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
21 mins
It’s still all Liverpool at the moment, with Robertson the latest to fly forward and win a corner.
No shots yet for the away side – they’ve not even come close to one.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
19 mins
Another chance for the hosts as Salah, Diaz and Alexander-Arnold combine in the box to set the latter free. He squares a short pass to Gakpo in the box, but he hooks an effort well over.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
17 mins
Alexander-Arnold has the ball in his own box and he picks out a superb 70-yard pass right into the path of Gakpo, but Ake does well to lunge and clear for a corner.
From the set-piece, van Dijk climbs highest again, but he can only power a header wide of the near post.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
After a breathtaking 10 minutes, our senior football correspondent Richard Jolly has the latest from Anfield:
For 10 minutes, Manchester City were battered by Liverpool yet did not come close to conceding. Then Virgil van Dijk hit the post. Then Cody Gakpo scored and the ferocious pace at which Liverpool started took its toll. But some of these City players lack pace and Liverpool seem determined to make their physical advantage tell. City's lack of a proper defensive midfielder is apparent in the freedom Dominik Szoboszlai is enjoying while the plan of using Nathan Ake against Salah backfired when Manuel Akanji was the nearest man to him - but not near enough - when he crossed for Gakpo. Quite a week for Gakpo, too, with goals against Real Madrid and City within a few days.
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
14 mins
What a start from Liverpool, and their early pressure pays off. Even this early on, it’s hard to see City recovering, such has been the flow of the game.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City
12 mins
Moments after van Dijk rattles the post with a header, the home side are ahead!
Liverpool recycle possession from that chance and they come again, with Salah latching onto a long diagonal pass. He drives into the area, looks up and plays a lovely cross into the area between the defenders and Ortega – it falls to Gakpo at the back post, and he taps in for 1-0!
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
10 mins
It’s the hosts doing all the attacking in the opening stages, with Szoboszlai the latest to test Ortega with an effort from distance, before Alexander-Arnold wins a corner.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
8 mins
City are struggling to keep the ball when they do have it – Liverpool have made a lightning-quick start, with the visitors looking shaky.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester City
7 mins
Another chance for the home side as Akanji gives the ball straight to Gravenberch, but it’s another shot straight at Ortega.
The hosts have started brighter here, and city haven’t managed to settle yet.
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