Leaders stretch gap at top to nine points

by


Liverpool secured a vital 2-0 victory over Manchester City at Anfield, putting them nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah were the heroes, with each finding the net to ensure the hosts claimed all three points.

The game began at a frenetic pace, with Liverpool immediately taking the initiative.

The Reds nearly broke the deadlock in the 11th minute when Virgil van Dijk’s powerful header from a corner rattled the post.

However, it didn’t take long for Liverpool to capitalise on their dominance. Just a minute later, a brilliant move down the right saw Trent Alexander-Arnold thread a precise pass to Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian, instead of shooting, selflessly squared the ball to Cody Gakpo, who slotted home from close range to give Liverpool an early 1-0 lead.

Manchester City, subdued in the first half, struggled to find their rhythm.

Pep Guardiola’s side was limited to speculative efforts, with a rare chance falling to Rico Lewis in the 39th minute, but his shot drifted wide.

The Reds entered the break with a well-deserved lead, having outplayed their visitors in nearly every department.

Guardiola made adjustments at the break, introducing fresh legs in Jeremy Doku and Savinho to inject pace and creativity into City’s attack.

The visitors saw more of the ball but lacked the cutting edge to truly test Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

The turning point came in the 77th minute when Darwin Nunez, recently introduced as a substitute, pressured City’s defence into a mistake.

Manuel Akanji’s weak header back to goalkeeper Stefan Ortega allowed Luis Díaz to pounce.

Ortega’s desperate lunge brought Diaz down inside the box, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.

Salah stepped up and coolly converted the penalty, doubling Liverpool’s advantage and all but securing the victory.

Tempers flared late in the game as Salah and Bernardo Silva exchanged words following a contentious challenge, but the situation was quickly defused.

Manchester City’s frustrations were compounded when Kevin De Bruyne, introduced as a substitute, was denied by a superb double save from Kelleher in the 83rd minute.




Leave a Comment