Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City got the maximum points in the crunch clash with Liverpool which all but ended their rivals’ title race.
The 4-1 win helped City to Guardiola’s first win at Anfield and Liverpool’s third straight home defeat since 1963 as they went 10 points clear of the defending Champions.
The table-toppers are now five points clear of Man United in second place with a game in hand with their 14th consecutive victory a significant boost to their title aspirations.
The victory was headlined by a spectacular showing from Phil Foden who scored his 10th goal of the season.
The 20-year-old cut inside Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson to set up the opportunity before smashing past goalkeeper Alisson from a tight angle. Foden had earlier set up his side’s second by beating several defenders before setting up İlkay Gündoğan for a tap-in.
The strike for his goal was described as perfect by the youngster.
“I struck [my goal] perfect and I’m just happy to see it go in and help the team,” Foden said. When you beat the champions, everyone’s confidence goes sky high, so it can only help us.”
“They made it so difficult for us but we showed our courage to play our football and keep going, and in the end it paid off.”
How it started How it’s going pic.twitter.com/QUfHqjxuAP
— Phil Foden (@PhilFoden) February 7, 2021
Pep Guardiola was no doubt delighted for his wonderkid who was bright in a false nine role
“Phil Foden is a guy who keeps the ball really well, he arrives so aggressive but he is also still so young. When he plays wide it is more easy for him, he will learn.
“The action for the second goal and the fourth goal, we know what a huge talent he is but he is still young and hopefully he can understand he can still improve.”
Foden is now the second-youngest player with double figures in Europe’s top five leagues in 2020/21, behind Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
Gündoğan, who has performed brilliantly in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne and scored 11 goals, said: “Phil deserves all the credit, he’s doing really well. Compared to last season he has stepped his game up.
“He is still so young, we can’t forget that, a lot to come from him. Very happy to have him in our team, he gives us an incredible quality, and great to see a young kid playing so well.”
On Sunday’s potentially decisive result, Foden added: “It gives us every chance to go on and win [the title], but the job isn’t done and we’ve got a long way to go”
Man City are now clear favourites to win the title and a victory at Anfield would be one of the key moments in the title race.
They would be able to fondly remember the night when their home-grown star delivered an Anfield masterclass.
