By Amofokhai Williams
Manchester City delivered a commanding performance at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, dismantling Liverpool 3-0 in a one-sided Premier League encounter that underlined Pep Guardiola’s men as relentless title contenders.
Goals from Erling Haaland, Nico O’Reilly, and Jeremy Doku sealed a comprehensive victory, while Liverpool looked flat registering a single shot on target throughout the match.
City were in control from the onset, pressing high and dictating the tempo with their trademark precision passing.
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute, when Matheus Nunes whipped in a perfect cross that found Haaland, who rose majestically to head home past goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili for 1-0.
Liverpool thought they had found a lifeline 10 minutes later when Virgil van Dijk’s header from a Mohamed Salah corner rippled the net, but VAR swiftly ruled it out for offside, silencing the away supporters.
Just before halftime, City doubled their lead. A slick interchange involving Bernardo Silva and Nico O’Reilly ended with the latter firing a deflected shot beyond Mamardashvili in the 45th minute, making it 2-0 as frustration mounted for the Reds.
Any hopes of a Liverpool comeback were crushed in the 63rd minute when Jeremy Doku capped off a dazzling solo display with a low drive into the bottom corner to make it 3–0. The Belgian winger was electric all afternoon, tormenting the Liverpool backline with pace and precision.
City’s defence, marshalled by Rúben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, gave Liverpool’s attack no breathing space, while the Reds’ midfield-featuring Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch, struggled to cope with City’s relentless pressing.
As tensions flared, Liverpool’s Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones were both booked in stoppage time for reckless tackles, summing up a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.
The result keeps Manchester City firmly in the title race, while Liverpool, who now trail the top spot by several points, face growing pressure to rediscover their rhythm before their next fixture.
