Liverpool 3-0 Manchester City: Video highlights & report as Flanno pockets Sterling for 45

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What a difference three days makes…

Having lost on penalties to Manchester City on Sunday in the League Cup Final, Jurgen Klopp made five changes to his Wembley side and was rewarded with a 3-0 win at Anfield.

First half goals from Adam Lallana and James Milner sent an impressive Liverpool on our way, in a match which included exquisite touches from Roberto Firmino, who scored the third, and some much needed tough tackling from the returning Jon Flanagan.

On tonight’s evidence, Alberto Moreno will do well to win himself a place back in the side.

In the first minute of the game the Scouser smashed Raheem Sterling (who was booed relentlessly) up in the air, and the Kop celebrated as if it was a goal.

The returning Judas was subbed after 45 minutes for Wilfried Bony. Brilliant!

The midfielders were pressing and the front-three, spearheaded by Divock Origi in Daniel Sturridge’s absence, looked lively. Lallana and Firmino linked up excellently, and the former opened the scoring with a long-range left-foot effort which Joe Hart probably should have saved.

The strike, only the third of the season in the league for Lallana, surprised Klopp no end!

The goal injected belief into the stadium and the team reacted. We were first to every 50/50 against a City side still hungover from League Cup success. Their long-serving former midfielder Milner added our second after an excellent assist from Firmino, who provided Brazilian flair all night. The vice-skipper toe-poked the ball past Hart with a tidy finish, and Klopp’s men were excellent value for the lead.

The superb Flanagan did make a goal saving tackle late on in the first-half, much to the delight of the Kop.

Lallana, having his best game of the season by a country mile, then assisted Liverpool’s third after excellent work through midfield. The Englishman, who wasn’t in the Wembley XI, got hold of a loose ball and beat a man before laying Firmino through on goal. Coolly, the no.11 bagged his 7th of the campaign past a despairing Joe Hart.

Liverpool went into troll mode by taking Christian Benteke off the bench for Origi, who’d worked terrifically hard, and the chances kept coming. Milner fired a few efforts at Hart, as we continued to dominate possession in the second. Joe Allen also came on to run the game down, as Firmino took a well-earned rest.

No more goals followed, but Liverpool left to a rapturous ovation. The Anfield benchmark has now been set.

More of the same!

More Stories Adam Lallana James Milner Jon Flanagan