Reds storm Etihad as Liverpool crush Man City's title hopes

The result has edged the Reds closer to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight crown, while piling further misery on a faltering City side.

Arne Slot, Liverpool's head coach, hailed the triumph as a rare feat. "Winning at the Etihad doesn't happen often," he said post-match. "It was my first time here, but not many teams leave with three points. We had to defend hard and suffer, especially in the first half when they dominated possession and looked dangerous.

"The second half was different, we controlled their attacks much better and hit them on the break."

The breakthrough came early when Dominik Szoboszlai's clever flick from an Alexis Mac Allister corner found Mohamed Salah, whose effort deflected off Nathan Ake to wrong-foot Ederson.

City responded with intent, only to see Omar Marmoush's strike chalked off for offside. Liverpool, though, stuck to their game plan, absorb pressure, strike fast. Trent Alexander-Arnold's pinpoint ball over the top released Salah, who teed up Szoboszlai for a cool, low finish to make it 2-0.

Slot praised his team's resilience. "We've played plenty of games with the ball this season, but every side gets a chance or two on the counter. We took ours today," he said.

Despite the growing gap at the top, Slot kept his feet on the ground. "It's a great position, but we've got 11 tough games left. Just look at last week's scrap against Wolves, every match brings a challenge."

For Manchester City, the defeat marked another dent in a season plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Pep Guardiola, visibly frustrated, pointed to his depleted squad as a key factor. "We've missed that final step," he said. "Our pressing was good, the wingers were brilliant, but we lacked precision in the box. Liverpool are a fantastic side, stable, no injuries.

"We haven't had that luxury. With Rodri, Erling Haaland, John Stones, and others fit, we're a better team, but I won't say we'd have won today. The lads who played gave everything."

City's woes were compounded by missed chances and a lack of cutting edge. Ederson's late save denied Luis Díaz, while Liverpool had a Curtis Jones tap-in ruled out for offside. The hosts, once renowned for their Etihad comebacks, never looked like overturning the deficit as the rain-soaked crowd thinned out.

The victory completed a rare Premier League double over City for Liverpool, following their 2-0 win at Anfield in December. With Arsenal stumbling against West Ham earlier in the weekend, the Reds have seized control of the title race.

They now eye a League Cup final and a Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, while City's focus shifts to salvaging a top-four spot and a potential FA Cup run.

Post-match, Salah took to X, saying, "Big win, big performance from the lads. Onward and upward!" Meanwhile, Slot's latest comments on X praised the travelling fans: "The noise from our supporters was unreal, massive lift for us today."

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