Form suggested that Liverpool – two wins in nine Premier League matches – would struggle against Manchester City, who’d won nine games in a row to go seven points ahead of the champions with a game in hand. And struggle the Reds did, never looking a serious threat to Pep Guardialo’s team in the first-half, a header from Mané and a volley from the edge of the area from Roberto Firmino notwithstanding.
City were comfortable defensively and Raheem Stirling against Trent Alexander Arnold posed a relentless threat as City went forward, Sterling has a history of exposing, like no other player, Alexander Arnold’s lack of defensive abilities. Thus, it was Stirling easily swayed passed the flimsy Alexander Arnold and got into the Liverpool area where he ran into Fabinho and won a penalty for his side in the 37th minute.
Gundogan blazed over the bar but had he scored Man City would have deserved the lead. It was a lead they took four minutes into the second half when the hapless Gundogan redeemed himself by tapping in after a shot from Phil Foden – set up by Stirling – was parried by Alisson Becker into his path.
On 63 minutes, a penalty as soft as the one given on Stirling in the first half was awarded to Mo Salah, after he was pulled back by Ruben Dias in the area. Salah stepped forward and calmly chipped the ball into the centre of the goal as Ederson dived to his left.
There was a 10 minute spell after Liverpool equalised when some of the champions’ old confidence seemed to have returned; but this was cut short by some calamitous goalkeeping from Alisson Becker. On 73 minutes, a careless clearance from the Reds No.1 landed at the feet of Foden, who drove into the area and picked out Gundogan to score an easy second for himself and put City ahead again.
A clearly perturbed Liverpool stopper made a similarly catastrophic pass three minutes later, clearing the ball to Bernardo Silva who raced to the byline and scooped the ball to Stirling to nod in to the goal.
The humiliating rout was complete on the 83rd minute when Foden cut in from the City right and, facing no challenge from Andy Robertson, powered the ball passed Alisson who, if he hadn’t been falling expecting a curling shot, would’ve been in a better position to make a save.
An awful day for Liverpool, who in the last six weeks have seen their title challenge disintegrate with some horrendously anaemic performances. Next up for the Reds is a trip to Hungary to play RB Leipzig in the Champions League knock out phase. The game was moved from Germany for Covid reasons. Confidence will be low, but this is Liverpool’s last chance of silverware this season. Getting into the top four to qualify for next year’s Champions League is what remains for Liverpool this year in the Premier League.
