Manchester City vs. Liverpool result, analysis and highlights as hosts win Carabao Cup thriller

David Lynch

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Manchester City vs. Liverpool result, analysis and highlights as hosts win Carabao Cup thriller image

ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER — Manchester City booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup as they beat Liverpool 3-2 in a thrilling contest at Etihad Stadium.

In a breathless return to action after the 2022 World Cup break, City took the lead on two occasions through Erling Haaland and Riyad Mahrez only to give it up to Fabio Carvalho and Mohamed Salah strikes.

However, it proved third time lucky for Pep Guardiola's men when Nathan Ake nodded in at the back post to carve out an advantage that the hosts ultimately held onto. 

That meant City marched into the last eight while Liverpool were left to take the positives from a performance they will hope to use as the basis for improvement in the second part of their campaign.

Manchester City vs. Liverpool result

  1H 2H Final
Man City 1 2 3
Liverpool 1 1 2

Goals:

  • MCI — Haaland — 10th min
  • LIV — Carvalho — 20th min
  • MCI — Mahrez — 46th min
  • LIV — Salah — 48th min
  • MCI — Ake — 58th min

City's turn for quadruple hunt

After the huge successes of recent years, Manchester City endured something of a disappointing 2021/22 season in only winning the Premier League.

And their pain was only made worse - perhaps until the final two weeks of the campaign, at least - by the fact that Liverpool put together a genuine run at all four trophies, ultimately ending up with two.

Fortunately, victory here ensured that the Reds won't have any chance of repeating that feat, even should they mount a remarkable Premier League recovery.

Instead, it is City's turn to try and put themselves in the quadruple hunt, starting by claiming the Carabao Cup. 

Liverpool's big test comes at Aston Villa

With so many changes to both teams and the unusual mid-season break making rhythm difficult to find, it was no surprise to see an end-to-end contest full of chances.

However, the problem for Liverpool will be to decipher whether those mitigating circumstances are to blame or if this is actually a continuation of their patchy early season form.

Jurgen Klopp's side desperately need to find more control in games if they are to show improvement from here on in, and the truest test of whether they have worked out how to do that in the last few weeks will come at Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

Unpredictable Nunez endures rough night

When Darwin Nunez netted twice in Liverpool's final mid-season friendly against AC Milan, it seemed all questions regarding a potential World Cup hangover had been answered.

But the Uruguayan was back to his worst in this one, missing enough chances to secure the visitors a win in normal time.

Klopp must hope that is little more than the sort of finishing blip that saw Haaland somehow draw a blank from a similar glut of opportunities in the Community Shield earlier this season.

With Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota out for some time yet, Liverpool's big-money summer signing needs to find his shooting boots ASAP.

Manchester City vs. Liverpool as it happened

FULLTIME: All over at the Etihad and Manchester City are through to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup at Liverpool's expense after a wonderful game of football.

90th min: Henderson gets in down the right-hand side for Liverpool but he hasn't timed his run and the flag goes up.

City surely home and hosed now.

83rd min: Keita now in the book for catching Lewis late in midfield. Feisty end to the game.

78th min: Flashpoint! Rodri and Fabinho both go into the book for some pushing and shoving after a poor challenge from the Liverpool man.

If VAR had been in place tonight, the red card might have got an outing there. Gundogan in particular possibly lucky to avoid censure for a push in the melee.

72nd min: A simple ball in behind gets Nunez away on the right-hand side but he has too much time to think about the finish and shanks it wide.

The early stages of his Liverpool career suggest he is more of instinct man.

70th min: Naby Keita on for Thiago Alcantara for Liverpool. This game getting bitty with all these late subs, but still plenty of time for the visitors to get back into it.

62nd min: John Stones enters the fray, taking the place of Manuel Ikanji.

58th min: GOAL! De Bruyne swings in another beauty of a cross from the left and Ake steals in at the back post to nod it home.

City have the lead for the third time in this crazy game!

57th min: A change for the visitors, who bring in Jordan Henderson for Harvey Elliott.

56th min: Liverpool break out of their own box at pace but, after good work from Elliott, Gomez's cross is a poor one straight to Ortega.

This is some game. 

48th min: GOAL! It's raining goals and Liverpool are level again!

Oxlade-Chamberlain shows good feet in midfield and gets Nunez away down the left before he pulls back for Salah to tap in with Ortega stranded.

47th min: GOAL! Mahrez puts City back in front!

It's a gorgeous touch from the Algerian, who cuts in past Robertson in controlling a Rodri crossfield ball and smashes it past Kelleher. 

46th min: Back under way at the Etihad.

HALFTIME: Two changes for Liverpool at the break, Fabio Carvalho and Stefan Bajcetic making way for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fabinho.

HALFTIME: The whistle sounds at the Etihad and the two teams go in level at the break. It could have been 6-4 City on the balance of the chances.

45th min (+1): What a chance for Liverpool to go in ahead!

Robertson's free-kick delivery from the left is met by Nunez, but he sidefoots his attempt wide - the Uruguayan really should have hit the target.

42nd min: Nunez skips in behind from a lovely lofted Gomez pass, but he drills his effort wide of the far post.

A let-off for City, who could somehow have gone behind there after a dominant performance.

38th min: Liverpool hit by another injury blow, with Milner being forced off to be replaced by Nat Phillips. 

37th min: Another huge chance goes begging for City, Gundogan firing into Kelleher's legs after meeting De Bruyne's low pass at close range.

Seconds later, Kelleher denies Ake with a header from another delicious De Bruyne cross.

34th min: Rodri not happy with a late Carvalho challenge as Liverpool look to press high.

Plenty of aggression in this game, as you'd expect.

27th min: No change in the pattern of the game after the equaliser, with City largely all over Liverpool still.

They have to make it count, though, with the latest wasted opportunity seeing De Bruyne swing a free-kick straight into the grateful arms of Kelleher.

20th min: GOAL! Carvalho levels it up!

Liverpool put a rare spell of possession together before Matip squeezes a lovely pass in to Milner in the box and the Englishman squares it to tee up Carvalho for a simple sidefooted finish.

Watch - UK only

15th min: Elliott gets in down the City left and picks out Nunez to hit the post but it wouldn't have counted anyway... the flag was up for offside.

10th min: GOAL! Haaland puts City ahead and it has been coming since minute one.

De Bruyne finds space on the left-hand side and picks out a fine left-footed cross that Haaland gets in front of Gomez to meet and poke home.

Watch - UK only

7th min: Now Cole Palmer's turn to miss a sitter, the youngster getting it all wrong when Haaland plays him in five yards from goal.

City dominating these early stages - they look fresh and massively up for it.

1st min: Haaland gets the game under way... and then fluffs a huge chance almost immediately!

The Norwegian is in behind from a Gundogan through ball but completely miscues on his left foot to send the ball high and wide of the goal. You'd have put your house on him hitting the target.

10 mins before kickoff: A pre-match light show here to get the crowd going - not that these games usually need them!

30 mins before kickoff: The two teams out to warm up at the Etihad and what an opportunity awaits the youngsters on either side here.

These games always provide a cracking atmosphere and it will be fascinating to see how the less experienced members of the two squads cope with the pressure.

45 mins before kickoff: So, not quite full strength for either side, but some big names in there alongside the youngsters.

There could also be some interesting contributions off the bench, with City in particular looking strong in that area.

1 hr before kickoff: Team news is in.

Liverpool: Kelleher, Milner, Gomez, Matip, Robertson, Bajcetic, Elliott, Thiago, Salah, Nunez, Carvalho

Man City: Ortega, Lewis, Akanji, Laporte, Ake, Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Mahrez, Haaland, Palmer

1 hr 15 mins before kickoff: An early blow for Liverpool, who will be without Roberto Firmino tonight due to a calf problem. The Brazilian took a kick during training and is unavailable as a precaution.

1.5 hrs before kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of Manchester City vs. Liverpool in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Man City vs. Liverpool lineups

Man City boss Pep Guardiola complained that his side "just don't have players" for the game "because the big brains of football decided this schedule".

But, while the Spaniard names a side shorn of some big names, the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland feature. 

Man City lineup (4-2-3-1): Ortega (GK) — Lewis, Akanji, Laporte, Ake— Rodri, Gundogan — Mahrez, De Bruyne, Palmer — Haaland

Subs: Carson, Walker, Stones, Cancelo, Grealish, Gomez, Bernardo, Foden, Robertson

Jurgen Klopp's side is largely as expected given his use of a similar line-up in mid-season friendlies against Lyon and Milan.

However, Roberto Firmino misses out with a calf issue, which means Darwin Nunez playing centrally and Fabio Carvalho coming in on the left.

Liverpool lineup (4-3-3): Kelleher (GK) — Milner, Matip, Gomez, Robertson — Bajcetic, Thiago, Elliott — Salah, Nunez, Carvalho

Subs: Adrian, Phillips, Tsimikas, Ramsay, Fabinho, Keita, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Doak

MORE: Enzo Fernandez transfer latest: Liverpool 'sign agreement' with Argentina World Cup star

How to watch Man City vs. Liverpool

Here's how to watch all of the action from this match in some of the major territories:

  TV channel Streaming
USA — ESPN+
Canada — DAZN
UK Sky Sports Football Sky Go, NOW TV
Australia beIN Sports 1 beIN Sports Connect,
Kayo Sports
New Zealand Sky Sport 7 beIN Sports Connect
India — —
Hong Kong — Sports Plus 1,
661 Cable Sports
Malaysia — —
Singapore — —

David Lynch

David Lynch Photo

David Lynch is a freelance football journalist primarily covering Liverpool FC. He has reported on the the Reds for over a decade for publications such as the Sunday Mirror and Evening Standard, carving out a reputation as a trusted voice on all things Anfield in the process. Having followed Liverpool across England and Europe over the course of his career, David has filed from illustrious venues such as Camp Nou, the Allianz Arena and the Estadio do Dragao, as well as from multiple Champions League finals.