Arne Slot's side now find themselves down in eighth position after their fifth defeat of the season. With 17 goals conceded already in 2025/26, the joint second most of the top 15 teams in the Premier League, it's obvious where Liverpool's problems lie.
Liverpool second best in every aspect
Whilst the Reds might contend that they're still actually only four points from City in second, the fact is that they were well beaten in almost every aspect of play, and that has to be a worry for the reigning champions who have now lost five games already this season.
Only the bottom six teams in the English top-flight have lost more.
Guardiola had named an unchanged XI for the 'Super Sunday' battle, with City losing none of their last 16 Premier League matches when naming an unchanged side (W12 D4) since a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in March 2015.
The first action of any note came when Chris Kavanagh awarded his third spot-kick of the season - no official has given more penalties in 25/26 - after VAR intervened when seeing Giorgi Mamardashvili's trip on Jérémy Doku.
Erling Haaland inexplicably missed from 12 yards - City's fourth penalty miss from the last five taken against Liverpool - but the Norwegian ensured his name would be on the score sheet by half-time thanks to a trademark towering header.
99 Premier League goals for Haaland
That goal gave him 99 in the top-flight since joining the Cityzens, and he now has 16 games to beat Alan Shearer's record of being the fastest player to 100 Premier League goals. Shearer took 124 games, with Haaland having played just 107 to date.
Though the floodgates didn't open, and Liverpool would feel rightly aggrieved that Virgil van Dijk's headed equaliser was ruled out for offside, there really was only one team in it.
Liverpool were edging possession (51.5% to 48.5%), but they were non-existent as an attacking force, as one shot on target in the entire game (and none in the first half) would attest.
The game was over as a contest in first-half stoppage time when Nico Gonzalez fired home via a deflection from van Dijk, and that one moment from the Dutch warrior summed up Liverpool's season.
Slot exasperated by Salah and others
Van Dijk didn't even attempt to defend the shot, just stuck out a cursory boot, which deflected the ball past Mamardashvili.
A flurry of substitutions before the hour mark did little to alter the context of the match, with Slot continuously exasperated on the touchline.
As well he might be. Aside from Mamardashvili, all of Liverpool's starting XI and most of their subs were averaging over 80% pass completion stats, and yet were unable to make inroads into the danger areas.
Mo Salah was the busiest of the visitors inside the City box with six touches, though none were a shot on target. None of his three dribbles ended successfully either.
Another understated performance from the Egyptian King also saw him give the ball away on 17 separate occasions - the most of any player on the pitch - as well as winning just four of the 11 one-on-ones he attempted during the match.
Doku's goal was 17th conceded by Liverpool in PL games
Jeremy Doku's brilliant curling effort - his first goal in 24 Premier League games - added some gloss to the scoreline, though it was no more than he and City deserved.
His dynamic man-of-the-match performance saw 10+ dribbles, 10+ duels won, 3+ chances created, 3+ shots on target and a goal, for the first time in a Premier League game since Eden Hazard for Chelsea vs West Ham in April 2019.
Losing by three goals for the first time since April 2023 - coincidentally away at Man City - was a first for Arne Slot whilst in the Anfield hot-seat too.
Doku's goal was the 17th conceded by the Reds, and not since they last won the title in 2020/21 had a reigning Premier League champion let in as many in their first 11 games.
Back to basics for the Reds
With 15 to play, Dominik Szoboszlai belatedly got Liverpool's first shot on target, tipped away by Gianluigi Donnarumma, which was as good as it got for visitors who were shut out for the first time this season.
They were also flagged offside at least seven times in each of their last two league games (8 v Aston Villa, 7 v City), which is as many as they had in their previous 417 games combined.
Another international break has arguably come at the worst possible time for Slot, who quickly needs to reverse the errors being continuously made by his side.
Dominance in terms of possession, total passes and collective accuracy is all well and good, but when it doesn't lead to the winning of matches, it's time to roll up the sleeves and go back to basics.
