Liverpool’s epic 4-3 victory over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon was surely the most entertaining Premier League match of the season so far.

Pep Guardiola’s side lost their unbeaten record against the Merseyside outfit, who produced a magnificent team performance at their home ground.

The two teams went into half-time level pegging thanks to goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Leroy Sane but three goals in nine ruthless second-half minutes from Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah handed Jurgen Klopp’s men a shock 4-1 lead.

There was drama in the closing stages as Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan pulled two goals back for the visitors but Liverpool held on - just about - to secure three precious points.

Despite the fact his side lost the match, many football fans praised Guardiola for trying to win the match.

Although his team possessed a 15-point lead heading into the fixture, there was never any chance of the revered Catalan coach shutting up shop and playing for a point, killing the game in the process.

Which is precisely what Jose Mourinho was accused of doing when United played out a dour 0-0 draw against the Reds at Anfield back in October.

Many United fans have been defending Mourinho on social media since Sunday’s match, pointing out that, unlike Guardiola, the Portuguese coach managed to leave Anfield with a point.

Shearer makes perfectly fair point about Mourinho

And they will all agree with what Alan Shearer has said in his latest column for The Sun.

“I think we can all understand just why Jose Mourinho played the way he did when he went to Anfield earlier this season,” the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer said. “But I know which game I would prefer to watch and it was yesterday’s match-up as Liverpool emerged from a brilliant game with Manchester City as 4-3 winners.

“United’s goalless draw on October 14 is hardly the DVD anyone wanted in their Christmas stocking last month.

“Yet Mourinho, you could argue, got his tactics spot on that day.

“On a big occasion he nullified Liverpool and refused to let them play their game.

“That was his way of getting a result and in many ways he deserves as much credit for that as Pep Guardiola does for his part in a spectacle that had us all breathless yesterday.

“The difference between the two Manchester managers is that one is willing to adapt and the other will play his way no matter what the opposition.

“Guardiola will never shut up shop, never park the bus, never kill a game.”

Why Shearer is absolutely correct

It’s impossible to argue with Shearer on this occasion.

At the end of the day, Mourinho left Anfield with a point - Guardiola left with nothing.

While Sunday’s match was infinitely more entertaining than the awful 0-0 draw between United and Liverpool in October, Mourinho knew his side risked being ripped apart if they attacked Liverpool, who can destroy any team’s defence at home on their day.