A disappointing Sunday afternoon at Anfield left us with nothing but frustration and regret.
With Dominik Szoboszlai joining Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo on the injury list after returning from international duty with a tight hamstring, the odds were already against us, but Liverpool were determined to show that integrity still counts for something.
For over an hour, Liverpool went toe to toe with Manchester City, matching their tempo, pressing aggressively, and testing Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Reds had the best of the chances and deserved to be ahead. However, the moment referee Chris Kavanagh dismissed Ryan Gravenberch for a second yellow soft yellow card, our entire afternoon unravelled.
The atmosphere before kick-off was electric. The Man City team bus had sneaked in the back entrance, but their fans did the walk of shame to the Anfield Road Lower turnstyles.
Once the game got started the Kop roared defiance and our players responded with real fight in the first half.
Virgil van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet marshalled the backline with composure, while Alexis Mac Allister and Lewis Koumas worked tirelessly to disrupt City from settling into their usual passing rhythm.
We had opportunities of our own to draw first blood, forcing Donnarumma into action, and went into the break level at 0-0 knowing we were well in the fight and a win was within our grasp.
Everything changed after the interval. Having picked up a yellow card early in the second period, Gravenberch made a challenge on Jeremy Doku on 61 minutes and received a second booking and an early bath.
Down to 10 men, our structure cracked almost instantly. After just three minutes Erling Haaland latched onto space inside the box to blast the visitors ahead.
Before we could reorganise, Jeremy Doku cut in from the wing in the 67th minute and curled in a devastating second.
A stunning finish by Rayan Cherki on 77 minutes completed a 13-minute blitz that sealed the victory for the Citizens.
Despite the capitulation on the field, the fans kept the noise levels up, chanting ‘Cheat!’ each time a City player passed the ball. They are going to have to get used to that response at every game this season.
As for Liverpool, we lick our wounds and prepare for a trip to Austria for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Linz.
