Premier League
Mind The Gakp! Rampant Liverpool Steamroll Manchester City
Liverpool showed their title credentials with a commanding 2-0 victory over defending Premier League champions Manchester City at Anfield Stadium.
This result marked a significant moment in the season and also left Pep Guardiola’s side reeling, as they now find themselves 11 points adrift of the leaders and without a win in their last seven matches across all competitions a record low for the illustrious manager.
A Tactical Shift for City
In response to their recent struggles, Guardiola made a surprising decision by dropping his first-choice goalkeeper, Ederson, in favor of Stefan Ortega. This change was indicative of the pressure mounting on the City boss, who has rarely faced such a challenging spell in his career.
From the start, it was clear that Liverpool was eager to capitalize on City’s vulnerabilities, and Ortega was quickly thrust into the action, saving two early attempts from Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool’s Early Pressure
The home side came out of the blocks quickly, dominating possession and threatening the City defense with a flurry of attacks. Virgil van Dijk came close to opening the scoring when he headed against the post, a moment that seemed to foreshadow the inevitable.
Mohamed Salah, who has been in scintillating form, turned the tide in Liverpool’s favor with a moment of brilliance. The Egyptian wizard delivered a perfectly weighted cross that found Cody Gakpo at the back post, who bundled the ball home to send Anfield into raptures.
City’s insistence on playing out from the back, a hallmark of Guardiola’s philosophy, continued to create problems for them. Even after falling behind, they struggled to find their rhythm.
Van Dijk had another chance to extend Liverpool’s lead but headed wide, while Gakpo fired over the bar in a half where City managed just one shot a tame effort from Rico Lewis that highlighted their struggles.
A Tale of Two Halves
The second half saw City emerge with a renewed sense of urgency, but Liverpool remained the more dangerous side. Gakpo had a shot blocked by Matheus Nunes, and Van Dijk continued to pose a threat from set pieces. Salah, who had been electric throughout the match, found himself in a one-on-one situation after intercepting a loose pass from Bernardo Silva.
However, in a rare miss, he lifted his shot over the bar, leaving the scoreline at 1-0 and the contest still in the balance.
As the match progressed, it became increasingly clear that Liverpool needed a second goal to secure their victory. With just 12 minutes left on the clock, they got the breakthrough they were looking for.
Rúben Dias was caught in possession, allowing Luis Díaz to surge through on goal. The City keeper, Ortega, was forced to bring down the Colombian, resulting in a penalty.
Salah stepped up to take the spot-kick, coolly slotting it home to double Liverpool’s lead and atone for his earlier miss. This goal marked Salah’s 13th in his last 11 starts against City, further solidifying his status as a key player in these high-stakes matches.
Implications of the Result
With this victory, Liverpool secured three crucial points and also sent a strong message to the rest of the league. They now sit nine points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table and have triumphed over the champions of England, Spain, and Germany at Anfield this season.
Meanwhile, Manchester City finds themselves in a precarious position, sitting outside the top four after suffering a fourth consecutive league defeat a scenario they have not faced since August 2008.
