The two clubs most likely to challenge for the Premier League title met in New Jersey for a pre-season friendly. Eventually, Liverpool pulled ahead of Manchester City to win 2-1 at the MetLife Stadium.
On one of the poorest pitches that a Premier League side is likely to play on, thanks to poor weather and a Taylor Swift concert, the play failed to excite early.
The first half, in particular, saw the Reds retain the ball for long stretches. While City pressed, Liverpool mostly cycled the ball around the back from side to side. There was little to excite, as each side squandered a chance as well as having a decent penalty shout turned down.
The second half saw Jurgen Klopp make only five changes at the break, giving a handful of players a full 90 minutes. Liverpool had the ball in the City net, only for Dominic Solace to be ruled offside. Then, almost immediately, City jumped ahead when Leroy Sané streaked past a slightly out of position Virgil Van Dijk to slot the opener.
Yet, Mohamed Salah entered for the final 30 minutes and did so with an instant impact, levelling the score within seconds of his arrival.
From that point, Liverpool gained the advantage, creating multiple chances but they were unable to find the final ball or finish. Then, in the waning minutes, Solanke was knocked down from behind in the box for a penalty. Sadio Mané finished the night from the spot before a couple of minutes of stoppage time ended the evening.
Here four findings from the match:
