ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk were among the exceptional performers for Liverpool as the Reds moved 11 points ahead of Manchester City (and nine clear at the top of the table) with a famous Anfield win.
Cody Gakpo scored an early opener and by half-time, Liverpool should have been out of sight. Instead, it took a Salah penalty with around 20 minutes to play for the result to be confirmed. It was nothing less than the performance warranted with a clear gulf between the two teams.
Arne Slot just keeps on putting down big markers, with Real Madrid and now Manchester City beaten by the same scoreline. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.
Trent Alexander-Arnold gives clearest Liverpool hint yet after Real Madrid transfer update Liverpool vs Man City LIVE: Reaction, Arne Slot press conference, Virgil van Dijk contract claim Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez return with aplombGiven the scrutiny that his own performance gets when he doesn't execute a defensive action perfectly, it should be highlighted just how poor Kyle Walker was on the Gakpo goal. Just imagine for a second that it had been Alexander-Arnold at fault instead...
Fortunately for the Liverpool number 66, coming back into the team after three games and an international break out injured, he slotted straight back in as if he had never been away. He faded a bit with tiredness in the second half but was coping well.
There were a couple of poor or risky passes but the one that set Salah away for the opener and a few others throughout were remarkable. Conor Bradley is brilliant but this is why Slot would have gone with his vice-captain even if Bradley hadn't been injured after pocketing Kylian Mbappe.
Joe Gomez, alongside Van Dijk, was superb too. He hadn't started a league game since the 3-3 draw with Aston Villa at the end of the Jurgen Klopp era. Here, he showed why he has climbed above Jarell Quansah in the center-back pecking order.
Choosing to go with Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan was a strange decision, with Matheus Nunes on the left wing offering little and Kevin De Bruyne benched. Looking confused about what to do while he was on the sidelines, Guardiola didn't have an answer to what Liverpool was throwing at him. Right now, he simply doesn't have the tools.
Outnumbered in the middle of the pitch because of the way he set up his team, Liverpool also had more space in wide areas with Rico Lewis and Nathan Ake struggling to cover. There is a distinct lack of running ability in the Manchester City team, as well as a lack of goal threat. With Walker switching off and Erling Haaland isolated, it is not the best of concoctions.
Manchester City improved in the second half and Jeremy Doku gave Alexander-Arnold a few issues. Everything that came into the box, however, was headed clear by Van Dijk or Gomez.
Guardiola can wave six fingers in the direction of the Liverpool fans meaning he has won that many titles, but he could just as easily have been suggesting his side was fortunate not to concede that many goals. That was the real message that Guardiola should be taking home, with his side now surely too far behind.
The last time Luis Diaz played down the middle for Liverpool, he scored a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. He wasn't quite so prolific here but he did allow the Reds to get the best out of Gakpo and Salah on either flank.
Diaz is better at holding the ball up than Darwin Nunez — not a particularly good sign for Uruguayan more than two years into his Anfield career — and he was absolutely the right choice as the number nine here. He caused the Manchester City defense problems with his movement and created down in wide areas which his teammates could exploit.
Szoboszlai being selected over Curtis Jones was a controversial call by some given how well the English midfielder did midweek, but Slot made the right decision. In fact, it was an inspired piece of genius.
The Hungarian ran and ran and the likes of Ilkay Gundogan couldn't cope. Manchester City is weakest in midfield at the moment, where it looks tired, and Slot helped his side exploit it with his selection.
Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch covered plenty of ground too and Liverpool, as a collective, was much more able to get across the pitch. That physical difference was hugely evident, especially in the first half, though Manchester City managed to up things in the second. By that point, the scoreline should have reflected the gap in energy levels.
Even in the worst-case scenario — that Manchester City won at Anfield in front of fans for the first time since 2003 — Pep Guardiola's men would still have been five points behind Liverpool. Even then, while momentum might have swung and Arsenal would be smelling an opportunity too, Slot's side would be the one in the driving seat.
As it is, Liverpool has truly taken charge of things. This was a performance that reflected the gap between the teams at the moment and now the Premier League table is starting to show it too. It would take a remarkable turnaround for Manchester City to get back ahead of Liverpool from here, even if it was playing well. Not even Slot can deny that his side is the overwhelming favorite now.
