Liverpool arrived at the Etihad unbeaten and seven points clear of Manchester City, with the chance to stretch that lead to ten. Ninety minutes later, their unbeaten record was gone, the title race was wide open again and John Stones' desperate clearance off his own line had become the moment I remembered most. At the time, everyone knew it was a huge game. Liverpool were flying, City were the defending champions and both sides already looked a level above most of the league.

What nobody could have known was just how important 11 millimetres would eventually become. By the end of the season, City had 98 points and Liverpool had 97. Liverpool lost one league game all year — this one.

Seven Points Could Have Become Ten

Liverpool went into the game with real momentum. They were unbeaten, sitting seven points clear and travelling to probably the one place where a defeat still felt completely possible. A win would have taken them ten clear of City.

It wouldn't have ended the title race in January, but it would have changed the feeling of it completely. City knew they couldn't afford to let Liverpool get away from them, while Liverpool had the chance to land a massive blow.

You could feel that from the start. Every time possession changed hands, there was danger. Salah, Mané, Agüero, Sterling — both teams had players who could turn one loose pass into a goal. Nobody wanted to make the first mistake.

How Has That Stayed Out?

Then came the moment. Sadio Mané gets through and pokes the ball past Ederson, only to see it hit the post. Stones tries to clear it, but the ball rebounds off Ederson and starts spinning back towards the City goal.

For a second, it looks certain to go in. Salah is arriving, Stones turns back and somehow gets a foot to it before the whole ball crosses the line. No goal.

Goal-line technology later showed that it had stayed out by around 11 millimetres — just over a centimetre. I honestly can't remember seeing another clearance quite like it.

The strangest part is that Stones almost caused the goal himself before recovering to save it. One bad clearance, then probably the most important clearance he made all season. At the time, you just think: How has that not gone in? A few months later, it looked a lot more important.

The Kompany Challenge

The game carried on with the same edge. Not long after the Stones clearance, Vincent Kompany went sliding into Mohamed Salah as Liverpool tried to break. He was booked, but immediately there was debate over whether it should have been more.

It was one of those tackles where everyone waits for the referee to reach into his pocket. Another big moment that could have changed the game — and then City went ahead.

Agüero Does What Agüero Did

Just before half-time, Sergio Agüero received the ball inside the Liverpool box with Dejan Lovren tight to him. The angle looked awful and Alisson had the near post covered. Most strikers probably try to create a better opening, but Agüero just hit it — hard, high and into the near side of the goal.

Manchester City 1–0 Liverpool.

It was such an Agüero goal. No hesitation, no extra touch, just a finish from a striker who always seemed to find a way from positions where there wasn't much on. City had survived Liverpool's biggest chance and gone into half-time ahead.

Liverpool Respond

Liverpool were never likely to disappear from the game. That was probably the best thing about watching these two sides during that period — neither ever looked comfortable sitting on a lead against the other.

In the 64th minute, Liverpool equalised. Trent Alexander-Arnold sent the ball across to Andy Robertson, who got in behind and put it back across goal for Roberto Firmino to finish. 1–1.

It was a very Liverpool goal for that team: one full-back finding the other, Robertson putting it into the danger area and Firmino arriving in the right place.

More importantly, the pressure was suddenly back on City. A draw suited Liverpool and would still leave them seven points clear. City needed another goal.

Sané Off the Post

Eight minutes later, they got it. Raheem Sterling carried the ball forward before finding Leroy Sané down the left. Sané took it into the box and fired low across Alisson, the ball hitting the inside of the far post and going in.

Manchester City 2–1 Liverpool.

That is probably my favourite detail about the whole game. Earlier, Mané had hit the post and the ball stayed out. Sané hit the post and the ball went in. That was how close the game was and, as it turned out, how close the season was too.

City Drag Themselves Back Into It

The final part of the match was frantic. Liverpool had to push forward, which gave City more space to counter, and neither side really looked interested in slowing it down. Every clearance mattered and every tackle felt important.

Eventually, the whistle went with the score still Manchester City 2–1 Liverpool. The gap was down from seven points to four, Liverpool had finally lost a Premier League game and City were right back in the title race.

Liverpool Lost Once All Season

That is the stat that makes this match look even bigger now. Liverpool played 38 league games that season and lost once. They finished with 97 points and still didn't win the league.

In almost any other season, 97 points would have been enough. City finished with 98.

There was hardly anything between them across the entire year, and there wasn't much between them in this game either. City didn't dominate Liverpool, Liverpool didn't play badly — it came down to a few big moments.

Three Goals, But I Remember the Clearance

Agüero scored a brilliant goal, Firmino equalised and Sané scored the winner. But when I think of this game, I still go straight back to Stones.

The mistake. The ball spinning towards goal. Salah rushing in. Stones somehow getting there first. Eleven millimetres.

It is such an easy number to remember because it sounds ridiculous. Across a 38-game season, with hundreds of chances, tackles and goals, one of the biggest title races in Premier League history can be traced back to a gap barely wider than your finger.

City Had Just as Much Pressure

It is easy to look at the game from Liverpool's side because they were so close to going ahead, but City were under huge pressure too. They were champions, Liverpool were unbeaten and the gap was seven points. Lose this and it becomes ten.

City didn't just need three points. They needed to stop the whole title race from starting to run away from them.

Agüero scored, Sané scored, Stones made the clearance. They found a way.

A Rivalry at Its Best

City against Liverpool became the defining Premier League rivalry of that period. Guardiola against Klopp, Salah and Mané against Agüero and Sterling — two different styles, but two teams capable of playing at a ridiculous level.

This game probably summed up how close they were better than most. There was no big scoreline, no comfortable winner and no team completely controlling the other.

It came down to a few moments. And one of them happened by 11 millimetres.

What If It Goes In?

That is the question you always end up asking: what if that ball travels another centimetre? Liverpool go 1–0 up, City have to chase the game and Liverpool can sit slightly deeper and counter.

Maybe they win. Maybe they go ten points clear. Maybe City still come back and win anyway. We will never know.

But we do know Liverpool eventually finished one point behind them. That is why the moment stands out so much.

You can look back at missed penalties or wasted chances from any season. This one could literally be measured with a ruler.

A Game That Got Bigger With Time

The morning after the game, the main talking points were probably Agüero's finish, Sané's winner, the Kompany tackle and the fact City had pulled themselves back into the title race. Years later, I think there is only one place to start: John Stones. The goal line. Eleven millimetres.

City finished on 98 points. Liverpool finished on 97. Liverpool lost one league game all season — this one.

And that is why a clearance in the 18th minute of a January match ended up feeling as important as some goals scored on the final day.

Sometimes a title really can come down to millimetres.