Liverpool vs Man City final score, result, highlights as last Klopp vs Guardiola Premier League clash ends level

Dom Farrell

Liverpool vs Man City final score, result, highlights as last Klopp vs Guardiola Premier League clash ends level image

Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola’s Premier League rivalry came to a pulsating conclusion with a tense and tenacious 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield.

The final chapter of their battles at the top of English football is yet to be concluded as both clubs will fight over the remaining 10 games for the title. But this result left Arsenal top of the table on goal difference ahead of Liverpool, with City just a point behind as they prepare to face Mikel Arteta’s side next.

The visitors created the better chances in the opening 45 minutes and they went in front with a goal crafted on the training ground. John Stones converted a low corner whipped into the near post by Kevin De Bruyne as Nathan Ake blocked Mac Allister’s defensive run.

But Ake was also involved in the key moment shortly after the interval when his under-hit backpass led to Ederson clattering Darwin Nunez in the area. Mac Allister dispatched the penalty and, to compound matters for the champions, Ederson had to come off with the injury he sustained in the challenge.

Liverpool vs Man City final score

  Fulltime Goalscorers
Liverpool 1 Mac Allister (p) 50'
Man City 1 Stones 24'

Lineups:

Liverpool (4-3-3, right to left): 62. Caoimhin Kelleher (GK) — 84. Conor Bradley (26. Andy Robertson), 78. Jarell Quansah, 4. Virgil van Dijk, 2. Joe Gomez — 10. Alexis Mac Allister, 3. Wataru Endo, 8. Dominik Szoboszlai (11. Mohamed Salah) — 19. Harvey Elliott, 9. Darwin Nunez (18. Cody Gakpo), 7. Luis Diaz.

Man City (3-2-4-1 right to left): 31. Ederson (18. Stefan Ortega) (GK) — 2. Kyle Walker, 25. Manuel Akanji, 6. Nathan Ake — 5. John Stones, 16. Rodri — 47. Foden, 20. Bernardo Silva, 17. Kevin De Bruyne (8. Mateo Kovacic), 19. Julian Alvarez (11. Jeremy Doku) — 9. Erling Haaland.

MORE: Pep Guardiola vs Jurgen Klopp: Head-to-head record, history, trophies

City, who have frequently toiled on this ground throughout Guardiola’s glorious reign, struggled to regain their composure. When Mohamed Salah came off the bench to bolster an injury-hit lineup with half an hour to play, Anfield scented blood.

Luis Diaz was the main culprit, steering wide on the end of a sumptuous Salah through ball before being denied by a last-ditch Kyle Walker challenge, as Liverpool passed up opportunities to claim a huge three points. Ortega also acquitted himself with implausible coolness given the situation City’s backup goalkeeper found himself thrust into.

Despite their struggles, City came closest to winning it in the 89th minute when substitute Jeremy Doku collected Erling Haaland’s pass and saw his shot cannon back off the inside of the post and back into the grateful arms of Caoimhin Kelleher. 

It was Doku breathing a sigh of relief deep into stoppage time when he caught Mac Allister in the chest with his studs in the area and survived a VAR check. Then Klopp and Guardiola were able to take a breath and embrace. Together, they have built a magical rivalry and era that will endure.

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Doku tackle on Mac Allister: Should Liverpool have had a penalty?

This doesn’t feel like one of those VAR controversies that will run and run because of the enthralling game that preceded it. But the general consensus was that Doku was a lucky boy. The Belgium winger got a slight touch on the ball and then his studs made contact with Mac Allister’s chest.

"It was 100 per cent penalty. They will find an explanation. It was 100 per cent foul in all areas of the pitch and probably a yellow card," Klopp told BBC Match of the Day 2. "All the people with iPads around me were 'wow, clear'. Maybe they can hide behind the phrase that [it] is not clear and obvious.

"It is of course a penalty but we didn't get it and that is fine. The most important thing for me is that we can play football like that. I saw so many sensational performances today."

Even though his comment came with a helping of sarcasm, our old friend “clear and obvious”, the “high bar” and whatever you want to call it is in play here. Doku did himself a favour by appearing to pull out of the challenge as he followed through into Mac Allister, so there were limited grounds to overturn the referee’s decision on the field and punish him for using excessive force. Had the decision been given at first by referee Michael Oliver, it is unlikely Doku would have earned a VAR reprieve.

Guardiola and De Bruyne clash as City are spooked by Anfield again

It was a second half full of mini-victories for a magnificent Liverpool, even if it did not add up to an actual victory. One of those came when Guardiola took off his long-time star man De Bruyne. The Belgium playmaker was furious and remained in discussions with his manager for a couple of minutes afterwards.

“That’s good. He has a chance next game to prove [me wrong],” he told Sky Sports afterwards, clearly keen to defuse the situation. The reason for withdrawing his key lieutenant was grounded in classic Guardiola logic. To repeat one of his frequent requests, he wanted his team to complete “100 million passes”.

“We know in this stadium, the momentum — when you have it, they suffer,” he said. “We came back to our normal position when Mateo [Kovacic] and Jeremy came on. They gave us control. Mateo Kovacic was unbelievable, the personality he played with. In this stadium, you have the ball or you are defending. 

“We needed a player that would have the ball and keep it. It’s not about pressing or his play. Mateo is really good with Bernie [Bernardo Silva] and in some positions Phil [Foden]. He can make an extra pass and arrive in the box.”

The statistics back up Guardiola’s point. After coming on in the 69th minute, Kovacic completed 27 of 30 passes. De Bruyne — while acknowledging that he was asked to do a far more creative and proactive job — completed 16 of 26 passes, albeit creating a joint-high three chances alongside Erling Haaland.

Kovacic gave City what they needed when the game was spinning out of control but it also felt like Guardiola, having conquered all else during his time in Manchester, was spooked by his surroundings. Like last season, when City played pensively against an out-of-form Liverpool and lost 1-0, the visitors did not go for the throat when they might have done. After Stones put them ahead against injury-hit opponents, they played carefully, keen not to give Liverpool any of the momentum Guardiola mentioned.

It’s a tough balancing act. It’s one Guardiola has never quite nailed at a packed Anfield against Klopp and, until Kovacic came to his aid, the occasion had run away from him again.

Liverpool vs Man City live updates, highlights, and commentary

Fulltime: Klopp and Guardiola enjoy a long embrace. City led through John Stones and then survived the second half on their wits after idiotically giving away a penalty that Mac Allister converted. Klopp is talking to the officials. He must think Mac Allister should have had a penalty and he might have a point. Liverpool were by far the better side during the second period, Luis Diaz the biggest culprit with missed chances, but then Jeremy Doku hit the post and almost won it for City. After all that, Arsenal are top and have really enjoyed their weekend. Thanks for joining us.

90th minute+10: No penalty after Doku's challenge on Mac Allister is checked. City clear.

90th minute+8: Elliott wins a corner. Liverpool had one about this time against Nottingham Forest. They can't can they?

90th minute+7: Salah goes down in the box. VAR are looking but it looked like nothing. The Liverpool forward is furious with Silva, who is something of a provocateur in this fixture. The challenge was by Ake and there's no penalty.

90th minute+5: Doku, who has produced a little gem of a cameo, gets into the box and to the byline again. Foden can't turn his cross goalwards.

90th minute+4: Pretty rusty play from Salah as he's caught offside. Gakpo hits his cross against the bar, Elliott puts the rebound in the net. None of it matters but it looks like they all had a nice time.

90th minute+1: Stones clear behind for another Liverpool corner. Remember when he scored about five years ago?

90th minute: There will be EIGHT minutes of stoppage time. Anfield fancies it. Big time.

89th minuteJEREMY DOKU HITS THE POST! Now they attack! Haaland spreads it to Doku, who drives into the bottom corner. The shot hits the base of the post and goes back to a grateful Kelleher.

88th minute: City trying to play keep-ball but it all feels very passive. They look happy with a point. But that's a dangerous game against Liverpool.

85th minute: Walker will try to continue. "Ole, ole, ole" rings around Anfield. Will we get a winner?

83rd  minute: More Liverpool pressure. Gomez has a speculative drive blocked. Walker in on Diaz again. Now Mac Allister fires over. Walker might be hurt. City hanging on.

82nd minute: Robertson heads Doku's cross away from his six-yard box and Dias is going...and going... and going! He barrels around and around attention from Walker and Rodri to win a corner. Anfield roars. Van Dijk heads over.

81st minute: Van Dijk with a raking ball out to Salah. His cross is easily pouched by Ortega.

80th minute: Ortega has been implausibly cool but that's a loose chip into midfield. Salah's ball for Diaz is overhit. Liverpool keep it alive and Ortega does well to push Quansah's drive away from goal.

76th minute: Gakpo replaces Nunez, who has put in some shift.

75th minute: City in a long period of possession that they've needed for a while. The boos of the Kop will be music to Guardiola's ears.

73rd minuteCity hit the crossbar in bizarre fashion! Doku passes to the overlapping Ake, who crosses towards Foden. Kelleher gets there, punches the ball into Foden and it flies against the bar.

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71st minute: Robertson drives in a low cross and Ortega does brilliantly to deny Nunez.

69th minute: Robertson aims a deep cross that goes dangerously close to Ortega's top corner. Double change for City. Doku and Kovacic on for Alvarez and De Bruyne. Guardiola goes to shake De Bruyne's hand and he's not happy at all.

67th minute: Mateo Kovacic about to come on for City and tell everyone to calm down, for crying out loud.

65th minute: Mac Allister looks to curl into the far corner. Ortega tips around the post. He's right into the game, at least! Another Robertson corner. Half cleared to Salah, who plays it calmly back to Kelleher and Liverpool go again.

64th minuteDiaz again! What have you done?! He's poised to finish at the near post but takes a touch and allows Walker in for a last-ditch tackle. Akanji heads the corner behind for another one.

63rd minuteLiverpool should lead! What a first involvement from Salah! Alvarez allows a City attack to break down and Salah threads a delicious ball through to Diaz. The Colombia winger tries to set a finish around Ortega but blazes wide.

60th minute: City play out of the press calmly. Too calmly! Liverpool turn it over and Szoboszlai slashes over.

59th minute: Silva dispossessed, Diaz hares forward. He exchanges passes with Nunez but his touch lets him down and Ortega's first involvement is a smart one. Silva then gets himself booked. City devoid of composure. Salah and Robertson are coming on. That should help.

58th minute: Alvarez picks Quansah's pocket deep into Liverpool territory. The hosts clear but De Bruyne feeds Foden, forcing Kelleher into a smart save. 

57th minute: Silva punts a pass too long for Alvarez. After charging to get into position for the Liverpool throw, the Portugal midfielder upends Mac Allister. 

56th minute: More treatment for Ederson and he's making way for Stefan Ortega. The German is one of the finest understudies around but he's entering a bear pit.

52nd minute: City kick off and it's frantic. De Bruyne looks for a through ball that isn't there at all. 

50th minuteGOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!! Alexis Mac Allister (pen)

Liverpool level. Ederson guesses correctly but that's beautifully taken. What an absolute gift for Klopp's men at the start of the second half.

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49th minute: Mac Allister is the man with the ball in his hand. Ederson needs some treatment, which adds to the tension. Anfield is loud again.

47th minutePENALTY TO LIVERPOOL!!! Ake leaves his backpass slightly short. Ederson is never getting there and boots Nunez up in the air. The City keep has a booking and is limping around. Will even face the penalty?

46th minute: We're back underway. How long until we see Salah. Interestingly, and perhaps to underline City's between-two-stools approach so far, Liverpool shaded the possession count in the first half.

Halftime: Szoboszlai tries to catch Ederson out across the greasy turf and why not. The City goalkeeper concludes a very fine half from his point of view by holding on. City haven't been quite at their best but they deserve to be ahead and should probably be further ahead. Injury-hit Liverpool are fighting hard.

45th minute+3: Rodri lumps into Mac Allister and is booked. Liverpool free-kick.

45th minute+2: Bradley again raids into the City box. Stones is coolness personified in his own six-yard box.

45th minute+1Walker scything forward down the right flank. Oh, he gets the cross horribly wrong. That should have been a simple finish for Alvarez after Haaland served as a heavyweight distraction at the near post.

44nd minute: De Bruyne looks for Haaland and Van Dijk intercepts. Now the City striker nips in on the wrong side of the Liverpool centre-back and feeds Alvarez, who cuts into traffic and hoicks over.

42nd minute: Luis Diaz close to a Liverpool equaliser! He cuts inside and fizzes a shot just wide. City's lax play since the goal gets close to catching up with them.

39th minute: Szoboszlai bundles into the City box, now Elliott and Stones blocks. City break. Haaland is on his own and engineers space outside Van Dijk. He can't get enough space to get full purchase on the shot, though, and Kelleher saves.

36th minute: City taking a lot of time over a throw. It's understandable when you're winning at Anfield but that isn't really ever City's game and you wonder if they'll pay for taking themselves out of rhythm. Anyway, here's De Bruyne having a shot deflected wide and telling me to shut up.

34th minuteAlvarez gets himself into an almighty tangle and Liverpool win the ball back in the City third. Bradley's shot is half charged down and Ederson saves the corner. City break up the other end and win one of their own.

33rd minute: Haaland comes back to break up a Liverpool attack, in case you were under any illusions about this game being made up in a large part by tackles.

31st minute: Teasing, in-swinging cross from Elliott and Szoboszlai attacks it, heading over. That was a better chance than he made it look. Klopp certainly thought so down on the bench.

28th minute: Vital recovery from Van Dijk as De Bruyne looks to play in Foden. Someone in a Liverpool shirt is going to have to get closer to City's No.17 in those situations.

26th minute: Liverpool look for a swift response and Stones and Ederson combine to get blocks in after Diaz gets into the box. The offside flag goes up.

24th minuteGOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! John Stones!!!!!!

City lead as De Bruyne sends in a lovely low ball, Ake blocks Mac Allister's run and Stones tucks home at the near post. One from the training ground and a big one in the title race.

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23rd minute: Silva spending more time over on the left flank and sends in a dangerous chipped cross towards Haaland. Van Dijk does very well to get it up and behind for the corner.

20th minute: Rodri uncharacteristically gives the ball away passing out of his own box. Silva blocks a shot from Szoboszlai. The champions have got themselves into an Anfield game after their promising start.

19th minute: Liverpool have the ball in the City net, Mac Allister threading Nunez through, who crosses for Diaz to finish, But the Uruguay strike strayed offside. Fairly needlessly, it must be said.

17th minute: Room for De Bruyne as he turns away from Szoboszlai. Foden cuts in to shoot, Gomez blocks and Foden and Alvarez can't fashion much from the loose ball. Back come Liverpool, Walker brings down Szoboszlai and that feels like a final warning from Michael Oliver.

16th minute: Diaz attacking down the City left. Nunez can't quite contort to get his header towards goal but Liverpool have definitely arrived in this game now.

15th minute: Liverpool moving nicely down the City left and they have men over, but Nunez ball has too much on it for Szoboazlai. Bradley is caught offside to end the attack. 

13th minute: Ake gets drawn inside by a clever run from Elliott. Bradley sizes up the Netherlands defender, twists, turns and goes it alone, firing just past the far post. Nunez, in a very on-brand move, went flying into the post trying to convert that.

12th minute: De Bruyne looking for Haaland but their timing is off and Quansah blocks the through ball. I think Haaland had strayed into an offside position in any case.

10th minute: Inswinging corner from Alvarez. Liverpool look to break. Nunez is chewing up the ground ahead do him and Silva. But the City man gets to the ball first and Nunez falls over.

8th minute: City cut through again. Haaland, to Alvarez, who finds the overlapping De Bruyne. Again the Belgian's ball is a poor one as he chips over Foden at the far post. Here's De Bruyne again, wallop! Kelleher saves a dipping, swerving menace of a shot.

7th minute: A few better moments for Liverpool, but they could do with getting a foot on the ball. On the other hand, Anfield is lapping up anything frantic. 

4th minute: Ball over the top for Nunes, Ederson mops up and off City go again. De Bruyne uncharacteristically overhits a cross and Rodri's attempted chip back over to the playmaker also has too much on it.

3rd minute: Haaland comes deep, links smoothly with Silva, who finds Alvarez. The Argentina forward, who is playing off the left, gives Kelleher a routine save. Confident start from City.

2nd minute: City slice down the Liverpool left beautifully and De Bruyne finds Foden. The England star's touch lacks conviction and Van Dijk steals in. He needed to.

1st minute: We're underway as the strains of You'll Never Walk Alone die down. Both teams have a couple of exploratory punts forward. Nunez is caught offside.

4 mins from kickoff: Here come the teams under heavy skies into a heavy atmosphere. 

20 mins before kickoff: Despite their wretched record on this ground, those teamsheets really do underscore City's status as favourites. But it also creates a situation to feed into the Anfield myth. Remember that comeback for the ages against Barcelona in 2019? Salah missed out then too. Liverpool being cast as underdogs should only serve to further whip up the state of frenzy in the stands today. Can you imagine how the Kop will react if this game is still in the balance with half an hour to go and Salah is stripped and ready for action on the touchline?

40 mins before kickoff: Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to Sky Sports and conceded Salah was never realistically in contention to start today. Liverpool's injury-hit squad have suffered a few relapses after players have been hurried back lately and Klopp suggested there is an element of learning from mistakes at play.

I wouldn't have even thought about him starting the game. I think you have to learn from things in life. Not that last time it was too early. It was just unlucky that he got a little setback.

We talked about that with Mo as well. It was not his idea or my idea to start him today. It will be an intense game and we can bring him on, which is super cool. But it was not a big decision.

55 mins before kickoff: Here's the City team. Again, largely as expected with Alvarez presumable on the left of the attack. But it wouldn't be Pep Guardiola without a big-game curveball and Manuel Akanji starts, with Ruben Dias dropping to the bench.

1 hour before kickoff: The teams are in. The Liverpool side as we expected above. No Konate, Salah and Robertson on the bench.

1 hr 15 mins before kickoff: Having been without Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland for a combined seven months this season, City's injury concerns are light by comparison, even if they are strangely concentrated on one specific position. Jack Grealish is out, with Jeremy Doku also expected to be sidelined. It leaves a quandary over what Pep Guardiola might do on the left wing. Julian Alvarez played there and scored against FC Copenhagen in midweek, Matheus Nunes has done the job a couple of times but suffered a hideously broken finger last time out. 

Oscar Bobb is another option in his breakthrough season, while Guardiola could also select Mateo Kovacic and ask Phil Foden to fill in out wide.

Pep Guardiola
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1 hr 40 mins before kickoff: Sky Sports have just announced Ibrahima Konate will not be involved for Liverpool today. The centre-back limped out of the action during the Reds; 5-1 Europa League win over Sparta Prague in midweek and feels like a very significant addition to an absentee list that includes Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones. Konate arrived at the stadium alongside Jones and Alexander-Arnold and not on the team bus, which is the giveaway here.

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Who partners Virgil van Dijk at centre-back depends on other fitness issues elsewhere in the team. Joe Gomez might be needed at left-back if Andy Robertson is not ready to start, so youngster Jarell Quansah could be set for the biggest assignment of his fledgling career.

2 hours before kickoff: Previously there has been a winner-takes-all feel to these games, two heavyweights slugging it out for supremacy. But we should remember today's game is second-versus-third after Arsenal edged ahead at the Premier League summit with a 2-1 victory over Brentford. A win for either team at Anfield will but them top of the pile but Arsenal's sustained presence means this game maybe feels more like a "must-not-lose" rather than a "must-win" encounter, especially when you consider City's next Premier League game is Arsenal at home.

MORE: Havertz strikes late to put Arsenal top of the Premier League

2 hrs 20 mins before kickoff: Trent Alexander-Arnold's comments this week, claiming that Liverpool's trophy successes under Klopp mean more to the club's supporters than City's triumphs do to their own fanbase, have garnered plenty of attention. Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Kyle Walker and Pep Guardiola have all offered responses. "Rattled," as one might say in the modern parlance. However, given Alexander-Arnold's status as an injury absentee for this game, it'd be interesting to know how his observations have gone down in the Liverpool dressing room. "Winding Haaland up and putting your feet up, is it Trent? Cheers!"

2 hrs 40 mins before kickoff: So this is it, then. City and Liverpool could yet meet in the FA Cup this season, but that clash — whether in the semifinals or final — will be at Wembley. Barring an incredible change of heart at the end of the season from Jurgen Klopp, or an even more incredible appointment to another club, this will be the last Premier League meeting between the Liverpool manager and his great adversary Pep Guardiola. The joust might look lopsided in terms of Premier League titles, with Guardiola claiming five to Klopp's one during their time in England, but these games have often been events in their own right.

City's only win at Anfield under Guardiola — set against five defeats across all competitions — came in the behind-closed-doors season of 2020/21. For the last time City silenced a crowd on the red side of Stanley Park, you have to go back to a Nicolas Anelka brace in May 2003.

3 hours before kickoff: Hello and welcome to the top-of-the-table clash between Liverpool and Manchester City. A nice, quiet afternoon at Anfield in store...

Liverpool vs Man City kick off time

This Premier League clash takes place at Anfield in Liverpool, UK and kicks off on Sunday, March 10 at 3:45 p.m. local time.

Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:

  Date Kickoff time
USA Sun, Mar. 10 11:45 a.m. ET
Canada Sun, Mar. 10 11:45 a.m. ET
UK Sun, Mar. 10 3:45 p.m. GMT
Australia Mon, Mar. 11 2:45 a.m. AEDT
India Sun, Mar. 10 9:15 p.m. IST

Liverpool vs Man City lineups, team news

Klopp will continue to manage his injury list carefully during the campaign run-in with a host of key players still sidelined and Ibrahima Konate added to the walking wounded during midweek.

The big news for the hosts is the return of Mohammed Salah following a thigh injury which has kept him out of action for three weeks, but he is only on the bench alongside Andy Robertson.

Liverpool (4-3-3, right to left): Kelleher (GK) — Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Gomez — Mac Allister, Endo, Szoboszlai — Elliot, Nunez, Diaz.

Liverpool subs (9): Adrian (GK), Salah, Gakpo, Tsimikas, Robertson, Clark, McConnell, Nallo, Koumas.

Manchester City eased into the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals in midweek via a 3-1 win over FC Copenhagen with Guardiola opting to rest certain players against the Danish side.

Julian Alvarez could start on the left flank with Jack Grealish out and Jeremy Doku only fit enough for the bench. Manuel Akanji gets the nod over Ruben Dias at centre-back.

Man City p(3-2-4-1 right to left): Ederson (GK) — Walker, Akanji, Ake — Stones, Rodri — Foden, Silva, De Bruyne, Alvarez — Haaland.

Man City subs (9): Ortega (GK), Dias, Kovacic, Doku, Gomez, Gvardiol, Nunes, Bobb, Lewis.

Liverpool vs Man City live stream, TV channel

Here's how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world's major regions:

Region TV Streaming
USA NBC USA Network, Telemundo Fubo,Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App/website
Canada

Fubo Canada

UK Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League Sky GO, Now TV
Australia Optus Sport
India JioTV, Hotstar

USA: This game is available on the NBC USA Network with streaming options on Fubo. Spanish language options are on Telemundo.

Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live-streaming exclusively via Fubo.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on-demand on Optus Sport.

UK: This game is available via live broadcast on Sky Sports with streaming options on Sky GO and Now TV.

Dom Farrell

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Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.