Liverpool took their opportunity to open up an 11-point gap on reigning Premier League champions Manchester City with a pulsating 2-0 victory at Anfield.
So often one of the fixture calendar’s marquee occasions, this latest instalment between two fierce title rivals didn’t disappoint, with Liverpool racing into an early lead through Cody Gakpo.
It could so easily have been worse for ragged City, whose crisis is deepening by the week, as Virgil van Dijk planted a free header against the post and Stefan Ortega – chosen ahead of Ederson – rebuffed a pair of Dominik Szoboszlai efforts.
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Mo Salah finds the space in the box to allow Cody Gakpo to knock the ball in at the far post to take the lead over Man City.
Liverpool were purring, better in every department than their struggling visitors. Trent Alexander-Arnold was next to graze Ortega’s righthand post, while the slickness of his passing was causing chaos for City’s Rodri-less midfield.
The second period only got worse. Arne Slot’s side were piercing with every fast-paced attack, and Gakpo nearly had a second when released by a wonderful Andy Robertson pass, only for Matheus Nunes to make a superb recovery tackle.
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Liverpool are handed a penalty after a fall out of the Man City defence, Mo Salah converts.
Salah let City off the hook moments later after a horrible mix-up between Bernardo Silva and Manuel Akanji, screwing wide when one-on-one with Ortega, but the Egyptian is rarely denied.
The day firmly belonged to Liverpool, and Salah made sure of that by thumping a confident penalty beyond Ortega – who had wiped out Luis Diaz to concede the spot kick – to cap a fine display.
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Pep Guardiola gestured the number six to The Kop after fans chanted ‘sacked in the morning’ following Man City’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.
