By David Awopetu
Two horrendous errors from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker left Liverpool’s title defence hanging by a thread as Manchester City ran out 4-1 victors at Anfield.
With the score at one apiece and 17 minutes remaining, the ultra-consistent goalkeeper gave the ball away to Phil Foden who brilliantly set up Ilkay Gundogan for his second goal of the game.
Three minutes later, Alisson gave the ball straight to Bernardo Silva in the box and the Portuguese midfielder impudently scooped the ball over the Liverpool keeper for Raheem Sterling to nod home on the goal-line.
Foden put more gloss on the victory with a fearsome strike seven minutes from time, which powered through the Brazilian stopper’s hands en route to the roof of the net.
City’s comprehensive triumph, their first at Anfield since 2003 and Pep Guardiola’s first away to Liverpool as a manager, was achieved in such comfort that they were able to recover from Ilkay Gundogan’s first-half penalty miss.
The emphatic victory leaves City five points ahead of second-placed Manchester United, having played a game less – and 10 points ahead of Liverpool with a match in hand.
At the heart of it all was the brilliant Foden, head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch and flourishing even more when Guardiola cleverly removed Riyad Mahrez and placed the 20-year-old England international on the right flank.
He made two goals and scored a sensational fourth as City put down a marker and confirmed their status as the team to beat in the title race. It was also a 14th straight win, which equals the all-time winning run by an English top-flight team, shared with Preston in 1892 and Arsenal in 1987.
City have been growing in stature in recent weeks, imperious in defence and threatening in attack – but this ruthless dismissal of an opponent that has haunted them at Anfield in the recent past is their most powerful statement of intent yet.
