Liverpool and Manchester City battled to an electrifying 1-1 draw in their highly anticipated title clash, keeping Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League.
City seized the lead with John Stones’ well-placed strike in the first half, but their advantage was short-lived as Alexis Mac Allister leveled the score with a penalty early in the second half at Anfield.
The outcome favored Arsenal, who maintained their position at the top following a dramatic 2-1 victory over Brentford, secured by Kai Havertz’s late header on Saturday.
With a +7 goal difference, Arsenal edged past Liverpool into first place, while defending champions City trailed closely behind by just one point, setting the stage for a thrilling title race with 10 games remaining for each team.
In the next league fixture on March 31, Arsenal is set to face City in what could prove to be a pivotal encounter.
City struck first at Anfield with a well-executed set-piece routine in the 23rd minute, as Kevin De Bruyne’s low corner found Stones, who converted from close range.
Liverpool responded in the 50th minute when Nathan Ake’s errant back-pass was intercepted by Darwin Nunez, prompting City keeper Ederson to commit a reckless foul in the box. Mac Allister calmly dispatched the resulting penalty to level the score.
In a frenzied conclusion, City’s Jeremy Doku struck the post, while Liverpool’s calls for a penalty were waved away after Doku’s high challenge on Mac Allister.
The showdown carried added significance as it marked Jurgen Klopp’s final top-flight encounter against City’s Pep Guardiola following Klopp’s announcement of his departure from Liverpool at the season’s end.
After years of intense rivalry, Klopp and Guardiola shared a warm embrace at the final whistle, encapsulating the respect between two managerial titans in a match that left the title race wide open.