Liverpool humbled by Haaland-less Manchester City

Manchester City kept their Premier League title hopes alive with a stunning 4-1 victory over Liverpool, despite missing their star striker Erling Haaland due to an injury. 

The defending champions, who were five points behind league leaders Arsenal before the match, put in a dominant performance to close the gap.

Goals from Julian Alvarez, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish secured the crucial win for Pep Guardiola’s side. 

Liverpool had taken an early lead through Mohamed Salah, but City responded in style, with Alvarez equalizing before half-time.

The second half started in a similar fashion as the first, with City quickly taking the lead through De Bruyne’s tap-in. Gundogan then scored a third goal after being given ample space by the Liverpool defense, before Grealish completed the scoring with a fine finish.

The victory means that City are now just five points behind Arsenal, with the two sides set to face each other later in the month.

 Liverpool, on the other hand, are now seven points adrift of the top four, leaving their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League in tatters.

Despite missing Haaland, City showed their quality and ruthlessness in front of goal, scoring 17 goals in their last three games. Liverpool, meanwhile, have now conceded three or more goals in nine games this season, highlighting their defensive frailties.

The result also marked the fourth time in five seasons that City and Liverpool have finished as the top two teams in the Premier League, but the Reds are currently struggling to even qualify for Europe’s elite club competition.