The title procession can begin. Eleven clear points with 12 remaining games for its closest rivals, Liverpool will not let this slide now. On the basis of this 2-0 authorized victory at the Etihad Stadium, it will be a matter of when they do not reach the 90 unparalleled points.
Certainly, if Mohamed Salah maintains this, the title will win in time for Arsenal to give them an honor guard in Anfield in May. For eleventh time this season, the alleged winner of Ballon d’Orn adorned a game with a goal and assistance. The high previous water brand in a Premier League campaign was 11. It is February.
This was not one of those games in which everything flowed through Mohamed Salah. In fact, in the 10 minutes before opening the score, a diverted shot by Nathan Ake after a nice corner of Alexis Mac Allister had been thrown around the corner by Dominik Szoboszlai, the danger man of Liverpool had had Four touches, did not complete complete passes and passes anything more than it does not take into account. In the form of this season, you only need an opening.
Take two then and Liverpool would have a cushion. More than 20 minutes without an opportunity for visitors, but a moment of defense Laxa for Jeremy Doku gave Trent Alexander-Arnold to look up and choose a pass. Every time it happens, the opponent is always on the back foot. Salah moved away from Josko Gvardiol. Both he and AKE intended to send Salah to the byline, a precise touch with the right foot and were out of the game. Szoboszlai was available to sweep home.
From there, not much for both sides. Var intervened to deny the objectives of both sides, Omar Marmous for City in the first, Curtis Jones denied what would have been the winner of the indisputable game in the second. Even without that head space, Liverpool never felt threatened by a team that has turned so many of his dreams into nightmares.
In that sense, this was not just the Salah show. The absence of a great star in Erling Haaland certainly felt. During two and a half seasons, the city has built an attack to channel the opportunities towards the best number 9 in the world. Without him, he didn’t matter what they did well. Doku finished this game with 13 successful Take-ons on the left, most of created opportunities.
Almost two thirds of possession were from the city. His center, Abdukhodir Khusanov, had as many third final touches as Luis Díaz. Look at that type of metrics and would be convinced that this was a family reunion between these two in the Etihad, of the type that Pep Guardiola never really loses. This time, however, his attack was without teeth. Sixteen shots worth 0.63 xg, almost a third of which came from a rich Lewis effort, it is a shooting display as bad as the city has had in years. Only when Marmoush was a patio or more offside could make a really good shot.
Liverpool was not much better but, well, they had Salah.
TRUMEDIA
City may have been the main architects of their problems in front of the goal, but Liverpool was too willing to help them. Ryan Gravenber and Mac Allister were personified composure in front of the four. Nothing put in the middle. All in a red shirt were prepared to go back and make a turn. The most outstanding moments of Salah could have been his contributions of objectives, but the diligence he showed in the 82nd minute to steal possession on his side and drive through the bodies to leave.
When such diligence is shown on the side, the credit belongs to the touch line. In a short time, Arne Slot will enter a select club of five coaches who have won the Premier League in their first season in England. Salah will be guided with each award and rightly; His manager will certainly feel that he put his best players in the best positions to win the great honor. That in itself is a training triumph.
From the beginning, this has looked like a triumph without ego. Slot has not felt a compunction to break the XI of Jurgen Klopp or demand their own players. A more caution, an adjustment to the center of the field to add solidity, and this side is back as something on the best side in Europe. For the first time in the 20 years, statistics have been tracked, they can win a first level game with a 34 percent possession.
It is not that all this is simplistic. Slot judged his system to a tee, Jones and Szoboszlai were deployed centrally to block the early accumulation of the city, to fly up and down the countryside and attack the box while most of the accumulation went down the flanks. What approached a center of the opposition field, mostly Nico González, occasionally Lewis and Kevin de Bruyne, was overwhelmed.
Very often it has been the city who were the architects of the pain of Liverpool. Salah and company have been great, they are just Sky Blue boys have been better. How sweet then, that the moment when everything became inevitable came to Etihad. An performance by Champions for a waiting champion.
