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Manchester City were left with Kevin De Bruyne’s missed penalty as Liverpool escaped Etihad Stadium with a point for the first time in four seasons after a 1-1 draw on Sunday.
A good start for the Reds was rewarded with a penalty from Mohamed Salah in the 13th minute, but Gabriel Jesús leveled for Pep Guardiola’s men before De Bruyne missed the goal from the spot three minutes before half-time.
A portion of the points between teams that have combined to win the title over the past three seasons leaves Liverpool in third place just one point above the top, while City are five points further behind at 12th. but with a game in hand.
City had won 4-0 when the two teams last met in July in Liverpool’s first game as champion of England for 30 years, and the Reds began with the intention of making things right.
Diogo Jota retained his place after an impressive start to his Liverpool career, including a hat-trick in the demolition of Atalanta 5-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
However, Jurgen Klopp did not sacrifice Roberto Firmino for the Portugal striker and instead named the four forwards who also included Salah and Sadio Mane.
Klopp’s brave approach paid off in a dizzying start from the visitors. Ederson ran off his line to deny Jota in the first minute, but the Brazilian was beaten in the 13th minute by Salah from the penalty spot after Kyle Walker flipped Mane.
However, City managed to pull themselves together after going back and opening the holes in Liverpool’s two-man midfield that Klopp’s attacking approach uncovered.
Raheem Sterling should have faced Jesus instead of going for goal, as Alisson Becker blocked the England international.
But Jesus showed why City have failed a natural striker for most of the season, as both he and Sergio Agüero were sidelined by injury with an impressive finish to tie in 31 minutes.
The Brazilian threw a De Bruyne pass past Trent Alexander-Arnold before pushing past his international teammate Alisson.
City were now on the rise when De Bruyne hit an inch-wide low shot, but the normally brilliant Belgian knocked Liverpool off the hook just before half-time.
Joe Gomez was penalized for driving in the area following a VAR review. But De Bruyne missed his first penalty in four years when he took his penalty out of goal.
The English champions almost took advantage of that reprieve immediately, as Ederson had to save at his near post to prevent Alexander-Arnold from regaining Liverpool’s lead.
The second period failed to match the exciting pace from start to finish of the first.
Jota put Ederson back to the test early in the half, but it was City who had more control and better starts.
Jesus headed a golden opportunity wide before De Bruyne saw another sighter miss in time from the edge of the area.
Klopp eventually retired Firmino out of shape for Xherdan Shaqiri, but Liverpool suffered a setback when Alexander-Arnold was forced to leave the field with a calf problem.
However, already stripped of their talismanic presence at the rear of Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool’s makeshift defense saw the final half hour with little trouble claiming a vital point.
