Manchester City defender John Stones has revealed that the Premier League champions were left a "bit deflated" by their 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
The side led by Pep Guardiola - squaring up to Jurgen Klopp for the last time in the English top flight - to Anfield to face the Reds on the back of being knocked down to third in the Premier League table by Arsenal on account of the Gunners' beating of Brentford on Saturday.
A win for either competitor on Sunday would see them end the weekend looking down on the other 19 teams, otherwise Arsenal would continue to sit pretty at the summit with 10 games left to play.
Guardiola's outfit - in much better shape than their hosts in terms of injuries - made the brighter start to Sunday's game and took the lead in the 23rd minute, as Stones met Kevin De Bruyne's innovative corner to the near post and flicked the ball beyond Caoimhin Kelleher.
However, the treble winners subsequently came under the cosh against their hosts, who were awarded a penalty inside the first two minutes of the second half when Ederson clattered into Darwin Nunez.
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Alexis Mac Allister converted from 12 yards before the visitors were forced into a goalkeeping change, as Ederson had picked up an injury in the process of challenging Nunez and was replaced by Stefan Ortega.
The German and his defenders were forced to repel attack after attack as the clock ticked down, but they were aided by the Reds' wastefulness and came within centimetres of a winner themselves, as Jeremy Doku struck the inside of the post.
However, the Belgian was then counting his lucky stars in the ninth additional minute, avoiding the concession of a penalty for brushing Mac Allister's chest with his boot, and the draw was undoubtedly one point gained for City and two lost for Liverpool in the circumstances.
The visitors had 10 shots compared to the Reds' 19, and speaking to Sky Sports News at full time, Stones admitted that his teammates all felt somewhat dispirited, having arrived at Anfield with the goal of taking all three points home.
"We created quite a lot of chances early on in the game and probably could have taken them and been two or three up but that is football," the former Everton defender said.
"That looked like GENIUS from De Bruyne" 🪄😮
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 10, 2024
John Stones gives Manchester City the lead at Anfield! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/NuaZfBhvYR
"We know what we are in for coming here. We feel a bit deflated in the dressing room. We came here to win, but this is such a difficult place to come.
"I think the second half was more them than us and it kind of balanced out. We'll take the point. Every game is a final for us. We treat every game like that. We have to continue, take the positives out of today and look forward to the next game."
Stones's opposite number Van Dijk also gave his thoughts to the media after the game, admitting that the draw left a "bittersweet" taste in the mouth given his side's surfeit of chances to win the game.
Still third in the table with a one-point disadvantage to make up to Arsenal and Liverpool, the Citizens have a complete five-day rest before hosting Newcastle United in next Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final.
Ben Knapton
