Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to nine points with a commanding 2-0 victory over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, combined with a stellar defensive display, secured Liverpool’s 18th win in 20 matches under manager Arne Slot.
City, reeling from their worst form in years, slumped to their sixth defeat in seven games across all competitions. Pep Guardiola’s side now sits fifth in the table, 11 points adrift of Liverpool, as their hopes of retaining the Premier League crown dwindle.
The Reds were relentless in the opening stages, overwhelming a City side that struggled to get out of their own half. Cody Gakpo opened the scoring in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a superb cross from Mohamed Salah. Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk nearly doubled the lead shortly after, heading a corner onto the post.
Despite Liverpool’s dominance, Stefan Ortega, deputizing for the dropped Ederson, kept City in the game with crucial saves from Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai. City managed a brief spell of possession towards the end of the first half, with Rico Lewis narrowly missing their only real chance before the break.
City started the second half with more intent but continued to struggle against Liverpool’s counter-attacks. Luis Diaz’s breakaway run forced Ortega into a desperate foul, earning Liverpool a penalty. Salah, who had missed from the spot earlier in the week, made no mistake this time, slotting his 13th goal of the season into the bottom corner.
City introduced attacking reinforcements, including Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne, but the efforts were in vain. Erling Haaland was effectively neutralized by Van Dijk, whose only error gifted De Bruyne a late chance that was thwarted by Liverpool’s in-form goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher.
Guardiola’s men, winners of the past four Premier League titles, now face an uphill battle to salvage their season. Their only away win at Anfield since 2003 remains the 2021 behind-closed-doors victory during the pandemic.
Liverpool, meanwhile, is enjoying a resurgence under Slot, with Arsenal and Chelsea trailing as their nearest competitors. The Anfield crowd’s chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” directed at Guardiola showed City’s growing crisis. Guardiola, defiant, reminded fans of his six Premier League titles but could do little to stop Liverpool’s march toward glory.
