This was a mature masterclass from Arne Slot’s men. A thoroughly deserved 2-0 victory against a Manchester City side that look a shadow of their past glories. A first-half strike from Cody Gakpo and a Mo Salah penalty 15 minutes from time was enough to secure Liverpool an 11-point lead over the reigning champions.
Liverpool totally dominated the first half, in which a one-goal lead at half-time was scant reward for their superiority. Virgil van Djik hit the post with a header, whilst Trent Alexander-Arnold whistled a shot inches wide either side of the opener. A delightful diagonal pass across the face of the goal from Salah set up a tap in for Gakpo on 12 minutes.
City offered so little in attack. Low in confidence, high in injuries, they barely created a chance in the opening 45 minutes. Caoimhin Kelleher never had a save of any note to make. The only question was whether Liverpool would rue their inability to score more than one.
The second half saw Liverpool play on the counter-attack. They were content to let City have the ball in the middle third and, whilst Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and RyanGravenberch weren’t quite snapping into the tackle as they were in the first half, City again struggled to create anything of note. The visitors’ best moment probably coming from complacency by Van Djik, whose blushes were spared by an alert Kelleher when confronted with Erling Haaland. Liverpool, though, had several chances to double the score.
Salah somehow missed when taking advantage of some loose passing by the champions. The Egyptian, with just the keeper to beat, blazed it high and into the Anfield Road end. He was to make no such mistake just minutes later from the spot, this time after Darwin Nunez dispossessed a dawdling City player in their own half. Luis Diaz sprinted onto a loose ball before being unceremoniously dumped on to the turf by the advancing Ortega.
Having missed from the spot on Wednesday, Salah showed no signs of nerves, despite the best efforts of most of City’s players in delaying the kick. Liverpool’s number 11 burying the penalty low to Ortega’s left.
Two-nil up, Liverpool toyed with the fallen champions, whilst the crowd serenaded Pep Guardiola with ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’. Of course, it would be remarkable if he were to find himself out of work any time soon, but he’s surely under pressure like never before.
Liverpool, meanwhile, go from strength to strength, nine points clear of second placed Arsenal and on a run of form that even the most optimistic Kopite could never have imagined after Jurgen Klopp’s departure. They’ll no doubt hit a bump in the road at some point and, with trips to Newcastle and Everton in the next six days, there might be such a bump around the next corner. However, with such a lead at the Premier League summit, they have some breathing space as the busy Christmas fixture schedule approaches.
