Liverpool moved 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League by beating Manchester City 2-0 at Etihad Stadium.
First-half goals from Mohamed Salah – his 30th of the season and 241st for the Reds, drawing him level with Gordon Hodgson in third in the club’s all-time scorers list – and Dominik Szoboszlai deservedly settled Sunday’s contest in the visitors’ favour.
The result further strengthens Arne Slot’s side’s position as front-runners for the title, although second-placed Arsenal do retain a game in hand on the leaders.
Team news
Luis Diaz returned in place of Diogo Jota as Slot made one change to his starting XI. Cody Gakpo was back among the substitutes after injury.
First half
With Slot deploying a system that featured Curtis Jones and Szoboszlai as double false nines, with Diaz and Salah wide, Liverpool’s No.8 had the game’s first sight goal inside the opening couple of minutes, though his shot was blocked.
City then enjoyed some moderate early pressure, with the majority of their attacks spearheaded by Jeremy Doku on the left flank.
But, a comfortable save from Phil Foden notwithstanding, Alisson Becker remained untroubled and the Reds began to threaten going forward. Inevitably, Salah was to the fore and it came as no surprise that he was the man to open the scoring on the quarter-hour mark.
An inventive corner routine outfoxed City, as Alexis Mac Allister passed to the feet of Szoboszlai at the front post and he redirected the ball perfectly into Salah’s path.
From there, the outcome was a formality as the Egyptian scored his 25th Premier League goal of the campaign with the aid of a deflection.
Liverpool’s authority over proceedings was growing and a brilliant, sweeping move from one end to the other ended with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s low delivery being cleared.
The second goal soon arrived and roles were reversed this time as Salah turned provider for Szoboszlai.
Salah was found by Alexander-Arnold’s pass and he got the better of his marker, dribbled inside and fed Szoboszlai, who calmly took a touch before wrong-footing Ederson with a clever left-footed finish.
Second half
Liverpool maintained their ascendancy after the restart and Jones saw a goal disallowed as Szoboszlai, who had assisted him, was ruled offside following a VAR review.
That reprieve enlivened City’s players and supporters and Omar Marmoush – who had earlier also seen a goal ruled out for offside – forced Alisson into a fine, stretching stop.
But the Reds were still the sharper, slicker attacking force and only a fingertip save by Ederson prevented Diaz from locating the top corner with a powerful curler.
Slot’s team retreated somewhat after that, inviting the hosts on to them, and the head coach signalled it was time to shut down the contest by introducing Wataru Endo and Kostas Tsimikas.
As Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions struggled to find any attacking fluency, Gakpo came off the bench and Liverpool nearly scored a third as Salah and Szoboszlai – a duo City failed to get to grips with all afternoon – linked up again.
Szoboszlai’s running power took him beyond City’s last line and Salah’s pass was weighted to perfection, only for Abdukodir Khusanov to appear from nowhere and produce a goal-saving block at the last.
The outcome had long been beyond doubt, though, as the table-topping Reds claimed a league victory at the Etihad for the first time since Jürgen Klopp’s first visit in November 2015.
www.liverpoolfc.com
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