Manchester City and Liverpool played out an entertaining 1-1 draw last night at the Etihad Stadium.
With the title all but gone, City were looking desperately to rediscover their confidence after a damaging defeat to Monaco in the Champions League.
The game overall was a fantastic affair for the neutral, with numerous chances for both sides, many of which were poorly missed.
At the start of the second half, Liverpool were on the attack with Roberto Firmino chesting down the ball, only for Gael Clichy to collide into him which gave the visitors a penalty. This was a big moment in the game, with many believing the penalty shouts before then, from both sides, were more justified.
James Milner, against his former club, struck the ball in to give the visitors the lead. Out of nothing, City drew things level after Kevin De Bruyne hit a low cross into the box for Sergio Aguero to pounce on and get his 27th goal of the season.
Despite an intense finale, with terrible misses from both sides, a draw was the final outcome.
Here are my match ratings for City on the day.
Willy Caballero - 8
Could do nothing about the penalty, but made some heroic saves to keep City in the game.
Fernandinho - 7
Played at right-back in this game, before switching into midfield later on. Performed well against Coutinho on the left flank, keeping him quiet.
John Stones - 8
A great performance from Stones, making some great tackles and blocks against Liverpool’s attacking force. He also made a crucial interception to stop a Sadio Mane shot in the second half. Solid.
Nicolas Otamendi - 8
Like his counterpart Stones, Otamendi had a fantastic performance for City. He controlled the ball well, often putting in some strong tackles and had a tenacity about him that has been lacking this season.
Gael Clichy - 6
Despite a good performance throughout, Clichy’s high foot on Firmino to give Liverpool a penalty showed his indecisiveness, which has haunted City defensively this year.
Yaya Toure - 5
Looked completely out of the game and was lucky to be on the pitch after his high-foot foul on Emre Can. He was often bypassed by Liverpool’s high-tempo play style.
Raheem Sterling - 8
Sterling, like the majority of the season, was energetic as usual, causing problems for the Liverpool defence. He should have been awarded a penalty after a challenge from Milner in the first half.
Kevin De Bruyne - 7
Kevin had a much better game than the one against Monaco in midweek, setting up Aguero’s goal to get City back into the game. He also hit the post unluckily in what was a performance that truly showed his ability.
David Silva - 8
David had another great performance, producing top quality passes and was constantly involved in City’s attacking unit. If only his finishing was as good as his ability to pass, City would have walked away with three points rather than one.
Leroy Sane - 7
As always, Sane was enigmatic and dangerous on the counter. He had a great battle with Clyne on the left flank, but didn’t create as many chances as he usually does.
Sergio Aguero - 8
Scored the equaliser in a crucial moment in the match. Worked hard for every ball and opportunity he was given, but his finishing was lacking when it really mattered near the end of the game.
Subs
Bacary Sagna (for Toure 65) – Helped control the defence
Fernando (for Sane 81) – no time to mark
Pep Guardiola - 8
Pep got his tactics spot on for this game, limiting Klopp’s “Gegenpressing” system effectively. Despite a tough week in which his City side were knocked out of the Champions League, Guardiola got his players up for the game, showing a performance worthy of his style of play. This summer will be crucial for Pep in revamping the entire squad for next season and to take the fight to Chelsea.