Six-minute blitz! Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku strike as Man City punish Liverpool after Ryan Gravenberch's red card sparks Anfield collapse

Red card changes the complexion at Anfield

The highly anticipated clash between the Premier League's heavyweights turned on its head during a chaotic second-half spell that left the Anfield faithful in stunned silence. After a relatively tight and cagey first hour, the deadlock was broken not by a goal, but by a moment of indiscretion from Ryan Gravenberch. The Dutch midfielder, who had already been cautioned earlier in the match, was shown his second yellow card for a foul on Jeremy Doku in the 62nd minute. Referee Chris Kavanagh had little hesitation in brandishing the red card, leaving Andoni Iraola's side to navigate the final half-hour with only ten men against the reigning champions.

Before the dismissal, Liverpool had looked competitive, with Victor Munoz proving to be a constant thorn in the side of the City defence. However, the loss of Gravenberch sapped the energy from the home side and allowed Enzo Maresca's men to take full control of the midfield battle.

Haaland and Doku deliver clinical double blow

Manchester City wasted absolutely no time in exploiting their numerical advantage, ruthlessly dismantling the Liverpool backline within minutes of the sending-off. In the 65th minute, Erling Haaland continued his remarkable individual form by ghosting into the box to fire City into the lead. The strike was particularly significant as Haaland has now scored in 6 consecutive matches for the club, a run that includes goals against the likes of Manchester United, Porto, and Sunderland.

The misery for the hosts was compounded just three minutes later when Jeremy Doku doubled the advantage with a spectacular effort. The Belgian winger, who had drawn the foul for the red card, cut inside and unleashed a strike that left Alisson Becker with no chance in the Liverpool goal. This six minutes of chaos at Anfield effectively ended the contest, as a two-goal lead for a side of City's technical quality is rarely overturned, especially against ten men.

Manchester City further strengthened their grip on the contest with a superb team goal to extend their lead to three goals, putting them on course to move three points clear at the top of the Premier League table. The move showcased the visitors' attacking quality, with Elliot Anderson picking out Rayan Cherki, who cleverly allowed the ball to run through to Josko Gvardiol before spinning into the penalty area.

Gvardiol then returned the pass perfectly into Cherki's path, allowing the Frenchman to take aim and calmly slot the ball past Alisson. It was a beautifully constructed goal that left Liverpool with an enormous task ahead of them and appeared to put the result beyond doubt.

Anfield atmosphere stifled by composed City

Despite the hostile environment typically associated with a trip to the red half of Merseyside, Manchester City displayed a level of composure that silenced the home crowd for long periods. The first half had been a tactical stalemate, with City happy to retain possession and take the sting out of Liverpool's pressing game.

Liverpool's attack struggled to find its rhythm, particularly in the absence of key figures like Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo. Jamie Carragher, providing analysis on Sky Sports, highlighted the impact of those missing stars: "There's a long way to go but I think on the back of Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo being out today you're looking for the other players to stand up. Isak and Gakpo have been Liverpool's best two attacking players."