Liverpool's Revival Crumbles as Woeful Display Against Man City Exposes Fatal Flaws

Liverpool were thoroughly outplayed by Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with the away side suffering a comprehensive 3–0 loss at the Etihad Stadium.

Many believed the title holders had overcome their autumn struggles following consecutive victories, but their display in Manchester was abysmal, especially during the opening 45 minutes.

The Reds showed improvement following the interval, having trailed 2–0 at the break, but Jérémy Doku's spectacular long-range effort after the hour sealed the victory and sparked celebratory "Blue Moon" chants throughout a delighted Etihad.

City capitalized on Arsenal's stumble at Sunderland, leaving Liverpool trailing the Gunners by eight points in eighth position.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Man City (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili—5.5: His penalty stop was superb, and he bore no responsibility for the goals conceded, yet he continues to struggle in bringing composure to Liverpool's defensive line.

RB: Conor Bradley—6.5: Having handled Vinicius Junior admirably, Bradley found himself tormented by Doku throughout Sunday's encounter. Despite Doku's excellence, the fullback showed commendable energy levels.

CB: Ibrahima Konaté—5.5: Konaté's campaign has been inconsistent thus far, and this display definitely belonged in the disappointing category. Sloppy throughout.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—5.7: An unusually unconvincing showing that lacked his typical commanding presence. Van Dijk struggled significantly.

LB: Andy Robertson—6.3: Central to the first half's main talking point, receiving harsh treatment from officials. At fault for allowing Matheus Nunes excessive space to set up Haaland's breakthrough goal.

CM: Ryan Gravenberch—5.4: Shifted to the right flank to compensate for Mohamed Salah's defensive negligence, but couldn't offer the required balance. Delivered several excellent passes after halftime to advance possession.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—5.3: The South American impressed midweek but was dreadful here. A display filled with wayward passes, struggling in physical battles. Slot should have introduced Curtis Jones earlier.

RW: Mohamed Salah—6.3: Largely contained by youngster Nico O'Reilly and squandered a clear one-on-one opportunity with ten minutes remaining.

AM: Dominik Szoboszlai—6.3: Liverpool's midfield was completely overrun in the first period, leaving Szoboszlai completely isolated. Provided more attacking impetus after the break.

LW: Florian Wirtz—6.2: The German delivered his finest Anfield performance on Tuesday, but this was another disappointing showing that Liverpool fans have become accustomed to witnessing.

ST: Hugo Ekitiké—5.8: Substituted before the hour without making any meaningful impact.

Subs not used: Freddie Woodman (GK), Wataru Endo, Rio Ngumoha, Alexander Isak.

Man City (4-1-4-1)

Starting XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly; Nico González; Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Jérémy Doku; Erling Haaland.

Subs used: Savinho, Omar Marmoush.

Liverpool Player of the Match: Jérémy Doku (Man City)

Player of the Match: Conor Bradley

Man City 3–0 Liverpool: How It Unfolded at the Etihad

An impressive midweek showing against Real Madrid prompted Slot to field an identical lineup in Manchester, with Liverpool seeking consecutive victories at the Etihad Stadium.

While their previous campaign's performance at this venue demonstrated championship qualities, Slot's team were clearly second-best to their opponents during Sunday's first half.

Pep Guardiola's skilled players easily bypassed Liverpool's lacklustre pressing, and a clever defensive strategy from former Reds coach Pep Lijnders frequently left the visitors stagnant. They nearly conceded early when City received a spot-kick following VAR intervention, as keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was adjudged to have fouled Doku.

Nevertheless, the Georgian goalkeeper redeemed himself with a fantastic save to thwart Erling Haaland from the penalty spot.

Some might have expected Mamardashvili's heroics to spark the sluggish Reds, but no revival materialized and City capitalized. A 20-pass move resulted in Haaland's somewhat fortunate opener, with Ibrahima Konaté's clearance deflecting perfectly off the striker's head.

Liverpool's only first-half highlight was negated by the assistant referee's flag, as Virgil van Dijk's leveler was disallowed for alleged Andy Robertson obstruction, despite the Scotsman not blocking Gianluigi Donnarumma's view.

The decision was questionable, and the defending champions couldn't use the controversy as motivation, with City maintaining dominance against opponents who appeared tired and lacking determination. Sensing vulnerability, the home side extended their advantage through Nico González's deflected long-range effort. Van Dijk's weak touch en route summarized Liverpool's woeful first 45 minutes.

Improvement was inevitable for the visitors after halftime, and they indeed started the second period with greater intensity. Liverpool discovered methods to exploit City's pressing and find space behind their defense, but after Rúben Dias brilliantly thwarted Mohamed Salah from potentially reducing the deficit and Cody Gakpo spurned a golden opportunity, the unstoppable Doku sealed victory with a stunning long-range strike.

Guardiola was satisfied allowing the Reds possession for the match's remainder, and Liverpool created several threatening moments in the final half-hour without genuinely threatening a comeback. Their first shot on target came in the 76th minute, when Donnarumma saved a powerful Dominik Szoboszlai effort.

Salah also chipped an attempt wide when through on goal against the Italian, and that opportunity proved to be Liverpool's final notable chance in their troubling defeat.

Man City vs. Liverpool Half-Time Stats

Man City vs. Liverpool Full Time Stats