Manchester City destroy lethargic Liverpool in Pep Guardiola's 1000th game
Manchester City's Belgian midfielder Jeremy Doku (L) celebrates scoring a smashing third for City. Pic: Darren Staples/Getty
PEP Guardiola celebrated his 1000th game in management in style by emphatically putting his footballing bete noire to the sword.
No other team can boast more than the 10 defeats inflicted on the Spaniard by Liverpool, but an utterly lethargic display by the visitors ensured an 11th never remotely looked on the cards as they slid to defeat against their title rivals for the first time in more than two-and-a-half years.
Erling Haaland could even afford to miss an early penalty before atoning with his 99th Premier League goal as a seventh consecutive home win pushed City second, four points behind Arsenal, with a similar lead over their vanquished rivals, who are back in eighth.
For the record, it was Pep's 716th win as he memorably racked-up four figures. The meeting of the two clubs to share the Premier League for the past eight seasons turned into a soggy mis-match beneath the unremitting Mancunian downpour.
Arne Slot, the only manager with a 100 per cent against Guardiola over more than one game after sealing the double over City in his first season, tamely surrendered his proud record as Jeremy Doku took centre stage for the hosts.
Haaland's afternoon hardly got off to the most auspicious start as inside the opening quarter of an hour, the Norwegian fluffed his lines from the spot for only the third time in his last 20 attempts.
Chris Kavanagh initially ignored City claims as Doku went to ground after minimal contact with Giorgi Mamardashvili's left knee when the forward cut into the box. VAR invited the referee to review his decision, and Kavanagh's mind was swiftly changed in favour of the hosts.
Although Haaland's spot-kick was well struck, the Georgian international was smartly down to his left to push the ball to safety. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, no goalkeeper has saved more penalties in Europe's big-five leagues than Mamardashvili's impressive tally of half a dozen.
City's talisman didn't have long to stew on his rare failure as he broke the deadlock just before the half hour when he finished off a classic Guardiola-esque move.
All 10 outfield players touched the ball in a slick 20-pass move from tight to their own corner flag before, as Liverpool stood off, Matheus Nunes delivered a cross from the right which brushed off the head of Ibrahima Konate a split second before Haaland's forehead sent a looping header into the bottom corner.
There was time for two more pivotal moments before the interval, both involving Virgil van Dijk.
The Liverpool skipper thought he had levelled with a thumping header from a 38th minute corner. However, the effort was ruled out after review for offside against Andy Robertson, although it was debatable whether the Scot was interfering with play as he crouched out of the way, not directly in the line of sight of City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Things got worse for the visitors three minutes into first-half stoppage-time when Nico Gonzalez was given far too much time to try his luck from 20 yards. The Spaniard's low shot deflected off a leaden-footed van Dijk and past Mamardashvili to leave Liverpool with a mountain to climb.
Despite an improved second-half showing, it was one they rarely looked like scaling. Cody Gakpo should have done better from a narrow angle shortly after coming on for the ineffectual Hugo Ekitike but in truth the visitors had looked a spent force from very early in the contest.
Doku marked his 100th City appearance with the third just after the hour, curling a sublime effort into the top corner from the edge of the box from Nico O'Reilly's pass to condemn Liverpool to a fourth consecutive away league defeat for the first time in 13 years.
Donnarumma saved well from Dominik Szoboszlai and when the otherwise anonymous Mo Salah put a presentable chance wide at the death, the end of Liverpool's 14-month, 44-game league scoring streak was nigh.
Donnarumma 7; Matheus Nunes 8, Dias 7, Gvardiol 7, O'Reilly 7; Bernardo Silva 7, Gonzalez 7, Foden 6; Cherki 6 (Savinho 53, 6), Haaland 7, Doku 9 (Marmoush 74, 6). Booked: Gonzalez, Bernardo Silva.
Mamardashvili 6; Bradley 7 (Gomez 83, 6), Konate 4, van Dijk 5, Robertson 5 (Kerkez 56, 5); Gravenberch 5, MacAllister 5; Salah 3, Szoboszlai 4, Wirtz 4 (Chiesa 83, 5); Ekitike 4 (Gakpo 56, 5). Booked: MacAllister, Bradley.
Chris Kavanagh.
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