Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool match report & highlights: Premier League champions battered at the Etihad by clinical City

Goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal gave the Reds a rude awakening as City sent out a warning that the league will be no walkover next season.

Liverpool are still trying to chase down a number of Premier League records now that they’ve finally ended their 30-year wait for the title, but it was clear that they were way down on their usual levels of concentration and energy.

That must have been some party last Thursday.

Liverpool got a guard of honour from Man City but that was about as good as it got as the champions were brought back down to earth with a bump by the side they deposed.

Jurgen Klopp’s side looked up for it early on, having the better of the argument and better chances including Mohamed Salah hitting a post and Sadio Mane missing a free header.

As soon as City were given a penalty that De Bruyne dispatched the game changed, Liverpool looked like they’d enjoyed their title party a bit too much – Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson in particular.

City, on the other hand, were clinical, scoring with all three of their first half shots on target, as Sterling bagged his first Premier League goal against his former employers before Foden rounded off a fine one-two and finish right before the break.

It wasn’t much better in the second half – Mane missing one of the easiest chances you could see when he failed to even get a touch on the ball when clean through on goal.

Sterling was denied his second league goal against Liverpool when his shot was diverted into his own net by substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain after one of many quick breaks by City that sliced through a Liverpool defence clearly operating at half-speed.

Both sides missed later chances to add to the goals, while Riyad Mahrez had a late goal ruled out by VAR for a handball in the build-up, to spare Liverpool even more misery.

Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool Opta stats

• Liverpool’s two heaviest Premier League defeats under Jürgen Klopp have both been at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City (4-0 tonight, 5-0 in September 2017).
• Manchester City have won their last four home Premier League matches by an aggregate score of 14-0.
• Liverpool have failed to score in five consecutive away games in all competitions for the first time since April 1992, when they went eight on the road without a goal.
• This was the joint-heaviest defeat by a side already crowned Premier League champions in a season, with Arsenal losing 4-0 away at Liverpool in 1997-98, which was also the game after they won the title.
• Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling scored his first Premier League goal against former side Liverpool in his ninth appearance against the Reds in the competition.
• Kevin De Bruyne has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other player this season (28), with the Man City midfielder scoring 11 goals and assisting 17 in 30 appearances.
• Jürgen Klopp found himself three goals behind at half-time in a league match for the first time since May 2007 when he was 1. FSV Mainz 05 manager against Bayern Munich (also 3-0 down at half-time).
• Since the start of the 2015-16 season, only Wilfried Zaha (15) has won more Premier League penalties than Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling (14).
• Only rivals Manchester United (11) have taken more Premier League penalties than Manchester City (10) this season, and only United have scored more (7) than City (6) in 2019-20.
• Manchester City’s Phil Foden has been directly involved in 14 goals in his last 17 appearances in all competitions (6 goals, 8 assists), despite only starting 10 of those 17 games.

Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool - As It Happened

FT Man City 4-0 Liverpool

Not the way Liverpool wanted to celebrate their first game as champions, but by the looks of it they did plenty of celebrating over the last week. City clinical though and just making sure that the Reds know that next season will be a different story.

92' GOAL - Disallowed!

Liverpool spared late insult to injury with Mahrez getting a goal - this time Alisson's not at his best - but it's ruled out for a handball in the build-up. Much like the VAR review at Bramalla Lane earlier.

86' Chance missed

Liverpool again waste a great chance when Minamino now can't control the ball six yards out.

80' De Bruyne brilliance

De Bruyne is just a fantastic player isn't he? Every touch is clean and instant, every pass is right on the money and he hardly ever takes the wrong option. It'll be tough for him to win Player of the Year given what Liverpool have done, but in terms of individual brilliance.

74' Drinks break

Klopp is not a happy bunny as his side take a drink - not the kind that they had this time last week by the look of them.

67' GOAL Man City 4-0 Liverpool (Oxlade-Chamberlain OG)

And it's four! Sterling has the chance as City break again with Liverpool's defence all at sea, but his final shot is actually going wide before a sliding Oxlade-Chamberlain diverts the ball into the back of the net.

63' Chance Liverpool

It's not going for them tonight even when the champions muster some attacking intent, as Oxlade-Chamberlain's effort is blocked and he can't sort his feet out with the rebound. That comes just after they waste another good opportunity with a distracted Mane.

56' Penalty! No - free kick

It looked a pen at first glance as Walker barged Mane over, but referee Taylor's given a free kick, which Alexander-Arnold drags well wide. Reds can't catch a break tonight.

54' What a Mane miss!

Henderson plays Mane in who's free around the penalty spot and just needs to stroke it home - but somehow manages to catch fresh air in yet another example of how off the pace Liverpool have been.

51' Off the line!

Van Dijk has to hack it away off the line after Foden fires a shot in from De Bruyne's cross in.

50' Corner

We've only just had the first couple of corners of the match - both to City. Looks like Liverpool can't wait to get home now, probably have another few beers.

49' Jesus chance

That 6-0 below may be a bit conservative here as Jesus probably could've scored another already. Sterling's riled up here, this time mouthing off at Alexander-Arnold.

🔁 Second half sub

Klopp has seen enough from Gomez and has brought Oxlade-Chamberlain on and moved Fabinho back into centre half.

Second half odds

• 9/2 - Raheem Sterling to score a brace
• 11/2 - Kevin De Bruyne to score a brace
• 6/1 - Mohamed Salah to score the 4th goal
• 28/1 - Man City win 6-0

LIVE in-play betting

HT Man city 3-0 Liverpool

Well, not exactly what the champions wanted to celebrate - seems like a few of them (looking at you Andy Robertson) have been partying a bit too hard...

Man City have only had three shots on target actually, and they've all gone in! It's a clinical show and Pep will be delighted - not sure I'd want to be facing Jurgen Klopp in that dressing room though.

⚽ 45' GOAL! Man City 3-0 Liverpool (Foden)

Robertson looks like he's been partying too hard as he comes out wildly and misses the ball to allow Foden to play a simple one-two and glide into the box before finishing nicely beyond Alisson.

Getting ugly for the champions.

40' City on top

Liverpool look a little rattled after that second goal - they've been well in this game and should have scored one, could have had two, but City have taken their chance and their penalty well. They're now looking to send out a statement.

⚽ 35' GOAL! Man City 2-0 Liverpool (Sterling)

A quick counter from City carves through the Liverpool defence as Foden finds Sterling who sneaks a scuffed shot through the legs of Gomez and into the bottom corner. Clincial.

📊 Odds Update..

• Match odds: City 1/2 | Draw 3/1 | Liverpool 5/1
• Man City win to nil - 13/8
• Next team to score: City 11/10 | No goal 6/1 | Liverpool Evens

Click here for LIVE in-play betting

⚽ 25' GOAL! Man City 1-0 Liverpool (De Bruyne pen)

Gomez is penalised for a tug on Sterling, nothing major and could've gone either way but it's a spot-kick to the hosts. De Bruyne was never going to miss.

🥅 20' POST! Salah

Could, and perhaps should, have been another Mo Salah goal as he cuts in off the left and hits his shot beyond Ederson but can't beat the upright - the rebound goes straight to Mane but he can't control it.

16' Plenty of chances

End-to-end stuff here with CIty and

11' Free header!

Mane wastes a glorious chance with a header from Alexander-Arnold's ball (who else!) Salah may have put him off just in front of him but still poor from just 12 yards out.

10' City shots

De Bruyne causing problems for Liverpool and there's a bit of a scramble in the box before Alisson punts the ball away. Both sides looking like scoring here.

🙆‍♂️ 4' Chance!

Great run from Salah, who forces the save from Ederson and from Mendy's knees the ball falls to Firmino, who scuffs his effort - should've done better there.

🥅 3' Offside

Jesus puts the ball in the net early on, but he's flagged offside, rightly so. That Liverpool high line is often the best way to get at this side, especially early on.

Kick-off

Here we go, strange guard of honour that - City obviously not best pleased but Liverpool weren't exactly all smiles either. Henderson was bouncing down the line, chest out, didn't even look at the CIty players.

🙌 Guard of honour

📋 Liverpool team

📋 Man City team

📊 Stat attack

Some top stats for you - the corners one especially interesting if you're following our tips tonight...

Click here to read Man City v Liverpool betting preview

📋 Team news

Manchester City will be without winger Leroy Sane for the visit of new Premier League champions Liverpool as he nears a move to Bayern Munich.

Fernandinho is also absent as he completes a two-match suspension and striker Sergio Aguero faces a lengthy lay-off after knee surgery. Defender John Stones could be available.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have no new injury concerns ahead of the match, with Joel Matip the only player sidelined.

Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson both returned to Klopp’s starting line-up for last Wednesday’s 4-0 rout of Crystal Palace, with Salah getting on the scoresheet.

Provisional squads

• Manchester City:

Ederson, Bravo, Walker, Cancelo, Stones, Otamendi, Laporte, Garcia, Harwood-Bellis, Mendy, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne, D Silva, B Silva, Sterling, Foden, Mahrez, Jesus.

• Liverpool:

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Gomez, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane, Adrian, Lovren, Milner, Williams, Lallana, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Origi, Elliott, Jones.

💰 Match Odds (via Sky Bet)

• Home - 21/20
• Draw - 14/5
• Away - 9/4

Check out more pre-match odds, Price Boosts and RequestABets here

🙆‍♂️ Pep set for guard of honour

Pep Guardiola is a big admirer of his Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp, with the pair’s rivalry an amicable and respectful one – a far cry from some of the more bitter exchanges between leading managers of the past.

Guardiola, speaking at a virtual press conference, said: “I don’t know him that well – we had dinner together once – but I admire him and the way his teams, not just in Liverpool, but in Dortmund, play a type of football that is always a benefit for world football.

“It is a positive thing to try to score goals and this kind of manager helps a lot. Jurgen is a big, big example for this.”

📺 Watch: Pep & Klopp

💬 Klopp in no mood to ease off

Jurgen Klopp has promised there will be no let-up from his Liverpool side for the rest of the season and beyond after they secured their first league title in 30 years.

“We will not defend the title next season, we will attack the next one,” he said. “I have learned that when you think you have reached the pinnacle you are already on the way down.

“We don’t feel that. I don’t feel satisfied. This is just another step, a big one, an unbelievably big one, but it’s not the only thing I want to talk to the boys about when I meet them in 20 years’ time.”

👀 Klopp's learned from All Blacks

Klopp revealed the relentless approach was something he learned from watching a documentary about New Zealand’s All Blacks.

“As long as you wear the shirt, less than 100 per cent is never allowed,” he said. “That’s not my phrase. Fifteen or sixteen years ago I saw a really nice documentary about the All Blacks and I kept that for myself.

“And that’s for each LFC player and for me. That’s what we try to live. Sometimes unfortunately it’s not all the time because we are human beings.”

⚽ Liverpool's tactical brilliance

Football tactics expert Alex Keble explains Liverpool's brilliance, and how it underpinned their first Premier League title win...

💥 Man City v Liverpool: Combined XI

As the two dominant teams meet again on Thursday, FootballCritic's Paul Macdonald tries to settle the argument of who'd make a combined XI...

📝 Betting preview

📊 Pointing to greatness

Richard Jolly looks at how Liverpool and Man City's recent points tallies show how dominance is becoming the norm across Europe...

💰 Dale Tempest: Case for the defence

Dale Tempest looks at the betting for the 2020/21 Premier League and explains why Liverpool remain the team to beat...

👋 Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the big game! Not a title decider as we'd have thought when the fixtures came out but still a big game regardless when these two teams meet. City will be out to prove that they are in fact the better side, and have just been dogged by injuries this season.

We know all about Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp sounded none too bothered about the guard of honour but running out at the Etihad as champions will be so sweet.

Let's get you started with some preview material...

Odds correct as of 1430 BST on 01/07/20

Follow Sporting Life on social - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC

Related football content

• Can Pogba & Fernandes play together?
• Dale Tempest's winners and losers
• Opinion: 'It won't be the title they waited for'
• Premier League remaining fixtures
• Latest football previews and tips
• Coronavirus: Returning sports
• Sporting Life App: Android & iOS
• Guide: How to bet online

Responsible gambling

We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.Sky Bet's responsible gambling tools are detailed here and if you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org.Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.