Teary Stevie leads Liverpool to crucial City win

Liverpool had the hallmark of champions as they claimed a thrilling 3-2 win over Manchester City in their biggest game in nearly a decade. 

Not since Istanbul has a Liverpool game carried such importance.

Both teams entered the contest knowing that a 100% record in their remaining fixtures would see them crowned Premier League champions. With two games in hand, though, a draw would have been a much better result for Manchester City, whereas the Reds needed to win at all costs.

As tickets traded for thousands of pounds online and the media devoted most of its coverage to this fixture despite it being FA Cup semi-final weekend, nobody wanted to miss what was billed as the game of the season.

Thankfully, a match full of goals, drama and controversy lived up to the hype. Most importantly, Liverpool passed the hardest test of their title credentials and emerged from the exhilarating contest top of the table with only four games remaining.

Before kick-off, which, like all matches this weekend, had been delayed by seven minutes to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, Anfield impeccably observed a minute’s silence in remembrance of the 96.

Although former Liverpool centre back Alan Hansen rightly pointed out this week that no on-field achievement can make up for the tragic loss of 96 fellow supporters, it would certainly be fitting if the Reds won the League in their honour, and that inspired Rodgers’ men to begin the match at break-neck pace, taking the game to the visitors right from the first whistle.

The over-excited Luis Suarez got himself foolishly booked for a rash tackle on Martin Demichelis only five minutes in, but then made up for it by setting up Sterling to score the opener a minute later. The number seven slid a pass through to Sterling, who magnificently wrong-footed the dumbfounded Kompany and Hart before passing the ball into an unguarded net.

It was a brilliant goal from the ever-improving youngster, who surely must be in the on-watching Roy Hodgson’s plans for the World Cup in Brazil this summer.

Anfield remembers and honours the 96

Sterling celebrates his opener with Suarez

Skrtel screams with joy after scoring Liverpool's second

With the Kop roaring them on and jeering every touch of the ball from a City player, Liverpool continued their relentless pressing during the majority of the first 45 minutes, Sturridge just unable to convert Sterling’s low cross after quarter of an hour.

To make matters worse for Man City, their talismanic midfielder Yaya Toure limped off midway through the half with a muscle injury incurred while curling a shot over the bar.

Gerrard, whose passion proved the driving force behind Liverpool’s win and was evident in his post-match tears, thought he’d doubled the Reds’ lead on 26 minutes when he sent a thumping header goalwards from Coutinho’s corner. Unfortunately, Hart compensated for his defence’s embarrassingly poor marking with a fantastic save.

The hosts didn’t have to wait long to add a second to their tally, though, as moments later Martin Skrtel, who has chipped in with a healthy amount of goals during this campaign, delightfully glanced Gerrard’s corner beyond Hart and into the back of the net to score his seventh goal of the season and send Anfield into euphoria.

After Sturridge headed off target, Suarez hooked and Coutinho dragged efforts wide of goal, but the Merseysiders couldn’t find the third goal that would have been the final nail in City’s coffin and, starting at the end of the first half and continuing into the second period, Manuel Pellegrini’s men came back into the contest.

They were unlucky not to be given a penalty when Sakho sliced down Dzeko in the box and then Sterling headed Kompany’s header off the line after Mignolet flapped at a corner kick. The Belgian stopper made up for his mistake a minute later, however, as he produced a wonderful save to keep out Fernandinho’s volleyed strike.

Man City began the second half where they had ended the first and the wise introduction of Milner from the bench also helped them turn the flow of momentum 180 degrees.

They had reason to complain soon after the restart, however, as referee Mark Clattenburg failed to penalise Luis Suarez for going to ground ludicrously theatrically following the slightest of touches from Demichelis. If he wasn’t going to award a free kick then Clattenburg really should have shown Suarez a second yellow, but thankfully the Uruguayan got away with it.

It was a case of the boy who cried wolf, though, when Suarez’s later penalty appeal was ignored following a blatant foul from Kompany in the penalty area.

At the heart of City’s attack, Spanish starlet David Silva terrorised Liverpool’s defence in the opening stages of the second half. The 28-year old had the ball in the back of the net ten minutes after the restart but it was fortunately ruled out because the ball had already gone out before Milner crossed to Silva. City had soon halved the deficit, though, as a free flowing passing move culminated in Silva turning home after again receiving an assist from the game-changing Milner.

The Reds were really on the ropes when the away side equalised just after the hour mark, as Mignolet was fooled by a deflection off Glen Johnson, which diverted Silva’s low cross beyond the Belgian and into the Kop end net.

Having been in the ascendancy and seemingly had the game won, Liverpool suddenly found themselves right back where they were at kick-off. With City also now confident of pushing on and claiming victory, the Reds had to climb a huge mountain to keep their title dreams alive.

Just as in Istanbul, although admittedly in less dire circumstances, they dusted themselves off and summoned that inimitable never-say-die Liverpool spirit to inspire them to victory. That didn’t stop Kopites suffering a few scares; however, as Silva spurned a glorious chance to give City the lead for the first time when he couldn’t convert Aguero’s low centre on the slide.

Silva was at the centre of City's comeback

Coutinho and Flanno celebrate the third goal

Kompany rues his mistake

When an error from the City captain then allowed Coutinho to regain the lead for the Reds, it felt like it was going to be Liverpool’s day. Kompany, who had been an injury doubt before the game, sliced a clearance right into the Brazilian’s path, and he smashed a sensational first-time effort past the grasp of Hart and into the bottom right hand corner.

Although Henderson rightly saw red in injury time following a late challenge on Nasri, Liverpool enjoyed more good fortune in the closing stages to help them see out the game until its conclusion. Skrtel quite clearly punched away a cross into the box, but fortunately Clattenburg didn’t see the incident and City were denied a late penalty.

To be fair to City, they were gracious in defeat, Pellegrini refusing to blame the referee despite having some quite legitimate grievances with the officials. Liverpool, meanwhile, celebrated as a team, wholly united and dedicated to their title goal and ecstatic after taking one gigantic step closer to their first title in almost a quarter of a century.

Skipper Steven Gerrard, who was the beating heart of Liverpool throughout what he described as the longest 90 minutes of his life, was crying with happiness and raw emotion. He took the lead in immediately focusing on the next match against Norwich next Sunday, barking out a rallying cry to his teammates as they huddled together after the final whistle.

Gerrard issued a rallying cry to his teammates 

It was the battle cry of a Liverpool lad through and through, who is absolutely desperate to get his hands on that Premier League trophy on the final day of the season. After beating City, most Kopites think it’s his destiny to do so at Anfield on 11th May.

Make us dream.

JFT96 YNWA