Following their victory, Manchester City's players and staff had reason for a small celebration. This result keeps them firmly in the hunt for the top spot, currently held by Arsenal. One man, in particular, took center stage: Pepijn Lijnders. He was playfully pushed towards the crowd by none other than Erling Haaland to receive applause. The assistant coach obliged for a moment, a wide smile plastered across his face.
Old Club
The fact that Lijnders, of all people, was celebrating was a bitter pill for Liverpool supporters to swallow. The Dutchman had spent years as Jürgen Klopp's assistant at The Reds.
When the German manager and his staff departed Anfield, Lijnders took the helm at RB Salzburg. However, that venture proved short-lived, and he was dismissed in December. The successful Dutchman had stated last year upon leaving Liverpool that he would only ever work as Klopp's assistant again.
But that proved far from the truth, as Lijnders made the switch to Manchester City last summer, becoming Pep Guardiola's right-hand man – his old rival.
Captivating Clash
Liverpool found themselves on the back foot for much of the first half, ceding possession to the visitors. After the break, the home side regrouped, and the match opened up, with chances falling to both teams.
Dominik Szoboszlai put Liverpool ahead with a magnificent long-range free-kick with fifteen minutes remaining. However, Bernardo Silva equalized in the 84th minute, assisted by Erling Haaland, making it 1-1.
In injury time, disaster struck for Liverpool: goalkeeper Alisson fouled Matheus Nunes, and Haaland converted the resulting penalty to make it 2-1. Szoboszlai was also shown a red card in the thirteenth minute of added time.
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