Manchester City ease past Liverpool in Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th game as boss

By Andy Hampson, PA

Pep Guardiola celebrated his 1,000th game as a manager with a convincing win over an old rival as Manchester City overpowered Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday.

Typically, Erling Haaland was on the scoresheet, opening the scoring for a dominant City side at the Etihad Stadium with his 99th Premier League goal after missing an earlier penalty.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk had an equaliser controversially disallowed, but the champions were second best for much of a sodden afternoon and fell further behind to a deflected Nico Gonzalez strike before the break.

The outstanding Jeremy Doku, who tormented Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley, added a sublime third on his 100th appearance for the club.

Victory lifted City back up to second in the table and within four points of leaders Arsenal, and condemned Liverpool to yet more soul-searching.

Arne Slot’s side had emerged from a recent slump with impressive back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, but the defeat was their fifth in six league games and left them eight points adrift of the Gunners.

Arsenal dropped points on Saturday and City seemed hungry to take advantage while Liverpool, who could also have gone second with a win, failed to get out of the blocks.

Bradley may have dealt well with Vinicius Junior in midweek but he was given a torrid time on this occasion by Doku.

The Belgian winger was electric and almost slid Phil Foden in on goal early on.

Doku was the main player in the game’s major talking point after nine minutes when he burst past two defenders and went down following a challenge by Giorgi Mamardashvili.

No penalty was given initially and replays suggested contact was minimal, but referee Chris Kavanagh reversed his decision after being summoned to the VAR screen.

Liverpool may have felt justice was served as Mamardashvili pushed away Haaland’s spot-kick, but the reprieve did not last long.

After Doku had created further chances for Rayan Cherki and himself, Matheus Nunes whipped in a cross from the right in the 29th minute. Haaland leapt above a static Ibrahima Konate and headed firmly past Mamardashvili who, unlike for the spot-kick, was rooted to the spot.

Liverpool thought they had levelled when Van Dijk planted a header inside the post from a corner, but his effort was ruled out for an offside against Andrew Robertson on the line.

The Reds’ frustrations were compounded in first-half stoppage time as Gonzalez’s long-range strike took a deflection off Van Dijk and wrong-footed Mamardashvili.

Liverpool produced some of their best football after the break and Gonzalez almost sliced into his own net from a Bradley cross. Cody Gakpo then missed the target from close range after another Bradley delivery.

Doku put the game beyond doubt just after the hour when he took a pass from Nico O’Reilly and curled in a stunning first league goal since January.

Liverpool could not even manage a consolation with a Dominic Szoboszlai shot saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma and Mohamed Salah poking wide.