10-man City silence Anfield with stunning 3-0 rout to go top of Premier League

Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League with a commanding 3-0 victory at Anfield on Sunday, silencing the home crowd with goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki — all scored after Ryan Gravenberch was dismissed with a second yellow card in the 64th minute.

The result was all the more remarkable for the circumstances. City had been reduced to ten men when Gravenberch fouled Doku, yet within two minutes the Belgian winger had carved open the Liverpool defence to allow Haaland to hammer home the opener. Three minutes later, Doku added a second with a curling effort past Alisson, and Cherki completed the rout shortly after.

Liverpool, who had tested Gianluigi Donnarumma in the minutes before the red card, were left stunned. The away end responded with Ole chants and inflatable bananas as City supporters taunted the Kop, asking whether they were at the Etihad given the subdued atmosphere. Anfield’s famous noise had largely failed to materialise, with the City team bus having entered the ground via an alternative route while a large group of Liverpool fans waited elsewhere.

City CEO Ferran Soriano watched from the directors’ box as his side dismantled one of their closest title rivals, a visible statement of intent from the club’s hierarchy. The win came just two weeks after a period of significant off-field turbulence surrounding the ongoing Premier League charges case, yet Enzo Maresca’s players showed no sign of distraction.

For Liverpool, the afternoon raised fresh questions about their form under Andoni Iraola. Lewis Koumas was handed his first Premier League start in attack, and while the hosts showed some brightness at the start of the second half, they were ultimately overrun. Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez had begun to impose themselves in midfield before City’s ten men took control.

City’s travelling support had spent the day making pointed references to club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and owner Sheikh Mansour, and the players delivered a result that matched the defiant mood. Chants of ‘Cheats’ greeted every City touch in the closing minutes, but the scoreline was already beyond dispute.