With Arsenal having beaten Sunderland on Saturday to open a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League, Manchester City knew nothing less than a win at Anfield would keep Pep Guardiola’s title hopes alive.

Before kick-off, Guardiola would have been aware that he had only one previous win at Anfield with City, and that came behind closed doors during the Covid-era restrictions.

Mutual respect

Arne Slot named an unchanged Liverpool XI from their previous game, while Guardiola made only one switch, bringing in Omar Marmoush for Rayan Cherki. Interestingly, Liverpool had lost both previous home league games under Slot when deploying an unchanged lineup (0-1 vs Nottingham Forest in September 2024, 1-2 vs Manchester United in October 2025).

Mo Salah made his 286th Premier League start for Liverpool, surpassing Pepe Reina in the club’s all-time appearance list. Bernardo Silva, meanwhile, made his 16th Premier League appearance against Liverpool—nine of them at Anfield—more than any other City player. Erling Haaland, with 20 goals before kick-off, immediately showed why he is leading the Golden Boot race, having the first shot on target within two minutes—the 88th attempt of his campaign so far.

City dominate early

By the 11th minute, City had taken three shots on goal, while Salah had only touched the ball once—the joint fewest with Haaland at that stage. By 20 minutes, Liverpool had completed just 45 passes, their lowest tally at Anfield since February 2014 (43 vs Arsenal).

Liverpool’s build-up problems were evident, particularly from the back. Virgil van Dijk struggled, completing only 64.4% of his passes, leaving City with ample space to press. The Dutchman has increasingly become a target for opposing teams.

Szoboszlai stands out

Dominik Szoboszlai was Liverpool’s standout player, winning six one-on-one duels in the first 30 minutes—three more than any other player on the pitch. He finished the match with 114 touches, 42 more than any teammate, recovered possession eight times (the most by any player), and registered two shots on target. His 12 entries into the final third matched only by City’s Marc Guehi highlighted his all-around performance.

Shift after half-time

At the break, Liverpool had yet to test Donnarumma, while City had 10 shots on target—their most in a first half at Anfield since Opta records began in 2003/04. Slot’s halftime team talk appeared to have an effect: 11 minutes into the second half, Liverpool had already taken four shots—more than in the entire first half. Possession swung heavily in their favor, peaking at 72%, though they could not convert dominance into goals immediately.

Szoboszlai’s midfield link-up with Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch began to create chances, but City remained steady, with Bernardo Silva and Matheus Nunes controlling the tempo when needed.

A stunning opener

The breakthrough came from a beautiful free-kick. Awarded just outside City’s box, Szoboszlai struck it perfectly, giving Gianluigi Donnarumma no chance. It was his fourth EPL goal of the season and his third direct free-kick, matching James Ward-Prowse’s 2022/23 tally. Remarkably, Liverpool had previously remained unbeaten in 12 games after scoring first, while City had never won when conceding early in their last four matches.

Liverpool collapse late

Despite Liverpool appearing in control, City turned the game on its head late. With six minutes remaining, Haaland’s penalty—earned after Alisson clumsily brought down Matheus Nunes—secured a 2-1 victory. Haaland scored his third successive penalty since missing one against Liverpool in November.

Rayan Cherki also found the net from his own half, only for VAR to intervene, disallow the goal, and see Szoboszlai sent off for holding Haaland in the ensuing scramble.

It was a harsh and dramatic end to another high-octane encounter between these Premier League giants, leaving Liverpool to rue missed chances and City to celebrate a vital, morale-boosting win.