Pep Guardiola gestures to the Liverpool fans during his Manchester City's defeat Anfield
Pep Guardiola gestures to the Liverpool fans during his Manchester City's defeat Anfield
Liverpool were so dominant against Man City and it was a deserved win. No-one will disagree with that. But you can’t help but look at it and feel a little bit peeved off.
Yesterday was an ideal opportunity to put them to the sword, as they have done to us a few times over the years. We had enough chances to win by a much bigger margin and really stick the knife in.
You take the three points, we were more than good enough for that. But City were poor and there for the taking. Mohamed Salah could have had a hat-trick, Cody Gakpo could have had a hat-trick and Virgil van Dijk could have had a hat-trick. That’s how well we played.
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It was one-way traffic, Liverpool purely dominated. Okay, we’re playing Man City at a good time, their confidence is low, but the lads didn’t let anyone down. The team were brilliant and the crowd were even better.
It has been a dream week for Liverpool and certainly one to remember. We’ve stepped up a level, the team has stepped up a level.
Questions were asked after they scraped through against Southampton. We’ve done really, really well to be in this position that we’re in. But they have stepped up a bit against the last two opposition. And the crowd stepped it up.
You knew the crowd was going to be good against Real Madrid. And you knew it was going to be even better against Man City, because they know what’s at stake. There is no better crowd than Anfield.
The atmosphere at both games, no other ground in the country can witness that. It was just brilliant, I loved it. The players respect it, they enjoy it and they thrive off it.
Long may it continue for the rest of the season. Even when we play the so-called lesser sides, the crowd has to be at it and get us through.
If the crowd was like that at every home game, we’d go unbeaten. It has such a massive effect on the game, so they can play their part in Liverpool hopefully going and winning the Premier League at the end of the season.
With the crowd behind them every home game, it’ll make a huge difference.
I liked Guardiola gesture - but never write off Man City
I quite liked Pep Guardiola’s six fingers gesture to the fans. It was just banter, I quite liked it. There is a mutual respect there.
He knows, he’s never been into a stadium in the world and witnessed an atmosphere like Anfield. He has said that himself. At the end he clapped the fans and they applauded him back.
They respect what he has achieved as a coach and a manager. The mutual respect is massive on both sides. But that was just banter from Pep, good banter.
You can never write Man City out of the title-race. Of course you can’t. If they click, they’re dangerous.
But with Rodri being such a mainstay for them and the play going around him, I think they’re going to struggle to retain the title this year. Thankfully, because it is great for the Premier League. Them winning it year after year has become a bit boring, hasn’t it.
So while I wouldn’t write them out of it, it’s going to be really difficult for them now. If Rodri was to come back, they would have a better chance. Let’s say that. But he’s not so they might keep on struggling.
Another big week ahead
We’re well in the title race, we’re well in it now. 11 points is 11 points. You’d much rather be in our position, 11 points ahead of City and nine points ahead of Arsenal, than 11 or nine points behind.
Liverpool have just got to keep taking every game as it comes. Newcastle is a tough game. Don’t even think about Everton.
Everton are struggling massively but the lads will know they are in a fight on Saturday, the last derby at Goodison. Last year they turned us over, so we’ve got to take a lot from last year’s experience there and how we went about it.
We can’t do that again. They’ll want a reaction after losing heavily to Manchester United and whatever happens in the week.
So two really tough games coming up, but you don’t look further ahead than Newcastle. Go there and try and do a job on them and keep chipping away.