A team flying at the top of the league against a side without a win in six games brought the result you would expect, as Arne Slot’s side went nine points clear with a 2-0 win over Manchester City.
The home side went at City from the start and were ahead early through Cody Gakpo after a brilliant cross from Mohamed Salah but that was surprisingly the only goal of a first half Liverpool dominated.
City manager Pep Guardiola made tweaks in an attempt to stop the Premier League leaders, but City could not cope with Liverpool and victory was sealed when Salah converted a penalty in the second half after Stefan Ortega had fouled Luis Diaz.
Sam Lee, Gregg Evans and Thom Harris break down the action from Anfield.
Twelve minutes that set the tone
City would have hoped they could unsettle Liverpool by turning Liverpool around at the toss and forcing them to attack The Kop in the first half, yet it had the opposite effect.
Pumped up, the Premier League leaders set the tone by flying out of the blocks in the opening stages and playing on the front foot. One banner in the crowd asked: “Arne you not entertained?” and the home support certainly were.
Slot’s side pressed hard and efficiently, winning possession on multiple occasions, and were clearly testing Ortega in goal with shots from all angles.
Liverpool 🤝 Gladiator pic.twitter.com/U2EqSJtej1
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 1, 2024
By the time Gakpo scored on 12 minutes, Liverpool could have easily been two or three up, with Virgil van Dijk coming close with a header that crashed off the post after other chances went begging.
Winning a few early corners in front of The Kop also helped lift the atmosphere which played a part in the early dominance.
39 – Manchester City’s first shot attempt at Anfield came in the 39th minute; their longest wait for their first shot of a Premier League match since April 2010 versus Arsenal (58th minute). Frozen. pic.twitter.com/8DfG0SLb6r
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 1, 2024
City played too many short passes in their own half, were dispossessed easily and didn’t manage a shot until the 39th minute. By the halfway stage of the opening period, Liverpool had registered 45 touches in the final third, compared to just five from City (and there was no way back for the reigning champions).
Gregg Evans
What did Guardiola try to do from the start?
The major team news before kick-off was Stefan Ortega starting in goal ahead of Ederson, and obviously the German conceded a penalty, although he was stitched up by mistakes ahead of him and it is hard to imagine Ederson or any other keeper doing better in that scenario.
This was obviously a rough day for City and it was always going to be, given their recent well-known issues. But Guardiola made other tweaks, too.
Even without Josko Gvardiol’s recent struggles (two errors leading to goals in the last two matches), there was a strong case for Nathan Ake to start up against Mohamed Salah, who has terrorised many a City full-back (indeed, many a full-back) over the years. Ake is strong in those scenarios and, as much as anything, Gvardiol has probably been run into the ground as a result of being just about the only defender who has not been injured in the last month.
In terms of Matheus Nunes starting, City fans had hoped to see that on Sunday but that was most likely through the middle, with the logic that his energy alone would be exactly what City need in central areas, given the struggles of Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Rico Lewis of late.
Nunes was started on the left by Guardiola (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
But Guardiola used Nunes on the left, where in fairness he did well before the international break, but when he actually had to provide an attacking threat he did not, perhaps understandably, have that extra level.
He showed what he can do working back, and that should be useful as City try to find their feet in the coming games. Quite what his selection by Guardiola means for Jack Grealish is another story.
Towards the end of the match, with Guardiola’s side nearing defeat, Liverpool fans made their views known as they chanted Guardiola would be getting sacked in the morning.
The City manager responded by holding up six fingers for the titles he has won while at the club.
Sam Lee
Even when he misses, Salah still delivers
Liverpool are now a well-oiled machine, capable of controlling games and seeing them out in style. But without Mohamed Salah, none of it would be possible.
This was the sixth Premier League game in a row where the Egyptian found his way onto the scoresheet. After missing a glaring opportunity midway through the second half, he made amends by slamming home from the spot to secure the win for Liverpool.
It was also his assist for Gakpo that helped get the ball rolling early on as his prolific goalscoring form continues to be matched by such relentless creativity, too.
It was the 36th time he had scored and assisted in a Premier League game, equalling Wayne Rooney’s record. At 32 years of age, he is showing no signs of slowing down and continues to be crucial in this table-topping Liverpool team.
Already this season, he has 24 goals and assists in 20 games, an incredible achievement for a player whose contract expires in the summer and is no closer to extending.
Gregg Evans
Did City’s build-up play into Liverpool’s hands?
City’s structural issues out of possession have been laid bare for all to see throughout their poor run of form, but a dismal first half at Anfield, in which they lost possession 15 times in their own final third, was underpinned by uncertainty with the ball at their feet.
Liverpool hunted the ball tirelessly in the opening half an hour, buoyed by the feeling that their aggressive pressing plan was bearing fruit. Slot’s side pushed onto City in their usual 4-2-4 shape, with Dominik Szoboszlai pushing on and joining the front three to form a barrier of four attacking players that worked hard to block the passes into midfield.
Particularly from goal kicks, City looked vulnerable. Ortega became an auxiliary centre-back while Manuel Akanji pushed forward and provided an option behind that front line, but the Swiss centre-back struggled to turn away from pressure when the ball was played into him with his back to the play.
With the ball further up the pitch, Bernardo Silva would drop into deeper areas to help chisel a passage through that four-man block, but City did little to pull the two deeper midfielders — Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch — out of position, making it difficult to find Phil Foden with any meaningful forward passes.
The second half was better as Liverpool dropped off. Their press was more of a 4-3-3 than a 4-2-4, and allowed City a bit more time to string together passing moves without being hassled and harried by the front line. But even then there were sticky moments; Rico Lewis waved furiously on a number of occasions for Ruben Dias to play a more direct pass into Erling Haaland, but the Portuguese did not seem to back himself to find the pass.
City will have wanted to calm the Anfield crowd with assured possession play in the opening stages, but their attempts to open a path through Liverpool were unimaginative, and left their defensive players flapping under the pressure.
Thom Harris
Are there any positives for City?
This is obviously a deep, deep hole that City find themselves in and, in some senses, the result today does not change that. Going 11 points behind rules them out of the title race but in reality, even if they had found a way to win today, their problems cannot be fixed by a morale boost from one match.
They need players to come back from injury soon and with Ruben Dias back here they got a big boost, with Akanji and Ake back too. But even so, they are weaker in midfield than ever, with players missing through injury and those ‘fit’ run into the ground by playing so many games, and that is the big issue which means that even had City got a result here, they would still be at risk of dropping further points in the coming weeks.
That is what Guardiola was getting at on Friday, when asked if victory here could kickstart their season and it is the simple reality for City. They were deservedly beaten here and that is no good thing but there were spells where they did well and considering how low on confidence they clearly are, it is positive for Guardiola to still see that fight.
As long as players come back from injury they will improve again, but they need a new face (or two) in January (and they need any arrival to make an instant impact) to get back to their very best. There is no doubt that things are bleak at the moment but City will see a way out of it, eventually.
Sam Lee
What did Arne Slot say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What did Pep Guardiola say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What next for Liverpool?
Wednesday, December 4: Newcastle (A), Premier League, 7.30pm GMT, 2.30pm ET
What next for Manchester City?
Wednesday, December 4: Nottingham Forest (H), Premier League, 7.30pm GMT, 2.30pm ET
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(Top photo: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
