Manchester City hammered inconsistent Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad in Pep Guardiola’s 1000th game as a manager.
City bossed possession early on and were awarded a penalty 10 minutes into the game after a VAR review when Jeremy Doku was brought down by the leg of Giorgi Mamardashvili, but Erling Haaland’s spot kick was saved by the big Georgian goalkeeper.
Ryan Cherki saw his 16-yard effort blocked after a good combination between Haaland and Doku to set him up seven minutes later.
Haaland broke the deadlock and redeemed his earlier penalty miss with a dipping header from a well-placed Matheus Nunes cross just shy of the half-hour mark.
Doku soon got the chance to double the hosts’ lead after he skipped past Bradley, but Mamardashvili parried his effort away at the near post.
Virgil Van Dijk thought he had drawn his side level after he headed home Mohammed Salah’s cross from a corner, but Andy Robertson was caught offside, and the goal was ruled out.
Citizens pushed for a second and got it through Gonzalez just before the break after his long-range effort took a slight deflection off Van Dijk into the net from a short corner.
City began the second half with the same intensity, and Doku soon increased their lead just past the hour mark, unleashing a curler past Mamardashvili into the top corner as the Etihad erupted and applauded the Belgian’s man-of-the-match performance.
Liverpool had chances to reduce the deficit as Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action for the first time of the evening, palming away Szoboszlai’s ferocious strike, and Salah also fired wide when he went through on goal.
Nico O’Reilly had his sight at goal twice, as his first shot was fired well over from a clever Phil Foden pass. The teenager also blasted his second effort wide from a tight angle.
Manchester City moves up to second in the Premier League standings heading into the international break.