The absence of Cucurella due to suspension opened a gap in Chelsea’s left wing and a recklessness by Levi Colwill, who committed a penalty on Curtis Jones, allowed Liverpool to get its head out of the well that was swallowing it at Anfield. In front of their audience, a perplexed fan who watched how the team, once indomitable, temporized until they let themselves be dominated, luck smiled on them in an isolated counterattack that ended in 1-0. Clinging on to the ingenious Salah, Liverpool ended up winning 2-1 in the match of the day. He resolved the duel in the most conservative way imaginable. Against the culture of the last decade. By positioning yourself and attacking only safely. They have barely conceded three goals in eight games this season and the results project them at the top of the table with 21 points, one more than City, but in light of this Sunday’s shaky match against a Chelsea in formation it seems difficult for the benefits of Arne Slot’s lock offset those of the cannon that Jürgen Klopp carried. Even though City is in difficulty adapting to the absence of the invaluable Rodri.
1
José Sá, Santi Bueno, Dawson, Tote Gomes, Mario Lemina, Nelson Semedo, Gomes Da Silva (Jeanricner Bellegarde, min. 90), Rayan Ait Nouri, André, Jorgen Strand Larsen (Gonçalo Guedes, min. 79) and Matheus Cunha ( Carlos Forbs, min.
2
Ederson Moraes, Rúben Dias, Rico Lewis, Gvardiol, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Jeremy Doku (Foden, min. 66), Gündogan, Kovacic (Matheus, min. 85), Sávio (Grealish, min. 73) and Erling Braut Haaland
Goals 1-0 min. 7: Jorgen Strand Larsen. 1-1 min. 33: Gvardiol. 1-2 min. 95: John Stones.
Referee Chris Kavanagh
yellow cards Tote Gomes (min. 13), Nelson Semedo (min. 20), Sávio (min. 39), Gomes Da Silva (min. 62) and Sarabia (min. 97)
City visited The Molineux and there José Sá and Bernardo Silva argued throughout the afternoon. Indistinguishable from the stands of the secluded Midlands stadium, in every set piece the Wolves goalkeeper and his little compatriot toiled in psychological warfare. Unable to outjump his markers but clever at sniffing out other people’s problems, Bernardo positioned himself in the goalkeeper’s zone and distracted his attention. The ploy, a practically irrelevant matter, was about to cause the goal that gave Manchester City the victory in the 94th minute to be annulled. The referee reviewed Stones’ header, following a corner taken by Foden in the last action of the match, and after verifying that the push that Bernardo gave to Sá did not seem to affect the development of the play, since it occurred before the contact of the corner kick, he conceded the final 1-2. Pep Guardiola and his players celebrated the victory with the enthusiasm due to the points that end up adding to championships. After seven days played, Guardiola’s team, which is pursuing its fifth consecutive Premier League, continues to establish itself as a great favorite at the top of the table.
“The taste of winning this way, in the last minute, is very pleasant,” Guardiola said after the match. “We are not used to it. It is very difficult to win against teams that close the penalty area with eleven players and the space is literally non-existent. Against Wolves the best thing you can do is patiently make sure they don’t transition you because if you let them run they destroy you.”
There is no precision without good pressure
Wolverhampton is a difficult opponent. Guardiola knew it, as a year ago he saw his team drop all the points at The Molineux. The local coach, Gary O’Neil, has formed a solid block in defense, which knows how to come out playing inside with skilled interiors and center backs to show themselves and spin precise counters. City needed to press at full speed. With all his footballers. Aggressively and to the man. Otherwise it would expose itself to fires that are difficult to control: the rival’s lightning starts and the mental and positional disconnection of its own players in an environment that demands maximum rhythm and continuity as the surest route to success. The 1-0 maneuver substantiated the threat.
City pressed with all their men. Even though Guardiola warned of the danger of Sá’s long serve, the plan was perfect. The execution, not so much. After five minutes it began to become evident that Rodri’s harassment movements became more lax, more extemporaneous, and less effective. André Costa, Lemina and Dawson repeated passes at high speed, attracted rivals, and Semedo ran through the void created on the right, launched by Hugo Bueno. The Portuguese’s center ended up dismantling City’s defense, which ran in disarray in a retreat drawn towards Cunha. Larsen scored 1-0 at the far post, alone.
Gvardiol’s equalizer, a great right-footed touch from outside the area, barely alleviated City’s woes. Indecisive in the pressure, slow in the circulation and predictable in the outside play with Doku and Savinho, the light blue team invaded the opposing field until saturation but was on the verge of conceding the 2-0. It was sustained by Guardiola’s work and by the high doses of camaraderie and spirit of revolt that animates the group. After a long and heavy siege, after a corner, in the last play, Stones scored a fair goal that Bernardo’s dispute with Sá was about to annul.
