Jurgen Klopp was keen to stress that Liverpool’s previous thrashings of Porto at the Estadio do Dragao would count for nothing ahead of their Champions League tie, but the Reds still managed to replicate their past performances with a 5-1 drubbing of Sergio Conceicao’s men on Tuesday.
The famed old guard in Mohamed Salah (2), Roberto Firmino (2) and Sadio Mane propelled their side to a dominant European success after their previous thrilling victory over AC Milan, but the Reds were frustrated by an inspired Brentford outfit in their most recent Premier League encounter.
Seeking to make the Brentford Community Stadium a fortress, Thomas Frank’s side twice came back from a goal down to rescue a point against Klopp’s side in front of their own fans, with Yoane Wissa netting the all-important sixth goal of the game in the 82nd minute of that 3-3 draw.
However, that point was enough to see Liverpool rise to the top of the rankings after their upcoming opponents did them a favour against Chelsea and Manchester United lost to Aston Villa, while their tally of 15 goals scored is also the highest in the division.
Klopp’s side are also unbeaten in 10 competitive fixtures at Anfield and have scored at least three goals in each of their last six games since last month’s 3-0 win over Leeds United, but Pep Guardiola’s defence is already proving near-impenetrable in the league this term.
Seeking to navigate their first true test of the season with flying colours, Man City travelled to Stamford Bridge on the back of a disappointing goalless stalemate with Southampton, but Guardiola’s men produced the goods when it mattered most.
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Having kept the Chelsea attack at bay, Joao Cancelo’s attempt found its way into the path of Gabriel Jesus with 53 minutes gone, and the Brazilian’s effort went through a sea of bodies before trickling into the back of the net for a potentially pivotal 1-0 win.
However, Guardiola’s midweek reunion with Lionel Messi was not as much of a joyous affair, as the Argentine struck his first goal for Paris Saint-Germain in some style after Idrissa Gueye’s thunderous finish in a 2-0 Champions League win – already City’s second away defeat of the season.
In spite of their European disappointment, City can certainly take solace in the fact that they have now gone five Premier League games without conceding since their opening-day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, with only one goal shipped representing the best record in the division so far
