Shay Given has claimed that James Milner had Phil Foden ‘in his pocket the whole game’ as Liverpool beat Manchester City 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday.
The former Manchester City goalkeeper thinks his former teammate was ‘brilliant’, as Jurgen Klopp’s side possibly brought life back to their stumbling season.
With the injured and out-of-form Trent Alexander-Arnold only being fit enough for the bench, as well as Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip being injured, it meant that Klopp had to change personnel.
Joe Gomez went back to the heart of Liverpool’s defence to partner Virgil van Dijk, as they dealt with the goalscoring threat of Erling Haaland.
That meant that Milner had to play at right-back against the Premier League champions, where he was coming up against an in-form Foden.
Even though the Merseyside club’s so-called weakness, before kick-off, was their defence, Given thinks they stood firm against their free-scoring rivals, as he told Premier League Productions (16/10/22 at 6:30 pm).
“We spoke about the back four of Liverpool’s,” said Given. “They might be the weakness (before the game), but the likes of Milner, he had Foden in his pocket really the whole game. He was brilliant.”
MILNER TAKING A LEAF OUT OF ASHLEY YOUNG’S BOOK
Last month, Man City dropped points at Aston Villa when they recorded a 1-1 draw in the Midlands, with a certain Ashley Young playing at right-back.
Matty Cash started the game, but he was forced off injured in the first-half and Young was brought on in his place.
The Premier League title-winner dealt with Foden on the night, just like his former Villa teammate did at Anfield.
Perhaps the key to stopping Foden is putting two old faces up against him, at 37, Young, has probably been Villa’s best player this season, whilst Milner, 36, is still a diamond of a performer.
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