Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City: Reds defeat Cityzens to go 11 points clear at the top as City's woes continue

Liverpool established a significant 11-point lead over the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City, following a commanding 2-0 victory at Anfield.

This result left Pep Guardiola's side without a win in their last seven matches across all competitions, marking the most extended winless streak of his managerial career.

In response to the team's recent struggles, Guardiola opted for a change in goalkeeping, relegating Ederson to the bench and selecting Stefan Ortega to start.

Ortega was called into action early on as City endured a relentless series of attacks from Liverpool. He successfully thwarted two attempts from Dominik Szoboszlai before the Hungarian set up Virgil van Dijk, whose header struck the post.

The opening goal seemed inevitable, and as has often been the case at Anfield, it was a moment of brilliance from Mohamed Salah that delivered it. The Egyptian international executed a precise cross into the City area, where Cody Gakpo was positioned at the back post to score in front of the Kop.

Despite falling behind, City continued to attempt playing from the back, which led to further difficulties. Van Dijk missed another significant opportunity by heading wide, and Gakpo later shot over the bar.

Although Guardiola's team managed to reduce the number of Liverpool's attacks, they struggled to create any meaningful chances in their pursuit of an equalizer.

It was not until the 39th minute that City registered their first shot, with Rico Lewis's weak attempt missing the target, encapsulating a dismal first half for the champions.

This marked the longest period City has gone without a shot in a Premier League match since April 2010. While they appeared more threatening after the break, it was still Liverpool who continued to generate the majority of opportunities.

Gakpo had a shot thwarted by the retreating Matheus Nunes, while Van Dijk directed another opportunity over the crossbar.

The most significant miss was attributed to Salah, who seized upon a misplaced pass from Bernardo Silva to advance towards the goal, yet the Egyptian player sent his attempt over the bar.

What the hosts needed to secure the match was a second goal, and with 12 minutes remaining, they finally achieved what they had been striving for.

After Ruben Dias lost possession, Luis Diaz surged towards the goal but was brought down by Ortega, which allowed Salah to take the penalty kick and successfully convert it, redeeming himself for his earlier miss against Real Madrid and marking his 13th goal in his last 11 appearances against Manchester City.

Arne Slot’s squad has now triumphed over the champions of England, Spain, and Germany at Anfield this season, establishing a significant nine-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

In contrast, Manchester City finds themselves outside the top four after suffering their fourth consecutive league defeat, a first since August 2008.

SportsLigue