Rewind a month and Liverpool and Manchester City limped in to the last international break in a state of shock.
Jurgen Klopp's side had become the first reigning champions since 1953 to ship seven goals in a game. A week earlier, for the first time in his 686 games in management, a Pep Guardiola team had let in five.
At that stage, the meeting of the last two champions loomed large on the horizon. Given the defensive issues of both sides, it was tempting to wonder if it might bring a result seemingly plucked from the 1930s, a 5-4 or a 5-5.
Instead, Sunday's meeting brought a mere five shots on target and the altogether less spectacular scoreline of 1-1. Klopp had surprised with his boldness by including both Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota and playing 4-2-4 but noted with satisfaction afterwards that City had never had fewer attempts on target – two – in any of his meetings with Guardiola's side.
It is a tale of two defences, ones with different dynamics. City’s 5-2 loss to Leicester occurred without Aymeric Laporte and before Ruben Dias had joined. They have only conceded four goals in nine subsequent games. With Laporte and Dias paired, they have only been breached twice and just once in open play. If City had a soft underbelly at times last season, in Laporte’s extended absence and after Vincent Kompany’s departure, it is altogether firmer now.
Whereas Dias has made an immediate impact – perhaps the most auspicious start of any City signing since Sergio Aguero – a compatriot took longer to settle. If much of Joao Cancelo’s debut year in Manchester was underwhelming, the Portuguese has emerged as City’s premier left-back, being both defensively secure and a threat going forward. It feels an unexpected boon for one signed largely as a right-back, but he prospered against Jota.
"He played exceptionally, with the ball and without the ball. He is a special talent," Guardiola said. "Defensively sometimes he needs to be consistent but when he is consistent, his focus is fantastic.”
For the first time in 18 months, it feels as if he has a unit at the back. “We have a very good defence,” said midfielder Rodri.
If Liverpool and City have spent the last couple of years trying to emulate each other, there is an unwanted parallel in the predicament the Merseysiders face. City lost Laporte and then their title last season and Virgil van Dijk’s campaign was probably curtailed after 11 minutes against Everton.
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Manchester City v Liverpool player ratings
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MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson - 7. Quick off his line to snuff out danger early on and was secure apart from fumbling a Jota shot. No chance with Salah’s penalty. PA -
Kyle Walker - 4. Rash challenge to give away the penalty. Had trouble with Mane all afternoon and was poor on the ball. Getty -
Ruben Dias - 6. Found Liverpool’s front four a handful initially but got better afterwards. The Portuguese has improved City’s defence. Getty -
Aymeric Laporte - 6. Solid display. Not the quickest from a standing start but Liverpool were unable to exploit this trait. PA -
Joao Cancelo - 7. Uncertain start as Liverpool targeted the Portuguese’s flank but he held his own. Provided lovely cross for Jesus that the striker headed wide. EPA -
Kevin De Bruyne - 6. Took a long time to influence the game but created the equaliser. Awful penalty miss. Got into dangerous positions to shoot from distance but did not test Alisson. PA -
Rodri - 6. Dropped deep to offer defenders an outlet ball against the press. A precise passer when given time but dwelt in possession. PA -
Ilkay Gundogan - 6. Went square and short with his passing too often. Much more effective when playing more ambitious long balls. Reuters -
Ferran Torres - 4. Had little impact on proceedings. Never caused Robertson problems. Withdrawn for Silva with 29 minutes left. Disappointing. Getty -
Gabriel Jesus - 7. Brilliant turn for the equaliser. Was barely in the game but took his goal beautifully, the hallmark of a classy striker. Getty -
Raheem Sterling - 6. Always wanted the ball and was keen to put on a show against his former club but it never quite happened. Should have fed Jesus rather than shooting himself in the first half. Reuters -
SUBSTITUTE: Bernardo Silva - 7. Replaced Torres with a little more than half an hour to go. Threatened going forward and made Robertson think twice before ranging upfield. Reuters -
LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker – 7. Calm and decisive. Was especially reassuring in the waning moments when City probed in search of a winning goal. AFP -
Trent Alexander-Arnold - 5. Good duel with Sterling. Got marking wrong for Jesus’s equaliser. Dangerous on the ball and incisive when overlapping. Limped off with 27 minutes left and was replaced by Milner. Reuters -
Joel Matip - 6. Made a couple of telling interceptions but the central defence looked a little out of sync. Wasteful in possession. AFP -
Joe Gomez - 6. Hung out his arm to give away the penalty but rose to the challenge during City’s late spell of pressure. Matip was his fourth partner in four games so communication was a little uncertain. PA -
Andrew Robertson - 5. Always a threat going forward but was liable to get caught upfield as the game got stretched. EPA -
Jordan Henderson - 7. Ran himself into the ground and largely succeeded in stopping City playing through the middle. EPA -
Georginio Wijnaldum - 5. Liverpool’s two-man midfield left the Dutchman with too much ground to cover. Worked manfully to deny De Bruyne space but the Belgian escaped to set up the equaliser. AP -
Georginio Wijnaldum - 5. Liverpool’s two-man midfield left the Dutchman with too much ground to cover. Worked manfully to deny De Bruyne space but the Belgian escaped to set up the equaliser. EPA -
Roberto Firmino - 4. The least impressive of Liverpool’s forwards - again. Worked hard as usual but was replaced by Shaqiri in the 59th minute after a ballooning a shot high and wide. PA -
Sadio Mane - 6. Lively in a thrilling opening half hour but became less effective as the game wore on. AFP -
Mohamed Salah - 7. Slotted home penalty with usual ease. Always a threat. Spent the final minutes tracking back to help Milner. AP -
SUBS: Xherdan Shaqiri – 5. On for Firmino with 31 minutes to go and produced a typically busy display without making much impact. AFP -
James Milner - 6. Took over from Alexander-Arnold at right back in the 63rd minute and coped well against the threat of Sterling and De Bruyne. AFP
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Their subsequent solidity has been most apparent in the Champions League, where they are yet to concede, but they have navigated their way through domestic games only giving up a goal each time.
“I think when we started getting some injuries and lost a couple of players with Covid-19 and stuff, everyone expected the wheels to fall off,” said left-back Andrew Robertson. That has not been the case. Liverpool have improvised. Fabinho excelled as a stand-in centre-back before getting injured. The rookies Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips have stood up. Sunday featured a partnership of the only two fit senior centre-backs left, in Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.
The unknown element is that each has produced the best form of his career when operating in Van Dijk’s slipstream. Neither has had to be the defensive leader since the Dutchman’s arrival. Gomez’s fine form is especially welcome given both Matip’s injury record and the fact that Englishman has slotted into Van Dijk’s usual role as the left-sided centre-back.
“We’ve managed to steady the ship a little bit,” added Robertson. And while they were defined by devastating attacking, defensive steadiness has been welcome for two clubs rocked by improbable defeats.
