Erling Haaland silences Arsenal fans with title-saving heroics – Man City aren’t going anywhere

Erling Haaland kept his head when seemingly everyone else inside Anfield was losing theirs to reignite Manchester City’s fading title hopes.

Who knows how important Haaland’s stoppage time penalty – his first ever Premier League goal at Anfield – will prove to be come the end of the season?

AFP

Just as vital could be Gianluigi Donnarumma‘s brilliant save to deny Alexis Mac Allister a quick-fire equaliser moments after Haaland had converted his spot-kick in front of the delirious travelling fans to make it 2-1 to the visitors.

If City do somehow reel in leaders Arsenal, then Pep Guardiola may also look back on referee Craig Pawson’s decision to show Marc Guehi only a yellow card and not a red for hauling down Mohamed Salah when he was through on goal.

And imagine if City miss out on reclaiming the trophy by a single goal, having seen Rayan Cherki’s halfway line strike into an empty net with Alisson stranded upfield trying to rescue a point controversially ruled out.

This was a game between two heavyweights that simply had it all, especially in a chaotic final 15 minutes plus many more added on.

The roar that erupted from The Kop as Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai’s rocket of a free-kick almost burst the net to open the scoring will have reverberated 200 miles south to north London.

At that stage, City were a surely insurmountable NINE points behind Arsenal and even the great Guardiola may have had to admit defeat in his quest to deny the Gunners a first championship in 22 years.

Having seen Mikel Arteta’s men trounce Sunderland by three goals 24 hours earlier, this was a game City knew they simply had to win, and they were the only team at the races in the first half.

Pep’s men could have taken the lead inside the first 90 seconds when Bernardo Silva’s defence-splitting pass sent Haaland through.

But the Norwegian’s woes in front of goal continued as he shot tamely at the advancing Alisson.

Haaland also called the Liverpool goalkeeper into action at his near post.

Getty

Meanwhile Omar Marmoush sent a vicious long-range effort into the Kop as the visitors controlled the first half.

It was certainly not the type of performance Reds boss Arne Slot would have been expecting when he sent out the same eleven that thrashed Newcastle 4-1 last weekend.

Unless the game-plan was to bore City ‘keeper Donnarumma into submission that is!

It was a different story in the second half and no surprise than when Liverpool did make City pay for their wastefulness, it was Szoboszlai who came up with another magic moment.

The Hungarian has been the champions’ best player this season, even when forced into action as a makeshift right-back.

It makes his late dismissal for tugging on Haaland’s shirt as he tried to get a touch on the ball to make sure Cherki’s pea-roller would cross the line, even more painful for Slot.

AFP

Szoboszlai will now miss Wednesday’s trip to a Sunderland side unbeaten at home and a game Liverpool will risk falling further behind in the race for a Champions League spot if they fail to win.

Not that being denied a third goal punctured the celebrations in the lower tier of the Anfield Road end, as City supporters toasted a precious three points long after full-time.

Bernardo Silva’s instant reaction after stretching to turn in Haaland’s knockdown and make it 1-1 was to grab the ball from the goal and place it on the centre spot, which tells us the City players still believe.

Perhaps there is life in this title race yet.