Kevin de Bruyne shared that Manchester City ‘did well’ to keep the Liverpool fans ‘quiet’ during the first half of their 2-2 draw on Sunday, as he told Premier League Productions (03/10/21 at 6:40 pm).
But the Belgian admitted that when Liverpool went 1-0 and 2-1 up, it was ‘really loud’ inside Anfield.
During the first 45 minutes, Man City pegged Liverpool into their own half and deep inside their own defensive third, as they couldn’t get out of the strangle hold their title-rivals had put them in.
But, after the restart, Liverpool’s aggressive approach changed the mood around Merseyside and the home team dealt a number of big blows, including one spectacular one from Mo Salah.
And whilst Salah was the one who provided the standout moment of the game, it was de Bruyne who threw the final punch, with his left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area.
The £55 million midfielder (BBC Sport), who had a mixed afternoon by his high-quality standards, shared his thoughts on the Anfield crowd after the match.
“Well, I think in the first half we did well to keep them quiet,” said de Bruyne. “When they scored the 1-0 and 2-1, it was really loud.
“With the way we reacted, it was good. It can be daunting. But, we are used to playing against the big teams for the big trophies, so every time has a big audience.
“Maybe it’s a little different, after what happened last year with no crowd, but I can only look at the reaction of the players and that was good, so I like to play in this intensity.”
The second 45 minutes was just one of full-blood thunder and all-action entertainment between two teams that have been the best during the last five or so years.
Whilst Chelsea and Manchester United are trying to push for that Premier League title, it’s Liverpool and the blue half of Manchester that have been holding that crown in recent years.
And, once again, it seems as though they are going to be the team to beat, especially if Liverpool can keep their strongest 11-13 players fit and available.
Either way, it’s only one defeat for Pep Guardiola’s side this season and an unbeaten first few opening laps for Klopp.
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