Liverpool took a monumental step towards the Premier League title on Sunday with a dominant 2-0 victory over Manchester City, extending their lead at the top of the table to 11 points over Arsenal.
Mohamed Salah was once again the star of the show for Liverpool, scoring his 30th goal of the season to break the deadlock, before providing the assist for Dominik Szoboszlai to double their advantage before the break.
This defeat came just days after Manchester City’s exit from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid, leaving them with yet another sobering blow as they now sit a daunting 20 points behind the league leaders.
Over the years, Liverpool have often fallen short in English football’s most high-profile rivalry, frequently coming up against Pep Guardiola’s dominant City side. However, with Arne Slot at the helm, Liverpool are now poised to match Manchester United’s record of 20 top-flight titles, potentially in only his first season in charge.
The pressure on Liverpool had increased following recent dropped points against Everton and Aston Villa, but Arsenal’s unexpected 1-0 defeat to West Ham eased some of that burden. A trip to the Etihad, long regarded as one of the toughest tests in English football, proved far less daunting this time, as City’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed and the absence of the injured Erling Haaland in attack proved costly.
In contrast, Liverpool had their talisman fit and firing, with Salah’s impressive tally of 25 goals and 16 assists in 27 Premier League appearances driving their charge. The Egyptian opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a brilliantly executed set-piece routine. Alexis Mac Allister’s corner was flicked on by Szoboszlai, allowing Salah to fire home, with the ball deflecting off Nathan Ake and beyond the helpless Ederson.
At the other end, City’s Egyptian international, Omar Marmoush, showed his finishing ability but was ruled offside after a pass from Phil Foden. Meanwhile, Jeremy Doku, who had given Trent Alexander-Arnold trouble throughout the match, struggled to deliver a decisive cross or shot.
Liverpool were clinical in their counter-attacks. Salah capitalized on a long ball and set up Szoboszlai, who calmly wrong-footed Ederson to double Liverpool’s lead. The scoreline could have been even more emphatic if not for a few missed opportunities. Curtis Jones had a third goal ruled out for offside, while Szoboszlai was denied by a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Abdukodir Khusanov. Ederson also had to pull off a sensational save to deny Luis Diaz.
Marmoush, fresh off a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Newcastle, continued to be a threat, flashing another effort just wide of Alisson Becker’s goal. But despite dominating possession with nearly 70%, City struggled to create meaningful chances and lacked the clinical finishing needed to make their possession count.
This was City’s eighth league defeat of the season, but they remain in fourth place and will be confident of securing a Champions League spot next season, with a top-five finish looking increasingly likely. However, after an unprecedented four consecutive titles, City now appear to be a team in transition, while Liverpool are closing in on the crown they have long coveted.
AFP
