GFX Alexis Mac Allister Luis Diaz Liverpool Manchester CityGetty/GOAL

Liverpool player ratings vs Man City: Alexis Mac Allister holds his nerve in title showdown - but Luis Diaz's diabolical finishing denies Reds famous victory

Liverpool will be left wondering 'what if?' after missing a plethora of chances that forced them to settle for a 1-1 draw against Manchester City in a match that has huge implications for the Premier League title race. After falling behind in the first half, Alexis Mac Allister converted a penalty early in the second as the home team took control of matters against last season's treble winners, but woeful finishing from the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai proved their undoing.

It was a frenetic start to the game for Jurgen Klopp's side in the German coach's final Premier League game against Pep Guardiola. Liverpool found it tough to make combinations high up early on as the City defence doubled up on the forwards. The Reds grew into the game after the first quarter of an hour, though, utilising the movement of Nunez and Harvey Elliott, finding a way to bring Conor Bradley and Diaz into play from the wings and allowing Szoboszlai to drift forward through the centre.

Although the home team managed to work the ball into dangerous areas, they simply couldn't hit the target in the first 45 minutes, and fell behind when an intelligent Kevin De Bruyne corner found John Stones free at the front post to ensure City were ahead at half-time.

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Klopp's team needed to come out fighting in the second half and were given a break two minutes in when Nunez pounced on a terrible pass back from Nathan Ake and was clattered into by Ederson, allowing Mac Allister to equalise from the resultant penalty. The injury Ederson suffered in the process prevented City from getting any momentum going and Liverpool stayed dominant throughout the half, but their atrocious finishing haunted them as Nunez and Diaz both scuppered great opportunities.

Despite having 19 shots - 12 in the second half - to City's 10, the hosts were forced to settle for a draw, leaving them level on points with Arsenal at the top and Guardiola's team just one behind them, setting all three up for an incredible run-in.

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