On the day that Anfield celebrated the brilliance of ‘Sir’ Roger Hunt, it was the brilliance of Mo Salah that lit up a sensational second half at Anfield. The fact that these two heavyweight contenders for the title, finished level, should not detract from a Salah goal, that had Messi scored it, we’d no doubt be calling goal of the season.
In a strangely subdued first-half display from Liverpool, in which they were fortunate to not fall behind, the second half was pulsating. Forty-five minutes of attacking football that reminds us all why we love this crazy, beautiful game.
The goal-scoring began in the second half, with Salah picking up the ball on the halfway line, skipping past City defenders, and playing a perfectly weighted pass on to a sprinting Mane, who finished hard and low to the right corner of Ederson’s net. Anfield erupted, and for the first time in the game, Jurgen Klopp’s men looked on top. But City aren’t champions for nothing, and Foden, in a performance to rival that of Salah, soon levelled for Pep’s team.
The game swung once again at this point, with City again dominating possession before Mo scored a goal for the ages. Surrounded by City players, he somehow skipped clear of despairing City challengers, jinked left and right in the penalty box, before finishing with his right foot off the inside of the post. Anfield exploded in amazed admiration, for a level of skill that will be remembered for as long as football is played at Anfield.
Again, it looked as though three points would be heading to the home side, but once again City hit back. Yes, De Bruyne’s shot took a deflection, and Liverpool will rightly be disappointed to have given up the lead for the second time, but City were more than worthy of a point, in a game that they no doubt will believe they should have won.
So as we head towards the interminable international break, we’re in the mix. Yes, we’ve failed to beat either of the two teams who’ll surely rival us for the title, but in Mo Salah, surely the world’s best player on current form, there’s no reason to believe, that we’re not serious contenders for a second premiership crown.
Russell Kennedy
