Manchester City knocked defending champions Liverpool out of the Carabao Cup but James Milner's injury will be of greater concern to Jurgen Klopp.
Never mind the World Cup, the Carabao Cup is where it's really at.
After a break of 40 days, domestic football returned with a bang at the Etihad Stadium, as Manchester City edged out Liverpool, their great rivals, 3-2 to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
Nathan Ake's header tipped a thrilling contest the way of Pep Guardiola's men, on a night when Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne all shone.
Haaland fired City into an early lead with his 24th goal of the season, only for Fabio Carvalho to draw Liverpool level.
Riyad Mahrez restored the home side's advantage early in the second half, but Salah equalised within a minute for 2-2.
City, though, would have the final say, De Bruyne picking out Ake to secure a rousing win for the Premier League champions, although the Reds were left to rue a trio of missed chances from Darwin Nunez, as their defence of the trophy came to an end.
Here, GOAL runs through the winners and losers from a pulsating night in Manchester…
GettyWinner: Erling Haaland
It’s terrible when you come back rusty after a break, isn’t it?
It didn’t take long for City’s main man to pick up where he left off prior to the World Cup. Less than 10 minutes, in fact, as Haaland collected his 24th goal of a remarkable campaign in familiarly clinical fashion to open the scoring.
You’ve seen this goal before, I’m sure. A bit of space for De Bruyne out wide and a dangerous delivery, a bit of front-post movement from Haaland and a devastatingly effective finish, as the visiting defenders stand and wonder how it all happened.
If the hope from City’s rivals was that the mid-season pause might check some of their No.9’s momentum, then it looks like it was misplaced. Haaland’s first chance here arrived inside 20 seconds, and though he skewed that one wildly off target, it was no surprise to see him on the scoresheet soon after.
It was more surprising when Nat Phillips, a first-half substitute for Liverpool, stopped his advances with a supremely-timed tackle before half-time, but then you can’t score every chance.
It’s just that Haaland makes you feel as though he might…
AdvertisementGettyLoser: James Milner
Club football is back, and so are Liverpool’s injury woes.
Less than 45 minutes into the Reds’ return to action, Jurgen Klopp was grinding his teeth and looking to the heavens. Down was James Milner, captain for the night and his makeshift right-back. Not another one, surely?
Yes, another one. Liverpool, already without Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Arthur Melo and Curtis Jones, had lost Roberto Firmino to a calf issue suffered in training on Tuesday too. Not that serious, said club sources. Serious enough at this time of year, pointed out Klopp.
This just looks a fragile squad, and a fragile squad is the last thing Liverpool need when they are already playing catch up after a poor start to the season. However talented their young players are, they need their senior men to stay fit.
Here, they lost the most senior of them all. Still, at least Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are back.
For now.
GettyWinner: Kevin De Bruyne
He might have flopped in Qatar, but stick a sky blue shirt on him and there are few who can touch City’s creator-in-chief.
De Bruyne, as ever, was instrumental in everything good that Pep Guardiola’s side did here. It was his cross that set up the opening goal for Haaland, and an even better delivery from the left which allowed Ake to settle the game once and for all at the back post.
He really is some player, some sight in full flow. His ability to find space, usually on the right, is unmatched, and the way he strides with the ball through midfield leaves opponents terrified, for they know he will invariably, and inevitably, find the right pass when he does.
He did so here. Twice. For City, it was enough to secure them the win.
GettyLoser: Darwin Nunez
On another night, Nunez would have been the hero, but you have to take your chances in a game like this, against opponents like this, and unfortunately for Liverpool, their big-money summer signing failed to do so here.
The Uruguayan finished with an assist, and a fine one at that for Mo Salah, but he should really have had a hat-trick. Once, twice, three times he found himself in front of goal, just to the right. Once, twice, three times he failed to hit the target, dragging his effort wide of the far post.
At 23, it’s hard to fault Nunez in most areas of his game. His movement and anticipation is first-class, and he works as hard as just about any centre-forward in the business. He is strong, quick and continuously gets himself into scoring positions.
And in fairness, before the World Cup he was starting to capitalise on those positions. He had seven goals in 10 games prior to the break, but he drew a blank here.
It wasn’t for the want of trying, but it was costly, as far as Liverpool were concerned.