Liverpool took a big step toward winning the Premier League title with a commanding 2-0 victory over Manchester City. The win pushed them 11 points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table, strengthening their grip on the championship race.
Mohamed Salah once again proved to be Liverpool’s key player, scoring the opening goal and providing an assist for Dominik Szoboszlai’s second just before halftime. The victory came at an important moment for the Reds, especially after being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid earlier in the week.
For Manchester City, the defeat was another painful setback. The defending champions are now 20 points behind Liverpool, making their hopes of retaining the title almost impossible.
Liverpool has often come close to toppling City during Pep Guardiola’s reign, but this season appears to be their time to shine. Under new manager Arne Slot, the Reds are on course to match Manchester United’s record of 20 English top-flight titles.
The pressure on Liverpool eased slightly before the game as Arsenal suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to West Ham. That result gave the Reds some breathing room after recent dropped points against Everton and Aston Villa.
Facing Manchester City at the Etihad has traditionally been one of the toughest challenges in English football, but City’s defensive struggles were on full display. Without the injured Erling Haaland, they also lacked a clinical edge in attack.
Liverpool, however, had no such issues. Salah continued his remarkable form, bringing his tally to 25 goals and 16 assists in 27 Premier League appearances this season. His goal came in the 14th minute after a well-worked set-piece routine. Alexis Mac Allister’s corner was flicked on by Szoboszlai, and Salah’s shot deflected off Nathan Ake before beating goalkeeper Ederson.
City nearly responded when Omar Marmoush found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. City winger Jeremy Doku caused problems for Trent Alexander-Arnold with his dribbling, but he failed to deliver a decisive cross or shot.
Salah was more ruthless. He latched onto a long pass and set up Szoboszlai, who finished past Ederson to double Liverpool’s lead before the break.
Liverpool had chances to make the scoreline even more one-sided in the second half. Curtis Jones thought he had added a third, but VAR ruled it out for offside. Ederson also made a brilliant save to deny Luis Diaz, while Abdukodir Khusanov produced a crucial tackle to stop Szoboszlai from scoring again.
Marmoush, who netted a hat-trick in last weekend’s 4-0 win over Newcastle, remained a threat and sent another effort just wide of Alisson Becker’s goal. However, despite enjoying nearly 70 percent possession, City could not break through Liverpool’s defense.
This defeat marked City’s eighth league loss of the season, but they remain in fourth place. With a top-five finish likely to secure Champions League qualification, they are still in a strong position to return to Europe’s elite competition.
