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There was a little over 20 minutes to go when Pep Guardiola turned to the Manchester City fans behind him and put his hands in his ears. He wasn’t shutting out the noise, but wondering where it was.
Lunchtime kick-offs are never the most productive thing for the atmosphere, but this match is the most important in the Premier League and the animosity between these two teams brings merit that often manifests itself in the morning, noon or evening. That never lit on a frigid day felt like it was adrift. Guardiola was looking for more from the enthusiasts, but the enthusiasts were probably looking for more from his team.
Erling Haaland’s record-breaking first-half goal (his 50th in 48 Premier League games) threatened to kick off the game, but it looked like the second half was getting colder than the first at times, indeed from City’s point of view.
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There were a couple of threatening pauses, a controversially disallowed goal for Rubén Días and a good opportunity for Haaland, but little more than that. Haaland spent much of the second half following Joel Matip up and down the pitch for Liverpool corners. Klopp’s team was not knocking on the door, but the game was being played on City’s side and that is why the decibel point had dropped in the Etihad aspect.
That would never have been appropriate for Guardiola, who asked for help when his team needed it most during his time at the club. The atmosphere has certainly taken a step forward in recent years, but after those two groups have produced so many classics of late, this slow festival hasn’t produced the fireworks that usually ignite the crowd.
City might have felt they were doing enough to keep Liverpool at bay, who despite all their territory haven’t created much, but with the quality they have there’s a chance that at some point it will be nothing. This is precisely what Trent Alexander-Arnold brought to the table.
This meant that the familiar Premier League standings would remain so after the first meeting of the season between those two groups. Although Liverpool have had their ups and downs in the Guardiola and Klopp era, they have been City’s constant biggest rivals. As Guardiola never tired of repeating, these two groups have propelled each other towards greatness, even if it is Les Bleus who have managed to maintain this level.
When they face off over the course of a season, the spectacle is epic. The 2018/19 and 2021/22 races will be remembered for a long time, especially at the Etihad. After 12 games, City were first and Liverpool second, with only one point difference, were nostalgic and encouraging, at least from a competitive point of view. After all, one point was enough in those two name-hunting thrillers.
But it also seemed like another season-to-the-end fight was far from guaranteed. City’s presence at the top of the table is taken for granted and while they have been wobbly, especially during the era without Rodri and in the chaotic nature following Chelsea’s draw, it feels like they are in a state of evolution.
That evolution hasn’t been anything like as rapid as Liverpool’s, however. This is a new-look midfield under Klopp and although the signs have been good, it has felt like are trying to talk themselves into a title race at the moment. There has been no standout, statement performance that makes you believe that they will last the pace until May.
This may have felt like their moment, but it was a game that never quite lived up to the billing of these previous head-to-heads. The technical quality was almost always there, but it was a probing, patient game, defined by the kick-off time as much as anything else. A 12.30pm start on a Saturday after an international break does neither of these teams any favours, giving managers little more than one full training session to prepare.
That might have explained why City were content to sit back after the break, looking to work their way to the byline rather than taking the game to Liverpool. But he kept his rivals alive. Guardiola felt his players needed more and in the end they got it. It couldn’t quite happen. There’s still a point between them, but as always City are on top, Guardiola’s reaction showed he’s starting to wait for another run for the name forever.