Fabio Carvalho and Mohamed Salah each found the back of the net for Liverpool, but it was not enough to overcome Manchester City as the Reds fell 3-2 in the 4th round of the Carabao Cup. The loss is Liverpool's first to their rivals in five matches and ruins the Reds' hopes of repeating as League Cup Champions as City's Nathan Aké scored the eventual game-winner off of a header in the 58th minute.
First Half
Each side had wonderful chances within the opening minute of the match. Erling Haaland tried a chip shot within the first 20 seconds, but it went over the bar. Darwin Núñez earned a corner moments later, but it was cleared. Caoimhin Kelleher made a save in the 10th minute, but he could not stop Haaland's attempt seconds later from the centre of the box as City took an early 1-0 lead.
Núñez appeared to be in on goal in the 15th minute, but his shot was nullified by the offside flag. The Reds found the equalizer in the 20th minute off the foot of Fabio Carvalho as he put a shot in the bottom corner of the net thanks to an assist from Joel Matip to level the match at 1-1.
The match settled down from that point, but Kelleher was called into action with a nice save in the 36th minute to keep keep the match tied at 1-1. James Milner was subbed off in the 38th minute due to an injury and was replaced by Nathaniel Phillips. Both teams had near-misses just wide in the final moments of the first half, so the sides settled for a 1-1 tie at the break.
Second Half
Both teams got off to flying starts in the second half. Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez scored in the 47th minute, but Salah came through with the equalizer in the 48th thanks to an assist from Núñez. After that flurry of action, the match was tied at 2-2.
The next goal came off of a set piece when Nathan Aké scored on a header in the 58th to put City in the lead, 3-2. Núñez missed a golden opportunity in the 72nd minute. He had a 1 on 1 chance against the goalie, but he put the shot wide. That was the best chance the Reds would have for the rest of the match as Machester City controlled the run of play the rest of the way to advance to the Carabao Cup Quarterfinals with the 3-2 win.
Making The Most Of It
Liverpool only put 2 shots on goal for the entire match and both times, the ball found its way in the back of the net. Manchester City on the other hand put 9 shots on frame and Kelleher came away with six saves, some of them of the spectacular variety. It was Núñez's glaring miss in the 72nd minute when he was 1-on-1 with the goalie that stands out as that would have tied the match at 3-3.
No Rust Here
One might expect a slow start to the match due to the nearly 6-week layoff because of the World Cup, but both teams, particularly the attacking players appeared to be in top form from the opening whistle. As a result, fans were given an early Christmas present of 90 minutes of riveting football.
LFC Globe Verdict
Reds fans got everything they could have asked for in return of club football. There were goals-a-plenty and end-to-end action on the pitch. The only problem is Liverpool ended up on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline. The lack of shots on goal and the miss by Nunez is concerning but as much as any loss to Manchester City hurts, it's not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things. Liverpool still have plenty of time to climb up the EPL standings and they are still alive in the Champions League. I expect Liverpool to learn from this defeat and come out of the gate strong to start the second part of the Premier League campaign.
Man Of The Match & What's Next
It's tempting to give it to Haaland. After all, scoring 24 goals in just 19 matches is impressive, but put in a stronger shift overall and nearly had another goal before his decisive header.
What's Next
Liverpool will remain on the road as they travel to face Aston Villa for a Boxing Day tie. Kickoff is set for 17:30 GMT.
Goals
Liverpool
-Fabio Carvalho 20'
-Mohamed Salah 48'
Manchester City
-Erling Haaland 10'
-Riyad Mahez 47'
-Nathan Aké 58'
Substitutions
Liverpool
1. Nathaniel Phillps for James Milner 38'
2. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain for Fabio Carvalho HT'
3. Fabinho for Stefan Bajcetic HT'
4. Jordan Henderson for Harvey Elliott 57'
5. Naby Keita for Thiago 70'
Manchester City
1. John Stones for Manuel Akanji 61'
2. Phil Foden for Erling Haaland 73'
3. Jack Grealish for Cole Palmer 73'
4. Bernardo Siva for Ilkay Gündogan 88'
