Manchester City and Liverpool were not harmed

[Blexfraptor]

The leaders of the Premier tied to zero goals
LONDON - A shower of goals was expected when Liverpool and Manchester City jumped to Anfield, but the only thing that got wet was the gunpowder of two teams that risked the least, settled for the draw and signed a disappointing 0-0 in which It was marked Riyad Mahrez, who sent a penalty to the clouds.

After 4-3 with the end of last season's game, City and Liverpool showed a much more pragmatic and cautious face, without leaving opportunities to the contrary.

With the passage of time, it seems that Klopp and Guardiola increasingly know each other and anticipate each other's steps. Therefore, the game was a continuous clash against a fronton, as if each player knew how to deactivate his nemesis. Solo Mahrez, in a children's penalty committed by Virgil van Dijk, could change the sign of the game, but with his shot to the clouds his illusions and those of his team to assault the house of Klopp.

The atmosphere of Anfield was the best argument of Liverpool in the first moments of excitement in which Klopp painted the field red. The high pressure and suffocation they submitted to the defense 'Cityzen' paid off in terms of dominance, but was sterile when creating real danger to the goal of Ederson.

Only a shot from Mohamed Salah, a wide dive, and a cross by Sadio Mané, after a good individual play on the end line, which had to be cleared by Benjamin Mendy, were Liverpool's offensive baggage in about ten minutes which was quickly deactivated by the possession of the City.

When the effervescence and testosterone of playing in Anfield went out, Guardiola's team began to pamper the leather and to sleep the match, because the visitor domain did not worry Alisson Becker too much.

While Liverpool lived off the steals in midfield and the rapid transitions of their top trio, consisting of Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino, City suffered from a lack of a player to provide verticality and depth, that is, Kevin de Bruyne

The idea of leaving with Riyad Mahrez as a starter left the Algerian at the expense of the appearance of non-existent spaces in the first half, at the mercy of a perfectly planted and united Liverpool, which did not break down even when James Milner had to retire due to discomfort and Naby Keita came in after half an hour.

The balance at rest was catastrophic for the show in a game that was assumed to be a torrent of football. Only three times in the first 45 minutes, when last year, at the end of the match, 27 were counted.

In the second half, the fight did not change excessively and City continued to play and touch the ball, knowing that if the match ended in a draw, it would not give a blow to the classification, but it would serve to finish the leader.

It was Liverpool who took some more risk and close was to take advantage of the City, when in the 60th minute he had his first clear chance of goal. David Silva served a deep pass to Mahrez, who got rid of Andrew Robertson, but his cross strike went beyond the left post of Alisson.

The warning served for Liverpool to become clever and for Salah, in a counter, to prove again that it is not at last year's level. He had the opportunity to surprise Ederson on a long ball that he controlled inside the area, but his hit went to the Anfield stand.

The counterattack by City came in the form of a penalty in the last minutes of the match. Sané, heeled in the area, left in the race, parallel to Van Dijk. The Belgian threw himself into the ball, but he took the lead and the referee called a penalty.

Already without Agüero in the field, who continues without knowing what is to mark in Anfield, Mahrez took the responsibility, but it sent the ball over the crossbar and the result no longer varied.

The point earned serves the City to rise to the leadership of the league, with 20 points, forming a three-way tie with Chelsea and Liverpool.