Manchester Metropolis v Liverpool: Premier League – stay

56 min: Nothing comes of the ensuing nook. The campeones track rings across the Etihad.

55 min: Liverpool haven’t given this up but, although. Gakpo dribbles in from the left and goals a roller in direction of the far nook. His shot clips off Dias and huge proper of aim. Simply. Had that been heading in the right direction, Ederson was rooted and by no means getting there.

GOAL! Manchester Metropolis 3-1 Liverpool (Gundogan 53)

52 min: Grealish wedges in cutely from the left for Gundogan, whose whipped cross from the byline is smothered by Alisson. Subsequent aim large right here … and this recreation doesn’t really feel like a match that’s going to finish 2-1. It’s very open.

50 min: Alexander-Arnold flicks a ball down the center and comes Gakpo clear. Gakpo spins and shoots, solely to be denied first by an excellent Ederson save, then the offside flag. A very good response to Metropolis’s second from Liverpool right here.

49 min: A free kick for Liverpool out on the correct. Alexander-Arnold swings it in lengthy. Van Dijk wins a header however neither Jota nor Gakpo are capable of meet the dropping ball.

48 min: That was an appalling aim from a Liverpool standpoint; a superb counter from Metropolis’s. How large does that Grealish interception from Salah look now?!

GOAL! Manchester Metropolis 2-1 Liverpool (De Bruyne 46)

46 min: Robertson dribbles exhausting down the left however it’s all for nought as his cross pings off Stones, again off his personal leg, and out for a aim kick.

Liverpool get the second half underway. No modifications.

A delay to the restart as referee Simon Hooper requires a brand new pea in his whistle, or one thing equally technical. He’s been getting a number of love from each units of followers on the outdated social media, I see.

Right here’s some amusing/outrageous footage of Pep Guardiola celebrating Metropolis’s equaliser. Kostas Tsimikas is unlucky sufficient to be wandering by the technical space on the time, and Pep appears to ask him if he needs to present him 5. It’s all about timing your run at this degree.

Half-time leisure. Additionally this week in Granadaland …

HALF TIME: Manchester Metropolis 1-1 Liverpool

45 min +1: Mahrez hits the nook lengthy. Rodri, on the left-hand fringe of the six-yard field, volleys goalwards however the ball pings off Akanji and harmlessly out for a aim kick.

45 min: De Bruyne’s persistence wins a nook off Robertson down the correct. He leaves it to Mahrez to take. There will probably be two added minutes.

44 min: Mahrez dribbles down the correct and cuts again for Gundogan, whose first-time goalwards slam is blocked brilliantly by Fabinho. Metropolis are urgent to take the lead earlier than the break and alter the dynamic of the half-time team-talks.

42 min: Elliott has a possibility to slide Alexander-Arnold clear down the left, however opts to go to Salah on the correct as an alternative. Everybody within the stadium, together with Salah, is aware of he’s miles offside, however a farce is allowed to play out for a couple of seconds earlier than the flag finally goes up.

40 min: Mahrez swings the free kick in. Robertson prods it out for a nook. Earlier than it may be taken, Akanji and Henderson collide and change viewpoints. The referee is compelled to ship one other of his lectures. The nook involves nothing.

39 min: Alexander-Arnold tussles with Grealish and fouls the latter. Grealish falls over. Alexander-Arnold, within the means of berating the linesman, unintentionally kicks Grealish within the ear. VAR takes a glance however it was clearly unintentional. Not so the problem Alexander-Arnold makes on the identical participant when Metropolis launch their subsequent assault. Free kick out on the left and an opportunity for Metropolis to load the Liverpool field.

37 min: Alisson is compelled to blooter lengthy. Jota flicks a header in direction of Salah down the correct. Salah races into house once more … however as soon as once more doesn’t have the boldness to take a shot on himself, and the transfer breaks down.

35 min: Now Rodri clatters into Gakpo from behind. Liverpool desire a second yellow. Metropolis don’t. A melee across the referee. No second reserving, regardless of Henderson’s lengthy protestations, although you watched Rodri wants to look at his step now.

33 min: Jota spins away from Rodri, who tugs at his shirt cynically. A reserving for the Spanish worldwide, who spoke so eloquently after the Scotland recreation this week of his love of free-flowing soccer.

32 min: This recreation is being performed at 101 miles per hour, with no actual drop in high quality in consequence. It’s a enjoyable watch. Maybe extra so proper now for Metropolis followers: their workforce have been very near going two down there, however Grealish virtually single-handedly turned the tide. A giant couple of minutes from him, proper there.

30 min: That was a stunning easy transfer upfield from Metropolis. Issues escalated when Gundogan, his again to aim on the sting of the Liverpool D, spun and noticed the killer ball in direction of Grealish, who made no mistake in teeing up Alvarez. Within the stand, Haaland celebrated within the grand trend.

GOAL! Manchester Metropolis 1-1 Liverpool (Alvarez 28)

26 min: A Metropolis nook … from which Liverpool break at tempo. Elliott performs a intelligent first-time rake down the left to launch Salah, who having began his run from his personal half, is onside! He’s clear … however loses a footrace with Grealish, who catches up, stops him taking pictures, then blocks the tried cross to Jota.

25 min: Grealish seems super-lively this afternoon. He makes a nuisance of himself once more down the left, combining with the omnipresent De Bruyne. Fabinho will get a toe in and shovels away from hazard, however solely on the expense of a throw. Metropolis are pushing Liverpool again once more.

23 min: Liverpool ping a couple of triangles down the left, Jota and Henderson within the thick of it. The ball’s performed infield for Elliott, who makes an attempt to launch Gakpo with a first-touch ping down the center. Gakpo is free, however he is aware of he’s offside and doesn’t problem Ederson. Then the flag goes up.

22 min: Metropolis quickly come again at Liverpool and Mahrez races onto a go rolled down the inside-right channel … solely to blooter it wildly over the bar from the sting of the field. A very good response to falling behind by the hosts.

21 min: Grealish and De Bruyne mix down the left and open Liverpool up. Gundogan tickles a cross alongside the entrance of the six-yard field, however it agonisingly rolls behind Mahrez and Alvarez and Liverpool clear their strains.

20 min: Salah is booked for hoofing the ball away in anger, the award of a throw having gone Ake’s means as an alternative of his. The daftest of bookings.

18 min: There’s a VAR test for offside, however Akanji was taking part in Jota on in the midst of the park. Jota did exceptionally properly to maintain that transfer going, as a result of when he didn’t get a shot away, you suspected that was that. However his go again to Salah was completely weighted, and he made certain to place his physique in the best way of Akanji so the Metropolis defender couldn’t block Salah’s shot.

GOAL! Manchester Metropolis 0-1 Liverpool (Salah 17)

15 min: Elliott drives in direction of Metropolis’s field and slips Salah into house on the correct. Salah shifts again infield and shoots. Blocked. Elliott tries once more. Blocked. Metropolis providing no means by, Dias and Ake standing agency.

14 min: De Bruyne shapes to take the free kick, however leaves it for Mahrez, who goals an influence roller in direction of the highest left. Inches huge. Had that been heading in the right direction, Alisson was rooted to the spot.

13 min: Gakpo and Henderson try to one-two their means upfield from the sting of their very own field. They make a large number of it, and in an try to salvage the state of affairs, Henderson stands on De Bruyne’s toe. A free kick simply to the correct of the D. Hazard right here!

12 min: Liverpool try to reply with some possession soccer of their very own, however after Robertson and Henderson are compelled to show again from a left-wing sortie, Van Dijk performs a diagonal go to no person particularly, and Metropolis have their ball once more.

11 min: De Bruyne and Mahrez mix properly down the correct. The ball’s labored infield to Rodri, who goals a rising drive in direction of the highest left from the sting of the field. Alisson parries and claims. Metropolis are properly on prime now.

9 min: De Bruyne curls deep from the correct. Gundogan, on the left-hand nook of the six-yard field, cushions a go throughout the face of aim. Alisson drops to smother simply earlier than Alvarez can slam residence. Metropolis are starting to dominate.

8 min: Grealish strides down the left and is skittled by Fabinho. The referee offers Fabinho a proper talking-to this time, and also you sense the Liverpool midfielder is already within the last-chance saloon on the subject of a yellow card.

6 min: De Bruyne sends a diagonal in direction of Mahrez on the right-hand nook of the field. He cuts again for Alvarez, who floats in a straightforward choose for Alisson.

5 min: Liverpool are fizzing round within the heavy-metal fashion. Metropolis seem in a extra affected person temper, a jazz odyssey. However immediately Grealish picks up pace, chopping in from the left and drawing a foul from Fabinho. Free kick, simply to the left of centre, 35 yards out.

3 min: Gakpo drives on the Metropolis field with nice goal. He slips a go to the left for Robertson, who seems for Salah within the center however doesn’t ship properly. A shiny sufficient begin by the guests, although.

2 min: Grealish prepares to take a throw. Gundogan and Fabinho shove one another. Gundogan goes down claiming to have taken a deliberate one within the face. All of it regarded fairly harmless, and the referee offers each gamers a stern talking-to.

1 min: Gakpo, urgent exhausting from the get-go, practically blocks Ederson’s clearance. A barely nervy begin by the Metropolis keeper.

Manchester Metropolis get the ball rolling. The Etihad roars! I’ve simply seen the lesser-spotted Arthur Melo is on Liverpool’s bench.

The groups are out! The champions in sky blue, the guests in purple. The environment crackles: na na na Hey Jude. We’ll be off in a minute or two!

The desk. It’s been some time, so let’s remind ourselves of the present state of play … and why each groups, for differing causes, actually might do with the three factors this lunchtime.

… and now BT collar an equally cheery Jurgen Klopp. “Darwin Nunez had a little bit drawback … he had a reduce on his foot that’s actually uncomfortable … he’s now again in coaching in order that’s why we begin like we begin … the principle factor in opposition to Metropolis is to chop off the passing choices between the strains … that could be a large problem … we have now had precisely one session with all of the boys collectively [after the internationals] … [Klopp is asked if he would describe Liverpool’s season as a rollercoaster] … truly, a rollercoaster is a pleasant factor! … oh God … allow us to discuss once more after! … it’s not that the boys don’t need it, it simply didn’t click on in some video games … some issues developed a bit in a unfavourable means, once we went 1-0 down the response was not nice … as a result of we’re Liverpool and we was profitable, however hastily we aren’t there … it’s a course of to struggle in opposition to it in a assured means … however we have now had sensational video games this season too … [it’s pointed out Liverpool have the best record in a mini-league containing the top six] that’s a shock, isn’t it! … you might want to win in opposition to everyone and we have been good at it, however this yr we weren’t … there may be nonetheless so much to go for, and we are going to nonetheless attempt.”

A chirpy Pep Guardiola speaks to BT Sport. “Erling Haaland is far, significantly better however not absolutely match for right this moment … no threat … I’m absolutely assured … one other participant goes to play … through the season these type of issues occur … [if City don’t win today] I’ve a sense it is going to be tougher! … but when we win we will probably be nearer … in soccer many issues can occur … we had a sense final season that Liverpool wouldn’t drop many factors and this can be a feeling we have now this season with Arsenal … we have now to attempt to win … till the final second we have now an opportunity, we are going to struggle … we have now robust video games forward of us, them as properly, so it’s step-by-step … to nonetheless be in rivalry for different competitions, that is wonderful … it isn’t straightforward … it makes me so completely happy … let’s attempt it.”

Erling Haaland hasn’t recovered from the groin damage he picked up whereas rattling in his sixth hat-trick of the season in opposition to Burnley within the FA Cup. He’s not within the squad, and certainly one of six modifications to the Manchester Metropolis aspect from that match. Ederson, John Stones, Nathan Ake, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji are available in; Kyle Walker, Rico Lewis, Aymeric Laporte and Stefan Ortega drop to the bench, whereas Phil Foden can also be on the restoration desk alongside Haaland.

Liverpool make two modifications to the XI named for his or her 1-0 defeat at Actual Madrid two-and-a-half weeks in the past. Jordan Henderson and Harvey Ellliott are again, with James Milner and Darwin Nunez dropping to the bench.

The groups

Preamble