Liverpool are 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League table after beating Manchester City by a 2-0 scoreline in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai each scored in the first half, with City largely failing to trouble the visitors from Merseyside despite dominating possession and shots.
City are so far off the pace a full 20 points that simply qualifying for next seasons Champions League is the real challenge for the remainder of the season.
How the game unfolded
It was a cagey start to the contest as both sides attempted to gain a foothold. Early attacks showed initial promise, fizzling out before becoming a real threat at either end.
Alisson dealt with a couple of straightforward City corners, with a set-piece then doing the damage for Liverpool. Alexis Mac Allisters low delivery to the near post initially looked like a miss-kick, but it immediately became clear it was a deliberate pass to Szoboszlai. His flick behind him found Salah, whose strike in the middle of the box benefitted from a helpful deflection past Ederson.
The goal didnt really serve to ignite the contest. Alisson comfortably gathered attempts struck outside the box from Omar Marmoush and Phil Foden. Marmoush then had the ball in the net, a fine low finish across Liverpools goalkeeper, but he was clearly offside and the flag went up.
The Reds were playing it perfectly and then built on their lead in the closing stages of the first half. It was another simple but well executed move, with Salah latching onto a long ball forward down the right. He drove into a dangerous position and then squared for an unmarked Szoboszlai to blast in.
Liverpool were happy to let City control the ball in the knowledge that chances would come on the counter attack. In that respect, the hosts mounted several attacks in the early stages of the second half without amounting to much, before the visitors had the ball in the net for the third time. Curtis Jones applied the finish, but VAR intervened after catching Szoboszlai offside in the build-up.
City responded to that reprieve by fording Alisson into action, denying Marmoush, while a spectacular Ederson save from a Luis Diaz curler soon followed. Virgil van Dijk needed to be alert to intercept a cutback on a plate for Marmoush, Rico Lewis fired the rebound into the side netting.
With City still pushing to get back into the game, Slot favourite Wateru Endo was brought on for the final 17 minutes plus stoppage time to lock things down in midfield, with the left-back position also freshened amid Andrew Robertson starting to get beaten by Savinho.
Title is Liverpools to lose
Liverpool have dropped points twice in recent weeks against Everton and Aston Villa, which could have been the opportunity that the chasing pack needed to close the gap.
But Arsenals own struggles, Chelsea and Manchester City falling apart, and Nottingham Forests recent inconsistency, means that hasnt happened.
Liverpool have played a game more than the rest, pre-emptively facing Villa to avoid needing to catch up due to next months Carabao Cup final, but only a dramatic and unforeseen collapse could now prevent them from claiming a second Premier League title in six seasons.
This would be number 20 overall, moving the Reds level with English record holders Manchester United, who dont look like moving onto 21 any time soon.
Salahs goalscoring milestones
Mohamed Salah has now scored 30 goals in a season for the fifth time as a Liverpool player, having only been the club for eight. Its remarkable consistency at the highest level, especially from someone previously written off as a Premier League flop at Chelsea.
With 241 Liverpool goals to his name overall since 2017, Salah is now joint third with Gordon Hodgson in the clubs all-time list. Only Roger Hunt (285) and Ian Rush (346) have now scored more often in Liverpool history. Rushs record is probably safe, but Salah could likely reel in Hunt by the end of next season if he can agree a new contract.
Salahs pass for Dominik Szoboszlai took his Premier League assist tally for the season to 16. Thats just four shy of the single season record of 20, jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Liverpools Egyptian King needs five more assists in 11 remaining games to break it and, in current form, its hard to believe that wont happen.
No Haaland replacement
Erling Haaland was again missing from the City lineup following last weekends knock, not even making the bench this time over a lack of match fitness.
City dont have another similar number nine striker, with January signing Omar Marmoush doing his best work as an inside forward operating in the left channel.
For this one, Phil Foden was pushed forward as a false nine, with Marmoush supporting from slightly deeper and allowed the freedom to pull to the left where he is most comfortable.
There isnt another Haaland and City lack a focal point when hes not playing. Changing the system was the only way to go about it and didnt yield the result.
Young City
The average age of Pep Guardiolas starting XI was 25 years and 68 days, the joint youngest side he has ever named in a Premier League game. Thats even with Kevin De Bruyne (33), Ederson (31) dragging it up.
Citys new generation arent as polished as the veterans who have delivered four successive Premier League titles. Jeremy Doku could have had Trent Alexander-Arnold for breakfast here, easily dribbling past the Liverpool full-back at will, but lacked final third decision making. Savinho is in a similar boat and 20-year-old centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov isnt ready to be thrown in at the deep end.
De Bruyne is reaching the end of the road at City. The Belgian has served the club incredibly, but he was left out of the starting XI against Real Madrid in midweek and was the first player Pep Guardiola withdrew when there was still enough time for his team to do something.
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