Liverpool stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to nine points, while Manchester City’s crisis deepened with a 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday.
The loss leaves Pep Guardiola’s side 11 points adrift of the runaway leaders and without a win in seven games, including six defeats, as their hopes of defending their title continue to fade.
The game was dominated by Liverpool from the outset. Cody Gakpo opened the scoring in the 12th minute, following a period of intense pressure from the Reds. The Dutch forward bundled in Mohamed Salah’s enticing cross to the back post after a well-worked move.
Gakpo could have had another before the break, as Liverpool continued to create chances, with Virgil van Dijk’s header crashing off the post and Dominik Szoboszlai forcing a good save from City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
City were largely ineffective in the opening half, barely able to get out of their own half. The high-energy start from Liverpool left City chasing the game.
Guardiola’s men were fortunate to not concede more before the interval, as they struggled to cope with the intensity of Liverpool’s play and the overwhelming atmosphere created by the Anfield crowd.
In the second half, City began to show signs of life, but Liverpool’s counter-attacking play should have resulted in at least one more goal.
Mohamed Salah missed a chance to double the lead when he skewed a one-on-one shot over the bar after a perfect pass from Andy Robertson put him through on goal. Gakpo was also denied by Ortega after a superb through ball from Robertson.
City’s attempts to recover the game were finally undone in the 58th minute. A defensive error by Walker allowed Luis Diaz to win the ball back deep inside City’s half.
The Colombian surged forward and was fouled in the penalty box by Ortega, giving Salah the chance to convert from the spot.
After missing a penalty earlier in the week against Real Madrid, Salah made no mistake this time, calmly slotting the ball into the bottom corner to secure his 13th goal of the season and Liverpool’s second of the day.
Despite introducing attacking options like Jeremy Doku, Savinho, Jack Grealish, and Kevin De Bruyne, City could not break down Liverpool’s defense.
Erling Haaland, who had been a constant threat in previous seasons, was largely ineffective, as he was tightly marked by Van Dijk, who was once again outstanding at the back.
In the closing stages, Guardiola was taunted by the Liverpool fans with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning,” a reflection of the growing frustration surrounding City’s poor form.
In response, Guardiola raised his fingers to remind the crowd of his six Premier League titles in the past seven seasons.
However, the context of those titles seemed increasingly irrelevant, as Liverpool look set to run away with the league this season.
With the loss, City now face the prospect of losing their crown after winning an unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles.
Arsenal and Chelsea are now their closest challengers, while Liverpool are looking unstoppable under the guidance of manager Arne Slot.
This loss for City is their latest setback in what has been a difficult campaign, and they now find themselves looking for answers as they struggle to maintain their dominance.
