Three Takeaways From Man City’s Act of Defiance Against Liverpool and Anfield

Manchester City put Liverpool to the sword at Anfield, scoring three second-half goals to secure a commanding victory.

Cherki produced a piece of magic. | Tom Flathers/Manchester City FC/Getty Images

Manchester City extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with an ultimately comfortable 3–0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, making it six wins from six to maintain their perfect start to the season.

Heading into the game, the focus was as much on City’s ongoing financial case as it was on the soccer itself. With the club found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them, questions over potential punishments—including points deductions and stripped titles—continued to dominate the headlines.

It was perhaps fitting that their first game since the verdict should come against Liverpool, who were so often denied by City. Could the Reds get some kind of redemption? Could they halt a City side that had won all five of its opening league games? The atmosphere at Anfield certainly suggested the home crowd believed an upset was possible.

The answer, however, was a resounding no.

While City were not at their fluent best throughout, they capitalized on Ryan Gravenberch’s second-half sending-off to take control and secure a convincing victory thanks to goals from Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki.

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Man City Drown Out the Noise

Haaland scored again. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

City were unsurprisingly met with a hostile reception at Anfield, with the club’s impending punishment looming large over the occasion.

Fans lined the streets outside the stadium to make their feelings known, while boos rang out around the stadium as the teams took to the pitch. Liverpool’s players also appeared fired up, with a few heated exchanges and flashes of confrontation adding to the tension in the opening stages.

After the early hostility subsided, the game settled into a more familiar pattern. City were far from their best, but still dominated possession and created the clearer chances, as they so often do. Liverpool threatened in spells of their own, but Gravenberch’s dismissal for a second bookable offense midway through the second half shifted the balance firmly in City’s favor.

Haaland broke the deadlock with a fierce finish, before Doku curled home a superb second to put City in control. A moment of Cherki magic then capped off the victory, sealing an ultimately comfortable 3–0 win for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Despite the hostility and noise surrounding the club, City let their soccer do the talking.

Their performance may not have been flawless, but the result sent a clear message: whatever challenges await them off the pitch, they remain focused on winning—and their perfect start to the season shows no sign of slowing down.

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Wirtz Still Struggling

Wirtz didn’t make an impact. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Despite the scoreline, it was not all one-way traffic, particularly before Gravenberch’s red card. Liverpool started both halves brightly and showed enough attacking intent to suggest they could cause an upset.

Much of Liverpool’s attacking play ran through Florian Wirtz, but the big-money signing from Bayer Leverkusen last summer struggled to make his involvement count. The German repeatedly made poor decisions in promising positions, often passing when he had a chance to shoot and shooting when a teammate was better placed. His indecision was frustrating to watch and appeared to test the patience of those around him.

He also gave possession away on several occasions, struggled to impose himself physically and looked short of the confidence that made him such an exciting prospect at Leverkusen.

The bigger concern for Liverpool is that Wirtz’s struggles are becoming difficult to ignore, yet their options for replacing him are limited. That leaves Iraola with little choice but to keep backing the German and trust that he can eventually find his feet.

For now, though, Wirtz is continuing to fall well short of expectations.

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Liverpool Need a New Striker

Guéhi was too good for Koumas. | Isaac Parkin/Manchester City FC/Getty Images

With Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitiké all unavailable, Iraola handed young Lewis Koumas his first-ever Premier League start against City.

The Wales international showed plenty of effort, covering ground and chasing long balls while leading the line alone. However, the 21-year-old is simply not yet at the level Liverpool need to compete with the Premier League’s strongest sides.

That was particularly evident in his battle with Marc Guéhi. The City defender comfortably held Koumas off and kept him under control, while the young forward also missed a clear-cut chance in the second half.

Koumas should not be judged too harshly given the circumstances, but the performance highlighted Liverpool’s lack of attacking depth. With Ekitike expected to remain sidelined until November and Isak continuing to struggle with injuries, the Reds cannot afford to leave themselves so short up front.

Koumas may yet develop into a valuable first-team player, but expecting him to fill the void left by Liverpool’s established forwards is asking too much at this stage. If they are serious about challenging the likes of City, recruiting a proven, dependable striker in January should be a priority.

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