Manchester City qualified for the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup by deposing the holders Liverpool in a thriller at the Etihad Stadium.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 3, Liverpool 2 (Carabao Cup 4th Round)
Stefan Ortega: 6. The quieter of the two goalkeepers but Liverpool’s forwards couldn’t seem to hit the target. Bit nervy in the second half.
Rico Lewis: 7. Inverting into midfield to help fortify it, he was missing for Salah’s goal but tackled the Egyptian minutes later to prevent him from going clean through for a third Liverpool goal.
Manuel Akanji: 6. Quiet game, held a high line. Subbed off in the second half.
Aymeric Laporte: 6. Covering challenge to dispossess Darwin Nunez in first few seconds but was outpaced by the Uruguayan for Liverpool’s second. Pushed up into attack to precipitate panic in Liverpool which ended with a corner from which City scored. Well timed tackle to dispossess Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Nathan Ake: 7. Had his work cut out for him against Mo Salah but was great going forward too – his flying header was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. He converted Kevin De Bruyne’s cross from the left in the second half – the winning goal.
Rodri: 7. Coolness under pressure, even when Liverpool were trying to snatch the ball off him as they tried to cut off passing lanes from him. A pot shot went wide in the first half and he lost his rag at Fabinho in the second half.
Kevin De Bruyne: 8. Spraying passes around and one such cross found Erling Haaland with the other finding Nathan Ake – inevitably. Had a shot blocked on the line by Fabinho.
Ilkay Gundogan: 7. Outclassed Stefan Bajcetic but saw a shot saved by Caoimhin Kelleher after a break started by Riyad Mahrez reached him. Went down late on and was subbed off.
Riyad Mahrez: 7. Good control of the cross field balls to him and his touch was superb for his goal.
Cole Palmer: 6. Fired well wide with the goal at his mercy after Erling Haaland set him up with a cross from the right. Saw plenty of the ball but end product wasn’t the best.
Erling Haaland: 7. Fired wide in first 20 seconds and set up Cole Palmer for what should have been the opening goal after 7 minutes but showed he was still on song with a superb opening goal soon afterwards. Thwarted by substitute Nat Phillips as he tried to round him late in the first half and Kelleher in the second half.
John Stones (on for Manuel Akanji, 61): 6. Fitted right in at centre back.
Jack Grealish (on for Cole Palmer, 73): 6. Some exciting runs and did his defensive work too.
Phil Foden (on for Erling Haaland, 73): 6. Played as false 9 again – like old times. Had a follow-up shot saved by Kelleher.
Bernardo Silva (on for Ilkay Gundogan, 88): No time to mark.
GOALS – Manchester City 3, Liverpool 2 (Carabao Cup 4th Round)
Man City 1, Liverpool 0: 10. Erling Haaland scored first having reached Kevin De Bruyne’s right wing cross before Joe Gomez, stabbing it home from 8 yards.
Man City 1, Liverpool 1: 20. Fabio Carvalho levelled after coolly converting a cross from James Milner who had been released by Joel Matip
Man City 2, Liverpool 1: 47. Riyad Mahrez cut inside from the right and rifled home from 12 yards out inside Andrew Robertson after a lightning counter attack when Liverpool lost the ball in midfield.
Man City 2, Liverpool 2: 48. Mo Salah levelled again after great work down the Liverpool left from Darwin Nunez after he was released by second half substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Man City 3, Liverpool 2: 59. Nathan Ake converted Kevin De Bruyne’s cross from a short City corner – beating Kelleher from 6 yards out as the Belgian’s cross evaded everyone.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 3, Liverpool 2 (Carabao Cup 4th Round)
Man City: Ortega, Lewis, Akanji (Stones 61), Laporte, Ake, Rodri, De Bruyne, Gundogan (C) (Bernardo Silva 88), Mahrez, Palmer (Grealish 73), Haaland (Foden 73)
Man City Subs: Carson, Walker, Cancelo, Gomez, Robertson
Booked: Rodri (ungentlemanly conduct, 79)
Goals: Haaland 10; Mahrez 47; Ake 59
Liverpool: Kelleher, Milner (C) (Phillips 38), Gomez, Matip, Robertson, Bajcetic (Fabinho 46), Alcantara (Keita 70), Elliott (Henderson 57), Salah, Carvalho (Oxlade-Chamberlain 46), Nunez
Liverpool Subs Not Used: Adrian, Fabinho, Tsimikas, Ramsay, Doak
Booked: Bajcetic 35 (foul on Cole Palmer); Fabinho (ungentlemanly conduct, 79); Keita (foul on Rico Lewis, 84)
Goals: Carvalho 20; Salah 48
Referee: David Coote