Man City Thrash 10-Man Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield to Stay Perfect in Premier League

Manchester City walked into a hostile Anfield on Sunday night and walked out with a statement 3-0 win over Liverpool, making it six wins from six in the Premier League. After a goalless first half, the game turned on Ryan Gravenberch’s 62nd-minute red card — and City needed just 16 minutes to punish 10-man Liverpool with goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki.

This was City’s first match since an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, and the Anfield crowd made its feelings known from the first whistle. The response on the pitch was emphatic: City are now three points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table with a perfect 18-point record.

Gravenberch’s Red Card Turns the Game on Its Head

For an hour, this was a genuine contest. Liverpool, missing injured forwards Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, started Lewis Koumas as an emergency centre-forward — and the youngster very nearly gave the hosts the lead, stinging Gianluigi Donnarumma’s palms early in the second half. Gravenberch, Liverpool’s best player until that point, followed up with a speculative effort of his own.

The first half had been a cagey affair, with City gradually establishing control — they would finish with 63% possession — but creating little of note against a Liverpool side that defended its box well and carried threat on the break. Donnarumma’s double save just after the restart, first from Koumas and then from Gravenberch, was the Italian’s warning that City’s goalkeeper was in inspired form. It turned out to be Liverpool’s last real sight of goal.

Then came the moment that decided the match. Gravenberch, already booked for a late challenge on Elliot Anderson, went in on substitute Jeremy Doku and found himself on the wrong side. The second yellow was unavoidable, and the Anfield crowd knew instantly what it meant. Liverpool had 28 minutes to survive against the league’s most ruthless side with ten men. They survived barely three.

Haaland, Doku and Cherki Strike in a 13-Minute Blitz

Three minutes after the sending-off, Erling Haaland broke the deadlock, smashing a left-footed shot past Alisson after Doku worked the ball into the box. The Belgian then doubled the lead himself in the 68th minute with a gorgeous curling strike into the far top corner — the kind of finish that turns a good performance into a statement.

Rayan Cherki completed the rout in the 78th minute, turning into the box to meet Josko Gvardiol’s pass and slotting home City’s third. From 0-0 with an hour gone to 3-0 with twelve minutes left: that is the difference ten men make against this City side.

A Perfect Record Under a Dark Cloud

The football, though, was only half the story. This was City’s first outing since an independent commission ruled them guilty on all counts of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons — 114 charges in total. The players were booed onto the pitch, and banners reading “Cheats” and “Guilty 114” were visible outside the stadium.

The club has lodged an appeal, insisting it is innocent and that it holds what it calls a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence. Whatever happens off the pitch in the coming months, on it City have now answered every question asked of them: six played, six won.

Where This Leaves the Premier League Title Race

City’s perfect start gives them 18 points and a three-point cushion over Arsenal, who edged Leeds 2-1 on Saturday to stay in touch. Liverpool’s first league defeat of the campaign drops them to ninth — a position that will raise eyebrows, though the mitigating circumstances of injuries and a red card were real.

The telling stat from Anfield was control: once City had the extra man, Liverpool managed nothing. Donnarumma’s double save in the second half — first from Koumas, then from Gravenberch — was the last time the home side genuinely threatened. From there it was a training exercise in game management and ruthless finishing.

The result also underlines how differently the two clubs’ seasons are shaping up. City have now won six from six without ever looking troubled; their 18 points and superior goal difference give them breathing room before the autumn international window. Liverpool, meanwhile, sit ninth — and while injuries to Isak and Gakpo plus a harsh red card explain plenty about one night, the table does not hand out context points. The gap at the top is already starting to look like the story of this season.

Tense Scenes After the Final Whistle

There were uncomfortable moments after the match. Police were forced to intervene as small groups of supporters clashed outside the stadium following the final whistle, with officers encircling a group of City fans and at least one Liverpool supporter reportedly pepper-sprayed. There had been a heavy police presence throughout, and while there was little disorder during the game itself, the atmosphere around this fixture was always going to be charged given the week’s off-field drama.

For City, though, the night belonged to the football: a hostile away ground, a week of turmoil, and a 3-0 win that keeps the perfect season alive. The chasing pack has been warned.

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Arsenal kept pace with a 2-1 comeback win over Leeds on Saturday, while Cristiano Ronaldo hit his 980th career goal in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan fans can also catch up on Pakistan’s T20I series win over Sri Lanka and Tamasha’s PCB streaming rights deal.

Last updated: October 12, 2026