Liverpool vs. Manchester City score: Kevin De Bruyne misses penalty as Premier League rivals share points

It ended up being a low-scoring affair in Manchester

A cerebral, tactical and ultimately engrossing battle between the two best teams in England ended with honors even as Manchester City and Liverpool split the points at the Etihad Stadium.

Jurgen Klopp's side started in explosive fashion and their intensity forced one crucial error from City when Kyle Walker conceded a penalty to Sadio Mane in the 13th minute, one converted by Mohamed Salah. For a time it looked as though the hosts could not live with Liverpool's intensity but as the game wore on and conditions grew more drizzly and draining, Kevin De Bruyne took greater control of the contest.

The Belgian teed up Gabriel Jesus in the 33rd minute, the Brazilian turning and shooting low past Alisson in one swift movement. De Bruyne might have won the game just before halftime when his cross hit the hand of Joe Gomez but he skewed the resulting penalty well wide.

The second half would not bring the same drama as the first with both sides seemingly prepared to settle for a share of the spoils, a result that leaves Liverpool a point off the top and City a further five points back with a game in hand.

Catch up with the key talking points below

Klopp goes on the attack

If the lineup alone hadn't given it away it was clear inside the opening seconds at the Etihad Stadium that Jurgen Klopp was going for the jugular with his approach away to his chief title rivals. The pre-match discourse had, from a Liverpool perspective at least, been dominated by questions over whether Roberto Firmino or midweek hat-trick hero Diogo Jota would get the nod in the attacking trident.

Klopp had deployed both in a 4-2-3-1 against Sheffield United but him doing so again, in an even more aggressive fashion, was a possibility few saw coming. Firmino was no auxiliary midfielder either, playing through the middle with Salah in what was effectively a 4-2-4. 

Liverpool would aim to throttle City deep, to ratchet up the pressure on their opponents' defensive lines. Simple passes to Rodri were blocked off by a Firmino-Salah wall whilst Mane led the press with relentless energy. It could only have been draining, physically and mentally, when even spells of possession offered no respite. The penalty Walker conceded reflected that, he gambled that he could push up and win the ball but got spun and had little option but to grapple with Mane.

The intensity was great, but it could never last for 90 minutes. There was a notable ratcheting down of intensity in the second half and the replacement of Firmino with Xherdan Shaqiri made Liverpool more cerebral, a bit slower and more easily defended.

Yet what made Klopp's tactic all the more effective is how it not only unleashed all his attackers but served to hide their soft underbelly. When City could hardly get far up enough the pitch to see the whites of the Liverpool defenders' eyes it hardly mattered that Virgil van Dijk was missing.

De Bruyne only needs one chance... except that one

Perhaps most impressive from Liverpool was how they starved De Bruyne of service. After 25 minutes City's primary creator had had just 12 touches, fewer than the likes of Raheem Sterling and Ederson whilst half of what Ilkay Gundogan got.

The problem is sometimes it only takes one of the Belgian's touches for the game to change. Georginio Wijnaldum was dragged out of position by the advancing Walker and that left that most precious of commodities for De Bruyne: space on the edge of the box.

His pass still left Jesus with plenty to do but the Brazilian got the pass, which had been threaded between two onrushing defenders, in just the right position for his touch to spin the ball forward and strike low.

As for the penalty, that it was the first spot kick to miss the target entirely since October 2018 when Riyad Mahrez cleared the Anfield crossbar offers a sense of what an aberration that miss was. Give De Bruyne the same opportunity 100 times and he might miss the target again on only a handful of occasions.

Crucial injuries mounting for Liverpool

After the hammer blow of Van Dijk's knee injury, likely to rule him out for the season, and the further losses of Fabinho and Thiago comes yet another irreplaceable absentee for Liverpool. There is simply no alternative option for Trent Alexander-Arnold in Klopp's squad. There are few, if any, quite like him anywhere in world football.

James Milner came on and did a job at right back, just as he can in countless other systems. But he cannot bring the delivery from dead balls and open play, the overlapping runs and the passing range of Alexander-Arnold. As was the case when Liverpool lost Van Dijk and Fabinho, they will have to come up with new ways to function without such a key player.

For now it will be a worrying wait for Klopp and Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold appeared to say on the pitch that the problem was with his calf and the immediate nature of his withdrawal does not bode well for the English champions.

Notable performances

Sadio Mane: Fizzed with intensity in the first half, his direct running and shrewd movement off the ball giving Kyle Walker all sorts of difficulties. RATING: 7

Joao Cancelo: By no means a natural left-back but the former Juventus defender is performing impressively at both ends of the pitch. A brilliant cross for Jesus should have given City an early lead in the second half whilst no-one made more tackles on the pitch. RATING: 8

Ruben Dias: Another defender who has settled quickly in an unfamiliar environment, he looks a bastion of solidity alongside Aymeric Laporte. Indeed after the early waves of Liverpool pressure subsided they seemed to be rather holding their visitors at arms' length. RATING: 7

Up next

Following the international break Liverpool will host Leicester City on Nov. 21 whilst Pep Guardiola's side travel to Tottenham later that day.

Liverpool 1, Manchester City 1 (FT)

⚽Liverpool: Mohammad Salah - 13' (PK)
⚽Manchester City: Gabriel Jesus - 31'

[Nov 8, 2020 at 1:21 pm ET · Sandra Herrera]

Final minutes

Looking like each side being cautious as to not concede a final game winner, although each still trying to break through.