Manchester City delivered a resounding 5-0 thrashing to arch-rivals Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, extending their lead at the summit of the Premier League table.Manchester City delivered a resounding 5-0 thrashing to arch-rivals Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, extending their lead at the summit of the Premier League table. The home side started brightly and took the lead in the 21st minute when Ilkay Gundogan slotted home from the penalty spot after Sadio Mane fouled Bernardo Silva. Kevin De Bruyne doubled the advantage just three minutes later with a stunning long-range strike that left Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker rooted to the spot. Liverpool struggled to respond and were dealt a further blow when Mohamed Salah, their leading scorer, was forced off with an injury in the first half. City continued to dominate after the break, with Phil Foden adding a third goal just after the hour mark. Any hopes of a Liverpool comeback were extinguished when Riyad Mahrez made it 4-0 with a composed finish in the 81st minute. Julian Alvarez completed the rout in stoppage time, burying a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. The victory sees City extend their lead over Arsenal at the top of the table to five points, although the Gunners have a game in hand. Liverpool, meanwhile, remain eighth after suffering their third defeat of the season. It was a clinical and ruthless performance from City, who controlled the game from start to finish. De Bruyne was once again the star of the show, pulling the strings in midfield and creating numerous chances for his teammates. Liverpool, on the other hand, were well below their best and will have to regroup quickly ahead of their Champions League clash with Napoli on Wednesday.
