Balotelli, who had been on the field for just ten minutes, was frozen by Liverpool's defensive line as he tried to gain possession of the ball.
In the 65th minute, when David Silva passed the ball straight to him in midfield, Skrtel stepped forward to take possession of the ball. Balotelli tried to use his body to make Skrtel lose his balance, but he failed.
The two players were very close to each other. Balotelli raised his elbow and hit Skrtel's chin. Skrtel fell to the ground. Balotelli successfully stole the ball, but the referee whistled to signal a foul!
Balotelli faced the referee and smiled innocently, which was especially funny with his weird Mohawk hairstyle.
The referee came in front of him and showed him a red card!
Balotelli's expression changed instantly. He tried to communicate with the referee, but the referee ignored his explanation.
"Wow! Balotelli was sent off ten minutes after coming on as a substitute! Manchester City is going to have one less player!
Let's take a look at the replay to understand what happened.
When Balotelli tried to steal the ball from Skrtel, he raised his arm and hit Skrtel's chin. It was a foul, but it's debatable whether it should have been a red card.
Balotelli's action was not obvious, and it didn't look like he did it intentionally. "
The Liverpool players pulled Skrtel up from the ground. When Balotelli saw that the referee was not paying attention to what he was saying, he chattered on as he walked to the sidelines.
Mancini stood by the side of the field with a cold expression. Balotelli tried to explain to Mancini that it was not his fault. Mancini said something to him with a cold face, and Balotelli walked towards the players' tunnel with a furious expression.
When Balotelli reached the visitors' locker room, he kicked the door of the locker room and sent it flying into the room!
.....
After Balotelli was sent off, Mancini had to use the second substitution.
He replaced Agüero, who had scored the first goal of the game, with Dzeko.
Manchester City would be very passive in the next game, so Agüero would have very few chances. Keeping Dzeko as a high point, he might be able to create some chances to kill him.
At least, that was what Mancini thought.
Agüero came off the field with his head down in low spirits.
Liverpool could control the pace and situation of the game more calmly with one more player.
They gradually put offensive pressure on Manchester City's penalty area.
In the 76th minute of the game, Liverpool's continuous pass in the midfield made Manchester City unable to hold back. In the end, Manchester City was only one goal behind. If they staked everything on one throw, they might have a chance to equalize the score.
But just as their midfield pressed forward, Liverpool suddenly sped up.
Qin Xiong, who had retreated to the midfield to act as the commander, sent the ball to Gerard, who was plugging forward.
Gerard kicked the ball directly after he came to the front of the penalty area.
The powerful shot forced Hart to make an extreme save, but in the end, he was unable to press the ball under his palms. He barely managed to block the ball and only blocked it in the penalty area.
Suarez seized the opportunity and easily sent the ball into the goal.
"Liverpool widened their lead at home with an extra player.
3:1
It was almost a death sentence for Manchester City.
There are about 15 minutes left in the game. There is not much time left for Manchester City.
Can Manchester City, who are two goals behind, bring back the suspense of the game? "
"I don't think so. Liverpool is very steady, especially in such a strong game. They won't make such a low-level mistake as taking it lightly. They won't give Manchester City the slightest chance."
When Suarez went to celebrate, Comain called the players from the bench to warm up.
After three minutes, Liverpool brought off two players in a row.
Kuyt and Raúl were replaced by Lucas and Tiote.
Liverpool's steely midfield appeared on the field again.
Manchester City had no chance!
Really no chance.
They tried to rely on their individual ability to break through in the front field and repeatedly encountered Liverpool's tough interception.
Their offense was blocked and the backfield players did not dare to go forward and stage a desperate counterattack. Manchester City now looked a little cowardly.
"Manchester City, led by Mancini, is now a first-class team, but the Blue Moon is now only good at playing with the wind. After encountering a strong opponent, it is difficult for them to reverse the opponent in a situation where the wind is against them. It is the same when they face Liverpool in the league and when they are at a disadvantage in the Champions League.
Mancini still has a long way to go. "
Succumbing to the defending champion's monstrous power at home, Manchester City finally lost 1: 3 at Anfield!
At the end of the game, deafening cheers rang out in Anfield Stadium.
The Liverpool fans were ecstatic. The significance of this strong game was extraordinary.
Not only did it give Manchester City their first defeat of the season in the league, but it also narrowed the gap between the two teams and also frustrated Manchester City's drive.
At the end of the game, Comain took the initiative to go and shake hands with Mancini. The two men's hands touched and parted without any words.
After all, it was a crucial battle. Plus, Comain's pressure was actually greater than Mancini's.
It was lonely at the top!
If Liverpool eventually lost the league title, it would be the end of their reign. The blow they suffered could not be mentioned in the same breath as Manchester City's failure to win the league title.
Liverpool's players celebrated in the stadium. After this game, Liverpool was only two points behind Manchester City!
Take a look at the scoreboard.
Manchester City 34 points.
Liverpool 32 points.
Manchester United 29 points.
Chelsea 25 points.
Arsenal 23 points.
Originally, the last three teams in this round had a chance to catch up to the top of the list, but only Chelsea won. Manchester United and Arsenal only got a draw.
In the post-match press conference, Comain made a simple comment on the team's victory.
"This period of games has been difficult for Liverpool. We lacked important players and faced strong opponents in three consecutive games: Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City. Three days later, we still have to go to Stamford Bridge to play in the EFL Cup. But I'm very happy that the players overcame the difficulties. The victory is the best reward for their dedication and hard work. We have the strongest and most united team in the world. Liverpool will continue to move forward!"
As for Mancini, he said that the team's defeat at Anfield was not the end of the world.
Liverpool lost the first game of the season. Now it's Manchester City's turn to end their unbeaten streak. I can't say that I'm prepared to lose at Anfield. No, our original goal was to win the game. It's just a pity that we didn't manage to do that in 90 minutes. It doesn't matter. We will forget this defeat in the future and work hard to regain our lead! "
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