Manchester City rallied late to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield, keeping their Premier League title hopes alive with a dramatic comeback.
City kicked off nine points behind leaders Arsenal, who had beaten Sunderland 3-0 on Saturday, and the gap appeared set to widen when Dominik Szoboszlai curled in a stunning free-kick in the 75th minute to give Liverpool the lead.
Bernardo Silva equalised in the 84th minute, finishing after Erling Haaland headed the ball into his path, before Haaland completed the turnaround from the penalty spot. The spot-kick was awarded after Matheus Nunes was brought down by goalkeeper Alisson, Xinhua reports.
The match ended in chaotic fashion when Szoboszlai hauled down Haaland as the striker broke clear on goal. Haaland reacted and the ball ended up in the net, but following a VAR review, the referee ruled out the goal, awarded City a free-kick and sent off Szoboszlai.
“It was a brilliant advert for the Premier League. The first half was really good and we lost a bit of momentum in the second half — Anfield can feel like that. After that, we played more direct, but then we lost the ball and were too passive.
“What a strike from Szoboszlai, and after that, led by our captain Bernardo, we came back. The spirit has been there. In general, the first half was really good and the second half showed a bit of fatigue,” said Guardiola.
Elsewhere, Ismaila Sarr scored the only goal as Crystal Palace ended a 13-game winless run with a 1-0 victory away to Brighton, moving nine points clear of the relegation zone.
Sarr struck in the 61st minute after Brighton failed to clear effectively, running onto a through ball and slotting home.
James Milner was an unused substitute for Brighton, leaving him one appearance short of equalling Gareth Barry’s Premier League record of 653 appearances.
IANS
