According to the manager of Manchester city, his team had faced severe complications and challenges when comparing it to a tsunami. This is after the important match against Liverpool in the Premier League ended in a 1-1 draw on sunday.
John Stones scored for City in the 23rd minute, giving them the lead in an exciting game at Anfield. However, Liverpool equalized with a penalty from Alexis Mac Allister early in the second half. Both teams had chances to win. But at the same time Liverpool had periods of strong play, and Guardiola was relieved that his team managed to withstand them.
The final results of the match leaves the title race finely balanced, with Arsenal leading on goal difference, followed closely by Liverpool, and City just one point behind with 10 games left to play.
Guardiola commented, “We talked at halftime that when you’re defending in this stadium, you have to keep playing no matter what. We conceded the penalty, and in this stadium, there’s a period where it feels like a tsunami is coming for whoever has the ball.”
He added, “It’s not easy, but we never stopped trying to play. They had their chances, we had ours, and a draw was the result at the end of the game.”
Guardiola, aiming for his fourth consecutive Premier League title with City, expressed his satisfaction with being in contention for another title. He emphasized, “There are still 10 games to go, 30 points up for grabs, and just one point difference. The important thing is that we’re still in the race, despite our past seasons. Apart from one year when Liverpool won with a large points gap, we’ve always been in the mix.”
In the second half, Liverpool had two close calls with the woodwork as Jeremy Doku’s shot hit the post, and Phil Foden’s rebound struck the bar. However, the hosts felt aggrieved when they were denied what they believed to be a clear penalty late in the game.
Doku seemed to be fouled by Mac Allister in stoppage time, but the referee, Michael Oliver, did not award a penalty, and the decision was not overturned by VAR.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was convinced it was a penalty but chose not to dwell on it, saying, “Yes, it was a penalty, but whatever I think won’t change anything now. I believe everyone in this room agrees that if the referee had given a penalty, it wouldn’t have been controversial.”
He continued, “He made contact with the chest, yes, but his leg was high. Does it matter if he touched the ball first when his leg was raised? Why would anyone in the VAR room think otherwise? But I’m not upset. I genuinely don’t care. I’ve moved on.”
Despite the disappointment, Klopp praised his team’s performance, especially given their numerous injuries, and vowed to continue fighting until the end of the season.
He remarked, “We would have liked to convert one of the clear chances we created. Yes, we were fortunate when Doku hit the post, but we played an outstanding game of football. For us, the most crucial aspect, apart from the result, is that we’re right in the mix. We’re ready to go the distance.”
Klopp reflected on the challenges his team has faced throughout the season, saying, “It’s almost unbelievable that we’re still in contention with all the games and squad issues we’ve had. Today, I saw the best 53 minutes we’ve played against Manchester City. It was exceptional how we performed.”
Final words
In summary, Guardiola and Klopp both acknowledged the intensity of the title race and the challenges faced by their teams. While the match ended in a draw, both managers were pleased with their team’s performances and remained focused on the remaining games of the season.
