Manchester City humiliated the new Premier League champions, Liverpool, packing four goals in the net, without allowing a single one.
It was one of the most devastating losses, the Reds experienced under their current coach Jurgen Klopp, and will most likely cast a shadow on their recently won Premiership title.
“We beat the champions, an extraordinary team. We are brave to play, they are brave to play. My team, I like every single game. We tried to play football, take risks,” said Pep Guardiola after the game.
The thing is that City didn’t just beat the champions but rather trashed them, reminding the Reds that they might have the crown now, but that they didn’t prove that they are a better team than them.
Raheem Sterling:
"Next season starts today."
[via @footballdaily] pic.twitter.com/7c7iRwp3yu
— City Report (@cityreport_) July 2, 2020
Raheem Sterling, the former Liverpool player, was the man of the match, with one goal and two assists. He was kidding around with the rivals in the back line, dominating each and every second on the pitch.
He would force the referee to award City a penalty in the 25th minute, after Joe Gomez took him down. Of course, situations like these are a treat for Kevin De Bruyne, who once again used his chance to score from the white spot.
In those moments, the guests were a better team, but there was no way of stopping Sterling, who was giving the Sky-Blues the upper edge in this one. The Reds had two chances through Mohamed Salah, who failed to use them, handing a perfect opportunity to the hosts to increase their lead.
He assisted Phil Foden, who scored before the halftime, and in the meantime put his name on the scoresheet as well. Klopp replaced Gomez after a while, and his substitution Oxlade-Chamberlain failed to stop the pacey winger.
According to many, Liverpool’s players were carried away with the fact that they mathematically secured the title, underestimating the hosts’ motive. We can only guess how Citizens felt while saluting the new champions before the game.
Jurgen Klopp was a bit unhappy following the match, but he didn’t allow the reporters to blame his players for lack of will or focus.
. “If you want to lead this story in the direction that we were not focused on this game, then do it,” he said. “I saw a brilliant attitude. We didn’t behave like somebody who became champions a week ago. But we lacked fluidity, and for some 50/50 situations they were just quicker than us.”
He also added that even though Man City played better, his team didn’t deserve to lose with this margin, especially as they too had several excellent chances.
For Liverpool, this is the first game in the Premiership in which they allowed more than two goals. They don’t have any more obligations apart from the Premiership, which is different than City.
Guardiola’s guys have a chance to win two trophies – the FA Cup and the Champions League. They are meeting Arsenal in the semis, whom they already defeated recently. It was the first game since the comeback, and the result was 3-0 for the Sky-Blues.
Also, City needs to have its rematch against Real Madrid in the Champions League. The first leg ended with their win, 1-2, and they need to confirm it before clinching the spot among the top eight teams in Europe.
Nikola Velickovic is a sports journalist who loves to write and read on all sports. Nikola contributes both news updates and functions as a sports breaking news writer at WagerBop.
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Email: nikola@wagerbop.com
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