Chapter 600: Crazy Liverpool, Even Crazier Manchester City
Although there weren't many goals in the first half, it didn't affect the excitement of the game in the slightest.
This match undoubtedly represented the highest level of the Premier League in recent years. Both teams transitioned from defense to attack at lightning speed, making the game incredibly thrilling. The fans at the stadium were ecstatic, wishing they could witness such a spectacular match every day.
At halftime, both the fans in the stands and those watching live at home were excitedly discussing the game with friends, either offline or online.
"Liverpool is incredible! Judging from the first half, Liverpool looked like the team with the upper hand!"
"Haha, maybe Manchester City didn't expect that a team would dare to go toe-to-toe with them in the Premier League!"
"Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is outstanding today. Compared to the last match, it's like he's a different player!"
"Haha, we should give him a new nickname! Let's stop calling him Zhang Jiuling and start calling him Zhang Zhenyue!"
Liverpool fans were thrilled with their team's performance today. Their last away game had been a humiliating defeat, leaving many fans with some anxiety.
Even though this was their home ground and they had loudly proclaimed their desire for revenge against Manchester City, slogans are just words. If you can't back them up, they're meaningless.
However, today, Liverpool's brilliant first-half performance dispelled their doubts, making them optimistic again. Many were already anticipating a home win against Manchester City, hoping to end the opponent's unbeaten streak.
The fans dreamed of revenge: to not only beat Manchester City, who had previously crushed them, but also shatter their undefeated record. And if they could, they wouldn't mind scoring a few more goals, just as City had done to them. That would be the perfect revenge.
However, considering Manchester City's strength, achieving this would be tough, so the fans only dared to dream about it in their hearts.
"Let's not get too optimistic. It's only been half a game. Although we caught Manchester City off guard, they quickly equalized after falling behind. Their resilience shows why they're the top team in the Premier League right now. We, Liverpool, are still a bit behind them."
While most people were optimistic, someone stepped in to temper expectations, reminding them to keep their hopes in check to avoid disappointment later.
However, the second half turned out differently than they feared.
Liverpool became even more aggressive than in the first half!
In the 59th minute, Liverpool successfully intercepted the ball from Kevin De Bruyne with a two-man press in their own half. After regaining possession, they immediately launched a counterattack. Oxlade-Chamberlain received the ball and pushed forward.
Fernandinho, who should have come forward to intercept, mistakenly thought he would pass to a central player, causing a momentary lapse in judgment. With no one marking him, Oxlade-Chamberlain took advantage and charged forward at high speed. After crossing the halfway line, he threaded a precise through ball into the box.
Liverpool's forward, Roberto Firmino, muscled past John Stones and, as the goalkeeper rushed out, cleverly curled the ball towards the far post.
With a loud "bang," the ball hit the post again, but this time, it rebounded into the net.
Liverpool regained the lead, making it 2-1.
Firmino's goal ignited the atmosphere at Anfield, and Liverpool's momentum skyrocketed.
In the 62nd minute, Mohamed Salah once again won the ball in the attacking third and passed it to Sadio Mané on the left. Mané took a moment to adjust before unleashing a powerful shot that tore through Manchester City's defense for the third time.
The score was now 3-1.
In just three minutes, Liverpool scored two goals, flipping the game on its head.
Manchester City was now in danger of collapse, as Liverpool was completely out of control!
But to make matters worse, the continuous goals and mistakes severely affected the mentality of City's players, especially the defenders.
In the 68th minute, Ederson made a huge blunder. After his team lost the ball again, the pass to him was too long. He could have calmly controlled the ball and passed it to a teammate, but seeing several Liverpool players charging at him aggressively, he instinctively opted for a long clearance.
And then, the unexpected happened: his clearance struck Salah, who noticed Ederson was positioned too far forward. Seizing the moment, Salah chipped the ball, sending it over Ederson and into the net for the fourth time.
The score was now 4-1!
The Liverpool fans in the stands went wild!
This score was beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Even the most optimistic fans wouldn't have dared to imagine Liverpool beating Manchester City 4-1 at home!
After all, City had been undefeated across all competitions this season. How could such an invincible team be so easily crushed by Liverpool?
However, the reality was far better than anyone had imagined!
Some Liverpool fans even felt like this was a replay of their first encounter this season, except this time, Manchester City was the one being completely outplayed and overwhelmed.
Liverpool was on fire, and Manchester City, rattled by the continuous goals, was losing their spirit and composure.
Ederson's earlier mistake was telling. If he hadn't lost confidence in his defenders, he wouldn't have rushed that clearance—Mané was at least five or six meters away. There was no need for him to be so hasty.
Even if he needed to clear the ball, he could have kicked it out to the side or out of bounds, giving the opposition a throw-in would've been far better than gifting them a scoring opportunity.
As a result, Liverpool's fans were confident that their team would score more goals, continuing to rub salt into City's wounds!
However, they were a little too optimistic.
This Manchester City team had seen it all. They were down by three goals, but it wasn't the end of the world.
Besides, they had such a big lead in the league standings that even losing a game wouldn't matter too much.
As the younger players started to panic, the captain, Prince Lin, stepped up.
He took advantage of the time during Liverpool's goal celebration to chat with Ederson and the defenders, calming them down.
Seeing Prince Lin and seasoned players like De Bruyne remain composed, Ederson, Kyle Walker, and others quickly relaxed.
Having someone step up and stabilize the team in critical moments is essential for any squad.
On the sidelines, Pep Guardiola also recognized the issues plaguing his team. After some thought, he made a bold substitution.
In the 71st minute, Manchester City made a change.
Kylian Mbappé was subbed off, and his fellow Monaco alumnus Bernardo Silva came on.
Mbappé hadn't performed well today. He struggled to find space on the wing, as Liverpool targeted him and gave him little opportunity to receive the ball or sprint.
Moreover, his defensive work wasn't great, and City's right side had been quiet throughout the match. On the other hand, Leroy Sané, playing on the left, was heavily involved, as was Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was excelling for Liverpool on that side.
Mbappé is a sharp weapon, but sometimes a dagger isn't what you need.
Guardiola's substitution proved effective.
Compared to Mbappé, Bernardo Silva was more versatile, capable of dribbling, passing, and creating opportunities. While his attacking prowess wasn't as outstanding as Mbappé's, his ability to support the midfield was more valuable, especially with other scorers on the field.
After going 4-1 up, Liverpool hoped to finish City off once and for all.
But as soon as Bernardo Silva came on, Liverpool realized something wasn't right.
Manchester City began to regain control of the midfield. Liverpool's high press became less effective, and City started creating more chances to threaten their goal.
"Manchester City is really tough! Any other team would have collapsed by now!"
Fans in the stands saw that, despite being three goals down, City kept playing calmly and methodically. Even the defenders, who had looked shaky earlier, were now playing much better.
City truly lived up to their reputation as a top-tier team, deserving their place at the top of the Premier League.
Still, Liverpool fans didn't believe City could pull off a comeback at Anfield.
More than 70 minutes had passed, and Liverpool was three goals ahead at home.
How could City turn the game around now?
The game seemed to unfold as the fans expected.
After City increased their attacking threat, Liverpool quickly changed tactics.
Jürgen Klopp brought on former City player James Milner to strengthen control in the midfield.
Milner, a versatile player who had been used in many positions during his time at City, brought much-needed grit to Liverpool's midfield, making it harder for City to attack.
For the next 10 or so minutes, the score remained unchanged.
By the 84th minute, with just a few minutes left in the match, Liverpool fans were preparing to celebrate their victory.
But then, disaster struck.
In the 83rd minute, Prince Lin initiated an attack. After advancing the ball for a while without finding a good opportunity, he passed it back to Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne then switched it to Bernardo Silva on the wing. As Bernardo dribbled forward, he drew in two defenders.
Just as he was about to pass back, he saw Prince Lin in his peripheral vision.
Without hesitation, Bernardo played the ball to Prince Lin, who was being tightly marked by a Liverpool player. The defender rushed in, trying to close him down.
However, Prince Lin's response was unexpected. Instead of controlling the ball, he made a quick one-touch pass, sending it back to Bernardo Silva on the wing.
Acting like a wall, he bounced the ball back to Bernardo, who had made a forward run after the pass.
Bernardo, a highly intelligent player, wasn't sure if Prince Lin had seen the open space in front of him, but he made the run anyway. And just as he reached the spot, the ball arrived.
Bernardo received the ball again on the wing, but this time, he found himself in open space.
Seeing Bernardo about to break into the box, Liverpool's defense sounded the alarm.
As they shifted their focus to him, Bernardo took a few steps forward before cutting the ball across to the center.
Sergio Agüero, who was in the middle, was ready to shoot, but Joël Matip had closed him down.
Seeing an open space nearby, Agüero gently nudged the ball towards it.
A blur of blue darted past him, collecting the ball in this unmarked area before sweeping it into the net with a quick strike to the near post.
The score was now 4-2, and the scorer was Manchester City's number 10—Prince Lin!
This was a classic Manchester City goal, where by the time the attack finished, they had five players inside Liverpool's box—more than the defending team.
Their intricate passing tore Liverpool's defense apart.
The goal made some Liverpool fans uneasy, and many instinctively glanced at the big screen.
It was already the 84th minute, so with stoppage time, there were only about 10 minutes left at most.
But their lead had been cut to just two goals. Could they hold on?
On the sidelines, Klopp could sense danger too.
He quickly made substitutions, bringing on Adam Lallana for Salah and Ragnar Klavan for Mané.
These substitutions sent a clear message: Liverpool wanted to lock down the game and secure their win.
But in a fierce contest, the brave prevail. As Liverpool became more conservative, their attack posed less of a threat to Manchester City, who poured more energy into their offense.
At the game's final moments, Manchester City threw everything forward, even having their goalkeeper move up near the center circle. During set-pieces, he rushed into the box to contest headers.
At this point, every goal mattered, and losing another goal was of no concern.
Whether they lost by two or three goals didn't matter—it was still a loss.
So, chaos was the name of the game for Manchester City.
In the 87th minute, Prince Lin carried the ball along the edge of Liverpool's box, from left to right. As several Liverpool defenders closed in on him, he passed it to De Bruyne.
De Bruyne switched the play, sending the ball from the right to the left.
On the left, an unmarked Agüero unleashed a powerful volley, drilling the ball into the net once again.
The score was now 4-3!
Liverpool's lead had been cut to just one goal, with six to seven minutes remaining in the match!
There was still plenty of time for Manchester City!
Agüero's goal left both the Liverpool fans in the stands and Klopp on the sidelines visibly nervous.
The cheering at Anfield had quieted down, and many Liverpool fans were now watching the game with bated breath, some even silently praying.
Just one more goal to hold on to! Just a few more minutes and we'll win!
But sometimes, the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen.
If the start of the second half was Liverpool's moment to shine, when everything they did worked, then the final moments belonged to Manchester City!
In stoppage time, Prince Lin and De Bruyne executed a series of quick one-two passes.
Liverpool's defense was in complete disarray, and when Prince Lin broke into the box, it was almost like a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Loris Karius, desperate, charged out of goal, but Prince Lin, in a state of frenzy, dribbled past him and slotted the ball into the empty net.
The score was 4-4.
In an unbelievable comeback, Manchester City had clawed their way back from a huge deficit, scoring three consecutive goals to equalize the match!
(End of chapter)
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