MANCHESTER CITY 4, LIVERPOOL 0
Leroy Sane may have gone but Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling stepped up to give Manchester City a deserved win against Premier League Champions Liverpool.
Embed from Getty ImagesGoals by Kevin De Bruyne, Sterling, Foden, and an own goal by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain saw City in clinical form as they punished a Liverpool side feeling hung over following their own title celebrations.
Liverpool had their own chances to score but were denied by the post in the first half and they lacked their usual sharpness in front of goal as they draw a blank on the road for the fifth away game in a row.
City gave Liverpool the courtesy of a Guard of Honour – paying their dues to the Champions of 2019/20 and privately vowing to win the title back.
There were fireworks outside the stadium but they went off ten minutes late – and that was before City lit up the first half with a show of precision against the Champions who played like a team that might have enjoyed their title celebration a little too much.
Four players were rested following City’s FA Cup win over Newcastle United – Claudio Bravo, Nicolas Otamendi, David Silva, and Riyad Mahrez were on the bench.
Pep Guardiola named Eric Garcia, stretchered off 15 days ago in the game against Arsenal, at the back with Rodri in midfield while Phil Foden returned from injury to start in a front three alongside Gabriel Jesus who was standing in for the injured Sergio Aguero.
And Jesus had the ball in the back of the Liverpool net early on but was offside.
Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino both had chances to open the scoring but were denied by Ederson after the Brazilian was briefly caught out by a ball over the top by Liverpool.
Both sides continued to probe and Salah hit the back post as the Reds looked more effective going forward.
Sterling won a penalty after 24 minutes, their 15th of the season, and Kevin De Bruyne drove the spot kick inside the left side of the goal, sending Alisson the wrong way for his 13th goal of the season.
De Bruyne was in his pomp, pulling the strings through, and he delivered a sumptuous pass for an off colour Jesus who slipped as he tried to get into a shooting position.
City soon had their second goal as Foden found Sterling who beat Gomez again and drilled home off the post from 7 yards after 35 minutes to double the lead after City cut through the Liverpool defence for his 23rd goal of the season after a quick counter attack.
Just before half time Foden exchanged passes with Kevin De Bruyne and stroked the ball past an onrushing Alisson from just inside the box for his 7th goal of the season after City dragged Liverpool’s defence out of position.
It was the first time that Liverpool found themselves three goals down at the break in a Premier League game since May 2015 against Stoke.
Raheem Sterling wins battle with Joe Gomez as Manchester City replace Leroy Sane with Phil Foden to beat Liverpool
The shell-shocked Gomez was withdrawn for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at half time, with Fabinho dropping into central defence.
Jesus shot straight at Allison as City while Sterling’s shot was deflected behind for a corner while Foden saw a goalbound shot cleared off the line by Virgil van Dijk.
Salah thought he was clear but his square ball was cleared by Garcia and Kyle Walker while Sadio Mane inexplicably let the ball run on when it was there to be hit at goal.
Mane fell over under pressure from Kyle Walker who was booked for a push but escaped the penalty decision as the foul took place outside the box.
Trent Alexander-Arnold pulled the free kick wide and Guardiola replaced Jesus with Mahrez as City re-organised.
De Bruyne curled a shot past the back post after a neat lay off by Mahrez while Liverpool made more changes and lay on some pressure.
City went 4-0 up in the 66th minute when De Bruyne laid on another superb pass for Sterling whose shot was was turned into his own net by Oxlade-Chamberlain after Rodri started a counter attack.
Foden also laid on another chance for Sterling soon afterwards but the winger couldn’t turn in time.
Salah’s shot was saved by Ederson as City remained vigilant with Mahrez shooting wide while De Bruyne headed wide.
Mahrez thought he had scored City’s 5th goal at the end of added time after squeezing the ball past Alisson following a solo run after taking the ball off Foden only for VAR to chalk it off for a handball by Foden.
Although Liverpool’s season is over, City’s campaign to warm up for the FA Cup and Champions League continues, having already lift the Carabao Cup this season.
They are 11 points clear of a free falling Leicester City side in third, warming up nicely for an FA Cup encounter with Arsenal and the Champions League against Real Madrid.
The gap to the top remains a potentially record breaking 20 points – but will Liverpool have enough in the tank to go after City’s other Premier League records?
GOALS – Manchester City 4, Liverpool 0
Man City 1, Liverpool 0: 25. Kevin De Bruyne drove a penalty inside the left post, sending Alisson the wrong way, after Joe Gomez was booked for hauling down Raheem Sterling as he tried to get past the Liverpool defender.
Man City 2, Liverpool 0: 35. Phil Foden found Raheem Sterling who beat Gomez again and drilled home off the post from 7 yards after 35 minutes to double the lead after City cut through the Liverpool defence for his 23rd goal of the season.
Man City 3, Liverpool 0: 45. Phil Foden exchanged passes with Kevin De Bruyne and stroked the ball past an onrushing Alisson from just inside the box for his 7th goal of the season after City dragged Liverpool’s defence out of position.
Man City 4, Liverpool 0: 66. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain put through his own net as when Kevin De Bruyne laid on another superb pass for Rahee Sterling whose shot was was turned into his own net by the Liverpool man after Rodri started a counter attack.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 4, Liverpool 0
Man City: Ederson, Walker (Cancelo 73), Garcia, Laporte (Otamendi 78), Mendy, Rodri, Gundogan, Foden, De Bruyne, Sterling (Bernardo Silva 78), Jesus (Mahrez 58)
Man City Subs: Bravo, Stones, Zinchenko, David Silva, Doyle
Booked: Mendy 42 (delaying a throw-in); Walker 56 (push on Sadio Mane)
Goals: De Bruyne pen 25; Sterling 35; Foden 44; Oxlade-Chamberlain og 66
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold (Williams 76), Gomez (Oxlade-Chamberlain 46), van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum (Keita 62), Salah, Firmino (Origi 62), Mane (Minamino 85)
Liverpool subs not used: Adrian, Milner, Jones, Elliott
Booked: Gomez 24 (hauled down Raheem Sterling); Henderson 90+1
Referee: Anthony Taylor