Liverpool’s march toward a Premier League title took another commanding step Sunday with a 2-0 win at defending champions Manchester City, extending their lead at the top of the table to 11 points over Arsenal.
Mohamed Salah’s 30th goal of the season and a clinical strike from Dominik Szoboszlai in the first half sealed the victory at the Etihad, sending Liverpool fans into chants of, “We’re gonna win the league!”
“It’s special,” Salah said after the final whistle. The result left Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola acknowledging that the title race is now Liverpool’s to lose.
City, reeling from a 3-1 midweek loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League, suffered their eighth league defeat of the season – matching their total from 2019-20, the last time they failed to claim the title.
With 14 losses across all competitions, Guardiola’s team is facing an uphill battle to secure a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
In contrast, Liverpool has a firm grip on the title race, now 20 points ahead of City and 11 clear of Arsenal after 27 games.
The Reds completed a league double over City, further solidifying their claim as the team to beat this season.
Coach Arne Slot, although quick to deflect talk of a title triumph, recognized the magnitude of the lead: “No one saw us as a contender at the start of the season, and who expected City to be so far off the pace?”
Liverpool wasted no time in asserting their dominance on the pitch. In the 14th minute, Salah’s deflected shot from a well-executed corner gave the visitors an early lead. Salah turned provider in the 37th, setting up Szoboszlai for a low strike that evaded Ederson to double Liverpool’s advantage.
City, without the injured Erling Haaland, struggled to break down Liverpool’s defense. Their best chance came when Omar Marmoush’s goal was ruled out for offside, a stark contrast to the smooth play of the visitors.
“We work hard for every win,” Slot remarked after the match, despite the exuberant chants from the traveling supporters.
This defeat capped a tough week for City, whose prospects of silverware now hinge on the FA Cup and securing a top-four finish. Guardiola is aware of the challenge ahead, especially with the competitive nature of the race for Champions League spots. “If it doesn’t happen, it’s because we weren’t good enough, not for lack of hunger,” he said.
City’s dominance of English football under Guardiola – winning six of the last seven league titles – seems to be unraveling. For Liverpool, the path to a record-equaling 20th league title appears clearer with each passing match.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to West Ham on Saturday handed Liverpool an opportunity to strengthen their lead.
Elsewhere, Newcastle United secured a thrilling 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest. The Magpies scored four goals in 11 minutes to take a 4-1 lead into halftime.
Despite a late fightback from Forest, who pulled two goals back through Nikola Milenkovic and Ryan Yates, Newcastle held firm to move up to fifth, boosting their hopes of Champions League qualification.
Forest’s defeat, their third in four league matches, meant they missed a chance to close the gap to second-placed Arsenal, leaving their hopes for a top-four finish hanging in the balance.
