The Reds started the game with lightening speed – something they’ve done time and time again this season – and took a two-goal half time lead thanks to Raheem Sterling and Martin Skrtel.
But the second half was all City, who were unlucky not to take something from the match, as they mounted a comeback and found themselves level with a hour gone thanks to a David Silva strike and an own goal by Liverpool’s Glen Johnson.
The Reds regained the lead with less than 15 minutes remaining when the usually solid Vincent Kompany sliced a clearance to Coutinho who blasted past Joe Hart in the City goal.
That wasn’t the end of the drama. In the closing minutes, Jordan Henderson was sent off and Skrtel handled in the box – the latter an incident missed by referee Mark Clattenburg.
Luis Suarez should have probably been sent off earlier in the game too but Clattenburg decided against giving him a second yellow for diving.
Speaking after the match, boss Brendan Rodgers told the BBC: “We were brilliant, I’ve got to say. I thought the performance of players and the composure they showed against an outstanding Manchester City team was incredible. We totally dominated the first half… we expected them to come back into it at some stage. The first ten minutes of the second half we had to dig in. After that we changed it around again… and got an outstanding goal.”
Liverpool goes into the final four games knowing that if they win all four, they’ll win the league.
City, who would be a point behind Liverpool if they win their two games in hand, shouldn’t be discounted however, nor Chelsea who beat 10-man Swansea City 1-0 thanks to Demba Ba. That win kept them two points behind.
Liverpool faces Chelsea at Anfield on April 27.
This weekend also marked the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy where 96 fans died at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in 1989.
Image via Getty
