The Reds were brought back down to earth with a bump at the Etihad.
Manchester City offered Liverpool a belated tip of their power as they surged their newly-crowned followers as Premier League champions 4-0 at the Etihad Arena.
The inspiring Kevin De Bruyne started the thrashing from the penalty spot with Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden likewise on target prior to an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal.
It a suddenly squashing and sobering defeat for the Merseysiders in their first match because dismissing City and declaring their first title in 30 years recently.
Manchester City form a guard of honour for newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool (Laurence Griffiths/NMC Pool/PA)
Liverpool began brilliantly and strike a post early on through Mohamed Salah however it was nearly all one-way traffic afterwards, with City playing down the 23- point distinction in between the sides.
After losing just one other match all season and their long-lasting goal accomplished, Liverpool might possibly be permitted an off-night. For City, nevertheless, with their ever-demanding manager Pep Guardiola targeting more prizes, their season is still very much alive– and it revealed.
The celebration was an unusual one without the raucous environment that would generally be anticipated of such a top-of-the- table clash and City offering their visitors a guard of honour.
Yet while the game did not have the typical sound, there was still lots of it in the early phases as a series of loud fireworks were triggered outside the ground.
The game began at a vibrant pace with Gabriel Jesus putting the ball in the net just to be flagged offside and Salah screening Ederson with a sharp volley.
Kevin De Bruyne motivated City to a positive triumph (Dave Thompson/NMC Pool/PA)
Andrew Robertson obstructed efforts from Foden and De Bruyne prior to Salah went near opening the scoring with a low shot against a post on 20 minutes.
That was as great as it got for Liverpool as City took charge after Joe Gomez was punished for lowering Sterling. The set had actually clashed when the sides met at Anfield in November– with ill sensation spilling over into the England camp– and this time Gomez got Sterling as he attempted to twitch through the area.
De Bruyne stepped up to take the resulting spot- kick and calmly sent out Alisson Becker the incorrect way, highlighting his newly found status as City’s chief penalty- taker.
Sterling doubled the lead 10 minutes later on following another swift break triggered by De Bruyne. Foden selected Sterling with a fine pass and his first touch wrong-footed Gomez, producing the space to clip past Alisson.
By now City had the bit in between their teeth and they declared a dazzling 3rd prior to the break with a slick one-touch deathmove It concluded when De Bruyne snapped a Foden pass back into the 20- year-old’s course and he ended up strongly.
Phil Foden commemorates scoring Manchester City’s 3rd (Dave Thompson/NMC Pool/PA)
City revealed no indications of alleviating up after the break however Jesus fluffed a likelihood and Sterling had another effort deflected broad prior to Virgil Van Dijk cleared off the line from Foden.
Liverpool briefly threatened when Sadio Hair won a foul on the edge of the area after a push by Kyle Walker. VAR did look for a possible penalty however it was provided as a free-kick and Trent Alexander-Arnold shot broad.
It was just a quick disturbance to City’s circulation, with the 4th goal beginning 66 minutes when De Bruyne once again broke upfield and selected an unmarked Sterling in thearea Once again Sterling did whatever right and wanted to have actually declared his second of the night although the final touch came off Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Riyad Mahrez believed he had actually declared a 5th for City in interruption time however his strike was dismissed for handball by Foden.
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