Liverpool v Manchester City LIVE: Result and reaction after leaders pile more misery on Pep Guardiola’s side
Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City: The hosts dominated at Anfield to open up a nine-point lead at the top of the table
Liverpool confirmed their place as top contenders for the Premier League title as they piled yet more misery on Manchester City with a 2-0 victory at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s extended their advantage at the top of the table to nine points and now lead their long-time title rivals by 11 points. Cody Gakpo turned home the opener early on after a rampant start from the hosts as Mohamed Salah laid a goal on a plate for his front-three colleague, with Liverpool unfortunate not to add to their tally in a dominant first-half performance.
Things continued in much the same vein after the interval, with Salah adding a second from the spot with a cool and crisp penalty. It extended Manchester City’s run of games without a win to seven in all competitions, leaving any prospect of a title challenge surely slim.
Re-live all of the action from Anfield in our live blog below:
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
66 mins
CLOSE! Liverpool break but it was offside in the end anyway.
Gakpo pokes a pass to Alexander-Arnold, who exchanges passes with Salah before firing a low shot right at Ortega.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
64 mins
Salah picks up the loose ball in midfield and surges into the box, eventually rifling a shot into the side-netting. Half a chance for someone of his quality!
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
63 mins
Haaland is almost in after a long ball over the top from Akanji, but once again van Dijk is there to clear. He’s dominating that battle so far.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
61 mins
City have improved over the last few minutes, and more so since the subs have come on - they have a little more pace and energy in attack now. Nevertheless, they still aren’t managing to create meaningful chances.
A lovely dummy from Mac Allister starts a Liverpool attack, but Szoboszlai can’t provide the cross.
ANALYSIS: Manchester City sticking in the battle but running out of options
Reasons to be optimistic for Manchester City? It is only 1-0, despite Liverpool's early dominance. And Pep Guardiola has unleashed a couple of potential game-changers on the bench, in the shape of Jeremy Doku and Savinho, while he still has one more card to play, in Kevin de Bruyne.
But there aren't too many others. Virgil van Dijk still has a huge threat at every corner. Mohamed Salah has just missed a sitter. Liverpool look the faster side. And so far under Arne Slot, as their record of 17 wins out of 19 shows, they tend to be good at holding on to leads.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
56 mins
CLOSE! Liverpool win possession after Salah chases down Silva’s loose pass to Akanji. He gets there before the Swiss defender and he’s now one-on-one with the ‘keeper, with Gakpo supporting him. He drives towards goal and opens his body up to put it into the far corner, but he hooks his effort over the bar!
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
55 mins
Much better from City as Silva drives forward with plenty of space opening up in front of him. It’s worked to Walker on the overlap, and his clipped cross ends up going out for a goal kick.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
53 mins
Slightly more promising from City as they work it forward and win another corner. Gundogan delivers it, but once again van Dijk is there to head clear.
The visitors recycle possession, but Foden can’t reach the pass forward.
51 mins
The corner is headed on by Akanji but it’s a looping effort and Kelleher collects. Liverpool break and Robertson plays a lovely diagonal pass into the path of Gakpo, who controls it and forces Ortega and Nunes into some last-ditch defending.
From the corner, van Dijk heads narrowly over at the front post.
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