Manchester City celebrated Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th game as a manager in grand style, beating Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to move within four points of Premier League leaders Arsenal. Erling Haaland made up for an early missed penalty by scoring his 99th Premier League goal, before Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku sealed a comfortable victory for the champions.
Liverpool, who have now lost four of their last five league matches, struggled to match City’s intensity. The defeat leaves them sitting eighth in the table, eight points off the top. Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Sunderland on Saturday gave City the chance to close the gap, and Guardiola’s side took full advantage to remind everyone they remain Arsenal’s biggest title challengers.
Despite Liverpool showing glimpses of form in recent wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid, they were completely outplayed by a sharp and confident City side. Haaland missed a first-half penalty after being fouled by goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili but quickly redeemed himself with a looping header minutes later. Gonzalez doubled the lead when his shot deflected off Virgil van Dijk, leaving Mamardashvili helpless.
Jeremy Doku was City’s standout performer, tormenting Liverpool’s defence with his pace and skill. The Belgian winger capped his outstanding display with a stunning curling strike from outside the box to make it 3-0. Liverpool had a few chances to respond, but Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah both missed clear opportunities, summing up their disappointing afternoon.
The result highlighted the growing gap between the two clubs that once went head-to-head for the title. While Guardiola celebrated another milestone with his team looking unstoppable, Liverpool manager Arne Slot faces rising pressure after a £450 million squad rebuild that has so far failed to deliver. City, meanwhile, look well on course to challenge for another Premier League crown.