Gakpo and Salah goals hand the champions their fourth consecutive defeat in the league
Mohamed Salah scored one and created another as Liverpool marched 11 points clear of Manchester City with a 2-0 victory over Pep Guardiola’s out-of-form side at Anfield.
Salah, who had previously squandered a great chance to double Liverpool’s lead, made sure of the points from the penalty spot after Stefan Ortega had fouled Luis Diaz.
The Egyptian star created Liverpool’s early opener, picking out Cody Gakpo with a superb low cross.
Liverpool’s dominance rarely looked under threat as they also struck the woodwork twice in the first half, with Kevin De Bruyne failing to convert from City’s best opportunity as the visitors lost a fourth straight league match.
Arne Slot’s side are now nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, while City are in fifth, with their hopes of retaining the title swiftly fading away.
How the match unfolded
Dominik Szoboszlai’s early long-range strike was pushed away by Ortega as Liverpool set the tone for a brilliant display, and City’s goalkeeper – in for Ederson – then got a fingertip to Virgil van Dijk’s thumping header, nudging it onto a post.
Yet, less than a minute later, Gakpo found the breakthrough, darting to the far post to guide Salah’s brilliant cross over the line.
Van Dijk headed just wide with another free header shortly after, while Trent Alexander-Arnold also skimmed the post with a drilled effort from the edge of the box.
Salah looked certain to double their lead 56 minutes in, profiting from a loose Bernardo Silva pass as he surged in behind, but one-v-one against Ortega, he lifted it over the crossbar.
Yet Liverpool got the second goal their performance merited in the 78th minute. Salah slotted home from the spot after Diaz was clattered into by Ortega, with the penalty confirmed following a VAR check.
De Bruyne might have made matters interesting late on after robbing Van Dijk of possession, but Caoimhin Kelleher smothered the Belgian’s shot to cap a fantastic day for the Reds.
Things keep getting better for Slot
Although there is still plenty of the season left to play, there was a feeling that a win for Liverpool could put the title out of City’s reach already, and the Reds certainly made a statement, even if the four-time reigning champions cannot be discounted too soon.
Liverpool started furiously, with Ortega forced into some great saves as the visitors struggled to cope with the pace.
Van Dijk may also feel slightly disappointed he did not add to Gakpo’s 12th-minute effort as he continuously caused chaos from corners, but he also did his duty at the other end as he seemed to get on the end of every ball City put into the box. Even when the Dutchman made an error late on, his goalkeeper was there to bail him and Liverpool out.
Though he had earlier missed the chance to put Liverpool out of sight, Salah – who failed to convert a penalty against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League in midweek – held his nerve from the spot to put the result to bed.
A nine-point gap at the top of the table is not quite an unassailable lead at the start of December, but Liverpool have now beaten Madrid and Man City in the space of four days at Anfield, as the Slot revolution picks up further momentum.
City’s slump goes on
These are unprecedented times for City and Guardiola, who insisted he needed to prove himself after signing his new contract despite his remarkable success with the club.
City threw away a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in midweek and they went into Sunday’s match as firm underdogs. Ultimately, they turned in a performance befitting of that label.
Guardiola shook things up in an attempt to get a much-needed win, bringing in Ortega to replace Ederson, while he also welcomed back Ruben Dias from injury.
However, City struggled to match Liverpool’s early intensity as their disjointed defence was exposed and they were indebted to their goalkeeper, who kept them in the game as they failed to show any real threat at the other end of the pitch.
City steadied the ship somewhat in the second half without showing any real threat to Liverpool’s steely defence, bar that late chance for De Bruyne, much to the home fans’ enjoyment.
Guardiola gave both sets of supporters a reminder of City’s recent dominance, holding up six fingers to the crowd at full time – one for each Premier League title he has won – but for this to be City’s season, they will need a minor miracle.
What the managers said
Arne Slot: “If you want to win against City you have to be perfect in every part of the game. High press, low press, build-up. They bring so many problems to you. We came close to perfection, we weren’t perfect but we came close to perfection. That’s the only way to beat a quality team like City. I don’t think anyone, including me, would have predicted this [start]. I knew Jurgen [Klopp] left the team in a very good place. But still, to win so much with all the difficult teams we have played already is not something you could predict at the start of the season. But, like I say, I saw Arsenal yesterday and Chelsea today and I saw City, they will come back because these teams have so much quality. They could go on the same run as us. So we have to stay sharp and focused.”
Pep Guardiola: “The first 15-20 minutes they were unstoppable, they started so strong, we tried to play with a lot of control and passes, but it was difficult to take it. They deserved the first goal, but we started the first half so well and played well in the second half without too much threat. I know how strong Liverpool are in both boxes. I congratulate them and we’ll reset and start from zero and it is difficult to believe it. I rely a lot on these players, I know they are doing in this position. We’ll see what happens by the end of the season.”
