Man City Star Delivers Masterclass Performance to Demolish Liverpool in Spectacular Fashion

Manchester City delivered a masterclass at the Etihad Stadium, crushing Liverpool 3–0 with one of their finest displays of the year on Sunday afternoon.

Erling Haaland's 99th Premier League strike opened the scoring in the opening period, before Nico González extended City's lead moments before the interval.

However, the match belonged to Jérémy Doku. The Belgian winger delivered a spectacular display throughout and capped his outstanding performance with a stunning strike to secure City's third goal.

Pep Guardiola's team completely outclassed the defending champions on the milestone of his 1,000th match as a manager, delivering a clear message that they will be serious title contenders this campaign.

This victory propels City to second place in the Premier League table, entering the international window just four points behind league leaders Arsenal.

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

Only Spurs and Aston Villa have kept Erling Haaland at bay this season, across all games for club and country. pic.twitter.com/tYtEF9hSMe

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—7.5: Faced minimal pressure throughout but responded well when called upon.

RB: Matheus Nunes—8.4: Nunes was impeccable defensively while consistently pushing forward on the right flank, contributing an assist. Outstanding display.

CB: Rúben Dias—7.7: Dias orchestrated an impressive defensive performance from City's backline.

CB: Joško Gvardiol—7.1: The Croatian defender maintained his reliable presence in City's defense, dealing with every Liverpool attack confidently.

LB: Nico O'Reilly—8.1: The youth product neutralized Mohamed Salah throughout the match and earned an assist to complete a composed showing.

CM: Nico González—8.4: Among his finest performances this season. The Barcelona academy product controlled the midfield battle, disrupting Liverpool's rhythm. Capped it with a goal too.

CM: Bernardo Silva—7.7: City's skipper delivered another consistent performance. While he may not grab headlines, his influence was evident throughout the team's excellent display.

RW: Rayan Cherki—6.3: Arguably City's least effective attacking player. He showed glimpses but generally lacked precision and quality in crucial moments.

AM: Phil Foden—7.2: Orchestrated City's offensive play once more, maintaining his excellent recent form.

LW: Jérémy Doku—9: Absolutely brilliant. Tormented Conor Bradley all evening and proved City's most threatening attacking threat.

ST: Erling Haaland—7.3: Squandered a penalty but quickly redeemed himself with his 14th league strike of the campaign. His combination play continues to develop impressively.

Subs not used: James Trafford (GK), John Stones, Nathan Aké, Rico Lewis, Rayan Ait Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, Oscar Bobb.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Giorgi Mamardashvili; Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Florian Wirtz; Hugo Ekitiké.

Subs used: Milos Kerkez, Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez, Federico Chiesa.

Player of the Match: Jérémy Doku

Man City 3-0 Liverpool—How It Unfolded at the Etihad

Jeremy Doku was without a league goal since January.

Today he decided to terrorise the Liverpool defence from the first whistle and score a screamer to all-but end the contest. pic.twitter.com/ZwGB1kZb91

City dominated the opening stages and could have taken the lead within the first quarter-hour. Jérémy Doku was fouled in the box, but Erling Haaland's penalty was too predictable and Giorgi Mamardashvili redeemed himself after conceding the spot-kick by stopping the Norwegian's effort.

However, Haaland's wait wouldn't last much longer. Matheus Nunes delivered a cross and Haaland outjumped Ibrahima Konaté, directing his header precisely to net his 14th Premier League goal of the season approaching the 30-minute mark.

Virgil van Dijk believed he had leveled before halftime, but his header was ruled out after VAR spotted Andrew Robertson in an offside position, interfering with Gianluigi Donnarumma's save attempt.

After surviving that scare, Guardiola's team extended their lead just before the interval. Nico González unleashed a long-range effort that took a deflection off Van Dijk, leaving Mamardashvili helpless as the ball found the net.

Two down at half-time, and it's no surprise for Gary Neville based on this Liverpool performance. pic.twitter.com/E0CCxE2zSY

City's superiority persisted in the second half. Shortly after the hour mark, Doku produced a magnificent strike, drifting in from the wing and bending a long-range shot to complete one of the season's most impressive individual displays.

The defending champions attempted a comeback as time ticked away, but Arne Slot's team struggled to create clear opportunities and failed to capitalize on the few chances they managed.

The home side comfortably managed the remainder after their third goal. Guardiola's squad coasted to victory without significant pressure, completing what was arguably their finest performance of the campaign.

Man City vs. Liverpool Half-Time Stats

Man City vs. Liverpool Full Time Statistics