Liverpool’s ability to grind out results will have “hurt” Manchester City, says Michael Owen, with Jurgen Klopp’s side edging Brighton 1-0 in their latest fixture.
The Reds prevailed over the Seagulls courtesy of a penalty won and converted by Mohamed Salah.
Despite enduring something of a defensive injury crisis, another clean sheet was collected on the south coast.
A narrow success has lifted Liverpool seven points clear of City once more, with the defending Premier League champions not in action until Monday.
Former Reds striker Owen believes Pep Guardiola will have been pained at seeing title rivals get the job done, with Klopp’s side offering a positive response to their early wobble in 2019.
The ex-England international told Premier League Productions: “1-0s, 1-0s, 1-0s, they hurt the opposition.
“When Manchester City are watching, ok if Liverpool go and win four or five then fine, they’ve won. But when it’s 1-0 it just hurts that little bit more.
“They will have been watching the results coming in all day today and I think that’s hurt them.”
While City will have been left disappointed at seeing Liverpool get back to winning ways, they have been in decent form themselves of late.
Having suffered an uncharacteristic blip during the festive period, Guardiola’s side have been back to their fearsome best in recent outings.
They have collected four successive victories across all competitions, with Liverpool one of their victims – in a game which brought the Reds’ unbeaten record to an end.
Their last two games have come against lower league opposition, but morale-boosting performances have been put in against Rotherham and Burton.
The former were crushed 7-0 in the FA Cup third round, while the latter saw nine goals put past them in the first leg of a Carabao Cup semi-final.
