Liverpool strengthened their grip on the Premier League title race with a commanding 2-0 victory over Manchester City, as Mohamed Salah delivered a standout performance by scoring the opener and assisting Dominik Szoboszlai for the second goal on Sunday.
With this result, Arne Slot’s men now sit comfortably at the top of the table with 64 points from 27 games, extending their lead to 11 points over second-place Arsenal, who have a game in hand. Meanwhile, City find themselves in fourth place with 44 points, their pursuit of a historic fifth consecutive league title fading into a battle for a Champions League spot.
Salah wasted no time in making his mark, netting his league-best 25th goal of the campaign in the 14th minute.
His fierce strike from the edge of the box took a crucial deflection off Nathan Ake’s outstretched boot, leaving goalkeeper Ederson helpless.
Liverpool doubled their advantage in the 37th minute, capitalizing on City’s defensive lapses.
Salah turned provider, picking out an unmarked Szoboszlai in the box, who made no mistake in slotting the ball home.
As the rain poured down at the Etihad, the mood among City fans darkened, with many leaving their seats well before the final whistle, while jubilant Liverpool supporters chanted: “We’re going to win the league.”
The 32-year-old Salah has now contributed both a goal and an assist in 11 Premier League matches this season, matching a record set by Lionel Messi, who achieved the same feat for Barcelona during the 2014-15 season.
Despite being without star striker Erling Haaland due to a knee injury, City saw more of the ball, boasting 66% possession to Liverpool’s 34%. Remarkably, this was the lowest possession Liverpool had recorded in a winning effort since such statistics began being tracked two decades ago.
City did create opportunities, with Omar Marmoush—who recently notched a hat-trick against Newcastle, coming close to finding the net. His exquisite finish in the first half was ruled out for offside, and another effort in the second half narrowly missed the target, leaving Pep Guardiola visibly frustrated on the sidelines.
Liverpool also had a goal disallowed, as Curtis Jones sent the away fans into raptures before VAR intervened.
However, the Reds had already done enough, sealing a historic double over City by winning both home and away in a single season for the first time since 2015-16.
