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The batsman said the sweep had been a key weapon during his innings of 101 in the second Test at the SSC

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the SSC23-Jul-2018For most of this series, it appeared as if no South Africa batsman would bat for 100 balls in an innings, let alone score a century. Even getting to triple figures as a team seemed difficult enough. On the last day of the series, though, two relatively new batsmen saved some face for the visitors. Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma put on 123 together – South Africa’s best partnership of the series by a distance.De Bruyn then went on to score his maiden Test hundred, in his sixth Test, in a series in which much more senior men had failed dramatically. He had had a feeling he just might manage a breakthrough in Sri Lanka, after having made only modest scores in his five previous Tests.”It’s been quite a journey – it’s been tough. My international career didn’t start the way I wanted it to,” he said. “But I just had a bit of calmness landing in the airport here in Sri Lanka. As we drove to the hotel, I looked at the ocean and said to myself: ‘Yep, there could be something special.’ As a team, it wasn’t special, but for me it was special.”De Bruyn was especially effective square of the wicket against the spinners, employing the sweep, which he said he had learned in South Africa’s spin camps. He batted 232 balls all up, which made his the longest innings of the series, even if it wasn’t the biggest in terms of runs.”Back home you don’t need the sweep, because we play on bouncier wickets and you can play spinners down the ground,” he said. “But here, you know they’re bowling in good areas, and the wickets don’t bounce as much. The sweep is a better option.”For me, it was important to get the fielders out on the boundary, early on – especially with the new ball. If you’re just defending, it can be difficult. So if you put the bowlers slightly under pressure, you can get the fielders out. I didn’t know it was going to take that long to get a hundred. They just don’t let you go. They keep on bowling very accurately. It’s Test cricket. It’s not easy.”Bavuma was the more positive partner during their long partnership, making 63 off 98 balls before a spitting Rangana Herath delivery took the outside edge. Bavuma’s was the only other fifty-plus score for South Africa in this series.”Temba actually came in and played quite comfortably,” de Bruyn said. “He scored runs all the way through his innings and could start ticking over the strike. I think we almost had the same game plan – to sweep a lot and reverse sweep, and hit your ones over the legside. I think we both learned a lot over the last few hours, playing against the Sri Lankan spinners on this wicket.”De Bruyn had batted lower down the order in his earlier jaunts in Test cricket but said he felt more comfortable at No. 3, where he bats in domestic cricket.”For me, it does make a difference batting at No. 3. I’ve batted there my whole career, even as a youngster. The waiting game when you’re batting at six and seven mentally drains you – I don’t know, I’m not used to it. But I wanted to do really well batting at No. 3. It’s a place I really cherish and I’d like to make it my own one day if I get more opportunities.”

Leeds United are loving life in the Championship at the moment, recent wins against Norwich City and Huddersfield Town showcasing Daniel Farke's men at their very best – coming from behind at Carrow Road in dramatic fashion to beat the Canaries 3-2, whilst a barnstorming 4-1 win at home over the Terriers was far more straightforward but equally as entertaining.

Joel Piroe continues to lead the line for the Whites, but it's the displays of Crysencio Summerville in recent weeks that have got supporters purring in West Yorkshire.

The Dutch winger helped himself to four goals in total versus Norwich and Huddersfield, the 22-year-old arguably Leeds' star-man now after a mass exodus from Elland Road this summer saw players such as Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra depart.

With the first team firing on all cylinders – Leeds third in the current Championship standings – it'll be even more pleasing for the die-hard Whites masses that youth players such as Sean McGurk are excelling for the U21's who could go on to be heroes themselves at senior level.

Currently scoring at a faster rate than Piroe, McGurk is already being tipped for greatness when he eventually pulls on a first-team jersey.

His performances at youth level have been electric, considering Piroe's own blistering goalscoring form.

Piroe's numbers this season

Leaving Swansea behind for pastures new in the Whites, the 24-year-old has not regretted swapping the Swans for Leeds at all.

Scoring five goals in 14 starts for his new employers to date in the second tier, the Dutch attacker stood out in particular in Leeds' 3-0 win over Millwall with two of those goals coming in the clash at the Den.

Netting both opportunities he put on target with cool precision, the ex-Swansea Player of the Year winner singlehandedly helped his outfit pick up only their second Championship win of the season at that point.

Piroe's effectiveness has lessened in recent encounters – the Dutchman only netting once in his last six – but he's still picked week in, week out by Farke in the attacking ranks.

McGurk, however, continues to be deadly for Leeds at U21 level, the ex-Wigan Athletic attacking midfielder crucial for his Premier League 2 side.

McGurk's numbers this season

The 20-year-old has received plenty of praise from the football world off the back of his impressive performances and raw potential, McGurk himself even stating – when first signing for Leeds – that he would be best described as an "exciting" player to watch.

He certainly has been exciting for the Whites this campaign in the Premier League 2, scoring at a faster rate than Piroe even whilst playing primarily behind the forwards in a central attacking midfield role.

McGurk has six goal contributions in total, including four goals in seven outings alongside two assists – a better scoring rate than Piroe's return of five in 14.

Last time out, he helped his team race into a 2-0 goal lead against Liverpool U21's – scoring within the first few minutes himself, before assisting number 9 Mateo Joseph.

The game would finish 2-2, but McGurk was a key performer again with his current displays suggesting that he could be given a first-team opportunity soon.

With Leeds developing the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Lewis Cook through their Academy who have gone on to have established careers at top-flight level, they'll hope they have another gem in McGurk who becomes a star at senior level for the Whites.

Their inclusion means Bangladesh now have 11 frontline batsmen at their disposal for the rest of the Asia Cup

Mohammad Isam21-Sep-2018Batsmen Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes have been added to Bangladesh’s Asia Cup squad, which has suffered a spate of injuries. The additions were announced after Bangladesh were bowled out for 173 against India; a second batting debacle following their 136-run loss to Afghanistan on Thursday.Bangladesh’s leading batsmen have suffered setbacks: Tamim Iqbal fractured his wrist against Sri Lanka and is out of the tournament, while Shakib Al Hasan (finger) and Mushfiqur Rahim (rib) have been playing despite injuries. The bigger worry, however, has been the poor form of the younger batsmen.Openers Liton Das and Nazmul Hossain Shanto have been ineffective so far, so have Mominul Haque and Mosaddek Hossain, while Mohammad Mithun has scored one fifty in three innings.Both Soumya and Imrul have had played little cricket lately. They last featured in ODIs in the away series against South Africa last year, where Soumya played one match scoring 8 – making his tally 42 in his last five ODI appearances. Imrul played all three, totalling 100 runs. Neither was picked in the subsequent tri-series at home, or for the tour of West Indies in July-August.Their inclusion means Bangladesh now have 11 frontline batsmen at their disposal for the rest of the Asia Cup.Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Shakib Al Hasan (vc), Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Hider, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes

Wrexham have highlighted a second striker who they are interested in signing alongside Jonson Clarke-Harris in January, according to a reliable journalist.

Clarke-Harris interest

Over the summer, Peterborough United’s Clarke-Harris was heavily linked with a move to join the club, although a deal failed to come to fruition before the deadline, with Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony detailing the reason why during a public interview.

Speaking on The Hard Truth podcast, he said: "Wrexham contacted me and said they were going to make a bid, which was interesting. It might have seemed a strange move for the player, but if they got him, it would probably mean back-to-back promotions for them so I could see the logic.

"Apparently, Hollywood had approved the move, but then they just went quiet. They never came back to me, which was a surprise, especially when I saw who they eventually tried to sign."

Wrexham plotting move to sign 27 y/o pass master who Phil Parkinson admires

He has an 89.4% pass completion rate this season.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 28, 2023

While Phil Parkinson’s side are still interested in their former target, they have identified an alternative should they once again decide against a pursuit of Clarke-Harris in the form of Sheffield Wednesday’s Lee Gregory, with the manager set to be handed the perfect opportunity to bring him to League Two.

The Owls’ 35-year-old will have reached the expiration of his deal at the end of the season (Sheffield Wednesday contracts), so should he not put pen to paper on an extension, whether that's because he isn't offered one or he doesn't choose to sign one, there’s a chance that his club will consider selling him for a cut-price next month.

Wrexham monitoring Gregory

Taking to X, Darren Witcoop revealed that Wrexham are keeping close tabs on Gregory as they weigh up whether to make an approach during the upcoming transfer window, which opens on 1st January.

He wrote: "Wrexham have Peterborough frontman Jonson Clarke-Harris and Sheffield Wednesday striker Lee Gregory on their transfer list. Phil Parkinson is looking to sign one forward to boost their League Two promotion push next month."

Gregory is an "instrumental" squad member

During his time at Sheffield Wednesday, Gregory has 41 involvements – 29 goals and 12 assists – to his name from 101 appearances, highlighting the positive impact he can make in the final third, but he’s also comfortable playing in several other areas (Transfermarkt – Gregory statistics).

Standing at 6 foot 2, Danny Rohl’s target man is a versatile operator having been deployed in five various positions over the grass since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even slightly deeper on the left side of the midfield, which will no doubt be another attractive attribute.

Gregory’s former teammate at Millwall, Tom Bradshaw, previously hailed the veteran, stating that he was “instrumental” to their success and had even mastered the way a striker should play, so while he’s not getting any younger, he could yet be a bargain of a recruit for Wrexham should they decide to make their move.

A rejuvenated Chelsea showed more signs of improvement in their performance against Arsenal, racing into a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge before the Gunners battled back late on to salvage a point.

The Blues will have been bitterly disappointed to have dropped two points from a strong position, however, the result did see them avoid a record fourth-straight Premier League loss at home to their North London rivals.

It also saw plenty of their stars rise up to the occasion and put in a sublime performance on Saturday evening.

Who were Chelsea's standout performers v Arsenal?

A revived Mykhaylo Mudryk sent out a huge statement on his return to the starting XI and put in a complete performance.

The 22-year-old earned the spot kick which Cole Palmer dispatched before getting the name on the scoresheet himself as his suspected cross looped into the net over goalkeeper David Raya.

It's been an underwhelming start to his career in West London but the Ukraine international, who was described by those close to him as a "sleeping superstar" in the Chelsea squad, as per TEAMtalk, has certainly showcased those star-like qualities against Arsenal, lighting up the crowd with his pace and trickery while helping his side out in a defensive capacity.

In his 66 minutes on the pitch, Mudryk's all-action performance saw him attempt two crosses, record a shot on target and draw two fouls, but also track back for his team, winning two of his four ground duels, blocking one shot and making one interception, as per SofaScore.

He wasn't the only player to shine in the defensive third for the Blues as Mauricio Pochettino lavished praise on left-back Marc Cucurella for his impressive display against the Gunners.

The Argentine said: “He is training really well, that is why he playing like today, against a very good player like Saka."

Indeed, Cucurella limited one of the most dangerous wingers on the planet through his tough tackling and tenacious defensive work, recording the most tackles in the match (5), winning seven of his 13 ground duels, making two clearances, and blocking one shot, as per Sofascore.

After impressive performances against Fulham and Burnley, in which he completed at least 90% of his attempted passes, it was his best display against Arsenal that has begun to show why he deserves more respect and certainly a place in the starting XI.

How has Marc Cucurella performed this season?

Pochettino has significantly improved Conor Gallagher but it is the form of Cucurella, who turned down the chance to move to Newcastle United and Manchester United in the summer, that has caught the eye.

The 25-year-old ace has flourished while playing as a right or left back and Chelsea are yet to lose a game that the Spaniard has started this season, shutting out the noise that came from his £62m price tag and reminding many why the Blues and Manchester City were neck on neck to sign him after his sensational performances for Brighton.

With first-choice left-back Ben Chilwell sidelined till December, Cucurella has taken his opportunity to impress Pochettino while the manner of his performance against Bukayo Saka, who failed to get any loose change out of his opponent, has accentuated that point further.

Described by Pochettino as "super professional", Cucurella's transformation from being on the brink to leaving the club as a flop to now one of Chelsea's most influential players is a testament to the dedication and perseverance that the Spaniard has shown.

During his renaissance at Stamford Bridge, the £175k per-week dynamo has been outperforming Chilwell in a defensive capacity, averaging more balls recovered than the Englishman (7.0/3.0), tackles (3.7/0.8), interceptions (1/3/0.5) and clearances (3.0/0.5) per game at league level this term, as per Sofascore.

Although Chilwell has been deployed in a more advanced role under Pochettino, it is no coincidence that Chelsea have performed significantly better in a defensive capacity since throwing Cucurella into battle with the Spanish international now undroppable due to his impressive displays.

Sussex threatened to pull off victory but Ashton Agar’s three wickets derailed their chase as Australia began their post ball-tampering life

Andrew McGlashan at Hove07-Jun-2018
ScorecardThere was the occasional mention of recent controversies from a sell-out crowd of 6000 as Hove – “If you like sandpaper clap your hands,” was the tune of choice for some – but the toughest welcome for Australia as they returned to the field for the first time since leaving South Africa disgraced came in the middle as Sussex threatened to turn them over.In the end, Australia’s attack came through – with help from some poor shot selection by Sussex – to secure a 57-run victory, a margin that flattered them somewhat. Marcus Stoinis’ hundred, batting at No. 3, was the highlight for the Australians but their innings faltered badly from 167 for 1 after 30 overs while their pace attack looked thin as the lack of caps would suggest.”It’s good to start a tour like that [with a hundred], but more importantly it’s just fun to be out there with our mates,” Stoinis said. “It was a tough wicket to bat on through the middle, as we saw with Sussex, but I think you just need to absorb a bit of pressure and accept it’s a bit difficult. It’s been a bit of a pattern of something so something we’ll probably try and fix. Not feel the pressure of a few dot balls, just bat your way through it.”Their catching was off the mark as well. Phil Salt, dropped twice by D’arcy Short at square leg before he had scored, plundered 62 off 49 balls but when he was yorked by Kane Richardson the middle order couldn’t retain their composure. Ben Brown was later dropped at long leg by Andrew Tye but that did not prove costly.”These things happen,” Stoinis said of the drops. “First game back and all that, no stress, and it might have worked as a bit of a blessing in disguise as it made the bowlers work a little harder for the win and put them under pressure. So you take the good with the bad.”Ashton Agar recovered from an expensive start when he bowled inside the first 10 overs – Salt took him for consecutive sixes to his fifty – to claim three wickets, his third a nice piece of bowling to spin one past Laurie Evans’ edge for a stumping when his half-century was keeping Sussex’s hopes alive.For many reasons, this is a very different Australia side than the one involved in South Africa – bans, injuries and a change of format leaving to a revolving door of personnel. There are just three survivors from that Test series in the squad (Tim Paine, Nathan Lyon and Shaun Marsh) and only Paine was in the XI for the opening match of this tour.One thing that hasn’t changed is that Australia’s 50-over cricket needs a lot of work. That was evident when they were beaten 4-1 by England earlier this year and post-Ashes weariness notwithstanding that was a with a team that included the big guns.Having been put into bat, Australia raced out of the blocks before Short, who is in line for an ODI debut next week, was trapped lbw on the back foot by Danny Briggs. Stoinis and Aaron Finch took them to 167 for 1, but the final 20 brought just 110 runs as Sussex’s spinners – Briggs and Luke Wells – bowled their 20 overs for 86 runs.Finch, as he often does, cantered along at more than a run-a-ball early in his innings and was 45 off 33 balls before slowing up considerably. His fifty came off 54 balls and the last 33 runs of his stay took 64 deliveries before he edged a pull at Jofra Archer. Archer’s opening five-over spell was inconsistent and cost 34 runs, but he came back well to finish with 3 for 62 plus effected a sharp run out of his own bowling to remove Agar.Stoinis’ innings was a big tick for Australia. He was promoted to No. 3 for the final ODI against England in Perth and scored 87 before Tom Curran secured victory and here made 110 off 112 balls, hitting strongly down the ground with all four of his sixes coming the ‘V’ from long-off to long on. As part of Australia’s rebuilding of the one-day side, it appears Stoinis is set for a run at the No. 3 position that was Smith’s before a reshuffle during that previous series against EnglandThe rest of the batting was less impressive. Glenn Maxwell drove to mid-off, Travis Head was lbw and Tim Paine prodded a return catch and for a moment it appeared they may be bowled out. They will hope for better against Middlesex at Lord’s on Saturday.

Thomas Tuchel heaped praise on veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and called him "one in 20 million".

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Tuchel hails 'world class' NeuerPraised the player staging epic comebackExperienced skiing injury in 2022WHAT HAPPENED?

The Bayern Munich manager hailed the German goalkeeper for staging a remarkable comeback after his injury setback in 2022. Right after Germany's exit from the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Neuer experienced a freak skiing accident that kept him out of action for 10 months.

AdvertisementWHAT THOMAS TUCHEL SAID

Speaking to reporters, Tuchel said, "A comeback like Neuer's after his broken leg can only be achieved by one in 20,000, one in 20 million players. It's a great gift to be able to experience him like that. Neuer (37) is absolutely world-class in all areas and his comeback cannot be valued highly enough – even in view of all the setbacks he had to suffer on the way back. To be so clear, so open to the whole journey and never to lose conviction… I'm certainly one of the 19,999 who wouldn't have been able to do that. That's just great."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 37-year-old returned to action in October last year and since then has appeared in 17 Bundesliga matches thus far where he managed to keep seven clean sheets. On Friday, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann named the custodian in the national team squad as they are set to face France and Netherlands in international friendlies later this month.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

The Bavarian club will play their final game before the international break on Saturday against Darmstadt in the Bundesliga. Interestingly, it was the same opponent against whom Neuer had played his first game for the club since returning from injury on October 28.

Irfan Ahmed, Nadeem Ahmed and Haseeb Amjad have been charged by the ICC with breaching its anti-corruption code for a total of 19 counts

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2018Hong Kong’s Irfan Ahmed, Nadeem Ahmed and Haseeb Amjad have been charged by the ICC with breaching its anti-corruption code for a total of 19 counts. The ICC provisionally suspended the players with immediate effect, pending determination of the charges, a release from the governing body said on Monday.All three players were charged for matches at the 2015 World Cup Qualifiers played in January 2014, with brothers Irfan and Nadeem also charged for one or more matches at the 2016 World T20. Irfan faces additional charges for a 2014 World T20 warm-up match, against Zimbabwe in Chittagong, and for one or more matches at the World T20 Qualifiers played in 2015. Irfan was charged with nine offences, Nadeem and Amjad five offences each.The matches under scrutiny from the World Cup Qualifiers played in 2014 include a group game against Scotland and another group match played against Canada four days later. Hong Kong won against Scotland by 17 runs and beat Canada by nine wickets. All three players were charged for these two matches, with Irfan and Haseeb accused of underperforming in the Canada game.The ICC release did not mention the additional matches Irfan and Nadeem were charged for from the 2016 World T20, and the ones Irfan alone was charged for from the World T20 Qualifiers played in 2015.Irfan was charged for breaching Articles 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.4.2 and 2.4.4 of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code, while Nadeem and Amjad were charged for breaching Articles 2.1.1, 2.1.3 and 2.4.2 each. The Articles read as follows: Article 2.1.1 of the 2012 Code: fixing or contriving or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the match Article 2.1.2 of the 2012 Code: seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept a bribe or other Reward to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the match Article 2.1.3 of the 2012 Code: failure, for reward, to perform to one’s abilities Article 2.1.3 of the 2014 Code: seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept a bribe or other Reward to fix or contrive or otherwise improperly influence the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of one of more of the matches Article 2.4.2 of the 2012 Code: failure to disclose full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the 2012 Code in relation to the match Article 2.4.4 of the 2014 Code: failure to disclose full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the 2014 Code in relation to one or more of the matchesTwenty-eight-year-old Irfan, an opening batsman and a medium-pacer, had previously been suspended for two-and-a-half- years by the ICC after he admitted to breaching the anti-corruption code. He was not charged with any offence involving corruption on that occasion, but for failing to disclose “full details of approaches or invitations to engage in corrupt conduct that had been made to him between January 2012 and January 2014”.The three players have 14 days from October 8 to respond to the charges.

Newcastle United are reportedly looking to complete the signing of an "extraordinary" renowned midfielder, as they aim to make further reinforcements in the coming transfer windows.

Newcastle transfer news…

Eddie Howe's side drew 2-2 at West Ham on Sunday afternoon, as Mohammed Kudus' late strike deprived them of three valuable Premier League points. While failure to pick up a victory in east London was slightly disappointing, it is still a draw that could be looked back on as a decent result in May, with the Hammers a strong team currently. Newcastle have really turned a corner since a poor start to the season, not least thrashing Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 in the Champions League, and it feels as though they could once again be destined for big things in 2023/24.

One thing that could help the Magpies in their quest for glory is making a number of new signings in the January transfer window, allowing Howe to make his squad stronger, aiding rotation in the process. Should the right players not be available at that point, plenty of summer additions should be expected instead, even though the manager has addressed Newcastle's FFP situation, stating they won't lead to the club spending big, and that appears to have resulted in targeting a potential soon to be free agent.

Newcastle transfer update; Adrien Rabiot

According to a fresh Newcastle transfer update on Adrien Rabiot, the Magpies are interested in signing the Juventus midfielder at the end of this season, with Rabiot's contract expiring at that point. The Magpies aren't alone in expressing a keenness to snap up the Frenchman, however, with Manchester United also believed to be in the mix. Both clubs are "ready to knock on Rabiot's door again" after showing interest in the past, and they look in a better position to offer him a superior deal than Juve, as they look to keep hold of him.

Rabiot could be a really shrewd signing by Newcastle in the summer of 2024, with the free aspect of it making it far less of a gamble, too. Granted, the 28-year-old may demand high wages, but not having to pay a fee for him could make it an excellent deal. The Juve midfielder has been a top-level player for some time now, winning 38 caps for France and making a combined 412 appearances for his current club and Paris Saint-Germain, while former French striker David Trezeguet has described Rabiot as "extraordinary".

A box-to-box player who can provide both defensive nous and an eye for goal, Rabiot has averaged 2.1 aerial duel wins per game in Serie A so far this season, not to mention enjoying an 89% pass completion rate, highlighting the overall quality that he possesses in his game. He could therefore be great foil for the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, as well as providing Howe with the extra depth he may well crave.

There was only one team in it in the second-half, but the Reds' woeful finishing let them down against the reigning champions

Liverpool will be left wondering 'what if?' after missing a plethora of chances that forced them to settle for a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in a match that has huge implications for the Premier League title race. After falling behind in the first half, Alexis Mac Allister converted a penalty early in the second as the home team took control of matters against last season's treble winners, but woeful finishing from the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai proved their undoing.

It was a frenetic start to the game for Jurgen Klopp's side in the German coach's final Premier League game against Pep Guardiola. Liverpool found it tough to make combinations high up early on as the City defence doubled up on the forwards. The Reds grew into the game after the first quarter of an hour, though, utilising the movement of Nunez and Harvey Elliott, finding a way to bring Conor Bradley and Diaz into play from the wings and allowing Szoboszlai to drift forward through the centre.

Although the home team managed to work the ball into dangerous areas, they simply couldn't hit the target in the first 45 minutes, and fell behind when an intelligent Kevin De Bruyne corner found John Stones free at the front post to ensure City were ahead at half-time.

Klopp's team needed to come out fighting in the second half and were given a break two minutes in when Nunez pounced on a terrible pass back from Nathan Ake and was clattered into by Ederson, allowing Mac Allister to equalise from the resultant penalty. The injury Ederson suffered in the process prevented City from getting any momentum going and Liverpool stayed dominant throughout the half, but their atrocious finishing haunted them as Nunez and Diaz both scuppered great opportunities.

Despite having 19 shots – 12 in the second half – to City's 10, the hosts were forced to settle for a draw, leaving them level on points with Arsenal at the top and Guardiola's team just one behind them, setting all three up for an incredible run-in.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Caoimhin Kelleher (7/10):

Kept out City's long-range shots but was beaten from close-range for the opener.

Conor Bradley (7/10):

Showed glimpses of his youth in a frantic start with heavy touches and dodgy movement, but settled in and became an asset defensively and in the build-up.

Jarell Quansah (7/10):

Didn't give much away and read the game fairly well, but most passes went backwards.

Virgil van Dijk (8/10):

His leadership qualities were on show and he was a rock at the back with vital clearances and tackles.

Joe Gomez (6/10):

Had a difficult time on the left side as City always seemed to find a way past him.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Dominik Szoboszlai (6/10):

A bit too casual defensively but made some invasive runs to find holes in the City defence before he went off at the hour mark.

Wataru Endo (7/10):

Fought hard to win the ball and his quick passes helped get things going from midfield.

Alexis Mac Allister (8/10):

Put in a great shift battling for the ball and pinging quick passes around to cut through City. Did a great job converting the penalty.

Getty ImagesAttack

Harvey Elliott (4/10):

Chased the ball up and down the field like a dog but it seemed to just slide past him most of the time.

Darwin Nunez (6/10):

Gave the ball away, was offside far too often and did nothing to track Stones for the first goal. Won the penalty and was better in the second half.

Luis Diaz (5/10):

Went on some great runs but wanted too much time on the ball against a City defence that swarmed him to nullify the threat. His finishing was terrible.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Mohamed Salah (6/10):

Came on at the hour mark for Szoboszlai and quickly sent Diaz through with a great pass. Livened up the Reds' attack and had a few shots at goal.

Andy Robertson (6/10):

Sent some dangerous balls in from the left wing but Nunez failed to finish.

Cody Gakpo (5/10):

On for the last 15 minutes but could hardly get involved.

Jurgen Klopp (7/10):

His team recovered from a shaky start to take control of the game, but simply couldn't add the finishing touch to their many promising attacks throughout the final 45 minutes.