Manchester City ‘s seat on the throne of English football was ripped from underneath them by the team destined to become the new kings come May.
And it all left Pep Guardiola flat on his backside – and Liverpool looking down on a man whose empire is burning to the ground. On an astonishing afternoon at Anfield, Arne Slot ‘s impeccable side made the reigning champions look like one from a pub down the East Lancs Road.
The gulf in class was something to behold. If it had been a boxing fight, it would have been stopped inside three rounds.
READ MORE: Five things Arne Slot learned as Liverpool put hapless Man City to the sword in demolition
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Liverpool threw all the punches, while City just stood there and took them. Cody Gakpo took just 12 minutes to put Liverpool ahead after converting Mohamed Salah ‘s sublime cross.
But the home side were so dominant they should have been home and hosed within 20 minutes. Guardiola has suffered some miserable times at Anfield as City boss, but this utter humiliation will hurt him the most.
(Image: Getty Images)
It wasn’t just the fact Liverpool are now 11 points ahead of City in the title race. Or that City have now gone a barely believable seven games without a win.
It was the manner in which Liverpool took his team to the cleaners that will pile on the most pain for a manager who must feel like he’s been hit by a truck.
Under normal circumstances this would have been a potential title decider. But City arrived at Anfield in such a shambolic mess they needed a win just to maintain a slim hope of ever catching the hosts.
A run of five defeats and a draw was the worst one of Guardiola’s entire managerial career. Things had got so bad that Guardiola had even admitted he would quit if he was deemed to be the problem.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool, on the other hand, appeared unstoppable in both the Premier League and Champions League due to Slot’s seamless replacement of Jurgen Klopp.
It had been 34 days since the champions had won a game. And stopping the rot here never looked like happening. Not even close.
Liverpool ripped into City from minute one – and never stopped. Dominik Szoboszlai had one shot blocked and another saved, while Virgil Van Dijk headed Alexis Mac Allister’s cross against the post.
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And even when Gakpo made it 1-0, Liverpool continued the rampage. Van Dijk somehow missed with a header from six yards out, Gakpo spooned a shot over and Trent Alexander-Arnold shot wide.
Liverpool were literally queuing up to score. Stefan Ortega denied Gakpo and Van Dijk went close again, while Salah missed the target when clean through.
The red wave kept coming, with Gakpo shooting straight at Ortega How it remained 1-0 felt like some kind of pre-Christmas miracle.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Which is what Guardiola now needs if his side are to go on to make it five straight league titles. The final insult came 15 minutes from time when Ortega tripped Luis Diaz to concede a penalty, which Salah converted.
Guardiola stood there looking humbled and humiliated, while stubbornly ignoring the chance to send on Kevin De Bruyne until it was too late. Anfield taunted him with chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning.’
The Christmas illuminations have just gone up, and are shining bright in the red half of Merseyside. But City’s lights have well and truly gone out.