Man City 1-1 Liverpool – what we learned

Will either side catch Spurs for second?

Man City manager Pep Guardiola labelled his side’s Sunday draw with Liverpool at the Etihad as one of his most special days in football. With a CV like his, that’s certainly a bold statement.

Followers of the beautiful game saw the sport at its best in Manchester, with two of the division’s biggest names putting their reputations on the line in search of three vital points, in their bid to finish as the best of the rest behind Chelsea. A 1-1 draw was the result, with James Milner opening the scoring from the penalty spot on 51-minutes, before a return from Sergio Aguero evened things up shortly after. There were chances at both ends to win the match, including a fantastic opportunity for Aguero to get another, smashing a volley over the bar when scoring looked the easier option.

So, what did punters learn from the match, and what can we take from the result in terms of how the sides will finish in the table? Both look nailed on for a top-four and Champions League football next season, with Coral traders giving no more than 1/6 on City and 4/11 Liverpool. The latter may be an option for big-hitters, as The Reds enjoy a four-point cushion over Manchester United in fifth. Let’s pick through the three main pointers…..

Back Liverpool against the bigger sides

The major lesson taken from Sunday was that Liverpool up their game when faced with the better teams in the division. We have saw it plenty of times this season, and witnessed it again at the weekend. A flick through their last 10 league results shows defeat to Swansea, Hull and Leicester, all teams in and around the relegation zone, while they have beaten Tottenham and Arsenal in the same period, drawing with both halves of the Manchester divide, as well as leaders Chelsea. Back them against the top-10, oppose them against the bottom-10. You’ll not go far wrong.