Yesterday, Manchester City came VERY close to silencing those who constantly bark on about how long it been since the club beat Liverpool on their Anfield turf.
Just in case you weren’t aware the year was 2003.
Sunday 7 October 2018: Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
As the game began to come to a conclusion City were awarded a penalty. Riyad Mahrez stepped up, and we know what happened with the resulting spot-kick.
Reminiscing
Do any of you remember the old ‘spot the ball’ competition?
One had to place an x on a coupon in the exact position where the ball should be. The fun was, the ball had been rubbed out. The more you crossed, the more you paid for the privilege.
Weekly winners won a few quid.
Back in the room
Rather than look at the actual penalty miss we at VMC have decided to shrug our shoulders, move on and smile.
Alternate Look At The Penalty Miss
Mahrez's penalty against Liverpool. https://t.co/Ug35cls4Ta
— SH (@Sennesation) October 7, 2018
The ball from the Mahrez penalty at Anfield has just been found.. pic.twitter.com/Iw9n8UiFPQ
— AnfieldUrchin (@AnfieldUrchin) October 7, 2018
Mahrez penalty just landed in my back garden in Didsbury pic.twitter.com/laoNuQawwC
— Neil Custis (@ncustisTheSun) October 7, 2018
Our lifelong friend and City supporter Gary Neville added his thoughts about the penalty miss.
“Pep Guardiola came out of his technical area and was pointing at someone, while Benjamin Mendy got involved. Gabriel Jesus was on the spot initially then Riyad Mahrez came over and said ‘I’m having it’ and pointed towards his chest.
“In that case, you’re slightly undermining each other in public – it’s almost like you’re saying you don’t trust someone to do it properly.
“Naturally then that puts more pressure on yourself. It was such a poor penalty – he leant back.
“Mahrez hasn’t hit the ground running at Manchester City – he’s not been amazing since joining, and he’s fighting with some really good players to get into the team.
“There’s a little bit of authority with him as he took the penalty, but there’s also a bit of selfishness – as he looked like he wanted to be the hero.”
Alan Shearer added his thoughts.
“I think the respect Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have for each other was the reason Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Anfield was such a poor spectacle of a match.
“Both managers approached the game as if it was an important one in the title race. Clearly, from the way they set up, neither of them wanted to be beaten, rather than both going looking for the win.
“That made it a totally different game to their meetings last season.
“We have not seen that approach from Guardiola before, but if Riyad Mahrez’s late penalty had gone in, his gameplan would have worked to perfection.
“Even so, City will view a point at Anfield as a positive result – it is certainly better than their defeat last season – and I am sure Klopp will see a draw in the same way.”
In my mind it is time to draw a line. Don’t you?