Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 65th minute, just three minutes after the sending-off, before Jérémy Doku doubled City’s advantage shortly afterwards with an excellent finish. Rayan Cherki added the third in a second half that swung decisively in the visitors’ favour after Gravenberch’s dismissal.
Heated atmosphere at Anfield after City ruling
There was already a highly charged atmosphere at Anfield before kick-off. It was Manchester City’s first Premier League match since an independent commission delivered its verdict on the club’s long-running financial rule breaches. City were found guilty on serious charges but have appealed the decision.
The issue carries particular significance on Merseyside, with Liverpool having finished runners-up to City in 2013/14 among other seasons. Any potential stripping of titles could therefore also affect Liverpool’s historical Premier League record. The hostility was evident from the stands, with City repeatedly greeted by loud boos.
On the pitch, Liverpool were without several important attacking players. Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai were all unavailable, handing Lewis Koumas his first Premier League start as the central striker. Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola and Daniel Muñoz operated behind him. City were much closer to full strength, although the suspended Phil Foden was missing and Doku began on the bench.
Liverpool’s press keeps City quiet for long spells
Despite the absences, Andoni Iraola opted for an aggressive approach. Liverpool pressed City’s build-up high up the pitch, tried to close the central passing lanes and looked to attack vertically as soon as possession was regained. Koumas and the three players behind him led the press, with Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister stepping up aggressively from midfield.
The plan worked surprisingly well throughout the first half. City had slightly more possession at 54 per cent but struggled to find clean routes into dangerous areas. The visitors did not register their first attempt until around the 35-minute mark. Liverpool, meanwhile, created a slight advantage in terms of chances without ever becoming truly threatening.
The expected goals stood at 0.42-0.07 in Liverpool’s favour at half-time. Neither side had created a clear-cut opportunity. Muñoz tested Gianluigi Donnarumma, Mac Allister sent an effort wide and Liverpool repeatedly won possession in promising areas, but the final pass lacked precision. City’s attempt to play through the pressure with patient circulation and the movements of Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernández and Cherki only worked intermittently.
Liverpool even increased the intensity after the break. Koumas and Gravenberch forced saves from Donnarumma, while Mac Allister narrowly missed the target. Haaland then had City’s first major opening at the other end, but dragged his finish wide after a pass from Antoine Semenyo.
Controversial dismissal turns the game
Gravenberch had been booked shortly after the restart and the decisive moment arrived in the 62nd minute. The Dutchman tried to stop the recently introduced Doku from launching a counter-attack, arrived late and caught the Belgian.
A booking for the tactical foul was certainly defensible, but the dismissal still felt particularly harsh overall, especially as Gravenberch’s first yellow card had itself been disputed.
Down to ten men, Liverpool dropped into a more compact shape but could no longer disrupt City’s circulation with the same intensity. The visitors enjoyed around 82 per cent possession over the following ten minutes, pushed their full-backs and attacking midfielders high up the pitch and forced Liverpool deep towards their own penalty area.
Haaland and Doku strike in quick succession
Just three minutes after the red card, City made it 1-0. Doku drove into the penalty area from the left and, although his initial action was blocked, the loose ball fell to Haaland. The Norwegian reacted immediately and powered a left-footed shot past Alisson.
Three minutes later, the contest was virtually settled. Anderson released Doku on the left, the Belgian cut inside and curled a superb effort into the top corner. The rapid second goal illustrated just how dramatically the balance of the game had shifted. Liverpool barely managed to escape their own half after falling behind, while City exploited the additional space with quick switches of play and constant positional rotations.
The third arrived in the 78th minute. During another extended spell of possession, Cherki intelligently allowed a pass to run before receiving the ball back following an exchange with Joško Gvardiol and finishing inside the box. The move typified City’s approach at that stage: the visitors patiently moved Liverpool from side to side until the opening appeared.
City’s 3-0 win flatters the visitors
City reduced the tempo and took fewer risks after the third goal without surrendering control. Haaland and Fernández were given a rest, while Liverpool managed only one notable late attempt through a Mac Allister free-kick. Cherki could even have added a fourth at the other end.
City deserved to win after the sending-off and their goals were anything but fortunate individual moments. With Liverpool a man down, the visitors were able to pin them deep, while Doku and Cherki increasingly found space around the defensive block and the quality of City’s chances improved considerably.
Across the full 90 minutes, however, the three-goal margin was excessive. Expected goals only narrowly favoured City at 1.30 to 0.86. Liverpool actually registered six shots on target compared with City’s four, although the visitors created the significantly better opportunities and held a 3-0 advantage in big chances. Before Gravenberch’s dismissal, there had been little to suggest such a one-sided final score.
Cherki was one of the decisive figures late in the match. In addition to his goal, he completed 64 of his 70 passes, created two chances and won seven duels. Anderson also impressed with his security in possession and provided the assist for Doku’s goal. At the other end, Donnarumma saved all six Liverpool efforts on target and ensured City did not fall behind during the hosts’ strongest spell. Wirtz and Koumas, by contrast, struggled to make a decisive attacking impact, although Liverpool’s numerous absences significantly limited Iraola’s options.
City stay perfect as Liverpool suffer first defeat
It was Liverpool’s first Premier League defeat of the season. The Reds remain on nine points after six matches and have, for the moment, lost ground on the leading sides.
Manchester City, meanwhile, remain perfect. Six matches, six victories and 18 points keep them at the top of the table, three points clear of Arsenal. The leaders were made to work hard at Anfield for almost an hour, but once Liverpool were reduced to ten men, they took full advantage.
