I saw Man City Boss Pep Guardiola credit the mastermind behind Kevin De Bruyne’s Liverpool ‘genius’

I saw Man City Boss Pep Guardiola credit the mastermind behind Kevin De Bruyne’s Liverpool ‘genius’

Manchester City held on at Liverpool to gain a solid point in the race for the Premier League title and MEN Sport has taken a look at what you may have missed

Pep Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola watched his side draw 1-1 with Liverpool on Sunday

Manchester City gained a solid point in the Premier League title race as they drew 1-1 with Liverpool at Anfield.

 

Things had looked rosy for the Blues in the first half and they deservedly led thanks to a clever corner which John Stones stabbed home. City could not find themselves a second before the break and were made to pay just after the interval.

 

Ederson clipped Darwin Nunez in the area for a certain penalty which also led to an injury which took him off the pitch. Alexis Mac Allister stepped up to equalise from the spot and while the momentum was firmly with the hosts, City held on to avoid defeat.

 

Here are some of the moments you may have missed as City drew with Liverpool at Anfield.

 

Guardiola credits the mastermind behind the opener

City fans at Anfield or watching at home were left in awe as the Blues took the lead against Liverpool. At first glance, it was simply just another bit of Kevin De Bruyne brilliance but there was a lot more to it than that.

 

Nathan Ake did superbly to shepherd Mac Allister off the ball to allow Stones to waltz into the centre and stick the ball home. This was more than just individual genius as Gary Neville suggested, it was straight from the training ground.

 

As the away end erupted, Guardiola turned and appeared to point at the architect of the goal Carlos Vicens. The Blues’ set piece coach has earned his yearly wage in a 20-second moment.

 

Guardiola tries to cool De Bruyne down

As his team became bogged down by the hosts, Guardiola opted to make a change and bring off his best creative player. The Belgian was unhappy initially with the decision to take him off which was spotted by most as De Bruyne took his place on the bench.

 

What may have been missed was what happened afterward. As the game restarted, Guardiola joined De Bruyne on the back row of the bench to explain his call. While he was still not 100 per cent happy, the playmaker looked to have cooled down slightly.

 

City change plans to avoid Liverpool tactics

Up until the second half, it appeared as though City had done masterfully to avoid any shenanigans which the hosts wanted to deploy. It began on Saturday as the Blues opted to stop in Manchester before the game instead of Liverpool to avoid any fireworks or other disruption tactics to their night’s sleep.

 

The City team bus driver then executed some clever tactics of his own as he changed route on the way to the stadium to avoid Liverpool fans who were awaiting the coach’s arrival.