Haaland leads charge as City rip champions apart

It was all about which of these rivals could capitalise on Arsenal’s draw at Sunderland on Saturday, who could make a statement about their intention to chase down the Premier League leaders? It was Manchester City who cleared their throats and made it plain that they are in this race for the long haul. Liverpool barely got a word in.

- David Hytner

The table looks a lot more appealing for Pep Guardiola and his players now, City only four points behind Arsenal, and it was an occasion when they blew Liverpool away. They could shrug off the inconvenience of Erling Haaland missing a controversially awarded 13th-minute penalty to put on a show of strength, particularly in the first half.

It was Haaland, inevitably, who opened the scoring with his 19th City goal of the season and, after Nico González had benefited from a deflection off Virgil van Dijk in first-half stoppage time, the scene was set for the coup de grace.

Jérémy Doku was almost unplayable, a blur of tricks and direct running and his goal for 3-0 was a beauty, a quick move inside before the perfectly executed curler with his right foot into the far corner. He merited the ovation he got when he was substituted towards the end.

Liverpool cried foul over two decisions - both driven by the video assistant referee, Michael Oliver. They got away with the penalty when Giorgi Mamardashvili kept out Haaland’s kick but the sickener was when Van Dijk had a header for 1-1 ruled out after a corner. Andy Robertson was in an offside position close to Gianluigi Donnarumma and it mattered not that the City goalkeeper looked unlikely to make the save. It was a real letter of the law call.