Doku turns the tide at Anfield as Manchester City rout Liverpool to strengthen their lead

Manchester City needed just thirteen minutes to turn a tight contest into an emphatic victory. From Erling Haaland's opener in the 65th minute to Rayan Cherki's goal in the 78th, Anfield watched a game that had been level at half-time end in a 3–0 defeat for Liverpool. Jérémy Doku drove that transformation: he came off the bench, was involved in Ryan Gravenberch's sending-off, created the opening for the first goal and scored the second himself.

The result on Sunday, 11 October, keeps Enzo Maresca's side top of the Premier League with 18 points from six games. For Andoni Iraola's Liverpool, it brings a first league defeat and leaves them nine points behind the leaders. There is plenty of the season left, but the distinction between maintaining a perfect record and trying to catch the team that has one already matters.

The red card that tipped the balance

The first half offered more of a battle than clear chances. Liverpool threatened through Víctor Muñoz and Alexis Mac Allister, while Enzo Fernández provided a threat for City. Neither side managed to turn their pressure into a lead before the break.

Liverpool returned with greater attacking purpose. Gianluigi Donnarumma kept out a Lewis Koumas shot deflected by Marc Guéhi, then saved an effort from Gravenberch. Mac Allister also tried his luck but missed the target. Liverpool had reason to believe they could take the lead; the final score should not obscure that spell.

With Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo unavailable, and Dominik Szoboszlai also absent, Iraola had turned to Koumas to lead the attack. The young forward was making his first Premier League start. At the other end, Haaland wasted a chance against Alisson after a pass from Antoine Semenyo. The contest remained open.

Everything changed in the 62nd minute. Gravenberch tried to halt a Doku break and received his second yellow card. The Guardian's live coverage noted doubts about the severity of both bookings. The refereeing debate will form part of the aftermath, but the dismissal's impact was immediate: Liverpool lost a key midfielder, and City found the space to settle the game.

Doku supplies the spark; Haaland and Cherki finish the job

The first goal began with the Belgian's run. His shot deflected off Mac Allister and fell to Haaland, who seized the opportunity with a powerful finish. Three minutes later, Doku advanced again from the left, cut inside and curled the ball into the far top corner. From 0–0 to 0–2, control of the game had changed hands.

Sports Mole named Doku player of the match for his role in the dismissal and the first two goals. The choice captured the value of a substitution that made the difference while the defences were still keeping the game goalless.

Cherki completed the scoring in the 78th minute. He received the ball following a touch from Joško Gvardiol, beat Jeremie Frimpong and finished underneath Alisson. Liverpool could no longer find a response that would bring them back into the match.

City pull clear; Liverpool need to turn draws into wins

City end the round three points ahead of Arsenal. Winning at Anfield strengthens their title credentials because of the venue, the opposition and their ability to exploit an advantage they had not enjoyed from the outset. Doku's introduction also demonstrated a valuable asset over a long campaign: the ability to change a game's tempo from the bench.

For Liverpool, the problem extends beyond this defeat. Their nine points came from two wins and three draws in the previous five matches. They had avoided losing, but had not won often enough to keep pace with City. The 3–0 defeat widens that gap and makes it more pressing to turn closely contested games into victories.

With 32 league games still to play, Liverpool are neither out of the title race nor out of contention for European football. Their immediate task is to make up ground on the Champions League places. The top four provide the direct route; English clubs' performances in Europe could open up an extra berth, but that additional place still has to be earned during the season. Liverpool's best way to limit that uncertainty is to start collecting three points at a time.

City leave Anfield with a bigger lead and a game settled by their attacking players. Liverpool depart with a question more pressing than their October league position: how to sustain their good spells and turn them into points before the chase becomes too demanding.