Manchester City came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday and cut the gap to leaders Arsenal.
Haaland scored the winner on Sunday
Haaland scored the winner on Sunday
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If he wasn’t on media duty and didn’t have a team bus back to Manchester to catch, Erling Haaland might still be on the Anfield pitch soaking it all up in front of the away end. Passive in the first half and peripheral for much of the game, he ended the contest at Liverpool with a match-winning penalty and a crucial assist.
At the fourth time of asking he had a goal at Anfield while his manager won at Liverpool in front of fans for the first time in his Manchester City career. Two significant firsts and one champions performance. City still might fall short this season but the fight, mentality and determination shown in the frantic final 10 minutes or so at Anfield underlined that this iteration of Blues have what it takes to win trophies.
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Plenty in a packed and vocal away end will have feared the worst when Dominik Szoboszlai thundered in an unstoppable free kick with 15 minutes to go. Not for the first time this season City had played well in the first half and regressed after the break. Throw in their wretched run at Anfield, which stood at three wins in a little over half a century before kick off, and few would have predicted what was to come.
A penny for the thoughts of Arsenal too. Mikel Arteta’s men are still favourites for the title, they hold a six-point advantage, have a miserly defence and have strengthened and improved significantly since last being overhauled by City.
But they’re not yet a course and distance side. Their squad lacks title winners, they’ve look a tad nervy at times already this season and we’re still a long way from the finish line.
Granted City are not the finished article either, not even close. But that win at Anfield felt significant, and the scenes at the end of the game told you all you needed to know.
"It is going to be a good trip back to Manchester on the bus,” said Haaland after the game.
The Blues believe.