Manchester City delivered a dominant performance to defeat Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, marking manager Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th match in charge with a crucial win that reignites their Premier League title challenge.
The result lifts City to within four points of league leaders Arsenal and deals a significant blow to Liverpool’s own title aspirations, leaving them eight points adrift in eighth place.
Early Miss, Swift Response
The match began with a dramatic twist as City were awarded a penalty in the 12th minute. A VAR review confirmed goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili had tripped Jeremy Doku inside the area. However, Erling Haaland saw his resulting spot-kick saved by the Liverpool keeper, who dove low to his left.
Undeterred, Haaland broke the deadlock less than 20 minutes later. The goal culminated from a 20-pass move that swept the length of the pitch. Matheus Nunes provided the cross, and Haaland rose above Ibrahima Konate to power a header home from 10 yards. The strike was his 99th Premier League goal since joining the club and his 19th in all competitions this season.
Controversy and a Critical Second Goal
Liverpool thought they had found an immediate route back into the game late in the first half when Virgil van Dijk headed home. The celebration was cut short, however, as VAR intervened to disallow the goal for an offside against Andrew Robertson in the build-up.
City capitalized on the reprieve in first-half stoppage time. Nico Gonzalez was given ample space outside the box and unleashed a powerful drive that took a decisive deflection off Van Dijk, wrong-footing Mamardashvili and doubling the home side’s advantage.
Doku Seals the Milestone Win
Any hope of a Liverpool comeback was effectively extinguished in the 63rd minute. Jeremy Doku, a constant threat throughout the match, cut inside and curled a superb 25-yard strike into the net, sealing the victory and capping a man-of-the-match display.
The win represents City’s seventh in their last eight matches across all competitions. For Liverpool, it is their seventh loss in ten games, a run of form that has severely dented their campaign. The performance provided a fitting celebration for Guardiola’s managerial milestone, underscoring his team’s resilience and quality as they push for another title.