Liverpool surged 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League after a Mohamed Salah-inspired 2-0 victory over Manchester City.
2024/2025 Premier League
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Match Report
The distance between these teams has not been as great since Liverpool last won the league in 2019-20, and Arne Slot's Reds made their quality count at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Salah scored one and set up another in a brilliant first-half performance from Liverpool.
The Egypt international got the ball rolling in the 14th minute, when his first-time strike from Dominik Szoboszlai's cute flick deflected in off Nathan Ake.
City, without the injured Erling Haaland, had their moments, with Omar Marmoush seeing a goal disallowed for offside, but Liverpool made it 2-0 when Salah brilliantly teed up Szoboszlai in the 37th minute.
1 - Mohamed Salah has both the most goals (9) and most assists (6) of any player against sides managed by Pep Guardiola in his top-flight league managerial career. Thorn. pic.twitter.com/BmyfSCy5IJ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2025
Szoboszlai looked to have turned provider for Curtis Jones to score Liverpool’s third in the 56th minute, but the Hungary international had just strayed offside, with the goal disallowed after a VAR review.
Marmoush went close immediately after, with Alisson making a smart save, but City never truly threatened a comeback as Liverpool claimed their first league win at the Etihad since November 2015.
Data Debrief: Magnificent Mo continues to dazzle
Salah has now scored both the most goals (nine) and most assists (six) of any player against sides managed by Pep Guardiola in his top-flight league managerial career.
He is the first player in Premier League history to score and assist in both games against the reigning champions in a season, while he is also the first player in the competition to have been involved in 40+ goals in two different seasons.
The 32-year-old has now both scored and assisted a goal in 49 separate league matches in his career in Europe's big-five leagues. Since Opta have this data available (from 2006-07), only Lionel Messi (102) and Cristiano Ronaldo (65) have done so more in those divisions.
40 - Mohamed Salah is the first player in Premier League history to be involved in 40+ goals in two different seasons.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2025
42 in 2017/18 (32 goals, 10 assists)
40 in 2024/25 (25 goals, 15 assists).
Legend. pic.twitter.com/CCV0j3lYN6
This was also the 11th league match this term in which Salah has both scored and assisted. That is the most such occasions by a player in a single season in one of Europe's big five leagues since Messi for Barcelona in 2014-15 (11).
He needs just one more away assist and one more away goal to set league records in both categories, too.
Salah has provided 11 assists on the road this season, and has scored 16 away goals.
Liverpool actually had fewer shots (eight to 16) than City, but their slightly higher expected goals (0.71 to 0.63) shows the Reds created the better chances overall, and they were ultimately comfortable as they took a huge stride towards winning the title.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
2' Erling Haaland is absent from the squad and watching the game on the stand
2' Highlight from Man City vs Liverpool
5' Doku goes past Trent Alexander-Arnold twice as the hosts launch another attack
6' Match Event for Man City vs Liverpool
8' Foden has a shot which is saved by Alisson
9' Rico Lewis aren't happy with Robertson's challenge on the Man City defender
11' Match Event for Man City vs Liverpool
12' Salah is charging down the right but City defence sprints back to surround him
14' Salah opens the scoring for the league leaders! Man City 0-1 Liverpool
14' Match Event for Man City vs Liverpool
18' Highlight from Man City vs Liverpool
20' Doku is toying with Trent as the City winger is going past Reds defender at will
22' Marmoush bends a shot towards the bottom corner but Alisson saves it
26' Match Event for Man City vs Liverpool
29' Phil Foden takes a free-kick but it's an easy catch for Alisson
30' Marmoush equalises with a sweet finish into the bottom corner but it's OFFSIDE
32' Alexis Mac Allister is down and needs some treatment
34' Trent Alexander-Arnold's attempted ball into the six-yard box is cut out
37' Szoboszlai scores into bottom corner from Salah's pass! Man City 0-2 Liverpool
40' Match Event for Man City vs Liverpool
45' Match Event for Man City vs Liverpool
47' The half finished with De Bruyne slashing a shot way wide of the Liverpool goal
48' Match Event for Man City vs Liverpool
51' Marmoush catches Jones late and that's a sore one for the Liverpool man
52' Salah uses the outside of his left boot to send the ball towards the far post
56' Highlight from Man City vs Liverpool
56' Jones slots into an open goal but it's ruled out as Szoboszlai is OFFSIDE
59' CLOSE! Marmoush sends a shot just wide of the far post
61' Kevin de Bruyne concedes a corner, but Robertson blazes a shot off target
64' Luis Diaz forces Ederson to make a great save
66' Highlight from Man City vs Liverpool
66' Kevin de Bruyne makes way for James McAtee
68' Highlight from Man City vs Liverpool
72' Doku tests Alisson with a bouncing strike but into the arms of the goalkeeper
74' Andy Robertson and Curtis Jones are replaced by Kostas Tsimikas and Wataru Endo
75' Almost for Manchester City, but Rico Lewis sends the ball into the side-netting
75' Highlight from Man City vs Liverpool
77' Ruben Dias, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic are on for City
79' Gakpo comes on to make his return from a short injury lay-off
Line-ups
Man City XI: De Bruyne, Ake, Ederson, Foden, Omar Marmoush, Nico González, Doku, Gvardiol, Lewis, Savinho, Abdukodir Khusanov
Subs: Gundogan, Ortega, Kovacic, Grealish, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes, McAtee, Vitor Reis
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Salah, Van Dijk, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Luis Díaz, Curtis Jones, Gravenberch
Subs: Endo, Tsimikas, Jota, Kelleher, Gakpo, Chiesa, Nunez, Elliott, Quansah