"Man City can go to the toughest environments and win" | Liverpool victory analysis
Man City's Anfield win analysed: resilience, title order and off-field punishment
The panel reviews Manchester City's win at Liverpool and discusses the celebrations, siege mentality, Elliot Anderson's midfield display, the title race with Arsenal, the manager's handling of the media and the possible punishment in City's financial case. The guest believes City can cope with the toughest away environments, but still sees Arsenal slightly ahead; if the appeal fails, City must be punished far more heavily than Forest.
- City's celebrations after winning at Anfield were understandable, even if they may have been over the top — The team had faced heavy media scrutiny for three weeks and beat their long-time closest rival in a hostile away environment, so the joy and sense of achievement were natural
- City's dressing room does have a siege mentality, and negative coverage can be used to give the team an extra edge — The manager can turn every critical article into fuel for an extra one percent; top players can motivate themselves, but that added stimulus still matters
- City can handle the toughest away environments this season and keep winning — The mentality and togetherness built under Guardiola; Anfield is the hardest test, and if they can get through such a hostile first game, they can cope with most other grounds
- City's midfield energy, especially Elliot Anderson's tackling, ball retention and forward play, was the standout; Liverpool lacked attacking threat and forward momentum — Anderson was tenacious and composed in midfield, City's substitutions raised the intensity, while Liverpool did not offer enough going forward
- Elliot Anderson has been excellent and is showing creativity in the defensive-midfield role; spending heavily on multiple players to replace Rodri shows how good Rodri was — Anderson had a superb World Cup and is now passing, driving forward, tackling and controlling that role; City had to invest a lot to try to replicate one player's influence
- Even without a possible points deduction, this win is not enough to make City clear title favourites, and Arsenal still have a slight edge — Liverpool have struggled at Anfield this season, so the win is less convincing than in the past; Arsenal have confidence from last season and recruited very well, while City's new signings are ready-made but Arsenal still edge it
- The manager handled the media questioning well and should keep focus on the controllables — He did not get drawn into an argument and stayed focused on the pitch; with off-field questions likely to continue, that was a strong response
- If the appeal fails, City must be punished now, and the sanction should be substantially heavier than Forest's, likely including points and a hefty fine — The Premier League faces 115 charges and has put itself in a position where it must punish them; Chelsea's case was different, and Forest's sanction would not match the seriousness of City's alleged breaches
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Transcript
Plenty to come on the show. We're going to start with Manchester City and that statement win over Liverpool at Anfield. Erling Harland described it as a lovely moment for every single person connected with the club. >> Yeah, while boss Enzo Moresca doubled down on his conviction that City will win their appeal against breaching financial rules. So, Stephen, let's get into this. I want to start with the end of the match actually. What did you make of of City's celebrations? How did you feel at the end of that game? >> Was it warranted? I'm not sure, but I just felt there's been so much media scrutiny over it over the last three weeks that as a team you go into that. So, I'm just going to go purely player mentality. What you're thinking, you're feeling everything's against us. We knew coming here was going to be you're going to Anfield anytime is difficult. Going there under these circumstances, especially they've been your closest rival for such a long time. That was going to be ramped up even more. and the sense of the sense of joy and achievement on the back of winning that I can understand why those players in that moment felt the need to be so elated because that's what you would feel was it right was it over the top potentially but in those moments as a player when you go and win a game against those odds that's what you feel has happened it's only right to celebrate I think >> as you say a bit of them against us do you feel as though it's a bit of siege mentality in that dressing room >> yeah 100% and if you're if the managers were to salt you lose every single piece of journalism and every single thing that's being said, you you don't deserve this. You shouldn't be in this position. This is being got from the wrong reasons. You use that to galvanize the team and motivate them. And not that the best players need that much motivation. They can selfm motivate. They have that's why these players are at the top level because they can do that. But for City, if you're a manager, any little piece of newspaper clipping that you can use to just be that extra bit go over the top extra 1% is is is key. I think >> uh Steven, we saw the chanting. We we saw the banners at Anfield. City and their manager had said there's going to be noise everywhere we go this season. We have to bring our own noise. They certainly did that. And have they shown you that wherever they go this season, they're going to be able to handle this? I think they will be able to handle. I think this this side for, you know, since Pep was in charge and have had this mentality to be able to go to the toughest environments and win games. That's what that's why they've been so successful. And so now again, you get to galvanize the team. You get to put that togetherness into them. They they'll be absolutely to cope with it. Um the longer it goes on the tougher it gets I think because you know Anfield is probably the toughest place to go on the back of everything to and that be the first game was going to be vicious circumstances. So I think you can handle that environment you're going to be handling most other ones as well. >> Let's take away all of the noise. I know it's very difficult to do that but just the performance itself it looked very very impressive from Manchester City. What stood out for you in particular? energy middle of the park for me I just thought was I I I just thought the way to go Anderson his tenaciousness tackling ability keeping the ball and in the forward areas the changes they make sherky when he gets on the ball looks really dangerous I just think in contrast to Liverpool who just think look felt like they didn't really have that attacking threat they didn't really have that impetus going forward whereas do comes on changes the game you know I think city have always had that ability to bring in players that make a difference and you know players that come on ramped up like that is hugely important for success in the season and I just think all over the pitch as well. It just looks so good. >> You mentioned Elliot Anderson there. He got player of the match in that game yesterday. >> When he was signed, there was a lot of noise around Elliot Anderson. First of all, the price tag and how are you going to replace someone like Rodri? >> We're not even mentioning Rodri at the moment, are we? >> No. Well, I think you can if you're if you're going to replace Rodri, bringing in Batti, Elliot, Anderson, and Enzo is not a bad way to do. You're spending 300 million on three players to replace one, which gives a market a man Rodri was. You know, I think that that shows more to how how impressive he was as a player to think that what they've had to spend to try and replicate his influence on the team. But I think And exceptional. I thought he had a superb World Cup. Um, and I think the level he's playing at now, his passing ability, you know, we talked about his energy and his tackling and the way he controls that defensive midfield role, but what you're seeing now in the City side is his creative ability, his ability to pass the ball forward, drive through the lines. Um, yeah, he's been really impressive. >> Is this something that City generally do quite well in terms of Rodri, Silva, Aguero, massive, huge, influential players and of course they're missed, but we don't really notice it in terms of the results. >> That's what the best teams do. Best teams have always done that. United did that for years were able to know when a player was at the point where it was right to move them on and bring someone else in. And that's what Ferguson I think was what was his best attribute almost was like knowing that point. See you've done that extremely well. Managers well the manager's gone and they've brought in and it seems like a seamless shift. There's no change in the dynamic and how they how they're playing. So yeah, it's it's key players and key roles. But you know financially this is going to be the issue. They they have the money to do it and that's where the issues come in, isn't it? Yeah, look, we are still of course waiting for the outcome of City's appeal. But Stephen, if there was no possibility of a points deduction, would you have City favorites for the title at this stage? >> We're because I before the game at Liverpool, I knew what you knew what was coming. You knew what was expected. Um, and I think because of Liverpool's home form this season, I don't think City going there and winning for me was as a convincing a stamp on we're going to win the league as what would have been in the past because I think Liverpool just have struggled slightly at Anfield. I don't think they've been the same side. I think, you know, not many points there. So, I don't think it goes and automatically puts them ahead of Arsenal because I still, again, it always pains me to say I still think Arsenal are slightly ahead of them. I think they're still my favorites, but C are on track to you. Listen, you're talking four or five weeks from now. Maybe we could be saying listen at City's just on on City because during this season we were talking about maybe there's a few frailties in defense and they're managing to outscore teams. You saw the I think it was a 5-3 against Sunderland. They conceded goals elsewhere, >> but they've been to Old Trafford. They've already been to Anfield. two grounds where you know rivals of City would think there could be a problem there for them. >> Yeah. >> Three points in each and clean sheets in both games as well. >> Yeah. And I and listen this, you have to give so much of that to Anderson as well. I know defensively Marcus Gay. Yeah. Brilliant. But you feel the middle of the park, the way they operate, the way they get back, the way they stop the passing lanes in between to the defenders. They don't let attacking teams ever get ahead of steam because they just don't get the opportunity to really get at them. You know before you felt there was a bit of frailty there but now they feel like they've they've got the right kind of balance in the way their midfield sits in front protects that back four slightly and I think city like the Fernandinho you look at Rodri they've always had that key role which teams have been striving for to have Manu have been dying for playing that position haven't they just think that's been really key for them how good they've been >> so what is it about the difference between them and Arsenal then for you that just puts Arsenal that bit in front >> I ju I still feel Arsenal have that confidence confidence that they can do and I think on the back of getting that win last season and they've recruited extremely well. They haven't been forced. I know they wanted to bring in a center forward. I think everybody would have I think anybody associate Arsenal wanted to see that central striker come in but Gimarish center of park I think is such a good addition to their team. Um KZA I think is for me was one of the best signs of the season. I was just to stop him going to some of your rivals cuz I think Liverpool, Manchester United, and City all would have loved to have them in their squad and so getting him in the door was huge as well. So I just feel I know City have repl have recruited extremely well and those players are coming in readym made Premier League players that are there's no uptake. There's no waiting for them to hit the ground running but I think Arsenal just still have that slight edge for me. >> Aside of the Community Shield defeat, they've played eight games in all competitions. They've won eight games in all competitions and you touched on it earlier, the credit that Enzo Moresca deserves for this run, but not only how he has put his stamp on the team and it's very early still admittedly, but what he's done off the pitch as well and I refer you back to what happened on Friday because we were eagerly anticipating that news conference and he was widely recognized as like having a media masterass almost. What have you made of Enzo? >> Yeah, because he The the thing is coming in on the back of a Pep Guardiola or Klopp isn't you're dealing with the anticipation that it's not going to be the same. So that first of all is the first thing you have to do. So that can only change on the pitch and the performance. But then to deal with the media scrutiny, he's going to have to be on the back on every conference until it's resolved is is something that and I just think he just batted away really quickly. He just didn't get drawn into a conversation. Didn't deal with it. Thought it was just fully focused. And the things managers love to say is we can control the controllables and that's what they can do. They just focus on what they can do on the pitch and anything outside of it is out of their outside their rem almost. But he I tied to it really well >> and that was his external response to the media internally. How tough a job does he have? Because he is Moresca in the middle when you think he will want to be shielding the players from everything else that's going on but he'll also probably be their first port of call in terms of questions. Yeah, >> he's in a tough position. He's their conduit, isn't he, to the to the board, he's that link because as a player, you don't really have an interaction with the higher level, you just your managers, your the book stops at him for you. And it's I think from a player psyche after being in that change room, it's weird to say, but stuff like that doesn't really affect you. Well, it wouldn't have affected me. And I think those players, the level they're playing at, I don't think that affects them either. I think it's a way of giving you a little bit of extra bite to go and perform on the pitch, but I don't think it's something that weighs too heavily in which it sounds terrible, but there's a reason why these players or or players are playing the Premier League at the highest levels because they can compartmentalize stuff like that and just focus on the task at hand, which is playing football, which is a really almost selfish thing to be able to do, but that's why they're at that level. Is it that easy though? because I know it's that cliche like once you step over the white line, you know, you only focus on the football, but this is kind of unprecedented what's going on at City at the moment. How >> difficult is it then for the for the players just to park everything that's going on, >> especially when you consider this the just the visuals at Anfield and what it was like. How would they have been feeling >> genuinely when you to go to Anfield and to have that much scrutiny toward you would probably kind of exciting to those players and that's a again probably weird because when you're in away stadium you feel if the away fans are on top of you the whole game you're probably doing something right. So to go there at the start and for them to be so vicious and so on top of them, it's like right, we have to quiet them straight away. And the first time you get to quiet them, the first time you put tackle in, score a goal, and you hear that hush of that crowd for the first time, the sense of job done, excitement, we know we're on the right track. That's that that's what gets you going. And like I said, the top players can quiet crowds within an instant from their ability on the pitch and the way they just focus on their task at hand. And it it's hard to explain, but it really is. You crossed that white line and your focus is fully on that >> 100% winning start to the start of this Premier League season. It's very interesting to hear what Jamie Carraghus said after the game yesterday with all of this going on. City cannot win the league this season. Is that your feeling as well? >> That they have to be punished for what they've done. if if it if it comes to fruition that and they don't the appeal doesn't come true and there's 115 charges the Premier League have put themselves in a position where they have to punish them and I think it has to happen now I don't think it can if if everything is finished by Christmas time the punishment has to be done now it has to be whatever the um sanction is going to be whether it's points it's going to be a hefty fine I I expect >> what is a suitable sanction then >> honestly I don't know what suitable sanction I don't know What's you look at the only thing we're going off is probably Chelsea to some extent. What what Chelsea but Chelsea was in a different circumstance because that was new owners. It was all put on the old owners and they're able to accept responsibility for some extent but wasn't them. Took a huge fine and transfer ban I think potentially as well on top of that city will be expecting to go down those lines but the points thing is what changes. You look at Forest, you look at everything what they've had, it has to be substantially more than what they they've had because of their infractions are so much more. Um, but you think it has to be done this