Premier League: Liverpool Humbled by Erling Haaland-less Manchester City

Manchester City coped with out the injured Erling Haaland to maintain the Premier League title race alive by coming from behind to thrash Liverpool 4-1 on Saturday.

Goals from Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish moved the defending champions again to inside 5 factors of Arsenal on the high of the desk.

City and Liverpool have completed as the highest two in 4 of the previous 5 Premier League seasons, however the Reds are struggling simply to qualify for the Champions League after a dreadful marketing campaign and got one other lesson within the hole they should bridge be again difficult subsequent season.

A chastening defeat leaves Jurgen Klopp’s males nonetheless seven factors adrift of the highest 4 down in sixth.

A groin harm meant Haaland was watching on from the stands alongside his father and former City midfielder Alfie Haaland.

Despite the absence of their 42-goal striker, Pep Guardiola’s males made a constructive begin as Alisson Becker was pressured into saves from Gundogan and Rodri earlier than Riyad Mahrez fired a free-kick inches large.

But City have been caught out on the counter-attack as Liverpool went in entrance on 17 minutes.

The dwelling followers have been screaming for offside as Diogo Jota broke in behind the City defence earlier than teeing up Mohamed Salah to fit dwelling his twenty third aim of the season.

A VAR evaluation confirmed Manuel Akanji had performed the Portuguese ahead onside.

Guardiola was on his knees when Mahrez blasted over one other nice probability inches over.

But he didn’t have to attend lengthy for his facet to point out their high quality even shorn of Haaland.

De Bruyne, Mahrez and Grealish mixed to open up the Liverpool defence and Alvarez was left with the easy process of slotting in his thirteenth aim of the season regardless of spending many of the marketing campaign as Haaland’s deputy.

It took simply 53 seconds of the second half for City to edge in entrance thanks to a different scintillating workforce transfer.

Alvarez was the creator this time as his cross-field cross freed Mahrez to race into acres of area behind the Liverpool defence.

The Algerian’s cross was completely weighted to chop out Alisson for De Bruyne to faucet into an unguarded web.

If City’s first two objectives have been the fruit of collective brilliance, Liverpool’s defending for the third summed up a depressing season for Klopp’s males.

Alvarez was afforded an unbelievable period of time contained in the field by Fabinho to select a shot and, when his effort was blocked by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gundogan additionally had the area to take a contact earlier than firing into the highest nook.

Liverpool have now conceded three or extra objectives in 9 video games this season and the punishment didn’t finish there for the guests.

Grealish was the standout particular person on the day and rounded off arguably his greatest efficiency as a City participant with the fourth aim.

City’s motion off the ball was once more too good for a cumbersome Liverpool defence as Grealish and De Bruyne exchanged a one-two earlier than the Premier League’s costliest participant of all time side-footed into the far nook.

Arsenal, who face Leeds in a while Saturday, preserve the higher hand within the title race.

But City might be coming to the boil at simply the precise time after scoring 17 objectives of their final three video games and with Arsenal nonetheless to go to the Etihad later this month.

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