LFC 2-2 Man City – As it happened: LIVE

Premier League
Sunday 03 October 2021 - 4:30 pm
Anfield
Liverpool2
2Man City
Show Match Events
27' Dias
Milner44'
56' Cancelo
⚽️ Mane59'
Jota65'
66'↔️ Grealish off, Sterling on
Jota off, Firmino on ↔️68'
69'⚽️ Foden
⚽️ Salah76'
78' Silva
Milner off, Gomez on ↔️78'
81'⚽️ De Bruyne
Fabinho83'
Hide Match Events

Liverpool welcome Manchester City to Anfield this afternoon in the clash of the last two Champions of England.

The winner of today's game can head into the international break as league leaders.

Man City took advantage of the lack of supporters at Anfield last season, and the reds poor Christmas form, to get their first win at our ground for many years - and helped carve up a sizeable advantage as they went on to win the title.

The reds will be without Trent for this game (muscle) and Thiago is also unavailable.

City's only missing man is Ilkay Gundogan who enjoyed a brief purple patch last season.  Man City lost in midweek to PSG, but this was after they had beaten Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge - the reds were unable to do better than a draw against Chelsea despite playing against 10 men for the entire second half.

Today's game, so early in the season, may not be as decisive in terms of points but it does represent a psychological blow that each team can land on the other.

Follow the game with us here.

As it happened...

15:19 UK
Today's Matchday Programme

A fitting tribute to 'Sir' Roger Hunt, who died earlier this week at the age of 83.

A legend of the 1960's Shankly revolution at Anfield.

15:29 UK

Team news incoming...

15:31 UK
Unchanged from 5-1 win over Porto

No changes to the starting XI for Liverpool.

Divock Origi doesn't make the bench due to illness.

Alisson, Milner, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Jones, Mane, Salah, Jota.

Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Keita, Firmino, Gomez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Tsimikas, Williams.

15:40 UK
Two changes for City

Foden and Gabriel Jesus are in to replace Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez from their midweek defeat.

Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Jesus, Foden, Grealish

Subs: Steffen, Carson, Stones, Ake, Luiz Roza, Sterling, Torres, Mahrez, Palmer

16:28 UK

Teams out on the pitch.  City first, to loud boos from the crowd.  Liverpool second, to roars.

16:31 UK

City win the toss and switch sides.  Liverpool's keeper will have to do with a late afternoon sun dropping down over the Kop.

A minute's applause for Sir Roger Hunt before the kick off.

16:33 UK
KICK OFF

Underway at Anfield

16:45 UK

13' Liverpool starting this game on the front foot - not quite as aggresive as they were in the opening minutes against Chelsea but trying to force something early.

Man City though, very well drilled defensively.

16:49 UK

15' Jack Grealish worms his way into the box, shapes for a shot, but he walks into the figure of Joel Matip and Liverpool get that away.

Matip making his 8th appearance of this season today - in the past two seasons he has managed just 12 and 13 respectively.

16:49 UK

16:54 UK
City chance

21' Big mistake by Henderson in midfield who gives the ball away.

City break quickly, Bernado Silva manages to get past van Dijk who slipped on the surface.  He feeds a nice through ball to Foden, but Alisson is down quickly to deny his effort and then catches the cross on follow up.

You can't switch off for a second here, reds.

16:59 UK
Yellow

27' Man City's Ruben Dias booked for a foul on Diogo Jota.

The Liverpool free kick is easily collected by Ederson.

17:04 UK

32' Man City knocking it around at the back and they very nearly score an own goal there.  Very casual at the back.

Clumsy challenge from Milner but Foden goes down way too easily.  No pen given and VAR doesn't get involved.

17:05 UK

33' Jack Grealish has a tight angle and puts the ball across the face of goal.

City edging the 'opportunities' in this game now.

17:10 UK

38' Foden's getting a lot of joy down the side that Milner is covering.

He has plenty of time to cross that into the back post and Gabriel Jesus who is unmarked.  Fortunately Liverpool block de Bruyne's attempt.

Man City on top as we head to half time.

17:17 UK

44' Foden away from Milner yet again, but Alisson comes out and spots that trouble and clears the ball.

Can the reds hang on until half time?

17:18 UK
HALF TIME

Liverpool 0-0 Man City

City the much better team.  Milner and Henderson struggling a bit in this game.  Foden causing the reds all sorts of problems.

17:36 UK
Second Half

We're back underway. 

Can Liverpool improve or will City get the goal that they have been threatening for most of that first half?

17:39 UK
Chance

49' A good interception by the reds and the ball is with Diogo Jota.

He takes a touch too many, was he teeing up a hero shot? Either way he should have just passed it before dwelling on the ball too long.

17:40 UK
Shot on target

50' That ball finds its way to Diogo Jota at the edge of the box.

He's quicker this time, spins and shoots and Ederson pushes that away.

First shot on target.

17:46 UK
Yellow card

56' Cancelo booked for impeding James Milner.

It's a sign of Liverpool's improvement that Milner is now the one attempting runs down that wing.

It's a real 50/50 encounter now.

17:49 UK
GOAL!!!

59' That's incredible.

Salah with a wonderful touch to get himself clean away from the Man City full back.

Threads a sublime ball through and Mane has the pace to run on and smash that past Ederson.

1-0 to the reds!!!!

17:53 UK
Chance

63' Liverpool are pumped now.  City starting to look tired - hands on their knees.

Salah with a free kick - it goes narrowly wide.  A game of two halves!

17:55 UK
Yellow card

65' Diogo Jota runs into Kevin de Bruyne.  Free kick at the side of the area.

17:56 UK
City sub

66' £100M Jack Grealish replaced by £50M Raheem Sterling.

17:57 UK
Firmino on

68' He replaces Diogo Jota.  Another two goal cameo appearance please Bobby?!

17:59 UK
Goal

69' Phil Foden receives the ball, he's got a lot of space on that wing when he collects it.

Drills his shot past Alisson and it's 1-1.

18:05 UK

75' Pep Guardiola is boiling over.

He thinks Milner should have got a second yellow there for a trip and he's going ballistic on the touchline.

The reds, sensibly, are preparing to replace Milner with Gomez.

18:08 UK
GOAL!!!

78' SENSATIONAL!!! It's Mo Salah!  Absolutely incredible stuff - how does he even score there! 

It came from nothing.  It's 2-1!

Bernardo Silva booked for crying about it.

LFC take off Milner and replace him with Gomez.  Guardiola slumps in his seat.  Klopp, and Anfield ecstatic.

18:10 UK

Guardiola also managed to get himself booked after the Liverpool goal.

Brilliant!

18:11 UK
Goal

81' And that's a great goal from de Bruyne. 

Ball falls to him at the edge of the box and he smashes that in with his left foot.

2-2.

Some game this.

18:13 UK
Yellow

84' It's taken him a while in this game, but Fabinho goes into the book.

18:17 UK
Wow!

88' Salah cross in, Ederson completely misses it and it lands at Fabinho's feet.

Open goal but somehow the ball is taken away from him just milliseconds before he puts it in.

That was a big chance for a Liverpool winner.

18:25 UK
FULL TIME

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City

Reds unbeaten record remains.  A very poor first half from Liverpool but a very even second half.

Kevin de Bruyne's equaliser after a bit of a deflection off Joel Matip.  That came after Mo Salah was hugely impressive - involved in both Liverpool goals.

The reds will have to take it and move on.  Second place a point behind Chelsea.

18:31 UK
League Table

We head to a two week international break - after which the games come thick and fast for the reds, United, Atletico and Brighton all to play before the end of the month.



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