Pep Guardiola Praises Conor Bradley Despite Manchester City’s 3-0 Victory Over Liverpool
It was a tough afternoon for Liverpool as Manchester City, under Pep Guardiola, secured a 3-0 win at Anfield on Sunday. Most of the Liverpool players struggled to make an impact, but Guardiola singled out one standout performer. In his post-match comments, the City manager described Liverpool’s Conor Bradley as “one of the best in the Premier League” in his position.
Liverpool had been buoyed by their 1-0 Champions League win against Real Madrid, but Erling Haaland quickly dampened spirits by scoring within the first 30 minutes. Virgil van Dijk saw a goal controversially ruled out, and Nico Gonzalez doubled City’s lead just before halftime. Despite a brighter start to the second half, Liverpool couldn’t turn the game around. Jeremy Doku, named Man of the Match by Gary Neville, capped off a dominant performance with a curling effort past Gianluigi Donnarumma. City now sit eighth in the table, eight points off the top.
While several Liverpool players—including Ibrahima Konate, Florian Wirtz, and Ryan Gravenberch—received criticism for their performances, 22-year-old right-back Conor Bradley impressed. Against Doku, Bradley played 83 minutes, contributing eight key defensive actions, including three tackles and three interceptions. He also won 50% of his aerial duels and 56% of ground duels, recording 69 touches, three of which came in City’s penalty area. Bradley was one of the few Liverpool players who genuinely stood out despite the defeat.
Guardiola praised the Northern Ireland international for his performance, noting Bradley’s speed and composure, especially in comparison to his recent display against Real Madrid. Van Dijk also acknowledged Bradley’s efforts, admitting that Doku caused challenges but commending the young defender for his determination and resilience in a tough first half.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold now at Real Madrid and Jeremie Frimpong still settling in, Bradley looks set to become a key fixture at right-back for Liverpool under Arne Slot. After the November international break, Liverpool will host Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven before traveling to face West Ham United.
Bradley’s Premier League Stats for 2025/26 (vs Liverpool squad):
- Minutes: 534 (12th)
- Average Passes: 31.8 (9th)
- Pass Success: 86% (9th)
- Tackles per Match: 1.1 (5th)
- Interceptions per Match: 0.9 (Tied 2nd)
- Clearances per Match: 1.2 (10th)
- Blocks per Match: 0.3 (4th)
- Overall Rating: 6.41 (13th)
