Liverpool opened up a nine-point lead on the prime of the Premier League as Manchester City’s disaster deepened in a 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday. Cody Gakpo’s Twelfth-minute objective was scant reward for the Reds’ first-half domination and so they sealed an 18th win in 20 video games beneath Arne Slot because of Mohamed Salah’s penalty. City are actually 11 factors off the runaway leaders down in fifth and winless in seven video games, together with six defeats. Arsenal and Chelsea are Liverpool’s closest challengers as City seem set to lose their crown as English champions after profitable an unprecedented 4 consecutive titles. City’s solely level since October 26 even felt like a defeat as they blew a 3-0 lead within the remaining quarter-hour to attract 3-3 with Feyenoord within the Champions League in midweek.
Pep Guardiola responded by dropping goalkeeper Ederson, whereas Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias have been additionally restored to the defence.
But there was no response from the defending champions as they have been blown away within the opening phases.
Stefan Ortega was compelled into effective saves from Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai earlier than Virgil van Dijk crashed a header off the publish.
City might barely get out of their half within the opening quarter and the objective duly arrived when Gakpo bundled in Salah’s engaging cross to the again publish.
Van Dijk powered one other large headed probability inches extensive as the probabilities continued to return for Liverpool.
Even throughout City’s most interesting seasons beneath Guardiola, they’ve struggled to include the facility of the Anfield crowd.
City’s solely away win in opposition to Liverpool since 2003 stays behind closed doorways in the course of the coronavirus-impacted 2021/22 season.
Guardiola’s males did no less than handle to stem the bleeding by lastly conserving some possession in the direction of the tip of the primary half and Rico Lewis prodded their first try on objective simply extensive.
City began the second interval extra positively, however ought to nonetheless have been punished a number of instances on the counter-attack.
Firstly, Ortega rushed off his line to dam after Gakpo was performed in by an excellent Andy Robertson cross.
Salah then skewed a one-on-one with the German goalkeeper over the bar to the consternation of many of the 60,000 crowd.
Another turnover deep inside their very own half lastly price City the decisive second objective.
Luis Diaz robbed Walker and surged by earlier than he was introduced down by Ortega.
Salah had fired extensive from the spot in Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid.
This time the Egyptian discovered the underside nook for his thirteenth objective of the season to spherical off Liverpool’s dream week.
Guardiola emptied Jeremy Doku, Savinho, Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne off the bench within the second half looking for a lifeline.
However, City’s reliance on Erling Haaland for targets was once more evident as he was marked out of the sport by Van Dijk, who had been imperious till a late lapse of focus ought to have gifted City a comfort.
He introduced the ball to De Bruyne, however he couldn’t beat the in-form Caoimhin Kelleher.
Guardiola was taunted with chants of “you are getting sacked within the morning” within the closing phases.
The City boss responded by exhibiting six fingers, one for every of his Premier League title wins previously seven seasons.
But like his aspect, Guardiola resides on reminiscences of what they’ve been as Liverpool already look out of sight for City this season.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
