Manchester City: Takeaways from 1-1 draw vs. Liverpool

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 19: Sergio Aguero of Manchester City (R) scores his sides first goal past Simon Mignolet of Liverpool (L) during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on March 19, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

In their last fixture before the March international break, Manchester City fought back for a point against visiting Liverpool on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola‘s side were looking to head into the upcoming international break on a good note before returning to league play in April. They welcomed Jurgen Klopp‘s Liverpool to the Etihad, who were also looking for a victory against a top-four contender.

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The first half saw only two shots-on-goal between the sides, with Adam Lallana for Liverpool and Leroy Sane for Manchester City having the best efforts towards goal. Liverpool got the quick lead early in the second-half as Roberto Firmino drew a penalty-kick after he was fouled by Gael Clichy.

Former Citizen James Milner slotted home his seventh goal of the season, netting his right-footed penalty into the bottom-left corner.

Manchester City fought back as Sergio Aguero‘s 69th-minute effort beat Simon Mignolet for a 1-1 equalizer. The Argentine finished off Kevin De Bruyne‘s cross into the bottom-left corner.

De Bruyne was unlucky seven minutes later as his left-footed effort went off the right post. Raheem Sterling also had a late effort saved by Mignolet which was close to being a game-winner.

At the final whistle, Manchester City and Liverpool shared the points at the Etihad. Mignolet made two saves, while Willy Caballero made three saves.

"Following the draw, Pep Guardiola told BBC Sport that the draw was “one of the happiest days of his life.” “Congratulations to Liverpool and Manchester City. It is one of the days I am proud the most. I have not had a long career as manager and it is one of the most special days of my life. The Champions League defeat was so tough for us and we recovered today with our mentality and attack, but we could not attack more because Liverpool are a top team. I want to stay here and help this club make a step forward and the battle to qualify for the Champions League will go until the last day.”"

After a hard-earned draw at the Etihad, here are my three key takeaways.

1.) Despite earning only a point, Man City bounced back from UCL exit.
After their tough defeat at Monaco last Wednesday, Manchester City were sure underdogs to defeat Liverpool on Sunday. However, Manchester City definitely looked the favorites to win in the final few minutes after a strong attacking mentality and desire to earn the three points. The final product may not have been there, but Guardiola surely had his players motivated from the opening whistle. Players like Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, and Raheem Sterling played their hearts out and helped Manchester City fight till the last second. I expect this team to come out with the same intensity at Arsenal on April 2nd.

2.) Fernandinho the new right-back for Guardiola?
Sitting as a defensive midfielder under Pep for most of the season, Fernandinho got the unusual start at right-back on Sunday. It truly looked as if Pep wanted another defensive element in the back-line to deal with Liverpool’s pace, but is this a sight we will see in the final months of the season. I honestly believe that answer is no. Fernandinho belongs in the center of the pack, protecting the back-line, which also gives players like Yaya Toure and David Silva the protection to move up and attack. Bacary Sagna came on as a second-half sub for Toure which moved the Brazilian back into midfield, but was a little odd to see Pep start with that formation from the opening kick.

3.) What Manchester City will we see come April?
With no Champions League and a title race dwindling thanks to Chelsea‘s strong run, what will Manchester City look like come April? The goal will be for Manchester City to go out and win every match in both the EPL and the F.A. Cup. Surely the team can lift the F.A. Cup, with a favorable draw at Arsenal coming in April’s semifinals. Guardiola will look to have this team chomping at the bit to finish the season with a top-four finish, quality football every match, and an F.A. Cup trophy before the off-season.

Next: Manchester City need to resolve defense before chasing Griezmann

Due to the upcoming international break, Manchester City will next be in action April 2nd at Arsenal. They also travel to league leaders Chelsea on April 5th, which will end a tough run of fixtures.