Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-0 to go nine points clear

Liverpool crushed Manchester City in a 2-0 win on Sunday with goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah. The victory allows Liverpool to take a commanding nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League while extending their arch-rivals' slump to seven games without a win.

The result was City's first four-game losing streak in the Premier League since 2008 and pushed Pep Guardiola's struggling side down to an unfamiliar fifth in the table, 11 points behind their greatest rivals of recent years.

Already in impressive form after a midweek UEFA Champions League win over Real Madrid, Liverpool came out flying and could have wrapped the game up by halftime with a handful of chances that included two thundering Virgil van Dijk headers, one of which hit the woodwork.

The first goal came in the 12th minute after a sumptuous long pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold to Salah on the right wing. His low ball eluded Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega for Gakpo to nudge it in at the back post.

Salah scored Liverpool's second with a 78th-minute penalty, after fellow striker Luis Diaz was brought down by Ortega in the box, sending the Anfield crowd into delirium.

"It's very special and I don't take it for granted. It's always special to score at Anfield and win games," said Salah, who may have played his last home game against City amid speculation over his contract renewal.

The result was manager Arne Slot's 18th win in 20 games in a wonderful start at Liverpool where he has managed to add defensive steel and midfield control to the furious attacking style of predecessor Juergen Klopp.

Slot's team are top of the Champions League after a flawless start in Europe and have now taken an intimidating lead in the Premier League on 34 points after 13 games, nine points above both Arsenal and Chelsea.

Pressing relentlessly from the off on Sunday, Liverpool had 18 shots including seven on target throughout the game, compared to City's eight with only two on target.

Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander-Arnold, Gakpo and Salah all peppered Ortega's goal, as City looked shellshocked in the first half, even struggling to pass the ball out of defense where they have been masterful in recent years.

Rico Lewis' stab wide was City's closest chance, with Erling Haaland barely having a sniff.