Manchester City vs. Liverpool 0:2 – Don’t look back in Anger!

Manchester City vs FC Liverpool 0:2 (0:2) on February 23, 2025, a modern classic of the English Premier League. This encounter has almost always decided the championship since 2016 and since the arrival of star coach Pep Guardiola. Maybe this time as well. At the end of the match, the likely dethroned serial champion Manchester City could only think of: "Don’t look back in Anger", a nod to the legendary fans of the 'Skyblues', Oasis. 

Pep Guardiola didn’t want to look back in anger. That doesn’t suit the successful coach and restaurant owner at all. The grand gentleman from Spain remained fair in his media address after the 0:2 loss. "I know what we’ve done as a team," Guardiola said afterwards to BBC Sport, "in the last two games and in Madrid (1:3, Champions League round of 16 playoff, ed.), we weren’t good enough."

On the other side of the press conference table sat Liverpool's Arne Slot, the first coach to defeat Pep Guardiola’s team twice in a single Premier League season.

The first leg had been won 2:0 by "The Reds" at Anfield.

“Everyone wants to achieve something this season”

“I hope that the players who have not yet won the Premier League are particularly motivated,” said the Dutchman Slot after the match at the Etihad Stadium, “but when I see how hard everyone is working, I know that everyone wants to achieve something this season. We all know how tough this league is, it always goes until the end except for the season when Liverpool were champions for the first time (2019/2020, ed.), the other seasons have been tight. The boys have worked so hard, and I hope and I assume that they will continue doing so in the next three months – and then we’ll see where we stand.”

Word. In any case, the Merseysiders are now eleven points (with one more game) ahead of second-place FC Arsenal and they brought 20 points between themselves and Manchester with the 2:0 away win in Manchester, the first win at City in the Premier League since the 4:1 in November 2015 under Slot's predecessor Jürgen Klopp.

Liverpool: Help from London

The setup for FC Liverpool to pull away came early on Saturday evening from London.

Chasing team FC Arsenal lost the derby against West Ham United 0:1, but still has a game in hand – another London Derby against FC Chelsea (March 16, 2025, 14:30).

The legitimate question of who the real “Pharaoh” of the Premier League is – Omar Marmoush of the “Skyblues” or Mohamed Salah of LFC – was quickly answered.
With the 1:0 after 14 minutes, a ball deflected by Nathan Aké near the penalty spot, Salah, “The Egyptian King,” brought his goal tally to 25 goals this season.

This is the best in the top five European leagues (Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League, and Serie A).

Mohamed Salah stands above things at Liverpool

In the Premier League alone, Salah now leads by 5 goals over the followers Alexander Isak (Newcastle United) and Erling Braut Haaland, who is missing for Manchester City due to a knee injury and was only a spectator.

It was Liverpool’s first truly dangerous chance. In the 37th minute, the visitors from Merseyside set the course for victory: 2:0 by Dominik Szoboszlai. The former Leipzig player from Hungary took advantage of a counterattack on the right side with a pinpoint pass from none other than Salah – and fired a dry shot from 15 meters, 0:2.

But how much longer will Liverpool fans be able to celebrate goals from Mo Salah? The superstar will be a free agent at the end of the 2024/2025 season – and may leave the club.

“Liverpool can build a new kingdom if Salah stays,” believes the esteemed colleague Luke Edwards from the Daily Telegraph, “Mo Salah gives so much at the highest level, and it would be a shame if it ended at the end of the season.”

“City is to blame”

Actually, it’s a shame, yes.

And the “Citizens”? Clearly, Manchester City hasn’t lost the season against FC Liverpool. This team looks exhausted, and once again, they didn’t make use of their superiority against LFC.

“City can only blame themselves for the eighth defeat of the season,” summarized BBC chief reporter Simon Stone, “but it would be surprising if they missed out on Champions League participation in the end.”

With just one point ahead of AFC Bournemouth in sixth place, this is not an unrealistic scenario.

But even if it were to happen at the end of the season, it would still apply: “Don’t look back in Anger.”

Who are Manchester City's next home opponents?

Manchester City will have home advantage again on March 1, 2025, and will face Plymouth Argyle in the 5th round of the FA Cup. In the Premier League, Brighton & Hove Albion on March 15, 2025, relegation-threatened Leicester City on April 2, 2025, and the London club Crystal Palace on April 12 are the next visiting teams at the Etihad Stadium.

Who will FC Liverpool face in the final Premier League matchdays of 2024/2025?

FC Liverpool is in a good position, with 7 more home games at Anfield. If the chasers from FC Arsenal don’t drop more points, the decision for the championship could be made on the 36th matchday with the home game against “The Gunners” on May 25, 2025, against Crystal Palace could bring the crowning of the champions on the 20th anniversary of the "Miracle of Istanbul", the legendary comeback in the Champions League final against Milan.