Manchester City marked Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th match in management with a dominant 3-0 victory over Liverpool, closing the gap to four points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal. The emphatic win at the Etihad Stadium underlined City’s intent to challenge strongly for the title once again.
Despite missing an early penalty, Erling Haaland opened the scoring with a powerful header — his 99th Premier League goal. Nico Gonzalez doubled City’s lead after his shot deflected off Virgil van Dijk, and Jeremy Doku sealed the triumph with a stunning curling strike from outside the box.
Liverpool, who have now lost five of their last six league games, slipped to eighth place, eight points adrift of the top. The defeat highlighted the team’s recent struggles, despite encouraging wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid earlier in the week.
Guardiola, visibly emotional after the match, dedicated the victory to his players and staff. “Thank you to the players and staff for giving me that incredible present,” he said. “I told the players, ‘Don’t do it because Arsenal didn’t win yesterday — do it to believe in ourselves.’ We played against the champions of England and proved we can compete at that level.”
Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Sunderland on Saturday had given City a chance to close the gap, and they took full advantage with a performance full of energy and precision.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted his side were second best. “We need to improve and that’s obvious,” he said. “The first focus is getting results. The last thing we should focus on right now is the title race.”
Liverpool’s young full-back Conor Bradley, who impressed against Vinicius Junior in midweek, endured a difficult evening against Doku. The Belgian winger repeatedly exploited space down the left, winning the early penalty and later scoring the third goal with an exquisite finish.
City’s win extended their strong run, with 11 victories in their last 14 matches across all competitions. For Guardiola, it was a memorable milestone — one that reinforced his team’s reputation as Arsenal’s main title rivals and sent a warning to the rest of the Premier League.
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