Manchester City’s 4-1 win over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium has put pressure on Arsenal in the race for the Premier League title.
Despite being without Erling Haaland due to injury, the defending champions responded emphatically to Mohamed Salah’s early goal, with Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Jack Grealish all finding the back of the net.
This win marks City’s fourth consecutive league victory, and it reduces the gap at the top to five points ahead of Arsenal’s game against Leeds United later on Saturday. City dominated possession throughout the game, with Liverpool unable to mount any serious challenge.
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The game saw Liverpool take the lead in the 17th minute, as they played out from the back before Trent Alexander-Arnold’s long ball found Diogo Jota, who raced through and held off Manuel Akanji before Salah ran onto the loose ball and smashed it into the net. However, City responded quickly, with Alvarez equalizing just ten minutes later.
It took less than a minute of the second half for City to go ahead as a long ball was played out to Riyad Mahrez, who played an inch-perfect ball across from the right to De Bruyne for a tap-in.
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Gundogan put away a close-range finish after good work from Alvarez to make it 3-1, and Grealish added a fourth following a neat one-two with De Bruyne to wrap up an ominous performance as far as Arsenal will be concerned.
This win dealt a significant blow to Liverpool’s hopes of securing a top-four spot, with Jurgen Klopp’s men now trailing Newcastle United by five points in fifth and Tottenham by seven points in fourth. Liverpool played out a back three and tried to hit City on the counter, but City’s dominance in possession and attacking threat proved too much for them.
Manchester City’s convincing win over Liverpool puts them in a strong position in the race for the Premier League title, with Arsenal feeling the pressure. City’s attacking prowess was on full display, and their defense stood firm when called upon.
As for Liverpool, their hopes of a top-four finish seem increasingly remote.