Liverpool vs. Manchester City score: Premier League contenders share points in four-goal thriller

City twice came from a goal down to earn a 2-2 draw at Anfield

Liverpool and Manchester City contrived to keep each other off the Premier League summit in a thrilling clash at Anfield on Sunday, the visitors twice striking back to earn a 2-2 draw they thoroughly merited.

City had been by far the dominant side in the early exchanges but were undone by the outstanding interplay of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, the latter opening the scoring just before the hour with a smart drive across Ederson. Salah would make it 2-1 in even more impressive fashion, a jinking run around the right side of City's box ending with him smashing the ball across the face of goal.

That restored a lead that had been briefly cancelled out by Phil Foden's arrowing strike from the inside left channel where City had dominated all game long. From that same spot City got the game's fourth goal when a cutback was cleared only as far as Kevin De Bruyne, whose strike deflected wickedly off Joel Matip to draw the visitors level.

That goal brought a rare smile to Pep Guardiola's face, the Manchester City boss apoplectic when James Milner avoided a second yellow for a trip on Bernardo Silva. Liverpool moved quickly to replace the struggling auxiliary right back and ensure they were not a man down against a devastating opponent.

This was a game of the highest standards across the pitch, typified by a quite astounding diving block by Rodri to block Fabinho from scoring an open goal after Ederson had misjudged a cross from the right wing. It would have been a cruel way for City and their excellent goalkeeper to lose this magnificent game, one where almost every player put it an individual performance worthy of victory. This could be the game to set the stage for a fascinating title race between these two with Chelsea firmly in the mix too.

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City waste their dominance

At the outset of this clash it looked as if City's high stakes week had finally worn off on them. After 15 minutes had been played Liverpool had completed 19 passes in the attacking third, their visitors just seven. The home team's press seemed to have the opposition pinned back with Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri forced into overly ambitious passes up the pitch that were picked off all too easily.

This seemed Liverpool's to win and yet they took their foot off the peddle… not for the first time in recent weeks. That brief respite was all City needed. Further impetus came from a brilliant run by Bernardo Silva, beating five players (Jordan Henderson couldn't get near the Portuguese in three attempts) before slipping in Foden to see his shot well saved by Alisson.

By the interval the tables had emphatically turned. City had completed 55 passes in the attacking third to Liverpool's 29 and were leading in shots by seven to one. There was a spell before halftime where the Reds went 10 minutes without a touch in the attacking third. Pep Guardiola's side were remorseless, penning their hosts in.

These games don't often feature the obvious weak spot that Liverpool had on their right flank today. James Milner is a diligent professional who has rarely if ever let his teammates down over what will soon be 19 years of Premier League football. But every one of those years, all 573 top flight games, looked to be weighing on the veteran as he was thrust into the right back role in the absence of Trent Alexander Arnold.

Without the ball City didn't fear Milner. When they had it they scented blood in the water. Their attacks were relentless. Foden beat a man 14 years his senior at will and had a fair shout for a penalty in the 32nd minute when Milner dragged him down as he burst into the box. It was the sort of decision that VAR would have upheld if Paul Tierney had instead pointed to the spot.

Only the speed of Alisson off his line denied Foden a goal. Having denied Bernardo one spectacular assist earlier on he repeated the trick just before the break he did the same to Ederson, who had planted the ball from his goalline onto Foden's boot cutting in from the left. They did not particularly block up that path to goal in the second half – it was from the space in behind Milner that Foden equalized with 20 minutes left and from whence the second equalizer came – they simply had enough possession and territory that it was less of an issue.

Equally Jack Grealish's brief dalliances on the left early in the second half rather seemed to have let Milner off the hook. Early in that period was the moment to go for the jugular, to send all their attacks down that flank through the unstoppable Foden. In that period they might have let the win slip away.

Mane and Salah's moments of magic

Liverpool could not convincingly contend that they had the better of this game. They certainly had moments but it was City who led on the territory, possession and pressure stakes. What the visitors did not have was a forward in form quite as spectacular as Salah's. Mane was not far behind but this was a wonderful performance from the Egyptian, as good as he has been in a Liverpool shirt in some time.

With little he did a lot. After spending most of the first half feeding off scraps, Salah made a feast out of what eventually came his way. A smart flick from Fabinho finally gave him a chance to attack his man one on one. Joao Cancelo never stood a chance. As defenders gravitated towards the No. 11 his fellow forward made one of his customary runs infield from the left flank, finishing with aplomb as he drove a shot across Ederson.

Here was a high profile riposte to those career obituaries that had been written for the Senegal forward as he struggled for form and confidence late last season. Just as Liverpool as a whole have got back to top form since Virgil van Dijk's return so have their forwards. Mane is now top of the league for non-penalty expected goals. He is getting back into those spots he found at will before his annus horribilis.

Second in those particular rankings is Salah, who might be higher if he weren't scoring so many difficult chances. His goal was the best moment of a magnificent clash, made all the more impressive by his willingness to take on a shot from a narrow angle on his weaker right foot. Aymeric Laporte certainly didn't see it coming and looked utterly bamboozled when Salah opted to narrow his angle before taking a quite brilliant shot.

[Oct 3, 2021 at 1:12 pm ET · James Benge]

What a game! De Bruyne squares it up

Once more City make hay down the left. Grealish gets space down the left and tries to cut it back to Walker. Liverpool clear it but only to De Bruyne on the edge of the box. As has been the case for much of this game he miscues his hit but Matip is on hand to deflect it into the goal. What a brilliant contest this has been. You wish there were more than 10 minutes left.

[Oct 3, 2021 at 1:07 pm ET · James Benge]

What a goal!

Salah might have won it for Liverpool. He picks the ball up from Jones on the edge of the box, dips and drives, beating three man, rolling past Laporte onto his right foot and smashing the ball across goal, where it clips the post and flies in. If that's the goal to win it it's no less than this brilliant game merits.

[Oct 3, 2021 at 1:05 pm ET · James Benge]

Guardiola is livid

The City manager is furious, incandescent with rage that a foul from Milner did not result in a second booking. He is probably entitled to believe that the trip on Bernardo should have seen the No.7 given his marching orders and he knows what will happen now as fourth official Mike Dean instructs him to calm down. Joe Gomez is being readied by Liverpool. They've gotten away with one there.

[Oct 3, 2021 at 1:00 pm ET · James Benge]

All square

Liverpool never quite plugged the gap down their right. They just had more possession. They've paid the price, a smart low drive from Foden across Alisson drawing the hosts level.