Haaland’s Redemption and Ekitike’s Struggles at Anfield

omidbasir- In a nostalgic reflection, the last time Erling Haaland scored at Anfield, he was a virtually unknown 19-year-old with a military haircut, playing for Red Bull Salzburg. Much has changed since that September 2019 Champions League encounter, where he scored during a 4-3 defeat for the Austrian side, but Anfield appeared as an impenetrable fortress for him.

Haaland had experienced two defeats in his previous three visits with Manchester City, failing to find the net. The match initially seemed to follow a familiar pattern when he missed an early one-on-one opportunity against Alisson, and City found themselves trailing with only 16 minutes remaining. However, Haaland’s reputation as one of the world’s best strikers is built on resilience; he continued to fight for every ball.

He out-jumped Ibrahima Konate to assist Bernardo in equalizing and, when presented with the chance to take a penalty, he cast aside the memories of his past visits to Anfield. With precision, he fired the ball into the bottom corner, igniting fervent celebrations among the City supporters.

Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike entered the match as Liverpool’s standout striker following a remarkable double against Newcastle the previous week, drawing comparisons to a prime Fernando Torres at Anfield. Ekitike’s name echoed through the stadium, but unfortunately for him, he struggled under pressure.

The France international faced challenges from Marc Guehi and found it difficult in the first half. However, he showed signs of revival in the second half, emerging as Liverpool’s most likely source of a breakthrough. Yet, he missed two crucial opportunities, curling a shot wide after receiving the ball at the back post and nodding a header just past the far post when set up by Mohamed Salah.

Despite a strong debut season at Liverpool, Ekitike has struggled to score in key matches, failing to find the net against Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and now twice against City.

In early September, Guehi underwent a medical for a potential transfer to Liverpool, but six months later, he found himself playing at Anfield amid derision from the home fans, who booed him for opting to join City instead of Liverpool.

Guehi’s move was not of his own making, as Crystal Palace blocked his exit. Nevertheless, he thrived in the high-pressure environment of Anfield, consistently thwarting Liverpool’s attempts with impressive defensive displays, frustrating Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, and especially Florian Wirtz, from whom he made a notable diving block. He also challenged Mohamed Salah, earning a yellow card for a foul that some fans felt warranted a harsher punishment.

Alisson’s consistency has been a significant factor in City’s previous struggles at Anfield. However, a rare mistake from the Brazilian goalkeeper shifted the match’s trajectory. Although Alisson had performed admirably earlier, he made a reckless decision in added time, recklessly challenging Matheus Nunes, which awarded Liverpool a penalty kick.

This lapse provided Haaland with a crucial opportunity, and he capitalized by scoring from the spot, further complicating Liverpool’s position in the Premier League standings.

The late drama at Anfield was likely a cause for celebration among Manchester United fans, as the two-point gap over Liverpool widened to five. Chelsea supporters also benefited as their slight advantage over Liverpool grew to four points.

Liverpool’s late-game collapse has rekindled hope for United and Chelsea fans regarding their chances of finishing in the top five, especially with United in formidable form under Michael Carrick and Chelsea rejuvenated under Liam Rosenior’s leadership.

In contrast, Liverpool’s recent performance stands in stark contrast to their progress under Slot, who previously emphasized their growth since spending a season in the Europa League. Current evidence suggests that they may be headed back to that secondary competition.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have shown resilience in their pursuit of the title, responding effectively to their recent defeat by securing convincing victories against Leeds and Sunderland. However, the late surge from City may resurrect fears among Arsenal fans of losing their grip on the title, as they yearn for assurance that this year could finally be their year without unwelcome surprises.