“Seeing all of the faces is really funny” - Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold on celebrating goal in front of Manchester City fans
Trent Alexander-Arnold has reflected on his celebration in Liverpool's 1-1 Premier League draw against Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday (25 November).
The Reds were pegged back for most of the game at a stadium where they haven't won in the league in eight years. Erling Haaland's opening goal in the 27th minute complicated matters for the visitors.
Manchester City had the better chances to score from thereon but the Reds also threatened Ederson Moraes' goal multiple times. They finally found the goal they were looking for 10 minutes from time.
A simple pass from Mohamed Salah found Alexander-Arnold inside the box, who finished off the chance with immaculate precision. His right-footed shot barely gave the Brazilian shot-stopper any chance, who dove to his right without success.
Alexander-Arnold proceeded to celebrate the goal in front of the Manchester City fans behind the goal, making a 'shushing' gesture. Talking about the celebration, the England international said after the game (h/t @LFCTransferRoom on X):
"It’s always good to celebrate in front of away fans. Seeing all of the faces is really funny."
Jurgen Klopp's side would undoubtedly be the happier of the two teams with the scoreline. Sharing the spoils at the Etihad after trailing for more than 50 minutes is a strong result for the Reds, especially given the context of the title race.
A loss would have meant Liverpool trailed Manchester City by four points after gameweek 13. That gap is still one, thanks to Alexander-Arnold's first goal of the season.
Exploring the numbers in Manchester City's draw against Liverpool
Manchester City kept 60% of the ball during the game, which was somewhat expected given their possession-based style of play and home advantage.
They also took 16 shots — double of what Liverpool managed. The Cityzens got five of them on target, while the Reds had three and the visitors also had an inferior pass accuracy (81%) as compared to the hosts' 91%.
Manchester City also won 64 duels, which was 33 more than what Jurgen Klopp's team managed, and their players completed 16 dribbles — 11 more than what Liverpool managed. The Reds, meanwhile, stayed true to their recent form after falling behind.
They have now rescued 12 points from losing positions in the Premier League this — more than any other team in England's top division. Liverpool, at least for now, remain second in the table with 28 points while Manchester City are one point clear at the top. Arsenal, however, can go top if they win their game hand.