Liverpool lost heavily to Man City with Erling Haaland opening the scoring almost as soon as Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, and Andoni Iraola having lots of work to do
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
It was probably not a coincidence that Little Lies by Fleetwood Mac was played as the fans filed out of Anfield. Manchester City's players, though, will feel they had the last laugh — for now, at least — regardless of whether anyone knows if any of it will actually count.
This was Liverpool’s joint-biggest margin of defeat at Anfield in the Premier League, with goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki following Ryan Gravenberch's red card. It was also another sign of the substantial amount of work that Andoni Iraola still has left before his side looks capable of competing at the top level.
But it is almost impossible to convincingly analyze the game as a purely football contest, given the context. Was it too a sham? And can you separate the art from the artist?
"I think it's obvious," Iraola claimed. "We've played two games today. One game until the 60th minute and then another game after the red card. We were the best team in the first game, and then they were better."
But that doesn't necessarily tell the full story, as harsh as Gravenberch's sending off was. Liverpool battled well to begin with, but before long, those in the stands had grown frustrated at the lack of cutting edge.
This group of Manchester City players deserves plenty of credit for its display — Elliot Anderson was sensational, for instance, and Enzo Fernandez was always going to relish the fight — but the wider questions remain substantial.
Erling Haaland of Man City is challenged by Florian Wirtz of Liverpool.
Erling Haaland of Man City is challenged by Florian Wirtz of Liverpool.(Image: Isaac Parkin/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
The images of Enzo Maresca's players celebrating at full-time will stick in the mind amid a chorus of ‘Cheats’ and various other barbs.
It doesn’t sit right that the juggernaut gets to continue on its current winning streak, given the seriousness of the guilty verdict. There isn’t really, though, any other viable option.
For Liverpool, the only thing it is possible to do is assess the performance that it produced. While there are mitigations, it wasn’t even close to being good enough.
Lewis Koumas did his utmost but Bradley Barcola was anonymous and Florian Wirtz poor. Without Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, Liverpool was blunted.
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Victor Munoz has raw speed, but the same adjective can be used to describe his overall game — no real criticism of him at this stage of his career, but a pointer toward the general 'work in progress' vibe.
The only proper option to change the game off the bench was 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha, and it is a particular worry that Liverpool’s squad looked so thin with eight more fixtures to come before the next international break.
Whether this result ultimately counts or not, however, in the context of the charges, Liverpool cannot overlook where it currently stands. Under Iraola, it has won just twice in six Premier League games, currently sitting just below Hull.
Whether Isak and Gakpo are back or not for next week's games with LASK and Brentford, the fixture schedule doesn't get any easier — nor the need to collect some more wins any less.