz Suarez saw Raheem Sterling leave his
man for dead as the midfielder ran on the through ball, only for the Linesman
on the far side to put his flag up for offside, as the midfielder dribbled past
Joe Hart and put the ball in the net. Replays shown the visitors had a good
case to grumble about, with Sterling onside by a good couple of yards or so.
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| Coutinho gives Liverpool the lead: pic: Sportsdirectnews |
However, it didn`t take long for
Liverpool to get on the scoreboard properly as a couple of minutes after the
offside goal, they found themselves 1-0 up after some neat build up play saw
Sterling run onto a little dink by Suarez and as he knocked it past Joe Hart, Philippe
Coutinho then slotted it into an empty net with City napping at the back for the
goal.
Yaya Toure almost drew level a couple
minutes later, after the Ivorian picked up the ball in the area from a Kolarov
pass and then made himself room for the shot, but he blasted it wide of the
target, as City wasted yet another good opportunity.
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| KOMPANY makes it 1-1: pic: theguardian |
Then in the 30th minute of the game, a
David Silva corner saw Vincent Kompany head his effort downwards and found the
back of the Liverpool net, to put City back on level terms with the Reds and
make it all square again in the match at 1-1.
City then broke away on a counter attack following
a corner to Liverpool and their fast attack, saw Jesus Navas blaze over the bar
as the attack ,not for the first time came to nothing.
Liverpool then had a great chance to re
take the lead in this enthralling encounter, when a great move by the away side
saw Suarez knock it into the path of Coutinho and this time the Brazilian
finish was saved brilliantly by Joe Hart, who made a great stop to stop the
visitors going ahead 2-1.
City moments later had another effort on
goal, when another counter attack move saw Fernandinho bombing forward up
field, before playing the ball out to Negredo on his right and the strike by
the “Beast” was blocked by Defender Martin Skrtel for a corner kick.
Then on the stroke of half time, the home
side took the lead when once again a fast City attack saw the Reds in trouble
getting back. City were outpacing the Liverpool defenders and when Jesus Navas
played a ‘eye of a needle’ ball between Sakho and Skrtel, the ball came nicely
to Negredo and the Spanish hitman tried a shot over Mignolet in the Liverpool
goals. Mignolet got caught out by the shot as he came off his line and his
attempt to stop it failed miserably and could only watch as the ball bounce
eventually into the net for a 2-1 lead, that turned out to be the last action
of the first half.
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| Negredo makes it 2-1 pic: theguardian |
Second half saw Liverpool come out more
attacking as they tried to find an equalizer, as with Suarez and Sterling
causing the home side problems they would certainly create some chances at
least in the half.
The first shot of note in the second half
came from Negredo, with the striker trying his luck with another chip, but this
time he failed to get enough height on it to dip in over Mignolet and was
safely collected by the Liverpool goalie.
Liverpool was the more threatening side
now in the contest as City were unable to gain possession and the visitors came
close to scoring, when a ball headed back towards the Blues penalty area, was
flicked on for Martin Skrtel who then crossed it back into the area, upon where
Jordan Henderson cheeky little back heel was stopped by Joe Hart as the Reds
were looking more menacing now.
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| Suarez pleads for penalty pic:theguardian |
Liverpool were the side now wasting the
good chances in the game, as Luis Suarez ran down the City right, where the
striker put a lovely bending ball across the face of goal towards the back post
for Sterling, but the youngster hit it high over the bar and saw the chance go
begging for the Merseysider’s.
Joelon Lescott then seemed to go right
through the Uruguayan striker on the edge of the area, but the officials gave
nothing and so play continued on.
The home side had a chance to kill the
game off late on, when Yaya Toure run into the box saw him play a good ball
across the face of the goal and saw the ball run past Edin Dezko, as well as a the
defenders too, with somehow no one able to get any type of connection on the
ball at all.
As the scoreboard said 89 minutes had
been played, Toure then tried a curling effort to seal the points for the
Blues, but his shot was yards away from the target and gave Liverpool hope of
rescuing a point for the away side.
The defence had done brilliantly to snuff
out Luiz Suarez as a threat,with Kompany marking the Uruguay defender well.
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| Kompany & Zabaleta celebrate win pic:theguardian |
Suarez then had an appeal for a penalty
turned down late on when the controversial striker went down theatrically in
the penalty area, after being held by Joleon Lescott in the area, but the referee
Lee Mason waved off the penalty claim and had Suarez and Rodgers on the
touchline livid over the decision.
Manchester City managed to play the clock
out and see off another title rival at home as with only Chelsea of the big teams
still to come to the Etihad Stadium, the Blues know on Saturday a win over
Crystal Palace at home will see them move to the top of the table at least overnight
before the rest of the teams face off on Sunday.
Premier League Table
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