Anfield's unbeaten start to the season is over, and it ended emphatically. Erling Haaland broke a tense deadlock midway through the second half before Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki completed a 3-0 victory that keeps Manchester City's perfect record intact and sends a shudder through the rest of the Premier League.
For 65 minutes on Sunday evening, the fixture the schedulers saved for last lived up to its billing: cagey, physical and goalless at the break, with Liverpool's press matching the leaders stride for stride. Then the game cracked open. Haaland struck on 65 minutes, Doku doubled the advantage three minutes later, and when Cherki added a third with twelve minutes remaining, the away end was in delirium and the home sections were beginning to empty.
Thirteen minutes that settled it
The speed of the collapse will trouble Arne Slot as much as the scoreline. Liverpool had not lost in the league all season, and their home form had been the foundation of the belief that they could turn an unbeaten start into a genuine title challenge. Instead they remain on nine points, already losing touch with the early pace, while City march on: six wins from six, and a cushion over Arsenal preserved at the summit after the Gunners' 2-1 win over Leeds on Saturday.
For Pep Guardiola, this was the performance of the season so far, not for its fluency but for its patience. His side absorbed everything Anfield could offer for an hour, then struck three times in thirteen minutes with a ruthlessness that recalled their very best teams.
The Weekend at a Glance
- Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield through Haaland (65), Doku (68) and Cherki (78); City have six wins from six.
- Crystal Palace beat Nottingham Forest 3-1, and Hull City drew 2-2 with Everton in Sunday's other matches.
- Arsenal kept pace two points behind City after beating Leeds 2-1; Chelsea thrashed Bournemouth 5-1.
- Dominic Solanke's stoppage-time equaliser held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw with Tottenham, who remain winless.
- Coventry City host Newcastle United on Monday at 8pm to complete the round.
Sunday's undercard
Earlier on Sunday, Crystal Palace produced the performance of the two o'clock kick-offs, recovering from conceding to Dan Ndoye inside three minutes to beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 through Daichi Kamada, Jefferson Lerma and Yeremy Pino. At the MKM Stadium, Hull City and Everton shared a 2-2 draw, second-half goals from Joe Gelhardt and Bachir Belloumi answering strikes from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry.
The round concludes on Monday night, when Coventry City welcome Newcastle United to the Coventry Building Society Arena at 8pm. For Liverpool, the inquest begins at once; for City, the message to the rest of the division is simple: the champions' standard has been set, and it is set very high indeed.