BY Jonathan Ledger
Manchester City enjoyed a convincing 4-1 win over Liverpool, battering the defending champions through Ilkay Gundogan’s brace and strikes from Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling.
All five goals were scored in the second half as Liverpool’s error-strewn backline was thrashed by a roving Man City attack that featured no main striker from the start.
The clash of champions did not burst into life until the 25th minute when Sadio Mane, returning after a two-match absence, headed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross wide.
Man City were awarded a penalty in the 35th minute when Fabinho brought down Sterling but Gundogan blasted it high. It is the third penalty City have missed against Liverpool in three years.
The video assistant referee (VAR) denied Liverpool’s penalty appeal for a Rodri handball and both teams went into the interval with nothing separating them.
Man City found the breakthrough goal four minutes after the restart. Gundogan redeemed himself by slotting in the rebound after Alisson Becker had parried Phil Foden’s low strike into the German midfielder’s path.
The goal spurred the champions back to life, pouncing on a rare Ruben Dias mistake to hand Liverpool a penalty that Mohamed Salah took with aplomb on 63 minutes.
A more open game benefitted City against a mistake-laden Liverpool defence with Alisson’s errors gifting the Citizens two goals in quick succession as Pep Guardiola’s side ran riot.
Alisson’s poor clearance found Foden whose cutback was dispatched by Gundogan from few yards out. The hitherto reliable Brazilian goalkeeper’s second error minutes later was inside the penalty area. He passed straight to Bernardo Silva and the Portuguese midfielder’s dinked ball was headed in by Raheem Sterling from a yard out.
Foden joined the party to make it 4-1 on 83 minutes as the youngster wiggled past Andy Robertson before rifling into the roof of the net from an acute angle.
It is the first time Liverpool have conceded four goals in an EPL home match since 2009 as their title defence looks almost over as they are now 10 points behind Man City.
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