Bernardo Silva and an Erling Haaland penalty snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after Dominik Szoboszlai’s unstoppable 74th minute free kick.
Rayan Cherki thought he had City’s third deep in stoppage time when rolling the ball in from the halfway line.
Instead, his effort was chased by Szoboszlai and Haaland, resulting in a red card for the Hungarian.
Anything other than just a third win at Anfield in the Premier League era would have felt cruel after a statement performance from Pep Guardiola’s side.
The win seals our first league double over Liverpool since 1936/37 and ensures we remain six points back from leaders Arsenal.
The game in 300 yards
In a stadium where City have often struggled to put our best foot forward, we could have been one up within two minutes as Bernardo Silva slid a pass into Erling Haaland only for Alisson to smother.
That was the outstanding moment in a frantic opening period which saw both sides pressing high and going from back to front at pace.
City settled into a domination of the ball as the heavens opened and the first half wore on, registering ten shots before the break.
Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush and Haaland all had half chances, but as the half-time whistle blew, we could only reflect on intangible positives without a goal to show for it.
The home side found some rhythm after the break, with Hugo Ekitike missing two golden chances wide of either post within 10 minutes of the restart.
It appeared the decisive moment came in the 74th minute when an unstoppable free-kick from distance was hammered in by Dominik Szoboszlai.
Instead City were galvanised, with captain Bernardo latching on to a Haaland flick to poke home his first of the season.
Our star man on the day grabbed the ball from the back of the net and encouraged us on.
And when Matheus Nunes was tripped by Alisson in the box, Haaland put us ahead from 12 yards out.
That wasn’t the end of the drama, with Gianluigi Donnarumma making a stunning diving save to deny Alexis Mac Allister.
We then thought we had a third when Alisson came forward for a set piece, with Rayan Cherki rolling the ball in from the halfway line for Szoboszlai and Haaland to chase after.
The Liverpool man pulled at Haaland’s shirt before the Norwegian did similar to Szoboszlai as the ball evaded any interference.
After wild celebrations, VAR intervened and determined a City free-kick and Szoboszlai red card to be the outcome.
It mattered little in the end, with City taking a breathless three points.
Teams
CITY XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov (Dias 61), Guéhi, Ait-Nouri, Rodri, Bernardo (c), O’Reilly, Semenyo, Marmoush (Cherki 61), Haaland
Subs: Trafford, Reijnders, Ake, Nico, Foden, Alleyne, Lewis
LIVERPOOL XI: Alisson, Szoboszlai, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike
Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Endo, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha
Pep’s reaction
“It was a brilliant advert for the Premier League.
“First half was really good and we lost a bit of momentum in the second half. Anfield can feel like that.
“After that, we played more direct and after that we lost the ball and we were so passive.
“What a strike from Szoboszlai and after that, led by our captain Bernardo, we come back.
“The spirit has been there and in general the first half was really good and second half a bit of fatigue.”
Star man
Bernardo Silva – The club captain was a fitness doubt ahead of this one, but watching him cover every blade of grass you’d never have known.
His tireless attitude to industrious running is matched only by his composure and control in tight spaces, ensuring City keep the ball against all odds.
He could have had an assist just 90 seconds in, working into a pocket and threading a delightful little pass in for Erling Haaland.
That was just the start of his excellent afternoon, finding room where there appeared to be none and linking the midfield to the attacking trio seamlessly.
And his fighter’s credentials were further proven by a goal that few others would score.
Bernardo reaction
“For me it’s the toughest place in the league by far.
“When I scored I was happy but we needed another one. Erling did that.
“Obviously we’re very happy but these points count as much as any other win.
“It was frustrating in the beginning of the year because we didn’t do our job properly.
“To get the first win here apart from the COVID year, you can imagine how hard it is. I’m very happy.”
Haaland’s away record
Erling Haaland’s first City goal at Anfield means he’s now scored at 23 of the 24 Premier League grounds he’s played at.
Sunderland’s Stadium of Light remains the only venue he’s not netted, after playing there for the first time on New Year’s Day.
His overall Premier League record is jaw-dropping, with 106 strikes in just 122 outings.
With 21 goals this term, he’s in pole position for a third Golden Boot in just his fourth season in England.
Guéhi’s day
The England international was a star and a quiet leader in just his third City outing.
In what is one of the hardest grounds in England for a visiting defender, Guéhi was more than a match in one on one’s with the ever-threatening Mo Salah and Hugo Ekitike.
The crowing defensive moment came in the 65th minute, when throwing himself in the way of a Florian Wirtz strike and diverting to safety.
He also appears to be striking up an understanding with central defensive partner Abdukodir Khusanov, who has just ticked over into his second year at City and put in another strong display until forced off through concussion after an hour.
On the ball, Guéhi’s decision making was exemplary.
Whether chipping into the forward line to turn our opponents around or joining in high up the pitch as we sought territorial advantage, our No.15 looks every inch the ready made defender for Pep Guardiola.
What it means
City remain second in the Premier League, with 50 points from 25 matches.
That tally leaves us six points back from current leaders Arsenal, with 13 games to go in the 2025/26 campaign.
It also marks only our third win at Anfield since the inception of the Premier League in 1992 and our first league double over Liverpool since 1937.
| 1 |
|
Arsenal
Arsenal
|
25 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 49 | 17 | 32 | 56 |
|
| 2 |
|
Manchester City
Man City
|
25 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 51 | 24 | 27 | 50 |
|
| 3 |
|
Aston Villa
Aston Villa
|
25 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 36 | 27 | 9 | 47 |
|
What’s next
City welcome Fulham to the Etihad Stadium in a 19:30 (UK) kick-off on Wednesday 11 February.
After a thrilling 5-4 victory at Craven Cottage earlier in the season, another entertaining clash against Marco Silva’s side awaits.
Tickets for this game are now on general sale, starting at £30 for adults and £15 for Under 18s. You can get three per person here!
And if you choose to make it a special evening in one of our hospitality areas, there’ll be even more to enjoy on top of elite football on the pitch!
Prices start from £180, while there’s an offer available when booking in the Legends Lounge or a Platinum Box experience - contact the sales team or enter the code Fulham%20 at checkout to access.
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