MANCHESTER: Liverpool took a massive step toward reclaiming the Premier League title with a dominant 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. The win, powered by Mohamed Salah’s brilliance, gave Liverpool an 11-point lead at the top of the table over Arsenal. Salah scored his 30th goal of the season early in the match before setting up Dominik Szoboszlai for the second goal just before halftime. City, still reeling from their Champions League exit to Real Madrid, struggled to break through Liverpool’s solid defensive structure and missed the presence of the injured Erling Haaland.
Despite Manchester City’s dominance in possession, Liverpool’s clinical finishing made all the difference. Salah opened the scoring in the 14th minute after a well-worked corner routine, flicked on by Szoboszlai, which took a crucial deflection off Nathan Ake before finding the net. City responded with attacking intent, but winger Jeremy Doku repeatedly failed to capitalize on opportunities. A potential equalizer was ruled out for offside when Omar Marmoush found the back of the net, highlighting City’s frustrations in the final third.
Liverpool nearly added to their tally in the second half, with Curtis Jones’ goal ruled out by VAR for offside, while Ederson made several crucial saves to keep the scoreline respectable. Luis Diaz and Szoboszlai both came close to extending the lead, with the latter denied by a last-ditch tackle from Abdukodir Khusanov. Meanwhile, City’s efforts in front of goal fell flat, with Marmoush flashing a shot across the face of Alisson Becker’s goal. The home side’s lack of a cutting edge ultimately proved costly, as Liverpool’s compact defensive shape nullified their relentless attacks.
The defeat marks Manchester City’s eighth league loss this season, leaving them in fourth place and scrambling to secure a Champions League spot. After dominating English football with four consecutive league titles, Guardiola’s side appears to be losing its grip on supremacy. Meanwhile, Liverpool, under Arne Slot’s management, are now just months away from equaling Manchester United’s record of 20 English top-flight titles. With Salah in red-hot form and their rivals faltering, the Reds are firmly in control of the Premier League title race.
