Manchester City Crush Liverpool 3–0 at Anfield as Haaland, Doku and Cherki Strike

Manchester City delivered a commanding performance to defeat Liverpool 3–0 at Anfield on Sunday, maintaining their perfect start to the 2026/27 Premier League season despite facing a hostile reception from the home supporters.

Goals from Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki secured the victory for Enzo Maresca's side, who capitalised on Liverpool's second-half dismissal to take firm control of the encounter.

The result also strengthened City's position at the top of the table, with the defending contenders collecting their sixth consecutive league victory.

Gravenberch red card changes the contest

Liverpool and Manchester City produced a competitive opening period, with both teams attempting to establish control in a game played against the backdrop of intense supporter protests.

Liverpool's hopes of securing a positive result suffered a major setback in the 62nd minute when Ryan Gravenberch received a second yellow card and was ordered off the pitch.

The dismissal left the home side with ten players and handed City a significant numerical advantage. The visitors wasted little time taking advantage of the situation.

Three minutes later, Haaland opened the scoring with a powerful finish in the 65th minute, giving City the breakthrough they had been seeking.

Doku extended the lead just three minutes afterwards. The Belgian winger cut inside before unleashing an impressive strike, leaving Liverpool with an increasingly difficult task.

City completed their scoring in the 78th minute through Cherki, who produced a skilful individual move before finishing to put the result beyond doubt.

The three goals in quick succession underlined the visitors' ability to exploit the spaces that emerged after Liverpool went down to ten men.

Anfield atmosphere dominated by financial controversy

The football was accompanied by tension in the stands, where Liverpool supporters voiced their displeasure over Manchester City's financial-rule case.

Banners and chants directed at the visitors reflected the anger surrounding the verdict against City. The controversy added another layer of pressure to an already high-profile Premier League fixture.

Manchester City have appealed the decision relating to breaches of Premier League financial rules, leaving the outcome of the wider dispute uncertain.

Despite the attention surrounding the case, City's players remained focused on the match and celebrated a convincing victory at full time.

Manager Enzo Maresca stressed the importance of concentrating on matters within the team's control, while Haaland praised the collective determination shown by his teammates in a challenging atmosphere.

The result offered City a strong response on the pitch, even as questions over the financial case continue to surround the club.

City strengthen their position at the summit

The victory takes Manchester City to 18 points after six league games, keeping them three points ahead of Arsenal in the early standings.

For Maresca, the result represents another encouraging step as his team seeks to maintain its impressive run and build an advantage over its challengers.

Liverpool, meanwhile, suffered their first league defeat of the campaign. The home side will need to recover quickly and address the difficulties exposed during the second half, particularly after losing a player at a crucial stage.

City's attacking quality ultimately proved decisive, with Haaland, Doku and Cherki all finding the net within a 13-minute spell.

While the financial dispute surrounding the club remains unresolved, Manchester City's latest performance demonstrated their effectiveness on the field and ensured they left Anfield with maximum points.

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