Liverpool end City’s run in Anfield classic
Liverpool condemned Manchester City to their first Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday as Arsenal’s defeat was marked by the missing Alexis Sanchez, who looks set to leave the club imminently.
Jurgen Klopp sent out an attack-minded line-up and was rewarded with a scintillating 4-3 win at a jubilant Anfield, where the emotions were in sharp contrast to Arsene Wenger’s misery after a 2-1 loss at struggling Bournemouth.
At Anfield, Alex OxladeChamberlain’s early strike was cancelled out by Leroy Sane’s goal shortly before half-time but three goals in nine scintillating minutes stunned City manager Pep Guardiola’s men.
Two late goals gave City hope but they fell just short in their desperate bid to keep their unbeaten run going.
The result means that City remain 15 points clear of second-placed Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table ahead of United’s match at home to struggling Stoke on Monday. Liverpool leapfrog Chelsea into third spot.
Klopp’s side, in their first match since Philippe Coutinho left to join Barcelona, showed they still have enviable depth in attack, taking the lead in the ninth minute when OxladeChamberlain marauded forward and thundered a shot past City stopper Ederson.
The home side held onto their lead until five minutes before half-time, when Sane gathered a raking cross-field ball from Kyle Walker and beat Loris Karius at his near post with a rasping left-foot shot that the Liverpool keeper should have saved.
Guardiola’s team looked in control after the break before Liverpool’s goal glut.
Roberto Firmino dinked a clever shot in off the post, following a through-ball by Oxlade-Chamberlain and just two minutes later, Sadio Mane smashed a shot into the top corner to make it 3-1.
With City rocking, Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool’s fourth with a left-footed shot from 35m after Ederson had misplaced a clearance.
City scored late through Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan but ran out of time in their search for a dramatic equaliser.
Arsenal lost further ground on the Premier League’s top four after struggling Bournemouth came from behind to beat them.
After Hector Bellerin fired through keeper Asmir Begovic to open the scoring for Arsenal in the 52nd minute, Callum Wilson and Jordon Ibe scored within five second-half minutes to turn the game on its head.
First Wilson converted Ryan Fraser’s cross to restore parity in the 70th minute before Ibe fired home a second having been teed up by the scorer of Bournemouth’s first.
Having won just one of their last five league matches, Arsenal remain sixth with 39 points — five behind rivals Tottenham Hotspur in fifth.