In the end, it was an individual error from Vincent Kompany that undid Manchester City, his mis-kick in attempting to clear a Glen Johnson throw-in presenting an opportunity to Philippe Coutinho. To ascribe the defeat to that, however, would be misleading. It was an individual error, and it did come at a time when City seemed on top, but it was entirely in keeping with a game in which City’s spine had struggled.
Any side, no matter their resources, will struggle when key players are unavailable. It is not so much the ability of the players who remain, as what the absence of those key players does to the overall structure.
City, effectively, were without their entire backbone. Sergio Aguero, still recovering from a hamstring injury, was deemed fit enough only to start on the bench.
Yaya Toure was forced off with a hamstring problem after 19 minutes – not that he had seemed to have the pace of the game – while Kompany played despite a knee injury.
Whether that restricted him is difficult to say, but certainly the way he fell for the Raheem Sterling feint that brought the first goal smacked of a player looking to pre-empt his opponent because he did not trust his body to react accordingly.
Kompany, who has been uncharacteristically shaky this season, was at fault for the second, allowing Martin Skrtel to out-muscle him before glancing the ball in at the near post.
Had he been fully fit, would he have made a better job of clearing the dropping ball before the third goal?
Possibly, possibly not.
Whatever the reason, the truth is that Kompany, a likeable man, an impressive captain and a very good defender, was at least partly responsible for all three Liverpool goals.
“He played because he could play,” said the City manager Manuel Pellegrini, insisting Kompany’s fitness had not been an issue.
“I’m disappointed because today we lost a game that we didn’t deserve to lose,” Pellegrini said.
“I thought we played very well, especially in the second half and the last 15 minutes of the first half. We had good chances to score, but football is made from good things and mistakes, and we made a mistake and they won the game.”
The opening half-hour, though, was a major problem. Although familiarity does seem to have strengthened it, the Toure-Fernandinho axis has looked a potential vulnerability all season, and so it proved, with Raheem Sterling, deployed centrally, repeatedly finding space.
Things improved once Javi Garcia came on, but it was only with the introduction of the habitually underestimated James Milner for the anonymous Jesus Navas that City really began to make headway.
“They started very well,” Pellegrini said of Liverpool. “We rearranged it and in the last 15 or 20 minutes, we had two clear chances. In the second half, I think there was just one team on the pitch.”
Milner was involved in both City goals, but just as important was his work shuttling back and helping out in central areas, something that allowed them to take charge of the midfield in a way that would have seemed impossible before half time.
Even after conceding the third goal, City could have gotten back into it as Skrtel handled in dealing with a deep cross.
Pellegrini refused to make a big deal of that incident, however, and it was deceptive: City's increasing reliance on direct play after replacing Edin Dzeko with Aguero was mystifying.
Kompany will take the blame, but this was an occasion in which City’s vulnerabilities all over the pitch were ruthlessly highlighted.
sports@thenational.ae
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
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MATCH INFO
Serie A
Juventus v Fiorentina, Saturday, 8pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
Overview
What: The Arab Women’s Sports Tournament is a biennial multisport event exclusively for Arab women athletes.
When: From Sunday, February 2, to Wednesday, February 12.
Where: At 13 different centres across Sharjah.
Disciplines: Athletics, archery, basketball, fencing, Karate, table tennis, shooting (rifle and pistol), show jumping and volleyball.
Participating countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar and UAE.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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