Chapter 599: The Rematch with Liverpool, A Showdown at Anfield
In the 21st round of the Premier League, Manchester City's winning streak finally came to an end.
In their away match against Crystal Palace, City once again faced a team deploying a compact, defensive strategy.
Ever since City began their winning run, almost every mid- to lower-table team they've faced has used this tactic against them.
Most teams no longer hope to beat City; they just aim for a draw.
And defending to get a draw is the most effective method.
Newcastle had failed in their attempt, but Crystal Palace succeeded.
By the end of the match, the two teams were tied 0-0, and it was the first time all season that Manchester City had been held scoreless.
The match was dull, both in terms of action and the final result.
However, Crystal Palace's fans were delighted, and when the referee blew the final whistle, Selhurst Park erupted in cheers.
It was as if they had won a major victory!
For a team like Crystal Palace, ending the league leader's 18-match winning streak was indeed a big deal.
Before them, none of the Premier League's top teams had managed to do it, but they had succeeded!
Lately, any match involving Manchester City seemed destined for the front page of every sports news outlet.
However, this time the focus shifted. Instead of reporting on another City victory and their increasing win streak, the media pounced on the opportunity to highlight the end of City's run.
News outlets treated the story like sharks scenting blood, dedicating large headlines and extra pages to the story.
For fans, the constant news of City's victories had become so routine that it felt almost boring.
It was as if seeing City win was normal, while a draw or a loss would be the real headline.
So, this shift in coverage immediately caught the attention of readers—it was the perfect news hook.
The media knew exactly how to play it:
"Manchester City has finally been stopped. If they kept winning, I would've gotten tired of it!"
"Exactly, being unbeatable is lonely. Watching City sweep through everyone has gotten dull!"
"Ha! City may have ended their winning streak, but they're still unbeaten. I wonder who will be the first to hand them a loss?"
"I think Spurs or Liverpool have a good chance!"
Both Tottenham and Liverpool had been on the rise in recent seasons, with Tottenham even joining the Premier League's 'Big Six.' Many fans saw them as legitimate contenders.
"But what about Manchester United or Chelsea? Those teams are currently second and third in the standings!"
"Forget United. When was the last time they beat City? And Chelsea? Their style seems to play right into City's hands!"
Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, Manchester United's record against City had been terrible—they hadn't beaten their local rivals in years and had even suffered multiple seasons of being beaten twice in the league.
Whenever they did manage a win, it was usually in lesser competitions like the League Cup or FA Cup, so fans weren't too confident about their chances.
As for Chelsea, while they had performed decently this season, they didn't seem to have the same momentum as last year.
Last season, Chelsea went on a lengthy winning streak, boasting both a potent attack and the best defense in the league, conceding fewer goals than City.
But this year's Chelsea lacked that kind of dominance.
In recent years, the only time Chelsea managed to beat City was with the help of a controversial referee decision. In most other encounters, they either lost or were forced into a draw, so they hadn't fared well against City.
While Chelsea remained one of the top teams in the league, they weren't seen as a serious threat to City.
Compared to Chelsea or United, Liverpool seemed like a team capable of surprising City.
Liverpool's youthful energy, aggressive playing style, and attacking mindset made them unpredictable. When they got into a rhythm, even City could struggle to stop them.
However, Liverpool's weakness was still their defense, which lacked stability and a commanding presence.
Scoring goals wasn't Liverpool's problem; the challenge was keeping their lead and not getting pegged back by mistakes at the back.
This was why Klopp was so determined to sign Virgil van Dijk.
If van Dijk joined, it could significantly bolster Liverpool's defense and eliminate one of their biggest weaknesses.
In the 21st round of the Premier League, there were six draws in total. Alongside City's 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace, Manchester United drew 0-0 at home against Southampton, Arsenal drew 1-1 away to West Brom, and Tottenham were held 1-1 by West Ham at home.
Of the Premier League's 'Big Six,' only Chelsea and Liverpool won their matches.
Because United also drew, City's lead at the top wasn't reduced; in fact, thanks to United's run of three consecutive draws, City's lead had grown to 15 points.
At this rate, City could wrap up the league title six or seven rounds early.
Fortunately for United, they stopped their slump in the 22nd round with a 2-0 away win against Everton.
It was a lucky break that they faced Everton; if they had played another team, the result might have been different.
For example, in the previous round, United faced Southampton—a team considered Liverpool's "little brother." When Southampton faces Liverpool's rivals, they go all out, showing no mercy.
As the saying goes, the football world isn't just about fighting—it's also about relationships.
Although Manchester City had been on a meteoric rise in recent years, they didn't yet have the deep-rooted history of loyalty with other teams that older clubs like United or Liverpool did.
However, with City's youth system constantly improving, and as they continue to work on player loans and transfers, they will likely build stronger connections with other clubs in the future.
When that happens, City might gradually gain teams who support their cause.
But that depends on City's ability to maintain their dominance—flash-in-the-pan teams don't stay as giants for long.
United won, and so did City.
Rather than being discouraged after their draw with Crystal Palace, City seemed to have lifted a weight off their shoulders.
The players were more relaxed, their mindset clearer, and they played even better.
In their next match, City cruised to a 3-0 win at home against Watford, maintaining their 15-point lead over United.
While there wasn't much suspense left in the title race this season, the battle for Champions League spots was intense.
United, though unlikely to catch City, held onto second place firmly.
Behind them, Chelsea's strong performances over the Christmas period allowed them to overtake Tottenham and Liverpool to claim third place.
Liverpool slipped to fourth, with Spurs in fifth, while Arsenal had fallen to sixth.
Since Tottenham's rapid rise, Arsenal's chances of securing a Champions League spot had become increasingly difficult. It seemed like only one of these two North London rivals could make it to Europe's top competition.
With Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool all within a few points of each other, any slip-up could cause a shakeup in the standings.
United were just three points ahead of Liverpool and one point ahead of Chelsea, meaning that a single bad result could change everything.
And the 23rd round presented a perfect opportunity for such a change.
The standout match of the round was Liverpool versus Manchester City at Anfield.
Liverpool was seen as one of the teams most likely to end City's unbeaten run, and their confidence was sky-high for the home match.
Every player's face showed the desire for revenge.
In the fourth round earlier this season, City had humiliated Liverpool with a 6-0 thrashing at home, a defeat that left deep scars on the entire Liverpool team.
It almost etched their shame into the club's history books!
That loss sent Liverpool into a prolonged slump, struggling for form in subsequent matches.
Had they not faltered early in the season, Liverpool's points total would likely be much higher.
When the season began, their goal was to challenge for the Premier League title!
Compared to the fiery attitude of Liverpool, City was like a sword still in its scabbard, calm and collected.
Anfield is known as one of the most intimidating stadiums in the Premier League—every team that plays there feels the pressure.
But for City, conquering Anfield was nothing new.
Though Liverpool's home-field advantage was strong, it wasn't insurmountable.
A few years ago, City had staged an incredible comeback at Anfield, overturning the odds to claim victory. They could do it again.
However, this Liverpool team seemed different—they were even more intense, more aggressive.
The entire Premier League knew about City's devastating attacking firepower, and most teams knew they had to defend solidly against them.
But at Anfield, Liverpool chose to do the opposite. They were going to take the fight to City and attack head-on.
This was Anfield—if Liverpool couldn't even muster the courage to attack here, then they wouldn't be Liverpool!
It didn't matter if City were the league leaders or the best team in the world.
When you come to Anfield, whether you're a dragon or a tiger, you have to bow your head!
Even during Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at United, when they were the dominant force in English football, Liverpool never backed down. Every time United came to Anfield, Liverpool fought tooth and nail, giving United nothing for free.
This time would be no different. It didn't matter if the opponent was United or City—as long as they were from Manchester, Liverpool was ready to fight!
From the opening whistle, Liverpool launched a fierce attack.
Buoyed by the energy of over 50,000 fans at Anfield, they surged forward with relentless pressure.
In the ninth minute, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the player most blamed for Liverpool's 6-0 defeat earlier in the season, stepped up.
After Liverpool won the ball back in midfield with a high press, Oxlade-Chamberlain drove forward, evading four City players, and found the only gap to shoot.
He unleashed a low, powerful shot that flew into the bottom corner, giving Liverpool the lead with the game's first goal!
Oxlade-Chamberlain was ecstatic. After transferring from Arsenal earlier in the season, he had faced heavy criticism from fans following the crushing loss to City. For him, this match was a chance for redemption—for both himself and the team.
And he had done it!
Oxlade-Chamberlain's goal ignited the atmosphere at Anfield even further.
Liverpool's fans grew even more passionate, their cheers louder than ever, as they began singing the club's iconic anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone."
This was their revenge game, and one goal wasn't enough—they wanted more.
So they pressed on, determined to tear through City's defense and humiliate their opponents.
Fueled by the crowd's energy, Liverpool's players ran harder and fought for every ball.
The tempo of the game skyrocketed, with both teams switching from defense to attack in the blink of an eye.
One second, they were battling for possession in midfield, and the next, Liverpool had broken into City's penalty area, creating a dangerous chance.
But City wasn't backing down either.
Whenever Liverpool's attacks were repelled, City's goalkeeper Ederson would immediately start a counterattack with a quick throw.
After a clean pass from the midfield, the ball would reach Liverpool's penalty area within seconds.
City's wingers, Mbappé and Sané, were already sprinting into position, and even Agüero in the middle was ready to pounce for a shot.
Both goalkeepers were kept extremely busy as both teams' relentless pressing and fast transitions led to frequent turnovers.
Both sides were trying to exploit their opponent's defense before it could fully regroup, with Liverpool favoring the wings for crosses and cutbacks, while City used a mix of wide attacks and intricate passing through the center.
By the 30th minute, the score remained 1-0, but both teams had hit the woodwork three times.
Sané had one for City, as did Lin Quan. On the Liverpool side, Mané struck the post once.
Had all those shots gone in, there could have been four goals already!
However, the inevitable eventually happened.
In the 41st minute, City won the ball with a high press of their own and launched a quick counterattack.
Lin Quan carried the ball forward but avoided the crowded center, passing to Sané on the wing.
Sané controlled the ball with a quick touch, surged into the box, and fired a shot into the near post, tying the game at 1-1.
Just before halftime, City had managed to equalize.
But the real madness was still to come! (End of Chapter)
Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.
You can also buy the book if you are only interested in reading the novel.
Principio del formulario