Pep Guardiola call exposes Man City weakness in Liverpool FC draw
After an unusually flimsy performance against Chelsea that saw Manchester City concede the most goals in a single match since he arrived at the club, Ruben Dias was back to his chest-beating, world-beating best against Liverpool.
The Portuguese centre-back has been a revelation since joining in 2020, belatedly filling the shoes of Vincent Kompany when none thought it were possible. But for all their reputations as no-nonsense defenders, there is an immaculate footballing brain that makes them perfect for a footballing brain.
Against Liverpool, there was of course everything you could want to see from Dias from a defensive point of view. There were blocks, challenges, interceptions, appeals for everything, and guttural roars and celebrations shared with his teammates whenever any of the backline succeeded in keeping the ball away from Ederson's goal.
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As well as doing so much to try to secure City's end of the pitch, Dias also made telling contributions at the other. His build-up play was excellent and he was also crucial to his team catching Liverpool cold on the crisp November afternoon.
The opening had been a tight affair, with both teams sizing each other up and being careful not to cede too much ground. Whenever a pressure point approached, a mistake or a bit of quality from the opposition snuffed it out.
Then came the game's first major flashpoint, as Alisson collected a ball and Mo Salah and Liverpool turned their backs and ran to meet the impending kick. Except it didn't arrive.
A horrible slice from the second-best Brazilian goalkeeper on the pitch looped