Pep Guardiola has new go-to man vs Liverpool after Gabriel Jesus' departure

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

It almost became Pep Guardiola's party trick towards the end of last season; no matter how out of form Gabriel Jesus was, he would always start both games against Liverpool.

Back in early April, there was a potentially title-deciding game between the two teams at the Etihad Stadium - with Manchester City carrying a slender one-point lead into the clash. A win for the hosts would effectively seal the crown, but Jurgen Klopp's side had plenty of momentum behind them after closing a 13-point gap.

When Guardiola's all-important team line-up was announced, there was a shock that Jesus' name was at right-wing. Before this game, the Brazilian had not started a Premier League game since late January and had not scored a domestic goal since September.

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Rumours had already began to circle that his time at City was coming to a natural conclusion, but Guardiola had ultimate faith in one of his first signings to deliver on the big occasion - and he did.

It was apparent from kick-off that Jesus' role was to press and disrupt the rhythm of Liverpool's backline. Just yesterday, in his extended interview, Guardiola described the 25-year-old as the best 'defender/striker' he's ever seen, and those qualities were on full display in this particular fixture.

He even showed his natural predatory instincts and popped up with City's second goal of the game, but his selection was purely down to energy, and the Blues will lose that with his departure to Arsenal. With Liverpool on the horizon, Guardiola will be looking for a new go-to man against the Reds - and his new signing may provide just what he's looking for.

It's always hard to judge