10-man Liverpool fall to City as Haaland, Doku and Cherki seal 3-0 Anfield rout

Manchester City moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 demolition of Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, their sixth consecutive league win secured after the hosts were reduced to ten men.

Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal for two bookable offences proved the turning point, allowing City to take firm control of a fixture that had carried enormous weight beyond the scoreline. Erling Haaland opened the scoring before Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki added further goals to complete a convincing away victory.

The result was City’s first competitive fixture since an independent commission found the club guilty of more than 100 charges relating to alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules — a verdict the club are appealing. City supporters in the away end made their position clear, arriving with inflatable bananas and vocal backing for the ownership, who have maintained the club’s innocence throughout the process.

Manager Enzo Maresca addressed the backdrop after the final whistle, saying his focus remained on what his squad could control on the pitch rather than the ongoing legal proceedings. The sanctions hearing is yet to take place, meaning significant uncertainty still surrounds City’s standing in the current campaign regardless of their form.

With the appeal ongoing and no sanctions yet determined, the implications of Sunday’s result — and City’s position at the summit — remain difficult to assess in full. For now, Maresca’s side have the points and the momentum.