Mo Salah shines as Liverpool edge Manchester City 1-0

Match report as Mohammed Salah again torments Manchester City with his brilliant goal in the second half of the game.

Mohamed Salah’s brilliant second-half goal sealed a 1-0 victory for Liverpool over reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City in a feisty encounter at Anfield which also saw Jurgen Klopp sent off.

Cityzens tormentor, Salah produced a brilliant piece of control to take down Alisson’s long kick and spin away from Joao Cancelo before beating Ederson with a cool finish (76) as Liverpool put their recent struggles behind them.

Klopp was sent off in the closing stages after reacting furiously when the hosts were denied a free-kick for an apparent foul by Bernardo Silva on Salah, whose goal snapped a five-game Premier League scoreless streak.

Pep Guardiola was enraged earlier in the game when a Phil Foden goal was overturned by VAR because Erling Haaland was deemed to have fouled Fabinho in the build-up.

Liverpool entered the game 13 points behind City after their worst start to a season in ten years, but they defended resolutely, becoming only the second Premier League side this season to prevent Haaland from scoring, and seizing their chance when Salah, who had earlier been denied by Ederson in similar circumstances, caused Anfield to erupt with a goal that breathes life into their season.

Simply tap the Facebook link to follow us for more juicy stories.

Meanwhile, City’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season comes to an end, leaving them four points behind early leaders Arsenal, who defeated Leeds 1-0 earlier on Sunday.

Team News

• Jurgen Klopp gave Joe Gomez a start in the central defence due to an injury to Ibrahima Konate, James Milner started at right-back, while Mohamed Salah returned to the starting line-up following his Uefa Champions League fastest-ever record hat-trick against Rangers.
• Pep Guardiola made only one change from the Man City team that beat Southampton, with Ilkay Gundogan replacing Riyad Mahrez. Erling Haaland started again having been rested in midweek.

Both managers spoke after the game

Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola: “The referee came to the coaches and said, ‘play on, play on’. There were a million fouls. But after we scored a goal, he decided it is not play on. This is Anfield.

“We had [enough] chances. We had some fantastic chances.

“All the game we were brave, we played the game we should play and I don’t have any complaints or regrets over how we have done it.

“We had chances but not enough to do it. We made a good process to not allow them transitions. In general, the back three was brilliant.”

Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp admits he deserved his red card: “Result, perfect; performance, really, really good in an incredibly intense game.

“We defended at an incredibly high level for 99 minutes and had really good footballing moments. We scored one goal and could have scored more.

“They had their moments as well but, especially in the box, we did extremely well. We won nearly all the duels. I think there was one free header from Haaland.

“Pep [Guardiola] and I agreed on the touchline. We didn’t understand the challenges which were allowed and all these kind of things.

“Why would you do it? Both sides. The game would not be a little bit worse, but we have to take that, we are on the weak side of it. We have no power at all.

“At this moment, something switched off, I’m not proud of that. But it’s the clearest foul I ever saw, in front of the linesman, and he says play on.

“How can you let that situation go? It’s clear he pulled him down. Sometimes we get a bit carried away, and that’s what happened to me in that moment.”

Next Up

• Liverpool returns to action on Wednesday when they host West Ham at Anfield at 7.30 p.m.

• Manchester City has no midweek games, so their next match is against Brighton at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday at 3 pm.