Raheem Sterling put City ahead after just 12
minutes (Getty)That is one of the qualities that has truly elevated this team, and is one huge reason why they may not be
going away. They just have such an impressive perseverance.
Here, lacking some of their best players and best football, they willed their way back into the game and
ended it the stronger. Their equaliser summed this up as they effectively forced the ball over the line. Virgil
van Dijk, having already hit the bar with a header that stayed out by inches, this time headed across for Joel
Matip to turn in.
Liverpool had fully turned over the game.
Claudio Bravo, so often an unfair figure of fun for City given that calamitous first season, so often kept them
in it in the second half. At least two of his saves were spectacular, but still not as impressive as Kyle
Walker’s rescue feat. As the game entered stoppage time, and a Salah header looked to be entering the net
after another Liverpool break, the full-back athletically bicycle-kicked the ball away just in time.
So, it was time for penalties. And time for yet another Guardiola trophy at City. Just don’t expect it to tell us
too much about where the major trophies go in nine months’ time.