It was a night of dominance, drama, and milestones at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City swept aside Liverpool 3–0 in a commanding English Premier League display on Sunday — a match that also marked Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th game as a manager.
The champions-elect were in ruthless form from start to finish, with Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez, and Jeremy Doku all on target in a performance that showcased City’s trademark control and precision.
Haaland, who had earlier missed a penalty following a VAR review, made amends in the 29th minute, guiding a looping header beyond Giorgi Mamardashvili to notch his 99th Premier League goal — a remarkable feat for a player still only in his mid-twenties.
Liverpool briefly thought they had found a lifeline when Virgil van Dijk headed home from a corner, but the goal was ruled out for offside against Andy Robertson, leaving manager Arne Slot fuming on the touchline.
City pressed on undeterred. Just before the break, Gonzalez’s effort took a wicked deflection off Van Dijk to make it 2–0, before Doku added a third with a sublime curler from the edge of the box — a goal that underlined the Belgian’s growing influence in Guardiola’s setup.
The victory lifted Manchester City to second place on the table with 22 points, four adrift of early leaders Arsenal, while Liverpool slipped to eighth. For Guardiola, it was a fitting way to mark a personal milestone — one that reminded the Premier League of City’s enduring hunger and class.
