7 ...10 And We're Out! Liverpool 1 vs. 0 City

“We started really good. The first chance they have they score, so it was always difficult”, Pep Guardiola – 31/12/2016.

Goals: Wijnaldum (8')

Line Up (4-2-3-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Bravo (5)
Zabaleta (5), (Navas 86' (5.5))
Kolorov (6)
Otamendi (4.5)
Stones (6)
Toure (6), (Iheanacho 89' (5.5))
Sterling (6.5)
Fernandinho (6)
Silva (6.5)
Aguero (6)
De Bruyne (6)

Referee; Craig Pawson (7)

Stats;Possession, 43%/57%; Shots, 5(1)/9(2); Corners, 4/6; Fouls, 12/12

It was always an ask; Liverpool at Anfield are City's ultimate bogey fixture, having not won there in 13 years. But given Chelsea had extended their seemingly unstoppable run of wins to 13  verses Stoke, this had become a must win fixture by the time kick off arrived. 

The game started well enough with City arguably the more composed, but then with only eight minutes on the clock Zabaleta gave too much space to an in form Lallana, and City's centre backs went missing allowing Wijnaldum to head home. It was the worst of all starts, the momentum went out of City's game, and the front four never looked like landing a punch of their own, as Liverpool sat back in a solid nine and let City pass the ball in front of them. 

Its perhaps a compliment that the Premier Leagues, allegedly, most attack oriented manager, Jeurgen Klopp, saw no need to change the tactics after half time. Happy to hit City on the break, Liverpool were for the most part composed, as City slowly ratcheted up the pressure in the second half. But it was not to be, and with the gap now ten points between City and Chelsea, its going to take a melt down at Stamford Bridge for any other team to take their lead away from them. 

Some take aways from the game are, that Sterling (mostly) didn't let the pathetic booing get to him, Otamendi was terribad in his distribution, as was the ever more bewildering Bravo, and Aguero was ring rusty. All Pep can do before the Burnley game is take a deep breath and go again, but having surprisingly allowing Maffeo and Angelino go on loan in mid-week you have to hope some defensive reinforcements are on his wish list for the January window. 

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me