"Welcome to the Pleasure Dome!"

Another from my recent "Garden Sessions" and a recounting of:

Manchester City 2
Liverpool 2

toward the latter half of the 2021-2022 season.

Welcome to the Pleasure Dome everyone!

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Here's a brief extract from the chapter being read here:

"Following Diogo Jota’s 13th minute equalising goal that cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne’s opening strike for Manchester City 8 minutes earlier, ex Liverpool defender (and personal favourite of mine from the 1980’s) Jim Beglin, stated on TV colour co-commentary “Welcome to the Pleasure Dome'' and barely a quarter of an hour into this clash of the two best football club teams in the world, they were juking it out, duelling for the ultimate prize of English football, tied at 1–1, and the pleasure level depended where you sat on the football supporting scale.

From a neutral perspective, today’s clash of the two best, progressively thinking coached teams of global superstars in the world was a “barn burner” of end to end attacking football, press and counter press, rapier like changes in transitional play, 4 quality goals and perhaps the most overlooked of all, the two best club teams in world football without the ball. Both teams play with a high defensive line that negates a third of the playing area and with flying attacking wing backs this already condensed pitch is constantly stretched at lightning speed and an absolute thrill ride for a neutral.

Writing objectively despite my Red supporting roots, the Blues of Manchester City were magnificent in a first half they thoroughly dominated and should have both led by more than 2–1 at the break and perhaps should have been 3 or 4 goals clear in a game ostensibly already over.

They were relentless from the opening kick off on both sides of the ball and when in possession they were pulling the Liverpool team apart at the seams. A quick free kick saw a Reds defence retreating and in a tangled, half awake state. Kevin De Bruyne’s fierce shot deflected yet again off “Mr Deflection” Joël Matip and the ball spun into the far corner of Alisson Becker’s goal and in off the post. It was no more than Manchester City deserved as just seconds earlier, and at the culmination of a period of intense pressure, a sweeping move involving De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling forced a brilliant advancing and smothering save from Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper. In a blur of just a matter of seconds, Becker kicked loosely upfield, Sadio Mané was hesitant on the edge of his own penalty area, a free kick followed that was quickly taken and a dishevelled looking Liverpool were already a goal behind.

The Reds equaliser on 13 minutes and our collective welcoming to the pleasure dome was both a beautiful piece of sporting art and the Reds only real attacking threat posed in the entire first half of play. Thiago Alcântara’s majestic cross field ball was played into the path of Mo Salah by Trent Alexander-Arnold, but his cross was cleared from danger into the path of Andy Robertson. His curling cross was squared across goal by a continually running Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota slotted home from close range and under the body of Manchester City’s Brazilian goalkeeper, Ederson.

Liverpool had equalised from nowhere in a game they simply hadn’t started, and that pattern would continue for the rest of the first half".

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