Reds reduced to bit-part role as day belongs to Guardiola and his revamped City

As the two giant Etihad screens played a video created to mark Pep Guardiola's 1,000th game in management shortly before kickoff, the Liverpool fans entertained themselves by launching into a medley of terrace anthems.

- By PAUL GORST

That was about as much fun as they had all afternoon as Liverpool slumped to a miserable 3-0 loss against Manchester City, their fifth of the season.

Guardiola was treated to a sublime performance from his players. The Reds' role was reduced to a walk-on part.

The champions were deservedly beaten and the feelgood factor created by back-to-back victories over Aston Villa and Real Madrid has been deflated.

Instead, Arne Slot heads into a second successive international break tasked with sifting through the wreckage.

In a first half where Liverpool were a distant second, City had a penalty when the marauding Jeremy Doku, who gave Conor Bradley a tough examination, was judged to have been fouled by Giorgi Mamardashvili en route to goal after a mistake from Ibrahima Konate.

Erling Haaland was denied by Mamardashvili from 12 yards but the Norwegian goal machine would not be thwarted again.

After Matheus Nunes was given all the time in the world to pick his spot, the Portugal international planted a cross on the head of the Premier League's top goalscorer, whose effort gave the goalkeeper no chance. It was his 14th of the league campaign.