Guardiola shows he can get the better of Klopp's Liverpool: Tactical lessons from the Premier League midweek fixtures

 

City were impressive in their victory over the champions while neighbours Man Utd continue to build momentum in the hunt for European football

It's already shaping up to be an almighty battle for the Premier League title next season.

Liverpool may have wrapped up this season's edition with seven games to spare but there is no denying that deposed champions Manchester City delivered a shot across the bows of Jurgen Klopp and his team on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Manchester United gained more ground in the pursuit of Champions League football as Chelsea's topsy-turvy season continued with a damaging loss at West Ham.
Jose Mourinho looks no nearer to solving his Tottenham problems, meanwhile, following a 3-1 defeat away at Bramall Lane.

Here, then, is the tactical story of the matchday.
1) Man City’s counterattacking suggests Pep has discovered how to beat Klopp

Whether Liverpool were carrying the physical effects of last week’s celebrations or suffering an unconscious drop in motivation, their defensive collapse on Thursday night should not be taken as a sign of things to come.

In fact, they were competitive for the first 30 minutes, with a deliberate tactical strategy of chipping balls over the top of the Manchester City backline almost leading to a couple of early goals.

The style of Man City’s football was markedly different from how they usually approach this game, or any other for that matter.

Pep Guardiola wants his players to regroup after winning the ball in their own half, forming his perfected team shape in order to move the opposition around.

He doesn’t like quick, improvised counterattacks because it stretches his players out of shape, creating end-to-end games and the sort of chaos his obsessive mind is desperate to control.

Not so last night, when Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus, and Kevin De Bruyne moved at high speed to break through the middle, targeting the spaces left by Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

EPL RESULTS :The fightback starts here: Man City and Guardiola give Liverpool an early warning shot ahead of next season

 Nothing can detract from the Reds' immense title win but this humbling will serve as a reminder that significant work will be needed to defend it

That’s the problem with being back on your perch.

It means you’re there to be shot at.

A week after their first Premier League title in 30 years was confirmed, and after forcing Manchester City into the ignominy of a guard of honour at their own stadium, Liverpool were given a firm reminder of the challenges which await them.
Jurgen Klopp had insisted on Wednesday that the idea of “an end of an era” at City was to be ignored. “They will not stop,” he told his pre-match press conference, and his words were borne out here at the Etihad, as Pep Guardiola’s wounded side finally landed a blow in this most one-sided of campaigns.

Nobody knows yet when the new season will start, but City have already begun their quest to wrest their title back. Liverpool may be 20 points clear - crowned the new Premier League champions a week ago - but they won’t have it as easy next season.

Liverpool champions: The records they could still break

Liverpool win first Premier League and first English title in 30 years
Liverpool are Premier League champions - and here are the records they could still break too...
The records Liverpool are chasing down...

Most wins - 32 (Manchester City, 2017/18 and 2018/19)

When could Liverpool break it? Arsenal (A), July 15
Manchester City ripped up the record books when Pep Guardiola lifted his first Premier League title in 2018, with the kind of dominating season the league had never seen before. Despite City winning all but six games across the entire campaign, and repeating that feat last season, Liverpool are well on course to not only beat City's record haul, but potentially better it.

Now back to winning ways after beating Crystal Palace, Liverpool still have to travel to City, and could break Guardiola's wins record at Arsenal and end up with a mammoth 35 wins by the end of the season. They can still afford to drop points in two more games before the end of the season and overtake City.
Most points - 100 (Manchester City, 2017/18)

When could Liverpool break it? Arsenal (A), July 15

Gabriel Jesus' last-minute winner for Manchester City at Southampton on the last day of the season in 2017/18 did not mean much in a title race that was long since over but Guardiola's celebrations on the touchline at St Mary's told their own story about how significant reaching the target of a three-figure points tally was for the manager.
City were only two points away from matching that last season, but Liverpool can afford to drop six more points between now and the end of the campaign and still beat that incredible figure. At present, Liverpool could smash past 100 points against Arsenal.

Liverpool crowned 2019-20 Premier League champions

Liverpool have finally ended their 30-year wait for a 19th top-flight title after Manchester City's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Thursday night.

Jurgen Klopp's side, who thrashed Crystal Palace 4-0 on Wednesday, have sealed their first Premier League crown with seven games still to play after City dropped points in a dramatic encounter at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool have enjoyed a stunning season that has seen them beaten just once in the league so far - a shock 3-0 loss at struggling Watford in February - to open up an unassailable 23-point lead over Pep Guardiola's side in second.
Their unstoppable march towards the league title was temporarily halted by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic back in March, with the Reds just two wins from glory.
And though Merseyside rivals Everton held them to a goalless draw following the resumption of the Premier League this month, they did not have much longer to wait to rubberstamp their 2019/20 triumph.

Liverpool, who have followed up last season's Champions League title with Premier League silverware, now stand just one behind Manchester United's record-breaking haul of 20 top-flight titles.

Chelsea 2-1 Man City: Liverpool champions after Christian Pulisic and Willian down Pep Guardiola's side (MID WEEK EPL RESULTS)

Report and free highlights as Chelsea beat a valiant Man City to confirm Liverpool as English champions for the first time in 30 years
Liverpool have been crowned Premier League champions after Chelsea's dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester City left the Reds with an unassailable lead.

City had to win to delay Liverpool's celebrations but a first-half defensive mix-up allowed Christian Pulisic (36) to put Chelsea ahead and, after Kevin De Bruyne's (55) sublime equaliser, Willian fired home a penalty following Fernandinho's red card to seal Chelsea's - and Liverpool's - triumph.
With City 23 points behind Liverpool with just seven games to play, there is now no way back mathematically for Pep Guardiola's back-to-back title winners, while Chelsea celebrated a win which strengthens their hold on a top-four place.
At kick-off, Liverpool supporters across the country were watching on excitedly with their first English title in 30 years potentially just 90 minutes away. But City dominated the ball early on and looked likely to make the Reds wait go on when Chelsea stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga nearly handed the visitors a goal, miscuing a pass out and having to stop Bernardo Silva from capitalising.

Liverpool 4-0 Crystal Palace: Returning Salah on target as Reds close in on title

The wait is almost over for Liverpool after they moved within touching distance of the title by beating Crystal Palace at Anfield.

Liverpool moved a step closer to clinching their first title in the Premier League era with a resounding 4-0 triumph over Crystal Palace.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's delightful free-kick midway through the first half set Jurgen Klopp's side on the way as they maintained their 100 per cent league record at Anfield this season.

A 16th straight home victory in the competition in 2019-20, albeit this one coming inside an empty stadium due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, was wrapped up just prior to half-time by the returning Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool will now wait to see if Manchester City keep them waiting into July to end a 30-year wait to be crowned champions again; Pep Guardiola's side must win at Chelsea on Thursday to remain in the hunt, mathematically at least.

Palace were the last away team to triumph at Anfield in the Premier League, back in April 2017, though hopes of a repeat suffered an early blow when an already depleted visiting line-up lost the talismanic Wilfried Zaha to injury. 

Their cause was also not helped either by facing opponents clearly determined to do better after a Sunday stalemate against neighbours Everton.