Liverpool’s captain and their prolific strikers led Arne Slot’s club to victory over the champions at Anfield.
Liverpool defeated Manchester City 2-0 thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah, effectively cutting them off from their Premier League title challengers.
As soon as Liverpool smelled blood, Salah fizzed in a tantalizing pass, and Gakpo was there to tap it in. After twenty minutes, City got better, but Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ferocious drive almost put City ahead 2-0 when it hit the outside of the post.
The game should have been over when Salah was put through on goal before the hour mark, but the Egyptian player mysteriously fired over the crossbar. The visitors, who lacked a danger out wide and had only one attempt on goal compared to Liverpool’s ten in the first half, grew into the match.
Before Salah ended the match in the 78th minute by converting the penalty Luis Diaz had won after Ortega’s foul, Alexander-Arnold and Gakpo forced Ortega into deft stops. As a result, Liverpool now leads defending champions City by an overwhelming 11 points and is nine points ahead of second-place Arsenal.
AFP
Goalkeeper & Defence
Caoimhin Kelleher (7/10):
Was a virtual spectator in the first half and will probably not have many more quieter games than this one. However, he made a great stop to deny De Bruyne near the end.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (8/10):
was having fun making utterly crazy long-range passes, and he might have scored a goal or two on a different day. was excellent on both ends of the field.
Joe Gomez (8/10):
The versatile defender, who replaced the injured Konate, appeared to be a strong backman, but Van Dijk’s size helped.
Virgil van Dijk (9/10):
Might have had a headed hat-trick in the first hour and had a commanding presence from the set pieces. In a commanding effort, he also easily defeated Erling Haaland.
Andrew Robertson (8/10):
Demonstrated a great deal of energy bombing down the left flank. almost earned a candidate for assist of the season, but Gakpo’s next attempt was blocked.
AFP
Midfield
Ryan Gravenberch (7/10):
Did his fair share of dirty work in the centre of the park and showed off his sweeping skills once again.
Alexis Mac Allister (8/10):
Looked calm and composed in midfield, with plenty of classy touches. Helped the team tick over nicely.
Dominik Szoboszlai (8/10):
Started with a real skip in his step as his shooting was accurate and his balls into the box were menacing. Was an attacking threat all game.
Attack
Mohamed Salah (8/10):
Bagged another delightful assist to set up Gakpo but missed a glorious chance early in the second half to put the game to bed. After missing a penalty against Real Madrid, he made no mistake against City to make it 2-0.
Luis Diaz (7/10):
Was the quietest of Liverpool’s frontline for the first 45, but won his side a crucial penalty late on, which Salah converted.
Cody Gakpo (9/10):
Stretched City’s defence and was in the right place at the right time to give his team the lead. Showed great pace and driving runs in an excellent display.
Subs & Manager
Darwin Nunez (7/10):
Was energetic and effective when he came off the bench.
Jarell Quansah (7/10):
Made some excellent driving runs on the right wing after being brought on as a right-back.
Curtis Jones (7/10):
Forced a good save from Ortega when introduced.
Harvey Elliott (N/A):
Made his long-awaited return from injury.
Arne Slot (8/10):
In the first quarter of the game, his squad was unstoppable, and even if their level of intensity slightly decreased, Liverpool won the match rightfully. It worked to pick Gakpo over Nunez, demonstrating the Dutchman’s current invincibility.