Matchweek Moments: Back on Track

By Ian Katan 

Liverpool versus Manchester City. One of the biggest games in the world and an all but title deciding factor over the last few seasons could not have come at a better time. 

The two teams are enjoying very different runs of form. Liverpool and their list of injuries came off two draws and a hard loss to Arsenal last week. Dropped points to Brighton, Fulham, and Everton have caused their fall to tenth, but worse is the fact they’ve looked slow and lacked the attacking spark that has made them such a dangerous team to play. This week in the Champions League, however, Liverpool had an emphatic 7-1 victory over Rangers led by Mohammed Salah’s hat-trick, a promising hint that the team’s ruthless drive still remained. 

Manchester City sat in second as the only team still unbeaten in the league, led by Erling Haaland and his unbelievable fifteen goals in ten games. City were held to an uncharacteristic goalless midweek draw with Copenhagen, which added a glimmer of hope that Liverpool could take something from the game. Sitting fourteen points off first place, the Reds are likely out of the title race and have to make up significant ground to even earn a top four finish. If they aren’t out of the race already, any dropped points against City would almost certainly have sealed that.

The first half was locked 0-0 as both sides defended well and were unable to convert their respective chances. In the 54th minute, City’s Phil Foden snuck a shot past Joe Gomez after a contentious challenge between Haaland and Liverpool goalkeeper Allison, but the goal was disallowed for a foul earlier in the play. 

The game’s indisputable defining Moment came in the 76th minute. Allison collected the ball from a poor De Bruyne free kick and launched it towards Salah in City’s half. João Cancelo stepped too close and with one touch the Egyptian brought down the ball and was gone. In a run that looked eerily similar to the chance he missed minutes earlier, Salah sped towards Ederson’s net and calmly slotted home the game’s only goal. 

As Salah sprinted away in front of a bouncing Kop, no one could disagree that the win was exactly what Liverpool needed. Due to a combination of injuries, poor mistakes, uninspired play, and a general drop in form, the Reds have been far from their best. Key players have been criticized, manager Jurgen Klopp’s leadership has been questioned, and they’ve had their worst start to a season since 2012/13. Losing to a ceaseless Manchester City and more dropped points seemed inevitable. Instead, three valuable points brought Liverpool up to eighth, only six points off fourth place. With a game in hand too, the Merseysiders’ outlook will have gotten just the boost it needed ahead of the coming month’s crucial five games. 

Mohammed Salah scored a nearly identical goal against Manchester United in January 2020. Allison’s quick thinking released Salah whose speed, strength, and composure sealed Liverpool’s win that day. A few months later, Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy. While this season will almost certainly not end in the same triumphs, the goal’s similarity is a great sign of what the team is still very capable of. Direct, quick, passionate play and powerful finishing is what brought Liverpool to the top, and it is what can get them there again. 

City have dominated the Premier League in recent years, amassing an average of over 91 points during the last five seasons. As a Liverpool fan, as important as beating the defending champion is, I feel the larger goal this season is preventing their fifth league title in the last six years. Leagues benefit by having a variety of winners, and the longer City dominate, the less engaging and appealing the league becomes. 

In Germany, giants Bayern Munich have won ten titles in a row, creating such a gap that despite strong opposition the Bundesliga season is essentially over before it begins. Given Arsenal’s early success this year, taking points off Manchester City and increasing Arsenal’s chance of victory is as important as the bragging rights surrounding this single match.

The season is far from over and Liverpool will have to improve drastically to keep hopes of qualification for next year’s Champions League alive, but games like this are what give them the fuel to do that. Matches against West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Leeds coming up give them the chance to gain much needed momentum. While it was certainly not a perfect performance, earning hard-fought wins and clinical counter attacking goals will push the Reds in the right direction. Many fans, myself included, will be excited to see these flashes of brilliance and know that as long as those flashes are still there, Liverpool are very difficult to stop.