5 things we learned as Liverpool are beaten 3-0 by Manchester City
All eyes were on Anfield on Sunday but, in the end, Liverpool could not rise to the occasion. The Reds' 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City contained one key turning point, as we'll come onto, but ultimately Andoni Iraola's unbeaten start is over. In fact, this was his first defeat in charge of any club since 3 January.
So, here are five things we learned from a deflating day for almost all on Merseyside.
Red cards change games
It is undeniable, irrefutable if you will, that the red card completely changed the game. With the score at 0-0, shortly after the hour mark, Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second bookable offence by referee Chris Kavanagh. Speaking during Sky Sports' commentary, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was not happy, reflecting the opinion of most:
Feels really harsh when you think of two tackles. The first was not a yellow, it was so harsh, it was a nothing challenge, the referee was far too quick to get the card.Jamie Carragher
Prior to the red card, the Reds' xG was 0.92 to Man City's 0.16. By the end, it was 1.05 to 1.22, with the Sky Blues scoring thrice, including two within six minutes of the decision. Who knows how events would have transpired otherwise.
Florian Wirtz needs to offer more
Florian Wirtz has so far started every Premier League and Champions League game under Iraola, but that may have to change. The German lost possession 16 times during the first half, twice as many as any other outfield player. Meantime, amazingly, in 31 of his 39 league appearances, 79%, he has failed to score, assist or create a big chance.
After the match, Carragher asserted that Wirtz is "simply not offering nearly enough... he should not be in the team right now", and he's the only one who believes this.
Liverpool cannot cope with key absentees
Of course, this game was always going to be an uphill struggle. Both Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo returned from international duty having sustained injuries, with Iraola confirming on Friday that neither were fit to feature. Thus, the news little over an hour before kick off that Dominik Szoboszlai was not in the squad either really burst any bubble of optimism. Iraola confirmed this about the Hungarian before kick off:
Another one coming from the international games. He came with an overload, he felt a tight hamstring. He's tried somehow, kind of pushing through training, but he was not feeling 100% and we will have to wait.Andoni Iraola
That is three of the Reds' best players, especially in an attacking sense, all not on the pitch, and this game proved they do not have the depth to cope.
Manchester City have a substantially stronger squad than Liverpool
On a similar theme, this game underlined the gulf that exists between these two teams in terms of squad depth. Even without the suspended Phil Foden, Enzo Maresca was able to introduce Jérémy Doku, who made an enormous difference, as well as Joško Gvardiol, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Allan, with many more expensively assembled players left in reserve.
If we take the title race at face value, and not the sham that Manchester City have made, Liverpool are along way short of the leaders.
Víctor Muñoz is the real deal
To end on a positive, Víctor Muñoz was very impressive, looking sharp in the absence of more senior forwards. The Spaniard completed two dribbles and racked up 12 carries, stinging Gianluigi Donnarumma's palms and causing Nico O'Reilly a few issues. There has been much debate as to who should be the Reds' right-winger, and Muñoz certainly made a strong case for himself.
