Alex Keble analyses how the final Premier League match between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola played out as Liverpool drew 1-1 with Manchester City.
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In the 89th minute, Jeremy Doku’s low shot hit the inside of a post and rebounded back out. Within seconds, Mohamed Salah was driving into the penalty area, his low cross intercepted by Stefan Ortega.
It was a vignette that captured not just the fire and the fury of a breathless, brilliant match at Anfield, but of every single Klopp versus Guardiola battle that came before it.
It was a fitting finale. The perfect end to an iconic Premier League fixture.
The technical ability, speed, physicality, and drama that Man City versus Liverpool has sustained over the years is unprecedented and unparalleled – and today’s match was one of the very best. It will be sorely missed.
For one last time, here’s how Klopp versus Guardiola played out.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
35 | +57 | 80 |
| 2 |
Man City
MCI
|
34 | +50 | 79 |
| 3 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
35 | +41 | 75 |
Man City edge tense first half thanks to Akanji
Liverpool were the dominant force through long periods at Anfield but in the first half the match was more open, with both teams creating half-chances only in the transition.
It was a taut, tense contest for the first half, only threatening to open up when a misplaced pass gave the other team a chance to break forward quickly. For a while, these mostly came from Dominik Szoboszlai or another Liverpool player.
On top of that, Liverpool’s desire to hit long balls up to Darwin Nunez almost backfired, stretching the pitch and allowing Kevin De Bruyne to find some room on the right.
Guardiola’s decision to pick Manuel Akanji over Ruben Dias defined that particular tactical feature.
Akanji consistently won his aerial duels with Nunez in the first half, allowing Man City to stay predominantly on the front foot.
Liverpool had their moments, largely through Conor Bradley storming forward down the right, which he was allowed to do by left-back Joe Gomez staying deeper to create a safe three on three should Man City break.
Darwin & Diaz the best of Klopp’s tactical strategy
After the break, everything changed.
“Second half was the best performance we ever played against Man City,” Klopp told Sky Sports after the match.
“The game the boys played second half: absolutely exceptional."
He’s not wrong.
Liverpool dominated the second 45 minutes, capitalising on an Ederson error to equalise before riding a wave of momentum and Anfield noise to push Man City back – and almost overwhelm them.
That, alone, is classic Klopp, but the way Liverpool did it even more so: it was the tenacity, pressing, and boundless energy of Luis Diaz and Nunez that forced Man City into uncomfortable situations and got the crowd on their feet.
Nunez’s speed closing down Nathan Ake’s backpass forced the penalty, before Diaz’s running provided him with three good chances to score the winner.
Diaz completed four dribbles while Nunez was caught offside five times, a frustrating sight for Liverpool supporters but evidence of his constant, lurking threat.
As a result, Rodri looked out of sorts, overworked in midfield because he lacked his partner John Stones, who was forced back into central defence.
Once on the back foot, Man City – so rarely in this situation – struggle to get out, lacking the right kind of player to do so.
Substituting De Bruyne was an admission that Guardiola had too many playmakers on the pitch for a team sat so deep in their own half (De Bruyne completed just 64 per cent of his passes, his second lowest ever under Guardiola).
Guardiola’s subs work better than Klopp’s
The De Bruyne substitution turned out to be a very good one, which is more than can be said for Klopp’s.
With 15 minutes remaining it looked inevitable that Liverpool would find a winner, only for Klopp to withdraw his most dangerous player, Nunez.
Cody Gakpo offered little, lacking the physicality to bully the defenders or the pace to stretch them; he managed just eight touches of the ball in 23 minutes (including stoppage time) on the pitch.
Liverpool’s momentum slowed and the champions got a foothold again, thanks in part to Mateo Kovacic’s excellent work off the bench. His patient and smart control of possession in tight areas pulled City up the pitch.
While both sides had their moments, neither could quite grasp the win at Anfield 📊#LIVMCI pic.twitter.com/LTzbzUKcRj
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 10, 2024
Doku came on at the same time, and although he wasn’t quite as influential, his directness helped Man City fight fire with fire, restarting the counter-attacks that had been a feature in the first half – and almost making the telling difference.
Had Doku’s 89th-minute shot been one centimetre to the left, City would have won, the agonising margin evoking memories of the famous Stones goalline clearance in this fixture in 2019.
But it would have been harsh on Liverpool. They had 19 shots (their most against Man City since February 2013), amassed 2.46 Expected Goals to City’s 1.61, and held 53 per cent possession, becoming the first team this season to hold the majority of the ball against Guardiola’s men.
They will be disappointed not to have turned that domination into three vital points, but a 1-1 draw at least keeps them above Man City and, with Arsenal still to play Guardiola’s side, in control of their own destiny.
