Not the best of games, quite tense and IMO a fair result....but I would say that wouldn't I?
Goes without saying it would have been a totally different game had KDB been fit and playing. Perhaps also different if Rodri hadn't been his usual impressive self. Certainly didn't appear to put himself about as much as he usually does.
Doku was impressive but wasteful in my view. Appeared to have the beating of TAA at almost every turn yet didn't push home the advantage with that killer pass. Made all the more surprising in that withy Doku still being on the pitch TAA was able to get up the pitch to score. Certainly a huge loss with Grealish being sick. I think back to that tracking back that Grealish did last year to deny Salah and wonder whether Grealish would have gone back with TAA?
I agree with some that the "foul" on Alison was very soft, but these days I do think it was indeed a foul. Had he gone in with just his shoulder and perhaps got a little higher then I would perhaps say fair play and Dias puts you 2 up. But I think Akanji didn't make a full on jump for the ball and clearly had his hand on the arm/shoulder. OK Alison was pretty poor yesterday but the arm on him from Akanji caused the whistle and from there there is no way that you can say that it was a clear and obvious error.
As for the MOTM, it does indeed seem to be an easy thing to give it to someone who scored a goal. However, I would have thought that the assist from Ake would have drawn alot more praise had the slipping past 2 players been done by Salah/Grealish. Add in the fact that he kept Salah quiet all afternoon then I do think he perhaps deserved it.
And a last thing.....Erling Haaland I do doff my cap. To score the goals you have, to have improved an already great City team, but that record was absolutely shattered. You look at the names in that list of fastest to 50 goals and there are some incredible names...and he has blown them away.