- Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool : Haaland 29’, Nico 45+3’, Doku 63’
A dominant display at the Etihad. In a completely one-sided contest, Manchester City showcased their superiority over a helpless Liverpool side. With this emphatic win, the Citizens move up to second in the Premier League.
Was Liverpool finally back on track? The Reds came into this game buoyed by strong wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid — performances built on intensity and an energetic midfield. But Pep Guardiola’s men had clearly studied that formula and tore it apart. Set up in a 4-5-1 with Nico anchoring midfield and five attack-minded players ahead of him, City pressed relentlessly high, cutting off all Liverpool’s build-up options. Once they won the ball back, transitions were lightning quick — as shown on the opening goal, when a perfectly timed switch freed Nunes to cross for Haaland, who powered home a trademark header. The second came from a corner, which fell kindly to Nico González, who smashed it past Mamardashvili.
After halftime, Liverpool tried to regain control of possession, but that only opened space for Jeremy Doku to exploit. Electric in the first half — and the man who won the penalty Haaland missed — the Belgian winger completely tormented Conor Bradley. His performance was capped off with a brilliant right-footed strike to make it 3–0.
City played to their strengths: structure, intensity, and devastating efficiency. Liverpool, meanwhile, looked lost and devoid of fight. While there was controversy over Van Dijk’s disallowed goal (Robertson was ruled to have interfered), the bigger issue was the team’s lack of response. That’s now six defeats in nine games for the Reds — and unless things change quickly, questions about Arne Slot’s future will only get louder.