Liverpool star outshone £212m worth of Manchester City's midfield who threw 'tantrums'

Liverpool's draw with Manchester City was a hard-fought encounter as they came up against one of the best midfields in European football, but their midfield didn't shy away from the challenge; in fact, it was quite the opposite.

Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Rodri are a midfield trio that blend work-rate, technical ability and a wealth of experience in which they have carried Pep Guardiola's side to four league titles in five years. On Sunday, they came up against Jurgen Klopp's three summer signings and found themselves at a loss, as Japan's Wataru Endo shined.

Of course, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were also very good; the latter making the second most recoveries and winning all of his duels while the Argentinian converted from the spot and was tidy throughout. However, Endo's simple and measured performance seemed to restrict City's trio to few moments and it led to what was their most torrid afternoon for some time.

De Bruyne managed an early assist from a corner but he was removed in the second half and was seen arguing with Guardiola as his frustrations spilled over. Silva was carded, managed no shots and was told to calm down by his teammates and Rodri was dribbled past and left on the turf by Luis Diaz in what was a very rare off-day - all while Endo quietly went about his business.

Luke Edwards of the Telegraph claimed City were 'rattled' and their midfield three struggled against Klopp's side, when speaking to the BBC's Football Daily podcast. "That was as poor as I'd seen Rodri play this season, so I don't know if he was fully-fit and then there was Kevin de Bruyne who threw a strop when he came off. Let's not beat around the bush, he had a proper little temper tantrum on the side-lines by throwing his arms about."

Endo, who once again reaffirmed his importance to the side, managed a 95% pass accuracy and attempted zero long balls - as he kept it simple and sharp against a very strong midfield. Winning 4/5 ground duels, both aerial battles and four tackles, two interceptions, two clearances and avoiding being dribbled past constitutes a strong performance.

City's midfield three are valued at a combined £212m, while Endo's minimal £16m fee in comparison shows he is continuing to defy the odds. The 30-year-old has been dropped into some of the biggest games the season and has not batted an eye. Truthfully, the greatest compliment that can be given to the former Stuttgart midfielder is that it's hard to imagine a starting XI that doesn't include him.