Manchester City could not get the three points against Liverpool, but one player certainly caught the eye of Pep Guardiola.
City went a goal down after Mohamed Salah converted a penalty, but they didn’t let their heads drop after conceding and got the equaliser thanks to Gabriel Jesus. They won a penalty of their own later on, but Kevin De Bruyne could not convert it, and therefore take the lead.
One of the most impressive players on the pitch was Joao Cancelo who was playing as the left back.
He was only in due to injury problems City have had this season, and he proved to be a brilliant backup.
Reflecting on his performance after the game, Guardiola was full of praise for the way he played. The Portuguese constantly troubled the Liverpool defence and ensured that their attackers could not do much.
The boss told the club’s website:
“He played exceptionally, with the ball and without the ball. He is a special talent.”
It is an indication of just how deept City’s squad is, a player who is the third choice left back did a first rate job. Despite being right-footed, he didn’t let that affect his game in any way and still put in some dangerous crosses.
He was integral in keeping Salah quiet after the penalty and just became better as the game went on. His combination play with Raheem Sterling also led to a few good opportunities being created for City. It would have been good for the hosts to get a win, but they will be at least content in sharing the points with the visitors from Merseyside.
That puts them in tenth place in the table, but they do have a game in hand over some of the other clubs. For now, they head into the international break on the back of a challenging fixture. A further test awaits them as they will be away to Tottenham when the Premier League resumes.
Manchester City will be happy with the way that Joao Cancelo has progressed since arriving from Juventus. With performances such as this one on Sunday, he is closer to cementing his place in the team.