Chapter 603: Back at Anfield, Manchester City's Ultimate Possession Football
April 5, 2018, Anfield Stadium.
Two and a half months later, Manchester City returned to this famous Premier League venue. Just like the last time, Anfield's stands were packed with passionate fans, almost no empty seats in sight. For Liverpool fans, reaching the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in years was incredibly exciting.
With no hope of winning the Premier League, their expectations for the team's performance in the Champions League had skyrocketed. However, Liverpool had drawn the short straw, facing the formidable Manchester City. The big question for them was how to overcome this mountain that stood in their way.
After the unforgettable battle at Anfield last time, Liverpool fans had a better understanding of the opposition's strength. They knew that even at home, beating this tough opponent would be no easy task. If they couldn't win at home, their chances of advancing to the semifinals would be slim.
This massive pressure weighed heavily on Liverpool, and they simply couldn't afford to lose this match. The stakes were so high that every Liverpool player looked solemn and tense. They were playing with a do-or-die mentality.
Liverpool's manager, Jürgen Klopp, shook hands with City's coach, Pep Guardiola, before returning to his dugout. Watching the players line up for kickoff, Klopp couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. Failing to win their last encounter had left Liverpool with a bitter aftertaste.
During this time, Guardiola must have studied Liverpool's tactics and learned from their previous encounter. Given that the Champions League knockout stages leave little room for error compared to the Premier League, it was likely that Manchester City would play more cautiously, focusing on defense to limit Liverpool's attacks, avoid defeat, and minimize away goals. Then, back at the Etihad, City could use their home advantage to eliminate Liverpool.
People call Anfield a fortress, but isn't the Etihad just as daunting? Over the years, how many teams have left there unscathed?
Klopp knew he couldn't afford to let the second leg decide the outcome, as that would mean handing control over to the enemy. His goal was to win this match and kill any suspense for the second leg.
To achieve this, Klopp had set up a highly aggressive tactic. If it worked, great. If not, things could turn ugly.
On the other side, Guardiola was also contemplating what tactics Liverpool might use. Like Klopp, he prioritized caution for this match, starting both Kanté and Fernandinho as defensive midfielders to bolster the team's ability to intercept in midfield. This was to avoid leaving large gaps, as they had done in the previous match, giving Liverpool too many opportunities.
However, this defensive setup inevitably weakened Manchester City's attacking power. To compensate, Guardiola adjusted the formation, opting for a rarely used 4-2-3-1. Gabriel Jesus replaced Agüero as the lone striker, with Lin Quan, Kevin De Bruyne, and David Silva playing behind him. Kanté and Fernandinho formed the double pivot, while the back four consisted of Laporte, Stones, Van Dijk, and Walker.
From this starting lineup, it was clear City wasn't planning to sit back and rely on counterattacks like last time. Instead, they intended to dominate possession, using their strong midfield to control the ball, reduce Liverpool's attacking chances, and patiently wait for openings to strike.
However, City didn't often use this tactic, and even Guardiola wasn't sure how well it would work.
Just then, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the start of the match. Both managers set aside their thoughts, focusing intently on the pitch.
Right from the kickoff, Liverpool's players followed Klopp's instructions to the letter, launching an aggressive attack on City's goal from the very first second.
Are they trying to score early?
Guardiola, rubbing his chin, pondered. Liverpool seemed to be hoping for an early goal to boost their players' confidence. Then, riding the wave of Anfield's intense atmosphere, they would aim to take control of the match, just like they had done last time.
Against a team like Liverpool, fired up and full of energy, you can't let them take the upper hand. If they gain momentum, they'll only get stronger and more dangerous. Manchester City had already experienced how terrifying a fired-up Liverpool could be during their last visit to Anfield.
Guardiola quickly stepped forward, instructing City's players to fall back and defend. If you want to attack, go ahead. We'll drop back, compress the space, and stop you from creating any real threats.
City's defense, while not the best in the world, wasn't weak. When they fully committed to defense and prepared in advance, breaking through their lines wasn't easy.
Although Liverpool attacked with great energy, they didn't pose much of a threat. Salah, Mané, and Firmino tried various approaches up front, but they couldn't break down City's defense.
Fortunately for Liverpool, Sane and Mbappé, City's lightning-fast wingers, were not in the lineup, which eased their defensive burden somewhat. At least they didn't have to worry as much about getting hit on the counter.
However, this didn't mean Liverpool could relax. City's pressing in their own half was relentless, and whenever they won the ball, they immediately moved it up to their three attacking midfielders, all of whom were highly dangerous.
Although Sane and Mbappé weren't playing, Lin Quan was still on the pitch, surrounded by skilled playmakers. This made City's counterattacks just as dangerous.
Fifteen minutes into the first half, Liverpool had five shots, while City had only one. But that one shot from City almost gave Liverpool fans a heart attack!
In contrast, four of Liverpool's five shots were from long range, and none of them were particularly threatening. While Liverpool appeared to be in control, the more dangerous attacks were actually coming from City.
The main issue for Liverpool was their inability to break through City's defense. They couldn't get the ball into the penalty area or create clear chances for their forwards to shoot from close range.
This approach wasn't working. Possession without scoring, and pressing so high, left their backline exposed. More importantly, Liverpool's intense attacking couldn't last forever—they would eventually run out of steam.
On the other hand, City's possession-based approach wasn't affected by the same limitations. In fact, as Liverpool's energy waned and City's defensive pressure eased, City could afford to send more players forward, making their attacks even more dangerous.
If Liverpool had the upper hand in the first 15 minutes, the game started to shift after that.
As Liverpool's furious assault yielded no results, the players began to lose heart, becoming less eager to continue attacking. This allowed City to gradually take control, using their powerful midfield to dominate possession.
City was famous for their possession-based style, and it was no secret that their possession stats often exceeded 60%, even 70%. As some football pundits liked to say, Guardiola's teams defended by keeping the ball.
After all, if City had possession, the opponent couldn't attack.
There were two main ways to counter teams that relied on possession. One was to sit back, invite them forward, and exploit the space they left behind on the counterattack. The other was to press high, like Liverpool, and disrupt their passing rhythm, forcing turnovers.
Liverpool was known for their high press, and their players had a reputation for being tireless runners. This strategy had often caused problems for possession-heavy teams.
But today, it wasn't working against City's possession game.
Clearly, City had learned from their last match. This time, they weren't focusing on fast transitions. Instead, they prioritized safety and control. When a player received the ball, they didn't immediately look to pass forward, even if it could create a scoring chance. Instead, they passed to a safer option, maintaining control.
Klopp frowned, feeling like Guardiola was playing it too safe. Is that really necessary?
Several times, City had intercepted the ball in dangerous areas, and Klopp had broken out in a cold sweat. If City had passed forward in those moments, Liverpool's defense might have been caught off guard. But City had chosen not to take the risk, opting for a conservative approach. It was clear that City's tactics for this match were defensive.
Yet, this cautious approach was highly effective. Liverpool's chances of winning the ball back were greatly reduced. Often, turnovers happened when a player rushed a pass after spotting a potential opening, neglecting to account for nearby defenders, or when their intentions were too obvious, allowing the opponent to intercept.
When a team is on the attack, their formation naturally becomes stretched. Fullbacks often push high up the field, and if they're suddenly hit with a counterattack, the defense can be caught out of position.
This is why top teams place so much emphasis on transitions between attack and defense. It's the phase of play where mistakes are most likely to occur, and where scoring opportunities are most often created.
But City was avoiding these opportunities, meaning Liverpool had far fewer chances to win the ball back.
With five midfielders on the pitch, City had numerical superiority in midfield, outnumbering Liverpool, who had only three. Even when Liverpool's forwards dropped back to help, City's midfield still had the upper hand.
City's defense was also playing proactively. Stones frequently pushed up, turning City's formation into a peculiar 3-3-3-1. This gave them six players in midfield, further tipping the scales in their favor.
With their numerical advantage, City always managed to find a safe passing option, even under Liverpool's high press.
Realizing this was a losing battle, Klopp gestured for his defenders to push up as well, leaving just one to mark Jesus while everyone else pressed forward.
This tactic had some effect but wasn't enough to change the game. City still had one more player on the pitch than Liverpool.
City's goalkeeper, Ederson, was fully involved in their passing play, serving as an additional outlet at the back. This gave City ten outfield players in their build-up, compared to Liverpool's nine.
Although Liverpool's players were running tirelessly to make up for the numerical disadvantage, City's players could run too. They used the full width of the pitch, constantly moving to find safe spaces to receive the ball.
This left Liverpool's players struggling to keep up. The pitch was too big for them to completely close off City's passing options.
More importantly, City's players were technically gifted. Even when Liverpool managed to level the playing field with their pressing, City's players used their superior ball control and shielding to pass their way out of trouble.
It became clear that City had found a way to neutralize Liverpool's high press. If the match continued at this pace, Liverpool would eventually tire in the second half, leaving them vulnerable to City's attacks.
Sensing the danger, the Liverpool fans in the stands began to grow anxious. They desperately needed a goal to turn the tide.
Liverpool was a legendary team, known for having players who would step up in critical moments to save the day.
This time, the hero was a former City player—James Milner!
At 32, Milner still had the experience and football intelligence that came from years of playing at the highest level. Drawing on his time as David Silva's teammate at City, Milner quietly positioned himself close to Silva as the Spaniard moved to receive a pass.
As Kanté played the ball to Silva, Milner made his move. He bumped Silva just enough to throw off his balance, disrupting his attempt to control the ball.
Milner's timing and force were perfect. He knocked Silva off balance without fouling him, preventing the referee from blowing the whistle.
At that critical moment, as Silva struggled to regain his footing, Milner stretched out his foot and poked the ball toward Salah.
Liverpool had their chance!
End of chapter.