Can gritty Liverpool edge Manchester City to the Premier League trophy?

After a brave performance to battle back and force a 1-1 draw against the reigning Champions, a smart Liverpool side showed guts and determination at a packed Etihad Stadium on Saturday the 25th November 2023. 

How did they do it? It seemed like they wanted it more in the 2nd half and might have given a glimmer of hope that this could be their year. They did well to stop attacks and held back the silky talents of tricky wingers Ben Foden and Jérémy Doku.

When prolific striker Erlin Haaland scored his record-breaking 50th Premier League goal from Nathan Ake’s pass in the 27th minute, it looked like it could be a runaway train kind of afternoon during this early-than-it-should-have-been kickoff. The 53,289 crowd seemed fired up and ready for more, with the megastar Norwegian roaring like a hungry lion and ready to feast.

Not to be however. The 2nd half was tight and congested like a rainy Manchester traffic jam, and we saw two top teams stuck in a midfield battle that was incredible to witness. There were very few goalline moments, however it showed us all that these are teams who know each other rather well. Klopp vs Guardiola is always an interesting battle between two heavyweights. 

When the enigmatic number 66 Trent Alexander-Arnold stroked in an absolute beauty from Mo Salah’s pass in the 80th minute, it felt like justice had been served. The draw was fair. The game was way too early and perhaps robbed fans of a greater battle, but in the end, all this did was help a smiling Arsenal, as they grabbed a sneaky 3 points a few hours later away against a battling Brentford via a rare Kai Havertz goal.

In a fascinating twist, Darwin Núñez had a cheeky dig at the end of the game when Guardiola tried to shake his hand. The fiery Uruguayan wasn’t best pleased with the Spanish manager after his antics during their last meeting. In the end it was all calmed down by peacemaker Klopp, but it added a spicy flavour to an already intense rivalry.

Can this Liverpool side win the title? If they can get Allison and Jota back. These are two worrying injuries from key players, who will be needed badly. The hope is there however, as a buzzing Anfield faithful pray for more Premier League glory.

Source: Premier League, Anfieldindex