Manchester City are still fighting for this Premier League title. Seemingly down and out to Dominik Szoboszlai's incredible free-kick, Pep Guardiola's side pulled off a frantic comeback over Liverpool to snatch a 2-1 win and record their first victory in front of an Anfield crowd in 23 years. Erling Haaland set up the equaliser for Bernardo Silva and then sealed the win from the penalty spot.
It was Haaland's first goal at Anfield in a City shirt but there was a lot more drama to come. With Alisson committing himself forward, City broke and Rayan Cherki passed the ball from the halfway line and all the way into the net. But after absolute bedlam in the away end and a one-man pitch invasion, the goal was ruled out by VAR for a foul by Szoboszlai on Haaland and the Hungarian was sent off. It was a fittingly chaotic end to a breathtaking second half, which also saw Gianluigi Donnarumma make an outstanding save to thwart Alexis Mac Allister from range and keep City in front.
The first half was attritional, a far cry from the blood and thunder this fixture has served up in recent years although City acquitted themselves well. Guardiola's side had 10 shots in the first half, more than Liverpool had faced in the first 45 minutes of any game this season, with Haaland getting two glimpses of goal but being denied by Alisson each time.
The temperature was raised in the second half. Antoine Semenyo should have done better with his clear sight of goal but couldn't beat Alisson, while Liverpool raised the stakes even more. The in-form Hugo Ekitike looked most likely to strike and almost did so with a header which rolled just wide of the post.
In the end it took an absolute worldie free-kick from Szoboszlai to separate the two teams and with a quarter of an hour to go, it felt like City's title hopes were slipping away. But the industrious Bernardo gave them a bolt of hope by sliding in to meet Haaland's knockdown and then the visitors pulled off their unexpected comeback when Matheus Nunes was sent flying by Alisson.
Haaland did not waste his opportunity to end his Anfield hoo-doo with City and fired City to an unforgettable victory and back into the title race.
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