And so does Reds defence as City run riot Neil Moxley BIGB MATCH VERDICT

ONEO man vanished from view when Sadio Mane was dismissed and stricken Manchester City keeper Ederson followed him down t the tunnel on a stretcher. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp. F From standing toe- to- toe with cou counterpart Pep Guardiola in the tech technical area when the game was in the bala balance, the German retreated to the benc bench as the afternoon moved slowly out of hi his grasp. M Most armchair punters admire Klopp’s pass passion on the touchline. H His clenched fist salute and ‘ that’s footb football’ remark after Emre Can’s strike against Hoffenheim in the Champions League qualifier last month is all very well. His candour in front of the cameras and his ability not to take the game ever so seriously is to be applauded. In fact, the manner in which he has dealt with the Philippe Coutinho affair has dampened any flames of controversy, rather than fanning them. But, when it comes to the crunch, how much of it is for show and how much is genuine is open to debate. After Mane’s unfortunate red card – unfortunate in the sense that he only had eyes for the ball and not to injure his opponent – Klopp, like his team, vanished into thin air as Liverpool crumbled.

There did not seem to be the same interest from the manager when a rearguard action needed to be mounted. When organisation and discipline were the order of the day.

So, when his players needed not to walk alone, they were.

He came out again from the bench in the 73rd minute but by then the outcome had long since been decided.

And if the four-goal lesson handed out to Arsenal before the international break had been an undoubted triumph, this was the opposite.

The sneaking suspicion that, yes, this could be the Reds’ year, was rained upon. From a great height.

Movement

It was all too easy for Manchester City, who seemed ill at ease themselves early on as they struggled to cope with Liverpool’s movement.

But once the hosts discovered the key to success – a simple pass forward between two centre halves – there was no stopping them.

Equally, Klopp’s decision to withdraw Mohamed Salah at half-time meant that one of few routes back in to the game was certainly lost.

He switched to a three-man backline and Can – another who had looked the pick of the bunch – was undone by Sergio Aguero’s movement as City walked home a killer third. It seems to be an eternal question for Liverpool. Can they defend?

The evidence from the opening matches suggests not.

Three goals shipped at Vicarage Road against Watford. Five at the Etihad.

It’s hardly the hallmark of a team set for success.

The Reds should not have been trailing to Aguero’s first. They had shown flashes through Mane, Salah and Roberto Firmino. This should have been an awkward afternoon for Guardiola.

But it was about as uncomfortable as a fluffy cushion.

Alberto Moreno has little interest in defending. Ragnar Klavan does not appear up to the task. Joel Matip does – but needs a better partner.

Trent Alexander-Arnold found out the hard way that youthful promise and enthusiasm isn’t enough against players of Manchester City’s quality. Of course, Aguero was at the heart of that.

It was difficult to assign a position to Kevin De Bruyne in the line-ups.

He floated here and there, delivering a masterclass that even a graduate of the Barcelona school of La Masia such as Guardiola would have applauded.

At least, to their credit, a cluster of Liverpool’s players saluted what was left of the bedraggled travelling support. Klopp made his way over too for that. But when it mattered and when the going got tough, much like his team, he had got going – but in an altogether different direction.