Guardiola pays tribute to one Liverpool player he says is ‘so difficult’ to stop

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Pep Guardiola singled out Mo Salah’s moment of magic during Manchester City’s dramatic 1-0 Premier League defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, telling the club’s official website that the Egypt superstar is ‘so difficult’ to stop in full flow. 

What is it they say about form being temporary?

Following his slowest start to a season since becoming a Liverpool player back in 2017, Jurgen Klopp’s number 11 now has four goals in his last two appearances. Four goals in around 110 minutes, to be precise. Class? Salah’s is undeniably permanent.

After being denied one-on-one by Ederson following a breakneck Liverpool counter, Salah was never going to let City off the hook again, spinning Joao Cancelo, taking the sort of touch that would bring tears to Dennis Bergkamp’s eyes before clipping the ball into the back of the visitor’s net. 

Mo Salah stunner gives Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City win

“We conceded a goal because of a mistake,” sighed a frustrated Guardiola. “We didn’t follow the transition. Alisson plays it out quick, Kevin (de Bruyne) didn’t follow, and Joao lost the duel. It is always so difficult against Salah with the way he uses his body.

“This is something we have to learn for future tight games against Liverpool. But the way we played, the performance and the courage we played with was fantastic.”

Was this a comeback display by Liverpool? Or merely a one-off throwback from a fading force? Only time will tell, of course. Raising your game against a rival is one thing, bringing about consistently improved displays on a weekly basis is another.

But the performances of Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, James Milner and a sparkling Salah will give Jurgen Klopp hope that a largely disastrous start to the 2022/23 season can be overcome. 

Liverpool are now up to eighth. Manchester City, meanwhile, are four points behind surprise-pacesetters Arsenal at the top. 

“We’re obviously disappointed,” adds City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. 

“We gave a couple of easy chances away and gave them easy possibilities to score. We were a bit fortunate in the first situation with Mo Salah. And then, the second one, he converted.”