Manchester City defeated Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Sunday evening in the sixth round of the Premier League season, according to اليوم السابع. The match was goalless at half-time before a red card changed its course.
Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute. اليوم السابع describes the dismissal as the turning point of the game.
City then scored three goals inside 13 minutes. Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 65th minute, Jérémy Doku added a second in the 68th, and Rayan Cherki made it 3-0 in the 78th with what the outlet calls one of the best goals of the season, finished from a well-worked tactical move.
Why it matters
The result leaves Manchester City top of the Premier League table with 18 points from six matches, a perfect record. They lead second-placed Arsenal by three points.
Liverpool sit ninth on nine points after the defeat.
The win also extends City's strong start to the season despite an ongoing off-field dispute. According to اليوم السابع, an independent commission found the club guilty of breaching a number of Premier League rules, and the club is preparing to appeal that decision.
How the game turned
For more than an hour at Anfield, the match gave little away. Neither side broke through in the first half, and the teams went in level at the interval.
Gravenberch's sending-off in the 62nd minute left Liverpool a man short and opened space that City used quickly. Haaland struck first with a left-footed finish, described by اليوم السابع as a fine strike that put his side ahead.
Three minutes later, Doku doubled the lead with what the outlet calls a special goal. Cherki then completed the scoring in the 78th minute, showing his skill to seal the third.
The three goals arrived within a 13-minute span, turning a tight contest into a clear City win.
What the table looks like now
City's six wins from six games give them the maximum 18 points available. Arsenal are their closest challengers, three points behind.
Liverpool's nine points from six matches place them ninth, a position well below their usual standing near the top of the division.
The defeat adds to a difficult evening for the home side, who had to play the final half-hour with ten men.
The off-field context
City's on-pitch form comes against the backdrop of the independent commission's ruling. اليوم السابع reports that the club was found to have breached several Premier League rules and that it intends to challenge the decision.
The appeal process is expected to run alongside the season, meaning the team's position at the top of the table may be discussed in the context of the case for some time.
What to watch
City will look to protect their perfect record and their three-point cushion over Arsenal in the coming rounds, while Liverpool will try to recover from a result that leaves them in mid-table. The club's appeal against the commission's ruling is the other thread to follow.
