Liverpool 0-3 Man City: The Blue Moon thrashed the Reds at Anfield as Haaland, Cherki & Doku score

Manchester City shut out all the noise and controversy to overcome a hostile Anfield atmosphere and beat 10-man Liverpool 3-0 on their return to Premier League action.

Match Report

Manchester City delivered a statement of intent in their first game since being found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial regulations, swatting aside 10-man Liverpool 3-0.

Sunday's contest at Anfield came amid the backdrop of the Premier League winning their case against Man City, who have appealed the result and maintain their innocence.

A vociferous home crowd jeered every touch and pass from City's players throughout, yet the league leaders demonstrated their class with a clinical, ruthless showing in the wake of Ryan Gravenberch's 62nd-minute red card.

Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku scored in the space of three minutes, before Rayan Cherki capped off a sensational team move.

Liverpool started brightly, yet City went closest to an opener when Antoine Semenyo's drilled cross skimmed through the six-yard box.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was forced into action at the start of the second half, with Liverpool having three shots in the space of a minute.

Donnarumma denied Lewis Koumas and Gravenberch before Alexis Mac Allister curled wide.

Haaland then spurned a brilliant chance when he was put through by Semenyo, but the match turned as Gravenberch received a harsh second booking for a challenge on substitute Doku.

City did not look back from there. Within three minutes, Haaland had slammed in a first-time finish after Doku's shot was deflected into his path.

Three minutes later, Doku curled a sublime finish over the top of Alisson.

Cherki added further gloss in the 78th minute, slotting home after a sensational move that involved 41 passes, which is the longest sequence resulting in a Premier League goal since Phil Foden netted against Nottingham Forest in September 2023 (46 passes).

Man City's show of defiance

While City lodge their appeal against the guilty verdict, their Premier League rivals will want to know what punishment is going their way, and there is definitely a shadow cast over the competition as it stands.

But all Enzo Maresca's team can do is focus on the here and now, and the here and now has them top of the Premier League, three points clear of Arsenal.

There were just two minutes and 37 seconds between Gravenberch being sent off for Liverpool and Haaland putting City 1-0 up, and it truly was a clinical showing from the visitors from then on.

Haaland has scored eight goals in his last eight appearances against Liverpool in all competitions – no other player has scored more than five goals versus the Reds since he joined City in 2022.

Doku scored his 12th Premier League goal, but only his second as a substitute (also October 2024 v Fulham) – he is the third sub to score at Anfield for City in the competition after George Weah in September 2000 and Bernardo Silva in January 2018.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are now winless in eight in the Premier League when facing the team starting the day top of the league (D6 L2), their second-worst run behind nine matches between 2002 and 2008.

Andoni Iraola, whose unbeaten start has come to an end, may point to that dubious decision to send Gravenberch off, but overall, his team were second-best.

The Reds only registered 0.86 expected goals, with just 0.38 xG coming from open play. For a team littered with big-money attackers such as Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, and backed by a fierce crowd, more might have been expected.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

0' Manchester City club executives watch from the stands

1

0' Mac Allister challenges for the ball, both teams get into a brief scuffle

1

0' Match Event for Liverpool vs Man City

4' Kerkez's cross goes out over the byline first, Wirtz heads into the net but the goal is disallowed

1

8' Yellow Card! Araujo booked

1

14' Gravenberch breaks forward and plays a through ball to Wirtz

1

19' Jacquet with a great tackle to stop a City attack

1

20' Jacquet heads away

1

20' Nunes slides in to deny Barcola, but concedes a corner

1

22' Guehi clears the ball in front of Donnarumma

1

25' Wirtz takes a heavy touch

1

30' Nunes lofts a cross, Enzo is offside

1

33' Mac Allister attempts an overhead kick

1

33' Munoz denied by Donnarumma

1

34' Match Event for Liverpool vs Man City

35' Alisson saves well from Fernandez

1

39' Mac Allister fouls while pressing and sparks another clash

1

40' Semenyo sends a shot miles over the bar

1

40' Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo are in the stands

1

42' Donnarumma dribbles past the opponent in front of goal

1

44' Highlight from Liverpool vs Man City

46' Guehi blocks a shot from Wirtz

1

47' Highlight from Liverpool vs Man City

48' Match Event for Liverpool vs Man City

49' Match Event for Liverpool vs Man City

50' Highlight from Liverpool vs Man City

53' Highlight from Liverpool vs Man City

55' Highlight from Liverpool vs Man City

61' Highlight from Liverpool vs Man City

62' Red Card! Sent Off

65' GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Man City (Erling Haaland)

65' Match Event for Liverpool vs Man City

68' GOAL! Liverpool 0-2 Man City (Jérémy Doku)

75' Highlight from Liverpool vs Man City

78' GOAL! Liverpool 0-3 Man City (Rayan Cherki)

80' Match Event for Liverpool vs Man City

87' Highlight from Liverpool vs Man City

Line-ups

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Van Dijk, Araujo, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Barcola, Milos Kerkez, Wirtz, Víctor Muñoz, Jérémy Jacquet, Lewis Koumas

Subs: Endo, Joe Gomez, Tsimikas, Chiesa, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, James McConnell, Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha

Man City XI: Ruben Dias, Donnarumma, Elliot Anderson, Haaland, Guehi, Antoine Semenyo, Matheus Nunes, Cherki, Iliman Ndiaye, Enzo, Nico O'Reilly

Subs: Gerónimo Rulli, Kovacic, Doku, Gvardiol, Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Allan, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Vitor Reis