After a stunning encounter between Liverpool and Man City on Sunday ended in a 1-1 draw, have the Reds’ Premier League title chances now increased?
Jurgen Klopp‘s side were superb against the Premier League champions at Anfield, outplaying them and deserving all three points.
John Stones’ opener was cancelled out by an Alexis Mac Allister penalty, with the Argentine then robbed of another late spot-kick after yet more VAR nonsense.
Following Liverpool’s draw, This Is Anfield’s Henry Jackson (@HenryJackson87) and The Redmen TV’s Dan Clubbe (@dan_clubbe) are here to discuss a thrilling game, VAR and the title race.
Have you got your breath back yet? That was some game…
HENRY: Honestly, I can’t even call that an enjoyable experience. It was torture!
Taking away the nervous aspect of the whole game, though, the football on show was outrageous – this is comfortably the highest-quality fixture in Premier League history.
In fairness to Man City, I thought they were incredible in those opening exchanges – they terrify you every time they enter the opposition half – but Liverpool were the better team overall.
For the Reds to make such a great team look average for the whole of the second half is an amazing achievement at full strength, let alone with so many injuries.
In the end, a draw has to be considered a pretty good result, though, especially after falling behind, even though we would all have loved three points.
DAN: This was another in a long series of remarkable games of football between Jurgen’s Liverpool and Pep’s Man City, with an atmosphere befitting the occasion.
Anfield delivered and some. It was breathless from start to finish, with ebbs and flows of dominance.
Given the absentees, we were sensational, and for all the incredible results in recent weeks with the youngsters, this was a step up in class and we rose to the challenge.
We fought fire with fire and went toe-to-toe with the best side around by most metrics.
Who were the pick of Liverpool’s players?
HENRY: I thought Mac Allister was the best player on the pitch – how Liverpool signed him for just £35 million I do not know!
Daylight robbery, that.
He was everywhere all afternoon, using the ball so well but also tackling relentlessly, and his penalty was nerveless – he should remain on spot-kicks.
Wataru Endo was another definite standout. What an amazing signing he has been, having arrived to a pretty lukewarm reception last summer.
Then there’s Virgil van Dijk, who produced another one of those performances where it’s the norm for him, but the best display in a whole career for many others!
He’s just ridiculously good and should win PFA Player of the Year (he won’t because he’s a defender!).
To be honest, so many players were great, with Luis Diaz‘s energy and trickery unbelievable, and they all did themselves proud.
DAN: I agree with Henry’s three main picks.
We were laden with standout performers yesterday from back to front, with Van Dijk at his imperious best, but the midfield combination of Endo and Mac Allister are the life and soul of the Reds right now.
Their intelligence, tenacity and relentlessness made us tick.
Alexis’ calmness from the penalty spot having been made to wait an age, coupled with simply being the best on show in a midfield brimming with quality – what a signing!
Finally, a mention for Diaz, who could and probably should have put the game to bed.
He may split opinion but, for the most part, he was our main threat in attack and once again showed an unwavering work ethic.
What did you make of the Mac Allister decision?
HENRY: At this point, I just give up! How anyone has the gall to say Liverpool are favoured by referees at this point is pathetic tribalism at its finest.
The Diaz ‘goal’ at Tottenham, the Martin Odegaard handball at Anfield and now this decision are all huge moments that have gone against the Reds in massive games.
These officials are making it up as they go along and I truly believe Michael Oliver just didn’t want to make a huge call in stoppage time, in the biggest game of the season.
If you’re sending off Curtis Jones at Spurs for winning the ball and then going through the man, how on earth is Jeremy Doku not even conceding a foul for that challenge on Mac Allister?
It’s a disgrace and it’s easy to see these decisions robbing Liverpool of the title come May.
DAN: It was a laughable decision not to award a penalty, quite frankly.
The least that should happen in that situation is to allow Oliver a second look at the monitor.
As Henry says, the magnitude of the decision has got the better of the officials’ thought process because 20 minutes earlier it’s almost certainly a penalty.
Roles reversed, or anywhere else on the pitch, and it’s a free-kick without hesitation.
Finally, who do you make favourites for the title now?
HENRY: It is so, so hard to predict, and you can make arguments for all three teams.
Liverpool have the Klopp factor and are showing such incredible resilience in trying circumstances, and their run-in doesn’t look too difficult.
The trips to Man United and Everton fill me with dread, however, even though they are both rubbish!
City are rightly the narrow favourites with the bookies, given their ability to potentially just win every remaining game, while Arsenal have the bit between their teeth and will have learned from last season.
The outcome of their meeting at the Etihad later in the month feels massive – if we can beat Brighton the day before and then City not win, I think we will win the title.
It’s going right to the wire, and frankly, I’ve got to mentally prepare myself!
DAN: We’re winning it!
Although a draw can actually be looked at as two points dropped, given the way the game panned out and how in the ascendency we were for large chunks of the second half, that performance fills me with such belief for the run-in.
Particularly when you factor in the remaining fixtures and that, all being well, we’re about to add Trent, Jones, Gravenberch and Konate back into the mix, potentially before reintroducing Jota and Alisson further down the line.
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