Dan Rimmer's Reds Blog

Post #21 - Barclays Premier League Review - Liverpool 3-2 Man City

I wasn't born when Liverpool last won the League Title. I wasn't alive to see the Reds lift their 18th League Title, and unfortunately nor were poor 96 Liverpool fans that attended that FA Cup Semi Final in April 1989 and never returned. Today without a doubt was the most emotional I have ever felt as a football fan for as long as I have been on this earth. I think I was about 7 or 8 when Liverpool beat AC Milan in Istanbul to win their 5th European Cup, and it is because of that day that I can't remember too many events in my life before the 25th May 2005.

But that game stood out in my memory, sitting on the sofa watching ITV's coverage of the best night in the club's history. This game today, regardless of whether Liverpool win the title, will stand out as a very bold memory. It means so much because this is the almighty Manchester City. Four or five years ago, this was just another game in the Barclays Premier League, but now they are arguably the biggest force in the country. This was the biggest hurdle. And the supporters, staff, players and families of the 96 all overcame this hurdle today. But wait, lets not get carried away. Is Chelsea not the biggest hurdle? 

Brendan Rodgers named an unchanged side and was one that just got over the line in an extremely scrappy game at Upton Park against West Ham last Sunday, with Sakho staying put and a recovered Daniel Agger only found a place on the bench. I was right about Aguero. He didn't do Liverpool too much damage today, and only came on as a substitute too. But wow did Man City play well today! Kompany did start the game despite twisting his knee a little in training before the game, but was he fully fit?

Pre-Match, as expected, was extremely emotional. The singing of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' was the loudest I'd heard it since perhaps the Champions League Semi-Final against Chelsea in 2005. Every single person inside Anfield were part of the most impeccably-behaved minute of silence I have ever witnessed as football continued to come together to remember the 96 Liverpool fans that died at Hillsborough 25 Years Ago. The words '25 Years' filled the Kop visuals as players gathered together around the centre circle to remember one of the world's worst sporting disasters. Man City and their supporters gave their tribute to the event in many ways. A banner in commemoration filled the Away end of the ground, while outside at the memorial lay a tribute in flowers. The start of the game set the pace and tempo for the afternoon, as it seems to every game at Anfield this season. The aggression from both the players and the crowd reminded me a lot of the environment Napoli create for their opponents at the San Paolo over in Italy. Anfield, like the San Paolo, seems to be a scary and intimidating place to play football. Every time Liverpool were on the ball and making tackles, fans cheered and cheered. Whenever Man City had the ball, all you heard were 'boos' coming from the loud and proud voices of 40,000 scousers.

This may well have been a catalyst for the first goal of the game inside 6 minutes, and that goal went to Liverpool. Despite Kompany managing to cut out a pass from Henderson to Sturridge just minutes before, a yellow-carded Luis Suarez, who had made a late challenge on Demichelis before hand, played a wonderful through ball towards young Raheem Sterling. In the 19 year old's line of sight were two giants of modern English football in Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart, but he waited and waited before slotting the ball into the back of the goal, facing the Kop End. 1-0 to Liverpool. As the world watched, Anfield bounced. The noise was incredible today, and reverberated around the wonderful sporting arena and blasted through my TV Speakers! 

City were, just about, managing to deal with a whole lot more Liverpool pressure with a collection of a Glen Johnson cross from Joe Hart and a Kompany clearance of an attempted pass from Sturridge to Suarez. Yaya Toure has been a star for Man City this season but his afternoon was cut short after he injured himself when a shot that he took misfired over the bar and into the Anfield Road End. Javi Garcia came on to replace the Ivorian and instantly picked up a yellow card as the pressure continued to fall on the Sky Blues.

Liverpool doubled their lead in the 26th minute shortly after Gerrard had a free header from a Coutinho corner. Gerrard took another corner that was caused by a Hart save that stopped the Liverpool and England skipper getting his side's second goal moments earlier. His beautifully driven in corner was met at the near post by Martin Skrtel who headed well as the ball found the back of the net to make it 2-0 to Liverpool. The Slovakian international became the highest scoring defender in the Premier League this season with what everyone thought was a vital goal in the title race. The visitors were deflated. 2-0 down after less than half an hour and had it all to do. More defending came for City as Coutinho delivered yet another corner into the box, only met by a poor header from Sturridge. City had a good spell of chances but Mignolet kept Liverpool in the game claiming the ball from a Clichy cross and a Fernandinho volley. The Reds held on and went into the dressing room at half time 2-0 up against their title rivals.

Throughout the season Suarez and Sturridge, dubbed as the 'SAS', have stolen the headlines and helped Liverpool greatly in getting them where they are in the League. Game after game their bundles of goals have risen them up the goalscoring charts and have become a threat. But over the past couple of games, against West Ham and today against Man City, they haven't been that threat that they have been in previous games. Suarez netted last against Spurs and can probably be forgiven through his speculative efforts at Upton Park and a magical assist today for Sterling, but Sturridge hasn't scored since the Sunderland game and you could argue he has taken a bit of a back seat. I should say however that he limped off in the second half with what looked like a hamstring injury, and perhaps a sense of deja vu because Sturridge scored against Man City at the Etihad last season and injured his hamstring and thigh area. He came off and was replaced by Joe Allen later on in the game. Hopefully he will be back quickly and back in top form and firing us to the title. 

To the second half then and I think a bit of role reversal as Man City looked to jump out of the starting blocks. Manuel Pellegrini decided to bring on James Milner to replace Jesus Navas who just didn't look up for it in the first half. Milner gave the visitors a lot of energy and a lot of life in the second half. City broke on the counter attack and with Liverpool playing the diamond formation, Henderson had to tire himself out chasing after the ball and acting as cover for Flanagan at the back. David Silva was the handful that we all expected him to be after the break, only Skrtel denying an intended cross to Dzeko. Silva had the ball in the net twice in a minute. Only one of them counted as the Spaniard made the score 2-1 in the 57th minute shortly after his goal was ruled out because Milner had seen the ball go out of play before he crossed. The England international made no mistake this time as he played the ball across the box to Silva who guided the ball in to the back of the net. Anfield went silent. No more cheers when their team had the ball. No more 'boos' when the opposition had the ball, mainly because they had all of the ball for about 10-15 minutes. During that time, the home side were now the ones under pressure. Under immense pressure.

Gerrard carried the team through at points during the game, clearing the ball when the Liverpool defenders went AWOL. 2-1 though soon became 2-2 and utter heartbreak for the Redmen and their fans. I was watching it with my head in my hands, when just minutes before I was watching it with a big grin on my face. The best afternoon we could have hoped for was turning into the worst. Although it was 2-2, the way Liverpool were playing made it look like an invitation for City to go on and win the game. Their second goal came from a Glen Johnson own goal. Silva got in behind the Liverpool defence and went for goal with a shot that came off of the back of the Reds full back and beyond a distraught Simon Mignolet. 

The substitution I mentioned earlier when Joe Allen came on changed the game and again shows that the manager can win the game for Liverpool as much as the players. Allen's entry to the field allowed Coutinho, who was already having a good afternoon, more freedom and more attacking flair. Suarez found himself in an offside position several times as Johnson tried to make up for the own goal by trying to play the ball through to the Uruguayan, who looked rather lazy and sluggish on the ball today.

But, eventually, it came. The goal. The moment when Liverpool Football Club delivered the biggest statement of the Barclays Premier League season right across the country. It was the moment that Liverpool fans all around the world had not really seen coming but always knew was there. Kompany had been under immense pressure throughout the afternoon, with many feeling as if the Belgium international was not fully fit and ready for a fight. He went to clear the ball on the edge of his box and mishit the ball and it fell to Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian is a magician, and has recently found a goalscoring ability. He curled the ball at a difficult angle and placed it beautifully beyond Hart, leaving the visitors once again feeling blue. The roof of my house almost came off. The roofs of the houses of all Liverpool fans and the Anfield roof came off in the 78th minute of an incredible game. 3-2 to Liverpool. They were in the driving seat. That was the moment I really broke down into tears. I have seen the players race down towards the area of the touchline near the away fans at Anfield and near the Paddock area to celebrate and the faces of the players that have celebrated goals there really sum up Liverpool's season. I had cried when I was singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' before the game and I found myself crying again. The face of everyone connected with Liverpool FC lit up instantly with one bit of Brazilian brilliance and one mistake that could have cost Man City a huge part in the title race. I couldn't believe it. The almighty winners of the League in 2012, beaten and deflated once more, all at the hands of Liverpool. 

I now found myself saying "Come on now Reds, don't throw it away again!". Corner after corner for Man City. Hearts in mouths time and time again. Gerrard dragged his men through minutes of intense pressure in the late stages of a magnificent encounter. Skrtel and Mignolet had found energy and desire again, a complete contrast to what they were minutes before. The goalscorer Coutinho came off. I was gutted, but he had run and run all day long. Liverpool were dealt a bit of a blow when Jordan Henderson was sent off by Mark Clattenburg after a reckless two-footed challenge on Samir Nasri and will miss the next 3 of his side's 4 remaining games. Clattenburg could have dealt Liverpool a really big blow had he seen Skrtel quite literally punch away the ball from the resulting free kick, but he didn't. Liverpool won!

Although Chelsea beat Swansea later in the day to close the gap at the top to just two points, it still remains in Liverpool's hands because of a now seven point gap between the Reds and City and will only get six of the seven by winning their two games in hand. Liverpool have won 10 games in a row. Want me to repeat it again? With pleasure! Liverpool have won 10 games in a row!

I cried for the third and final time when I saw the face of Steven Gerrard at the end of the game. He cried too, and although everyone is acting like the title is won, it means so much because if Liverpool win all of their games, they win the League. Pure and simple. He gathered his warriors into a huddle and bellowed out in front of the Sky Steadicam -

"Listen, this is gone. We go to Norwich. Exactly the same. We go together. Come on!" 

This is also what he had to say to Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves after the game -

"It was emotional. We need to keep calm. There's four big games to come.That means so much. They got back into the game and I feared the worst.'That's the biggest statement we've made so far. We've showed we're going to take it to the wire. That was the longest 90 minutes I've played in. I kept flashing back to how long the clock was taking. It felt like clock was going backwards at one point! But that is such a big result for us. We've got four cup finals left. People said that was the biggest one (match) but I disagree - I think the biggest one now is Norwich. We'll let other people comment on whose it is to lose - your experts will have their say. Nothing is ours yet."

 When asked about what he had said during the huddle by Shreeves, the legendary skipper said - "It's none of your business"

Brendan Rodgers also had a lot to say about his side's awesome result - 

"In the second half, you expect City to come back in. They are a wonderful team, the manager is an outstanding manager. Their first goal gave them momentum and then we were unfortunate to concede the second goal, which was an own goal. When it got to 2-2, they started to have a bit of energy and a bit of joy down the sides. So we changed - we went from a diamond to 4-3-3 to open up the game a little bit, but also to protect the sides whenever we were defending. That allowed us to get some sort of control back into the game and we end up getting the winning goal with a great finish. So it showed out resilience to see it through. That's 10 wins now in the Barclays Premier League. It's an incredible achievement and, against all the odds, we're where we are and we're still fighting." 

I can't say much more really! If you haven't seen the game, make sure you somehow watch it! I am speechless after what was easily the best game of the Premier League season so far. Four cup finals left, 12 points to play for. See you next time for a preview of Easter Sunday's trip to Norwich.

(Credit to PA, Jon Super, Getty Images and the Liverpool Echo for some photography used in this post. Used for analysis purposes only and no promotional gain)