Pep Guardiola Praises Conor Bradley After Man City’s 3-0 Win Over Liverpool
It was a forgettable afternoon for Liverpool as Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola’s men dominated from start to finish, leaving Arne Slot’s side struggling to find any rhythm or fight. Yet, despite the heavy defeat, Guardiola reserved special praise for one Liverpool player — 22-year-old right-back Conor Bradley, calling him “one of the best in the Premier League” in his position.
Liverpool came into the match full of confidence after a 1-0 win against Real Madrid in the Champions League. However, City quickly shattered that optimism. Erling Haaland opened the scoring within the first half-hour, before Virgil van Dijk saw his equalizer controversially disallowed. Nico González then doubled City’s lead just before half-time to cap off a dominant first period.
According to GiveMeSport, Haaland’s goal was his 14th in just 11 league appearances this season — the second-best start by any player in Premier League history, behind only himself in 2022/23. Liverpool tried to rally after the break, but Jeremy Doku, who earned Man of the Match honors from Gary Neville, sealed the result with a brilliant curling strike past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The defeat leaves Liverpool eighth in the table, eight points adrift of the top spot.
Despite the loss, Conor Bradley stood out for his courage and defensive work. Tasked with marking Doku — City’s most dangerous player on the day — the young Northern Irishman made eight key defensive contributions, including three tackles and three interceptions. He also completed 69 touches, showing his willingness to support the attack.
Guardiola acknowledged Bradley’s efforts afterward, saying:
“Doku had an outstanding game against one of the best full-backs in the Premier League. Bradley is so quick — I saw his performance against Vinícius Júnior versus Real Madrid. He’s an exceptional young player.”
Virgil van Dijk also praised the academy graduate, admitting that while Doku posed problems, Bradley handled himself well.
“The first half was difficult. They were much more comfortable on the ball. Doku had a good game and made it tough for Conor in the one-on-one moments, but we weren’t in major trouble — we just could’ve done better,” said the Liverpool captain.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold now at Real Madrid and Jeremie Frimpong still adapting, Bradley looks set to become Slot’s first-choice right-back. His numbers this season back that up — boasting an 86% pass success rate, ranking among Liverpool’s top players for interceptions and defensive work.
As Liverpool prepare for upcoming games against Nottingham Forest, PSV Eindhoven, and West Ham United, Bradley’s development will be crucial if Slot’s side are to recover form after another difficult Premier League outing.
