The dust has barely settled on a chaotic afternoon at Anfield, but the reverberations of Manchester City‘s stunning 2-1 victory over Liverpool are still being felt. In a match that defied logic, ending with Erling Haaland’s injury-time winner and a shocking red card for Dominik Szoboszlai, the emotions were raw in the post-match interviews. Manager Pep Guardiola and his key figures took to the microphones to dissect a game they described as the ultimate advert for Premier League football.
Guardiola: “Common Sense” and the Perfect Captain
Pep Guardiola was in a reflective mood, visibly relieved but critical of the game’s chaotic conclusion. He labeled the encounter a “brilliant advert for the Premier League,” praising the intensity and quality on display. Despite the fatigue that crept into his side’s play after the break, Guardiola was effusive in his praise for the spirit shown to overturn Szoboszlai’s “copy-paste” thunderbolt of a free-kick.
Central to that spirit, according to the City boss, was stand-in captain Bernardo Silva. “He is one of the best players I have ever trained with. He is the perfect captain,” Guardiola beamed. “It is a joy for me as a manager to have him. The team comes first.”
However, Guardiola couldn’t resist a dig at the officiating regarding the dramatic finale. With Rayan Cherki’s goal disallowed and Szoboszlai sent off for a pull on Haaland, the Spaniard argued for “common sense.” “Come on referee, give the goal and go home… I know he pulled him, but how many pulls there are in a game that referees play on? Give a goal, 3-1, Szoboszlai can play and we are happy.”
Haaland: Nerves, Relief, and a “Simple” View on the Rules
For the man who wrote the headlines, Erling Haaland, the relief was palpable. The Norwegian striker revealed he was “really nervous” stepping up to take the decisive penalty, especially after missing one at home previously. “All my thoughts were getting the ball in the back of the net,” Haaland admitted. “In the end, it’s incredible feelings. I’m just happy that I scored.”
Haaland was quick to deflect praise onto his goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, for a world-class save to keep them in the game, but he also echoed his manager’s sentiments on the red card. “Just give the goal, don’t give a red card, simple as that,” Haaland stated, expressing sympathy for Szoboszlai who now faces a three-game ban. “I feel bad because this will give him three games. Just let it be a goal.”
Silva: “We Felt Like We Needed to Win”
Bernardo Silva, the architect of the comeback with his equalizing goal, provided the most sobering assessment of the title race. The Portuguese midfielder emphasized that a draw at Anfield is usually a good result, but the context of the season demanded more.
“Obviously coming here, for me it’s the toughest place in the league by far,” Silva said. “And usually for most teams a draw is not a bad result but we needed another goal.” He revealed that the squad knew the stakes before kick-off: “I feel the whole team knew before the game, if we lost then probably the title race was over.”
Now, with the gap to Arsenal cut to six points, Silva believes hope has been restored. “The hope is there. We’re going to fight until the end. Six points is still six points.”
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