Liverpool left the Etihad Stadium without the sting of loss, with Jurgen Klopp’s team fighting back to earn a draw against Manchester City thanks to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant equalizer.

The Reds are currently only one point behind Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Premier League, however Arsenal have taken over first place after overcoming Brentford on Saturday.

While ending the Citizen’s 23-match winning streak at home was inspiring and a huge step forward, it would be negligent not to note that Liverpool rode their luck at times and suffered an unfortunate affair.

However, Alexander-Arnold’s goal was the result of Liverpool’s perseverance and ruthlessness, two pillars of the club’s success under Klopp.

Darwin Nunez, on the other hand, did not reflect such principles on the field and experienced one of his worst matches of the season, despite having played so well for the most part following a trying 2022/23 season.

Darwin Nunez’s game against Manchester City

Liverpool’s £85 million club-record acquisition came last season with high expectations after scoring 34 goals in 41 appearances for Benfica in his last season in Portugal.

The 24-year-old scored 15 goals in all competitions but squandered 20 huge opportunities in the Premier League alone, prompting Klopp to emphasize that the Uruguayan’s success on Merseyside is a “long-term project.”

He’s undoubtedly improved his game since the summer, with a direct goal contribution per 80 minutes this season, but against Manchester City, the £140k-per-week attacker failed to capitalize on his chances, earning a terrible 4/10 match rating via GOAL after the game.

Nunez was active against the treble champions, taking four shots, but he failed to inspire with any major attempts, taking just 25 touches and losing both disputed ground duels, according to Sofascore.

He’ll need to improve on his stronger performances this season and establish himself as the ruthless figure up front on whom Klopp can count to finish off the lightning-quick breakaway that have been a signature in recent years.

It was always going to be one of the more difficult matchups on the schedule, but there is plenty of reason to be optimistic given the noticeable improvements over the summer.

The greater problem for Klopp and co will be figuring out the best midfield partner for Dominik Szoboszlai, with Curtis Jones also having an unsuccessful day in Manchester.

Curtis Jones’ performance against Manchester City in numbers

Jones was one of Liverpool’s unsung heroes in 2023, emerging as a focal point of the club’s recovery in the latter stages of the 2022/23 season and starting all 11 of the Reds’ final league games, prompting one analyst and scout to praise his “complete” skill set.

He’d been essential in the early stages of the current season after a disputed dismissal against Tottenham Hotspur in September, with The Athletic’s James Pearce praising the “flying” start that had generated a 93% pass success rate in the Premier League, according to Sofascore.

However, on his comeback versus City, the 22-year-old did not have his best hour and was actually substituted after just 54 minutes, having taken only 34 touches, making only one tackle, and failing to make a single important pass.

Nunez may have been tagged with a 4/10 score but the Englishman was awarded a terrible 3/10 match rating by GOAL, with Tom Maston writing: ‘Gave the ball away on far too many times as City’s midfield attempted to surround him and drive him into errors. Gravenberch came on in the second half to replace him.’

Jones is a disciplined, cerebral midfielder who will play an important role for his team in the coming months, but given the effect Ryan Gravenberch made off the bench, it’s difficult to argue against the Dutchman’s demands for a regular starting spot.

Liverpool must start Ryan Gravenberch.

Liverpool completed the £34 million transfer of Gravenberch from German giants Bayern Munich in August to complete Klopp’s midfield overhaul this summer, and he has since been hailed as “unbelievable” by former Reds midfielder Didi Hamann, who expressed surprise at Die Roten’s failure to bring out his best attributes.

The £150,000-a-week midfielder only made three Bundesliga starts and scored one goal and one assist, but since moving to Merseyside, he has already made four direct contributions and has been labeled a “special player” by Liverpool coach Pep Lijnders.

Gravenberch is an all-around midfielder who ranks in the top 20% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for goals, shot-creating actions, pass completion, progressive passes, progressive carries, successful take-ons, interceptions, and blocks per 90, according to FBref.

The 11-cap Netherlands international was introduced into the action in the second half (for Jones) and played a vital role in Liverpool’s equalizer after gliding up the field into the danger area, pushing the hosts into a defensive structure that was quickly broken.

Gravenberch produced a critical pass and impressed with his optimism during his second-half cameo, with Maston commenting that he made’some strong defensive interventions from the Netherlands international after coming on for Jones’, demonstrating the versatile nature of this dynamic ace.

The 6 foot 2 whiz has been described as a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Declan Carr, and is willing to carry the ball forward with penetrative effectiveness to ensure the Reds have a steady, reliable offensive threat from deep, complementing the likes of Mohamed Salah and Nunez in the final third.

After last year’s troubles, Klopp will be relieved to have numerous choices in the center of the field; indeed, Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara have been afflicted by injuries all season and will want to make an impact after the new year.

Gravenberch, on the other hand, is building a claim for a prominent place to challenge the squad’s most established talents, and after returning to action in style at the Etihad, Gravenberch must now be unleashed from the start in the vital upcoming Premier League matches.