Liverpool fell to a narrow 2–1 loss against Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon in a tense Premier League encounter that swung dramatically in the second half.
The visitors wasted no time asserting themselves, creating danger almost immediately after kickoff. Within the opening minute, Bernardo Silva slipped a clever pass through to Erling Haaland, but Alisson Becker reacted sharply, rushing off his line to block and prevent an early breakthrough.
City kept pushing in the early stages, with Abdukodir Khusanov meeting a Silva delivery but sending his header over the bar as the away side controlled possession and territory.
Liverpool struggled to create clear opportunities for much of the first half. Their first real opening came around the 25th minute when Alexis Mac Allister produced a neat through ball for Mohamed Salah.
However, the Egyptian forward could not sort his feet out in time to get a proper attempt on goal. Manchester City continued to dictate the tempo and looked more threatening overall, yet they were unable to convert their dominance into a goal before halftime. The Reds, on their part, went into the break without registering a single shot on target.
After the restart, Liverpool showed more urgency and attacking purpose. They pushed higher up the pitch and began testing City’s defense more frequently.
Dominic Szoboszlai tried his luck from distance, forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma into a solid save. Shortly after, Hugo Ekitike attempted a curling effort that drifted just wide of the post. City responded with a chance of their own when Antoine Semenyo fired toward goal, but Alisson was equal to it and made the stop to keep the scores level at that stage.
Liverpool continued to probe, and Salah delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area that looked inviting, only for Ekitike to send his header off target. The pressure finally paid off in the 74th minute when Szoboszlai stepped up and brilliantly converted a free-kick, striking it cleanly past Donnarumma, who was left standing with no chance.
The lead, however, did not last long. Manchester City hit back as Bernardo Silva made the most of a Haaland header, guiding the ball beyond Alisson to bring the visitors level. Momentum then swung fully in City’s favor. Soon after, Haaland put them ahead from the penalty spot, calmly converting to claim his first Premier League goal at Anfield.
Liverpool’s problems worsened late in the match when Szoboszlai was shown a red card for bringing down Haaland as the last defender, leaving the home side with ten men and little hope of a comeback. The result confirmed a league double for Manchester City over Liverpool for the first time since the 1936/37 season.
Despite the victory, Guardiola’s team remain six points behind league leaders Arsenal, who secured a win over Sunderland a day earlier.
