EPL: Liverpool stun Man City

Manchester City blew their chance to close ground on Chelsea at the top of the Premier League as Coutinho’s stunning late goal earned Liverpool all three points in a pulsating game at Anfield.
Barely a minute later Adam Lallana delicately controlled Coutinho’s near post cross and flicked the ball into the roof of the next, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Liverpool did take the lead when Vincent Company carelessly lost the ball to Coutinho in middle of the park, allowing the Brazilian to combine with Raheem Sterling to tee up Jordan Henderson, who hammered home a stunning effort from 20 yards.
Despite being so sloppy at the back, City remained a threat going forward, and they could have been level when Sergio Aguero collected David Silva’s lofted pass and clipped an effort beyond Simon Mignolet, only to see the ball crash into the far post.
It was Aguero and Silva who again combined to carve out City’s equaliser for Edin Dzeko on 25 minutes, with the Bosnian striker coolly turning and firing home from the middle of the Liverpool box.
Lallana could have ended a thrilling first half with a stunning strike had his volleyed effort from Lazar Markovic’s chipped pass found the far corner of Hart’s goal, but luckily for the away side it flew narrowly wide.
The second half began as breathlessly as the first had ended, as Aguero came close to heading his side into the lead when rose highest to meet Pablo Zabaleta’s right wing cross.
Next it was Sterling who spurned a good chance when he could only flick Lallana’s cross wide of Hart’s goal, before Lallana had a second effort ruled out for offside after meeting Martin Skrtel’s knock down from a free kick.
As the second half wore on the game continued to swing back and forth, with Liverpool on the front foot but the away side a constant threat on the break.
Still, Brendan Rodgers’ side would have felt all their hard work deserved a winner, and so the feeling around Anfield was no doubt one of relief when Coutinho stepped up to curl home a superb strike from 25 yards.
The goal was every bit the equal of Henderson’s first-half effort, and a fitting way for the home side to secure the win that lifts them above Southampton and into fifth place in the Premier League.