Is Man City vs Liverpool a truly great sporting rivalry? Football pundits opine after thrilling draw

Manchester City retained their slender one-point advantage at the top of the Premier League as they fought out a classic draw with closest rivals Liverpool at Etihad Stadium.

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It was a game that was expected to jolt the Premier League title race but ended with football itself emerging victorious as what Manchester City and Liverpool delivered in front of a packed Etihad was nothing less than pure magic and a mouth-watering contest. Pep Guardiola's side retained their slender one-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as they fought out a classic 2-2 draw with Jurgen Klopp's team.

City took an early lead through Kevin de Bruyne's deflected striker, but Liverpool's Diogo Jota equalised quickly by turning home a splendid Trent Alexander-Arnold pass.

The league leaders dominated for most parts of the first 45 minutes but failed to convert several chances before Gabriel Jesus netted a Joao Cancelo cross nine minutes before the break.

The Reds were nervous as they walked back into the tunnel but emerged rejuvenated in the second half, with birthday boy Sadio Mane scoring the perfect equaliser off Mohamed Salah's pass in the 47th minute.

Raheem Sterling had a goal ruled out for offside as both sides pressed for a winner in this close contest, with City substitute Riyad Mahrez wasting a chance to win it in the dying seconds as he lifted his finish over the top.

The result ended Liverpool's 10-match winning league run and left City a point clear with just seven games of the season remaining.

Following this exhilarating draw, Klopp said, "It was like a boxing fight. You have your arms down for a second and get a massive knock, and you shake a little. It was a great game, and the result, we have to live with and can live with."

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said, "He [Klopp] likes these punching games. It was a fantastic advert for the Premier League. Both teams wanted to win. I had the feeling we left them alive, but Liverpool is a joy to watch. I know how good and difficult they are."

Meanwhile, football pundits voiced their views on the close contest, with some pondering if this is a truly great sporting rivalry. Here's a look at what some former legends and experts said after this exhilarating contest:

Gary Neville said, "It's an unbelievable rivalry - 338 versus 337 points. In terms of consistency, quality, and excellence, this has a case to be the greatest Premier League rivalry of all time. But when I think about rivalries, I think there has got to be more to it than that. Is there ferocity, intensity, a story to tell?"

"When people talk of the Sir Alex Ferguson-Arsene Wenger rivalry, there were incidents and stories to tell - the tunnel incident at Highbury, the FA Cup semi-final with Ryan Giggs' celebration, the Marc Overmars goal at Old Trafford that wins the title," the former Manchester United legend added.

"There were big moments between the two teams along with ferocity, fights, pizzas! There was more than just football excellence, so I don't think this Manchester City and Liverpool rivalry beats that yet," Neville remarked.

Former Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said, "They are exceptional teams. What I admire most about them is from a defensive point of view. I don't know how they do it. They push high up the pitch with 10 minutes to go. The nerve to do that against the best in the world with the best passers and best runners is unbelievable. We've seen the best teams push up in the past but never like these two teams do in the game today."

Sky Sports' Michah Richards stated, "This and the reverse fixture in November, I don't think I've seen two matches with such a high quality of football. The players are breath-taking, and the managers are on top of their game. Great spectacles."

Meanwhile, Manchester United legend Roy Keane said, "We're in the same place as we were before! We just saw great desire and fighting spirit from both teams. All the talk before the game from the managers was that this wouldn't be a decisive game, but they both played like it was. It was like a final. City had the chance to win it in the end, but I think a draw is a fair result. It was a great reminder of what the game is all about and why we love it. Credit to all the players."