Klopp calls pay off.
Even at the best of circumstances, shutting down England’s most feared assault is a difficult challenge.
So it wasn’t ideal that Liverpool faced Manchester City without four of their first-choice back five, with a defence that had only played together twice before.
And, boy, did it show during a tense opening period in which the Reds’ understandable lack of understanding was graphically exposed as City threatened every time they went forward, which was frequently, given the home side’s habit of coughing up possession.
The manner in which the visitors eventually made their way through, however, will have been extremely frustrating. Being outplayed by Pep Guardiola-inspired flowing football is one thing; being deceived by a well-executed corner routine is quite another.
Klopp’s big decisions, however, began to bear fruit gradually but steadily. Jarell Quansah, picked as a centre-back replacement for the injured Ibrahima Konate, drew inspiration from skipper Virgil van Dijk with a controlled performance – already becoming his trademark – to help limit Erling Haaland’s chances. Salah, who was on the pitch for an hour shorter, had more touches than the blunt Norwegian.
Conor Bradley was one of Liverpool’s best players in the first half before being replaced on the hour by the impressive Andy Robertson, allowing Joe Gomez to redeem himself after a difficult opening 45 minutes as left-back against Phil Foden with a much better performance on the opposite flank. If there was ever a game in which Liverpool learnt on the job, this was it.
VAR does it again!
It seems strange given the excellent, high-quality entertainment Liverpool and Manchester City had recently provided.
However, the discussion that followed the final whistle revolved around another highly contentious refereeing decision, which revealed much about the repetitive debate over the deployment of VAR and the staff tasked with implementing the system.
Michael Oliver had previously given Liverpool a stonewall penalty when City substitute Jeremy Doku planted his foot on Alexis MacAllister’s chest in the final minute of injury time. Oliver, who was supported by Stuart Attwell at Stockley Park, stated that nothing could be done. The ensuing explanation for the call did little to alleviate the Reds’ confusion.
It would be intriguing to watch if the aftermath from what may be a title-defining moment is comparable to the improperly dropped ball that irritated Nottingham Forest two minutes before the Reds’ winner last weekend.
While there has been the occasional rub of the green, Liverpool has more reason than their main title competitors to be upset about important decisions this season. Indeed, against Arsenal in December, Martin Odegaard survived a handball that referee chief Howard Webb later agreed should have resulted in a penalty.
But, if the events since the still-astonishing error against Tottenham Hotspur in September have shown us anything, it’s that Klopp’s team will persevere. Any success this season has been – and will continue to be – unassisted.
The title fight has barely just begun.
Remember to breathe. After battling it out since the turn of the year, Liverpool, City, and championship rivals Arsenal will take a three-week vacation before returning to Premier League action.
While the Gunners now lead the Reds on goal difference, their next game is at the Etihad Stadium, the first hard fixture of what appears to be a more difficult run-in than the other two championship contenders.
Liverpool still faces tough challenges at Old Trafford and Goodison Park. None, however, will be as difficult as the one they negotiated against City to extend their domestic winning streak to only two defeats in 48 games.
Meanwhile, Klopp has guaranteed that Guardiola has not gotten the better of him during his tenure in charge of Liverpool, having won eight and drawn seven of their 22 games.
Yes, there will be regrets about Luis Diaz’s squandered opportunities, but the Reds’ incredible second-half comeback demonstrated that they are here to stay. And, with the cavalry yet to return, this title war is only getting started.
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