Rob Dawson Correspondent
In his first start in the Premier League since January 1, Gabriel Jesούςs showed that Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola made the right call, giving the Brazilian a chance. Matt McNulty / Getty Images MANCHESTER, England – Manchester City and Liverpool drew an exciting 2-2 draw on Sunday in a Premier League standings clash. The opportunity for one side to firmly get the upper hand on the table came and went, but nevertheless offered many points of discussion. Here are three thoughts on the game.
1. The race for the Premier League title remains a reversal
Manchester City and Liverpool have played a pulsating draw at the Etihad Stadium, and we are not even closer to finding out who will win the Premier League title this season. City twice took the lead through Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesούςs, but committed first to Diogo Jota and then to Santo Mane to ensure the two teams remained just one point apart at the top of the table, with seven games to stay.
1 Relevant Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp – whose teams also drew 2-2 at Anfield in October – will have to do it again in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in six days and could still be in the final. Champions League in Paris at the end of May. The result means that both teams are still claiming their own piece of history. Manchester City are trying to replicate the Manchester United treble in 1999 and Liverpool are trying to become the first English team to win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup quadruple. Manchester City and Liverpool will eventually have to separate when it comes to distributing the trophies, but for now they remain locked together after another tough and fun match.
2. Pep Guardiola makes a surprise and performs
Klopp probably did not expect Guardiola to give Gabriel Jesούςs his first start in the Premier League on January 1, but he did and you can not question the result. Jesus had already created a fantastic early opportunity for Raheem Sterling when he hit Joao Cancelo’s cross from the left to give City 2-1 just before halftime with his first league goal since September. Despite being the only recognized striker on the City team, Guardiola has had success playing him on the right wing in the past. In this position he played a key role in the 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the knockout rounds of the Champions League 2019-20 and had two assists in the 5-0 victory over Norwich at the Etihad Stadium in August when he was the best player on the field. The Brazilian has only scored seven goals all season, but most were big. He scored against Arsenal in August and the only goal in the 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in September. In November, he came off the bench to score the winner against Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium and can now add Liverpool to his roster. – ESPN FC Stream Daily on ESPN + (US only) – Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
3. Liverpool will make it through if Mo Salah leaves
There is no doubt about what Mohamed Salah is giving to Liverpool, but he is far from a one-man team. If Salah does not sign a new contract at Anfield and leaves as a free agent in the summer of 2023, Jürgen Klopp’s team is more than capable of making up for his absence and his performance at the Etihad on Sunday is proof. Salah was on the sidelines for much of the match, while others in the top three, Jota and Mane, scored. Liverpool have recruited well to bring in Jota and Luis Diaz to ensure they do not become overly dependent on Salah and that means that if the Egyptian leaves, they are ready replacements to fill the gap. It would be a blow to lose a player who is still on track to score 30 goals in all competitions again this season, but it is not the nightmarish scenario that some predict. Yes, he is important – he showed his class with a pass for Mane’s goal – but he has only scored once since the end of February and Liverpool are still on the hunt for four trophies. The good news for Liverpool and the board is that Salah is not in a position to claim outside his world for his contract.
