Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah provided Liverpool with a deserved win over Man City in front of a fervent Anfield crowd.
Liverpool 2-0 Man City
Premier League (13) | Anfield
December 1, 2024
Goals
Gakpo 12′ (assist: Salah)
Salah 78′ (pen)
The opportunity to go 11 points clear of Man City on the first day of December does not happen often, but that’s exactly the opportunity that Liverpool accepted at Anfield.
Arne Slot made four changes from the XI that started the win against Real Madrid, two of them enforced due to injury for Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley – in came Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez.
Dominik Szoboszlai replaced Curtis Jones in midfield, while Cody Gakpo came in for Darwin Nunez, meaning Luis Diaz was the centre-forward.
Liverpool started like a steam train, while City looked completely shell shocked by a fervent, high energy opponent and stadium. Anfield was raucous and Liverpool went close in the opening 10 minutes through Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk‘s header against the post.
It was Gakpo who opened the scoring to give Liverpool the lead they richly deserved, tapping in Salah’s cross at the back post as Anfield erupted.
It should have been 2-0 soon after when Van Dijk had another superb opportunity from a corner but his header went just wide. Liverpool were absolutely dominant.
City’s first shot of any type didn’t arrive until the 40th minute but Liverpool went into half time just a goal ahead.
Half time: Liverpool 1-0 Man City
An exquisite pass from Robertson put Gakpo in early in the second half, Ortega smothered the attempt and Van Dijk missed the header from the resulting corner.
Another absolutely nailed-on chance then fell for Salah as he raced clear but with all the time in the world he lifted the shot over the bar.
Salah, though, got his chance for redemption in the 78th minute when Diaz was brought down by Ortega and Salah kept his composure to slot the penalty into the bottom corner.
Anfield was loud, the Reds about to go 11 points clear of their opponents – and nine ahead of second-placed Arsenal.
‘Sacked in the morning’ came the chant from the Kop towards Pep Guardiola as his side closed in on seven games without a win, losing six of them.
TIA Man of the Match: Virgil van Dijk
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Liverpool: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold (Quansah 72′), Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah (Jones 85′), Diaz (Elliott 90′), Gakpo (Nunez 72′)
Subs not used: Jaros, Davies, Endo, Morton, Nyoni
Man City: Ortega; Moreno, Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake; Lewis, Gundogan, Nunes; Bernardo, Foden, Haaland
Subs: Ederson, Carson, Gvardiol, McAtee, O’Reilly, De Bruyne, Grealish, Doku, Savinho
Next Match: Newcastle (away, Wednesday 4 December)
