Liverpool opened up an 11-point lead over defending champions Manchester City with a dominant 2-0 win at Anfield, extending Pep Guardiola’s worst winless run to seven matches in all competitions.
The surprise of the evening was Guardiola dropping Ederson for Stefan Ortega, but Liverpool dominated from the first whistle. Dominik Szoboszlai tested Ortega early before setting up Virgil van Dijk, who struck the post. The breakthrough came when Mohamed Salah delivered a sublime cross for Cody Gakpo to bundle home, sending the Kop into raptures.
City’s struggles to build from the back continued, gifting Liverpool further opportunities. Van Dijk and Gakpo missed chances to double the lead, while City’s only first-half effort was a tame attempt from Rico Lewis. The visitors improved slightly after the break but failed to trouble Liverpool’s defense. Salah missed a one-on-one, but the hosts remained relentless.
The decisive second goal came when Ruben Dias lost possession, and Luis Díaz was brought down by Ortega in the 78th minute. Salah sealed Liverpool’s dominance from the resulting penalty.
The Reds now pull nine points away from Arsenal, having beaten this season’s champions of England, Spain, and Germany. As for City, they have fallen outside the top four after a fourth successive league defeat.
