Trent Alexander-Arnold strikes to earn Liverpool vital point at Manchester City

Trent Alexander-Arnold did more than help to create a small piece of history and deny Manchester City a bigger one. When the Liverpool right-back hammered a lovely shot from distance past Ederson and into the far corner, he signalled his team’s readiness to go the distance in the Premier League title race.

City had won every game here at the Etihad Stadium in 2023, a run of 23 matches in all competitions. It is now over. One more victory and they would have equalled the record by an English top-flight club, set by Sunderland between 1890 and 1892. It was not to be.

Erland Haaland scored their goal midway through the first half – of course he did. It took him to 50 in the Premier League from just 48 appearances, the fastest ever player to reach the mark; Andy Cole had previously taken 65 games to get there.

Haaland would almost pinch victory in the eighth and final minute of stoppage time, rising to meet a corner only to flick just wide and, in the end, it was a day when City let Liverpool off the hook. They departed with regrets – none bigger than when the referee, Chris Kavanagh, contentiously ruled that Manuel Akanji had fouled Alisson on a 68th-minute corner before Rúben Dias tapped home. It was a soft decision.

Alexander-Arnold has said before the game that Liverpool absolutely believed they could end City’s dominance and win the league. Now came the action to back it up. Jürgen Klopp’s team have lost once all season in the league – controversially at Tottenham. This was a landmark for their reshaped team; the image of the afternoon being that of Alexander-Arnold shushing the City fans after taking a pass from Mohamed Salah and, with Bernardo Silva and Julián Álvarez slow to close him down, pulling the trigger in glorious style.

The subplots had swirled, not least the one that clings to City – seemingly with increased menace after the Premier League’s decision to dock Everton 10 points for financial irregularities. What about the 115 charges against the champions? When on earth will the near five-year investigation into them conclude? “I know the people want it, I feel it,” Pep Guardiola said on Friday about what he perceives as a thirst for his club to be punished.

The focus was on the field, the dark clouds overtaken by blue skies for the 12.30pm kick-off, a strange slot for a blockbuster, everyone in the stands a little hazy at first. The previous time that a visiting team had not lost here was on 31 December 2022 when Everton got a draw.

City bristled with front-foot confidence and they wanted to get at Alexander-Arnold through Jérémy Doku. It was clear from the first minute. With Akanji stepping into midfield from centre-half, Silva drifted towards the left, trying to create an overload to examine further the player who would finish as the Liverpool hero.

A feature of the early running was Alisson’s discomfort on the ball. He dragged one clearance straight at Phil Foden and was fortunate that the City winger shot straight at him while the Brazilian would retrieve a back pass he did not want from Curtis Jones and only just got it away as Haaland slid in.

The City breakthrough stemmed from a mis-hit Alisson clearance, the ball looping up and down on to Nathan Aké’s foot midway inside the Liverpool half, although there was still plenty for him to do. Aké did it, slaloming inside Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai before slipping a pass up to Haaland, who went into his muscle memory. One touch, then another, unload for the far corner. Alisson got a hand to it but he could only help it in. He beat the ground in frustration. He knew.

City were the better team in the first half. Some of their moves up and out from the back took the breath while Silva showed off magical flicks and bursts. His close control bordered on the obscene while an old-school up-and-under from him at the start of the second period was practically ironic.

The hosts almost went in at the break with a second goal but Álvarez overcooked a cross for Haaland after a Doku break and Alisson snaked out a hand to push away a Foden shot. Liverpool had their moments before the interval, none better than when Darwin Núñez flicked a 15th-minute header goalwards from a Salah cross after an imperious run by Joël Matip. Ederson made a smart save. It was nearly but not quite for Núñez while Szoboszlai had a shot blocked by Dias.

Klopp believed his team retained more than a puncher’s chance. When he made changes on 54 minutes – Jones and the injured Diogo Jota off; Ryan Gravenberch and Luis Díaz on – they were like-for-like.

The game could have been beyond them moments earlier only for Álvarez to lift a first-time shot wastefully over the crossbar. City had broken when Doku blazed away from Alexis Mac Allister. Yes, Doku again. But at 1-0, Liverpool needed only one moment.

City wanted the second and they thought they had got it when Alisson flapped at a corner under minimal pressure from the excellent Akanji, the ball running free for Dias to tap home. Kavanagh would spare Alisson, ruling that Akanji had breathed too heavily in his vicinity.

Guardiola could be seen asking for more noise from the City support in the 70th minute. It was strange to say given the energy of Doku but they came to sleepwalk somewhat towards the closing stages. Alexander-Arnold would jolt them.