Liverpool opened up a nine-point lead at the top of the English Premier League as Manchester City's crisis deepened in a 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday (Dec 1). Cody Gakpo's 12th-minute goal was scant reward for the Reds' first-half domination and they sealed an 18th win in 20 games under Arne Slot thanks to Mohamed Salah's penalty. Man City are now 11 points off the runaway leaders down in fifth and winless in seven games, including six defeats.
Liverpool overawed arch-rivals Manchester City in a 2-0 win on Sunday (Dec 1) with goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah to take a commanding nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League and extend their opponents' slump to seven games without a win.
The result was City's first four-game losing streak in the Premier League since 2008 and pushed Pep Guardiola's struggling side down to an unfamiliar fifth in the table, 11 points behind their greatest rivals of recent years.
Buoyed by a midweek Champions League win over Real Madrid, Liverpool came out flying and could have wrapped the game up by halftime with a hatful of chances including two thundering Virgil van Dijk headers, one of which hit the woodwork.
The first goal came in the 12th minute after a sumptuous long pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold to Salah on the right wing. His low ball eluded Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega for Gakpo to nudge in at the back post.
Salah scored Liverpool's second with a 78th-minute penalty, after fellow striker Luis Díaz was brought down by Ortega in the box, sending the Anfield crowd into delirium.
The result was manager Arne Slot's 18th win in 20 games in a wonderful start at Liverpool where he has managed to add defensive steel and calm control to the furious attacking style of predecessor Jurgen Klopp.
Slot's team are top of the Champions League after a flawless start in that competition and have now taken an intimidating lead in the Premier League on 34 points after 13 games, nine points above both Arsenal and Chelsea.
Dominant from the off on Sunday, Liverpool had 18 shots including seven on target throughout the game, compared to City's eight with only two on target.
It was the first time in Guardiola's illustrious coaching career that he has lost four successive league games.
