Mo Salah’s Defensive Work Highlights Liverpool’s Control at City | OneFootball

Mo Salah’s Brilliance and Liverpool’s Tactical Masterclass at Man City

Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad wasn’t just another three points. It was a statement. A display of defensive resilience, clinical finishing, and a tactical masterclass from Arne Slot. But above all, it was the brilliance of Mo Salah that stood out—both in attack and, quite remarkably, in defence.

Dr Phil Barter and Dave Davis broke down the numbers on the Stat Me Up podcast for Anfield Index, offering a fascinating insight into how Liverpool dominated City despite only having 34% possession. And yes, you read that right—domination through control, rather than possession.

Liverpool’s Tactical Shift: Control Over Chaos

Liverpool’s performance against City was unlike their usual high-intensity pressing game. Instead, Slot’s side allowed City to have the ball but dictated where they could play. Barter explained:

The statistics back this up. City had more possession, but Liverpool limited them to just 0.63 xG, a staggeringly low number for a Pep Guardiola side. More importantly, City failed to create a single ‘big chance’, an almost unheard-of feat.

Liverpool’s defensive shape was compact, with Trent Alexander-Arnold receiving additional support on the right side. But what truly caught the eye was Mo Salah’s contribution off the ball.

Mo Salah: More Than Just Goals

We are used to seeing Salah produce magic in attack, but his work defensively in this game was something special. Davis made it clear:

That’s right. Salah, not known for his defensive work, had 60% duel success—higher than both Luis Díaz and Alexis Mac Allister. He also had 23% of his touches in Liverpool’s defensive third, a figure almost unheard of for him.

Barter highlighted how Salah repeatedly covered for Trent on the right:

And yet, despite all this defensive work, Salah was still Liverpool’s most dangerous attacking outlet. He registered 16% of Liverpool’s total attacking threat, the third-highest in the team.

Set-Piece Precision and City’s Struggles

One of the defining moments of the game was Liverpool’s set-piece goal, something Arne Slot had highlighted as an area for improvement.

Liverpool’s ability to control City’s attacking spaces meant that, for all their possession, they simply could not create meaningful chances. Guardiola’s side were forced to play in wide areas, unable to break through the defensive block.

The result? City’s threat conversion from possession to expected goals was just 30%—an elite-level defensive performance from Liverpool.

What This Means for the Title Race

Liverpool’s victory has sent a clear message to the rest of the Premier League. With 11 games to go, 11 points clear, the title race is firmly in their hands.

There was an air of disbelief in the Stat Me Up podcast at how Liverpool had outclassed City with such a controlled, structured approach. Davis summed it up perfectly:

With Arsenal still chasing, and Newcastle up next, Liverpool have given themselves breathing space. But more importantly, they’ve shown they can win games in multiple ways. They can press high, counter-attack, and now, they can suffocate teams without the ball.

Mo Salah was at the heart of it all—scoring, assisting, defending, and proving once again why he remains Liverpool’s most valuable player.