Sunday's entertaining clash between Liverpool and Manchester City took a dark turn. Following a Liverpool attack, Cody Gakpo, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Gianluigi Donnarumma were involved in a collision. The goalkeeper's knee struck his own defender's head, knocking Khusanov unconscious and requiring immediate medical attention.
The intense match was halted for a period after the heavy impact. The collision occurred during a Liverpool surge, and the game seemed to lose some of its initial fire after the stoppage. Nevertheless, Liverpool clearly remained the dominant side. Fifteen minutes after Khusanov's substitution, Dominik Szoboszlai scored a world-class goal from a free-kick.
Playing Through Injuries
Khusanov had earned a starting spot in Manchester City's defense, partly due to numerous injuries in Pep Guardiola's backline. Josko Gvardiol and John Stones are both currently sidelined. The Uzbek defender was replaced in the match by Rúben Dias. Although Khusanov was substituted, he is expected to be fit for the next game.
This coming Wednesday, Manchester City will host Fulham. That match is a must-win if The Citizens are to retain any glimmer of hope for the title. Trailing Arsenal by nine points, it already looks like a tough road ahead for Guardiola's squad.
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