Player ratings for tonight’s match below:
- Kelleher – The cup specialist made two-point blank saves in 2 mins from Gundogan and Ake in first half. Conceded three but also made important saves – 7.
- Robertson – Did well in the first half, denied Mahrez a goal scoring opportunity – 7.
- Matip – Got forward well in the first half, made the pass to Milner who set up the Carvalho goal – 7.
- Gomez – At fault for Haaland goal, caught sleeping. Got caught of position too many times – 5.
- Milner – Assist for Carvalho, replaced by Nat Phillips in 38th minute. Cole-Palmer gave him a hard time at RB – 6.
- Bajcetic – Struggled to make his mark on the game. Subbed off at half-time for Fabinho – 6.
- Elliott – Came off for Henderson in 57th minute. Looked disappointed to be subbed off. Tidy in possession but needs to move the ball quicker – 6.
- Thiago – Composed and smart on the ball. Off for Kieta 70th minute – 6.
- Carvalho – Goal in the 19th minute. Lovely, composed finish. Looked lively in the first half. Unlucky to come off at half-time – 7.
- Nunez – Got into dangerous positions but didn’t have the finish to match, missing two good chances before half-time. Nice assist to Salah. Almost 3 identical missed opportunities. He has to be more clinical in front of goal – 6.
- Salah – In threatening positions in the first half. Got Liverpool back into the game, making it 2-2 with a good finish, managing to adjust his body quickly to a Nunez pass. He would probably have wanted to make more of a mark on the game – 7.
Subs:
- Nat Phillips – 38th minute. Denied Haaland with a great last-ditch tackle executed perfectly before half-time. Made a few important blocks – 7.
- Fabinho – 45th minute. Kept Liverpool in the game with a goal-line block from a Mahrez effort. Shored things up defensively. Still seems to be catching up in regard to fitness – 7.
- Oxlade-Chamberlain – 45th minute. Put Nunez through for his run to assist Salah. Looked sharper than before the break. Showed some desire – 7.
- Henderson – 57th minute. Would have hoped to have impacted the game more – 6.
- Keita – 70th minute. Struggled to catch up to the pace of the game – 5.
Liverpool mustered just 2 shots on target but never felt out of the game. Nunez and Salah look a dangerous but unpolished combination. Defensively Liverpool looked open, but Manchester City can make most defenses look ordinary. Kevin De Bruyne’s sensational deliveries and Haaland’s constant threat in the box caused Liverpool a lot of problems.
In truth, Liverpool were outplayed for the vast majority of the game but still posed a threat on the counter. It is hard to be too critical of the Reds, as this Manchester City team are a truly amazing side, probably the best in the world.
Klopp’s men will have to bounce back quickly from the defeat, as the Premier League clash against Aston Villa awaits on December 26th.
