Manchester City's powerful midfield and forward line made it difficult for Liverpool to transition the ball from their defense to their attack through the midfield. They were forced to play long balls in search of their forwards.

This made it difficult for Liverpool to launch counter-attacks.

Klopp felt that Manchester City's offensive and defensive capabilities had improved compared to their first encounter.

Throughout the first half, Liverpool did not have any good chances, while Manchester City's flanks caused them a lot of trouble.

In Manchester City's previous offensive system, the two full-backs had to constantly push forward to secure their positions and play positional warfare through passing.

Now, with Stones moving up, the midfield and forward line were capable of producing beautiful offensive combinations. The three defenders could remain uninvolved in the attack, making their defense more stable.

Of course, this made Stones the hardest-working player on the field. In attack, he needed to orchestrate passes, and in defense, he needed to quickly retreat to the center-back position.

Fortunately, he was young enough and had good stamina.

In the first half, Manchester City did not score again, and Liverpool gradually adapted to Manchester City's offensive and defensive rhythm.

When the halftime whistle sounded, the Etihad Stadium fans applauded wildly, shouting "Champion!"

The momentum grew louder and louder.

"Manchester City is getting closer and closer to winning the title in advance. Liverpool did not have any good offensive opportunities in the entire first half, which is very different from their first encounter.

The pre-match predictions by the media are quite surprising!

Hopefully, Liverpool can make some changes and not let this match become a formality!"

The Liverpool players listened to the cheers around them and looked at the flags waving in the stadium, feeling a little uncomfortable.

They desperately wanted to bring a league title to Anfield and wanted these fans to belong to Anfield.

They desperately wanted these cheers to be for them.

Not having a Premier League title was the biggest pain for Liverpool players.

When they saw a large number of fans in the stands shouting Zhao Gang's name and remembered how excited and happy those fans were when they arrived at the Etihad wearing number 18 jerseys, they felt a mix of longing and jealousy.

Nineteen years old, and already at this level.

It was enviable and jealousy-inducing.

The Manchester City players, back in the locker room, could finally no longer restrain themselves.

Outside, there were cameras and thousands of fans watching them. If they showed too much emotion, it would be interpreted as disrespecting their opponents and being arrogant.

Now, in the locker room, they could cheer as much as they wanted.

"Champion!!!"

"Wuhu… the champion is here!!"

"Premier League Champion!!"

"United as one, we're coming to the Champions League!!!"

Guardiola walked into the locker room and looked at these players who were about to lose control. He showed a rare smile.

It didn't matter anymore.

Even if Liverpool came back and won, they would still be the Premier League champions in the end.

Liverpool had created a miracle of coming back from three goals down in the second half, and the coach who opened champagne at halftime was nailed to the pillar of shame by the fans.

But this match was not a one-off.

Even if Manchester City was careless, the championship would not slip away.

Guardiola was very strict, but he would not spoil the players' fun at this time.

After the players stopped cheering, Guardiola began to remind them what to do in the second half.

Concentrate and take down Liverpool in one go.

Completely eliminate any worries about the league.

Focus all their efforts on the Champions League, and of course, the almost insignificant FA Cup.

Facts also proved Guardiola's control over this team. Although the players were very relaxed at halftime, they did not dare to relax on the field.

In the second half, with the support of the strong midfield, Zhao Gang, Aguero, and Sterling continued to pose a great threat to Liverpool's defense.

Klopp's face was grave. He was not worried about this match but was thinking about his team-building strategy.

To win the Premier League title, they must overthrow this behemoth.

What kind of personnel configuration would be needed to deal with Manchester City?

The defense needed to be improved, the midfield needed to be strengthened, and the forward line also needed to have enough impact.

However, the front line of Mane, Firmino, and Coutinho was not too bad either.

The defense must be improved to another level.

Just as Klopp thought, Liverpool's front-line configuration was not bad. After adapting in the first half, they began to counter-attack in the second half.

If the midfield could not transition well, then the forwards would retreat and launch counter-attacks directly from the midfield!

The three players all had good ball-handling abilities. During Manchester City's offensive intervals, Liverpool launched several very threatening attacks.

The scene was not one-sided.

Especially Coutinho, although his defense had many loopholes, he could indeed carry the flag in attack.

He dribbled the ball all the way from the midfield, cut inside from the wing, overcame obstacles in the middle, and finally passed the ball to Mane.

Mane's shot was beyond Bravo's reach.

In the 61st minute of the match, Liverpool pulled back a goal through a quick counter-attack!

This goal instantly plunged Manchester City's fans into a slight panic.

If they conceded another goal and were tied, then the grand championship celebration they had prepared would be ruined!

And the Liverpool players naturally refused to become mere bystanders. After scoring a goal, they all fought bravely.

They began to press all over the field, which was what they were best at.

After the confusion of the first half, they had awakened!

Liverpool took the initiative to press, trying to increase the pace of the game, and at the same time, relieve the pressure on their defense through this method.

Milner's activity forced Zhao Gang to retreat a little to support the defense.

Liverpool's counter-attack was impressive.

After conceding a goal, the Manchester City players were a little panicked. The only ones who could remain unmoved were Guardiola and Zhao Gang.

Guardiola had experienced too many situations like this. If it was the Champions League final, he might be worried, but this league title was destined to be theirs, so he was not worried at all.

Zhao Gang, on the other hand, had never thought that Liverpool could win the match from the beginning.

He not only shouted at his teammates, telling them to slow down the pace and not fall into Liverpool's offensive and defensive rhythm, but he even occasionally raised his hand to signal the audience to get excited.

For the next twenty minutes, the fans in the stands were almost never quiet, and the cheers and encouragement were everywhere.

Wave after wave.

Manchester City's midfield strength was still stronger than Liverpool's. Once they stabilized, Liverpool's pressing was difficult to succeed.

When Manchester City withstood Liverpool's mad-dog-style pressing, as the Liverpool players' stamina declined, Stones' extremely penetrating pass allowed Aguero to successfully break the offside trap. Facing Liverpool's two center-backs desperately chasing back, and facing Mignolet's attack, Aguero pushed the ball out diagonally.

Zhao Gang, who arrived in time, then pushed it in gently.

An empty net!

Three to one!