Firework displays and shows of force. A top-flight duel between two teams who have won the last eight Premier League titles (six for City, two for Liverpool), the English football championship, lived up to its promise and clearly benefited Pep Guardiola’s players.
A great gift for the Spanish tactician celebrating his 1000th match (716 successes, 40 trophies) as a coach. Man City fans also made a nice tifo before the match in his honor.
Therefore, City corrected defending champions Liverpool (3-0) on Sunday at home in the poster of the 11th day of the Premier League. A success that put him back four points behind leaders Arsenal, surviving Sunderland the day before (2-2).
Erling Haaland (29), Nico Gonzalez (45 + 3) and the unstoppable Jérémy Doku (63) concretized the dominance of the Citizens against the Reds without spring or ideas, overwhelmed on all fronts, especially in the first half. In the standings, Liverpool dropped to eighth place with 18 points, far from Arsenal (1, 26 points) and Manchester City (2, 22 points). Chelsea (3rd, 20 points) completes the podium.
The Reds followed the laws of the 2023 European champions from kick-off, conceding a penalty very quickly after contact between Giorgi Mamardashvili and Jérémy Doku, who could not be defended on Sunday in his left lane.
The goalkeeper from Georgia thwarted Erling Haaland’s effort by diving to the right (13th), but he was unable to do anything when he received the Norwegian striker’s header, in an ambush behind Ibrahima Konaté (29th, 1-0).
The number 9 player has now scored 14 goals in 11 Premier League matches, 19 goals in 15 matches in all competitions with City.
The club in sky blue uniforms widened the deficit through Nico Gonzalez’s shot which was deflected by Virgil van Dijk’s leg (45th + 3, 2-0) then through a superb curling shot from Doku (63rd, 3-0), left too free by Konaté.
The match could have gone differently if van Dijk’s equaliser, from Mohamed Salah’s corner, had not been ruled out due to an offside position by Andy Robertson (38). However, Man City looked too strong and Liverpool too weak throughout the match.
After the break, the Mancuniens will travel to Newcastle to continue the game while the Reds will welcome penultimate players, Nottingham Forest, to Anfield.
