Premier League 2021/22: How Manchester City and Liverpool produced the game of the season as title race remains in the balance – tactical analysis

For weeks, fans have been circling this fixture on their calendars as a potential title decider. Manchester City’s recent defeat to Tottenham and draw at Crystal Palace, coupled with Liverpool’s 10 straight league wins on the spin meant that only one point separated the teams ahead of this game.

This would be the third time in four seasons where the two teams go neck and neck for the title, amassing record-breaking numbers along the way. Since the start of the 2018/19 Premier League season, City have won 338 points in the league, while Liverpool have accumulated 337. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher claimed that this is the “Premier League’s greatest rivalry”. In terms of quality, he may not be wrong. Both teams have set the bar so high like nothing we have witnessed before. The level of consistency in performances and shear ability to win any game of football is nothing short of spectacular.

The showdown itself did not disappoint as we witnessed a high flying, breathless, end-to-end contest between the best two teams and managers in the league and arguably in Europe. The quality and tactical battles on show were truly a great advert to the Premier League.

City put the visitors under intense pressure in the first half and could have gone into the break with a bigger lead had it not been for some wasteful finishing. However, Jürgen Klopp made some adjustments in the second half as Liverpool scored a quick equalizer meaning the points were ultimately shared in the end.

This tactical analysis will break down some of the key tactics we saw in Sunday’s match.

Line-ups

Pep Guardiola introduced Gabriel Jesus on the right wing and moved Bernardo Silva to midfield alongside Rodri in a 4-2-3-1 formation that we have rarely seen from City this season.

Manchester City XI (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, João Cancelo; Rodrigo, Bernardo Silva; Gabriel Jesus, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden; Raheem Sterling.

Jurgen Klopp approached the game in a familiar lineup that has seen the Reds win their last 10 league outings.

Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joël Matip, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcântara; Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Diogo Jota.

De Bruyne in the spaces

Kevin De Bruyne produced a man of the match display in a big game yet again, scoring the opener and being at his mesmerizing best throughout. At every opportunity, City looked to find De Bruyne in the spaces. He would receive the ball and turn quickly looking to play direct and vertical. From the first whistle, he was playing aggressively and making progressive drives which subsequently led to the first goal. He eludes Fabinho by a quick change of pace and gets a bit of good fortune with the deflection off Matip. KDB was constantly looking for through balls to activate the attackers.

City set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with the ball. Bernardo Silva partnered Rodri in the double pivot, a role the Portuguese is not generally known for. Foden, Sterling and Jesus played as a narrow front three to pin the Liverpool back four and generate the spaces for De Bruyne between the lines. Foden and Jesus tucked inside to drag Alexander-Arnold and Robertson, freeing up the flanks for Cancelo and Walker to push forward.