The Reds need to bring this pressure machine forward.
Liverpool left the Etihad Stadium with the bitter taste of defeat as Jurgen Klopp’s side fought back to secure a point against Manchester City thanks to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s powerful equaliser.
Premier League results mean Arsenal are top of the table after beating Brentford on Saturday, but United remain just one point behind Pep Guardiola’s side.
Ending the Citizens’ 23-game winning streak at home is encouraging and a big step forward, but it would be remiss not to acknowledge that Liverpool have been lucky at times and others flawed. But Alexander-Arnold’s goal was a product of Anfield’s resilience and ruthlessness, two indicators of Liverpool’s success under Klopp.
However, Darwin Nunes didn’t instill those values on the field and endured one of the toughest games of the season, performing mostly well after the 2022/23 trial period.
Liverpool’s £85m club record signing comes amid high expectations after plundering 34 goals in 41 games in his final season with Benfica in Portugal last season.
The 24-year-old has scored 15 goals in all competitions but missed 20 big chances in the Premier League alone. Klopp could not help but stress that the Uruguayan’s success on Merseyside is a “long-term project”.
He has certainly improved his form since the summer and has scored a goal every 80 minutes this season, but the £140,000-a-week striker failed to capitalize on his opportunities against Manchester City. The match rating was 4/4. 10. GOAL criteria after the match.
According to SofaScore, Nunes was active against the treble winners, scoring four goals, but didn’t put in much effort, having just 25 touches and losing both matches on the ground.
He will need to build on his improved performances this season and establish himself as a ferocious figure that Klopp can rely on to deliver the lightning breaks that have become his trademark in recent years.
However, this has always been one of the toughest fixtures on the calendar and given the marked improvement over the summer, there is ample reason for optimism.
The biggest dilemma facing Klopp and company now is finding the perfect midfield partner for Dominic Szoboszlai, with Curtis Jones also having an ineffective afternoon in Manchester.
Curtis Jones’ match with Manchester City in numbersJones has been one of Liverpool’s unsung heroes in 2023. He has emerged as a focal point of the team’s revival, starting all 11 of the Reds’ league games in the second half of the 2022/23 season and providing commentary as analyst and researcher. His “perfect” technique.
He played a key role in a controversial dismissal against Tottenham Hotspur in September in the early stages of the current campaign, with The Athletic’s James Pearce citing what The Athletic’s James Pearce called a “flying” start to the Premier League , which saw him achieve a 93% Success Rate Sofa Score.
However, the 22-year-old didn’t have the best time on the return against City and the score was level after just 54 minutes. He made just 34 tackles, missed a tackle and missed a key pass. Nunez may have been rated 4/10 but received a low game rating of 3/10 from GOAL.
Tom Maston wrote: “The ball was given away too often as City’s midfield seemed to suffocate the ball. power’. He makes mistakes. Gravenberch was substituted at the start of the second half.
‘Jones is a calm and intelligent midfielder who will play an important role for his team in the coming months. But with Ryan Gravenburch’s influence off the bench, it’s hard to argue with Jones. Ryan Gravenburch should start at Liverpool.
Liverpool completed Klopp’s midfield overhaul this summer after leaving German giants Bayern Munich last August. He was later described as “brilliant” by former Reds midfielder Didi Hamann, who said in disbelief that Dee Rothen would not be able to join the club.
His best qualities come to the fore.The £150,000-a-week midfielder has scored just one goal and one assist in three Bundesliga appearances. Although he has made four direct contributions since moving to Merseyside, Liverpool manager Pep Lijnders called him a “special player”.
Gravenbirch is a versatile midfielder and ranked in the top 20% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, shot attempts, completed passes, through passes, forward passes and successful passes.
According to FBref, the number of obstacles and blocks at 90.The Netherlands international, who came on in the second half (in place of Jones), played a key role in Liverpool’s equaliser, sliding into the box in a dangerous area to force the home side into a rapidly collapsing defensive structure.
In a later episode, Gravenberch made a key pass and impressed with his positive attitude. Maston wrote that he “made a good defensive tackle for the Dutch team after coming on from Jones”, demonstrating the versatility of this dynamic.
The fact that Klopp now has some options in the center of the pitch is very encouraging after the struggles of last year. Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara have been plagued by injuries throughout the season and will hope to make an impact after the New Year.
