“The title race was probably over” - Silva salutes City comeback to break Anfield hoodoo | OneFootball

Bernardo Silva has said Manchester City needed to beat Liverpool to keep alive the Premier League title race.

City secured a 2-1 win at Anfield as a chaotic second-half saw the visitors come from behind to take the points. Pep Guardiola's side had controlled a goalless first half, but fell behind to Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning free-kick asLiverpool lifted after half-time.

The Citizens trailed with just six minutes of normal time to play, but Bernardo's equaliser set up what proved to be a dramatic conclusion. First, Matheus Nunes was bundled over by Alisson in stoppage time, allowingErling Haaland to fire City in front from the spot.

Moments later, asLiverpool threw Alisson forward, City scored a third on the break. Rayan Cherki converted into the vacant Liverpool goal, only for VAR to disallow the goal for Szoboszlai's foul on Haaland in the build-up. The Liverpool midfielder was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity, with Cherki's goal ruled out in an action-packed finish.

City's slashesArsenal's lead in the Premier League to six points, while their win at Liverpool is a statement made.

The Blues have endured a wretched record at Anfield, winning just three times in their previous 53 visits. Guardiola's only previous win atLiverpool was February 2021, a fixture played without fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The win also confirmed City's first league double over Liverpool since 1937.

Speaking toSky Sports at full-time, City captain Silva said his side knew it was win-or-bust for their title aspirations.

"For the distance that we have toArsenal, coming here it is the toughest place in the Premier League by far but we needed to go for another goal. When I scored, I was happy but we needed another and Erling got it.

"Very happy, but these points count as much as any in any other game. It has been frustrating the beginning of the year because we have not done our job properly. We could be closer toArsenal. For me, you must imagine how tough it is to win here but I am really happy.

"I feel the whole team knew before the game if we lost it then the title race was probably over. We felt like we needed to win. The hope is there and we are going to fight until the end. We need to keep doing our job that we haven't lately."