Doku dazzles as City mark Guardiola's 1,000th game with a ruthless 3-0 win over Liverpool
Manchester City turned a potential title-race arm-wrestle into a statement victory, beating Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad to celebrate Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th match in the dugout. With Arsenal dropping points at Sunderland, City seized the moment, climbing to second and trimming the gap at the top to four points.
Erling Haaland overcame an early penalty miss to head Manchester City in front. Virgil van Dijk saw an equaliser ruled out for offside. Nico González's deflected effort on the stroke of half-time widened the gap. The coup de grâce belonged to Jérémy Doku, whose irresistible 20-yard curler crowned a performance that repeatedly undid Liverpool down their right flank.
Haaland’s redemption and a cruel deflection