Liverpool vs. Manchester City: Score and Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match

Liverpool won Saturday's Premier League clash of the titans against Manchester City, as Georginio Wijnaldum scored the only goal in the 1-0 triumph.

The Dutchman struck early with a well-placed header, and the Reds dominated the bulk of the first half. City improved after the break, but they barely mustered major chances and never came close to an equaliser.

As the Reds' official Twitter account shared, manager Jurgen Klopp opted to start Emre Can in midfield, while Divock Origi stayed on the bench:

Sergio Aguero returned from suspension for the Citizens and took his place in the starting XI:

As expected, Raheem Sterling was jeered every time he got near the ball, but the England international had a bright start, using his raw pace to great effect. He forced an early free-kick and put plenty of pressure on James Milner, who put team-mate Ragnar Klavan in trouble with a bad pass, resulting in a first booking for the latter.

City's bright start didn't last long, however, as it took the hosts just eight minutes to take the lead. In-form Adam Lallana fired a great cross into Wijnaldum, who somehow outjumped the City defenders to nod home.

Per Joe.co.uk's Tony Barrett, the Dutchman has been a major factor for the Reds of late:

Aguero tried to respond with a lovely turn, but his shot flew well wide of the mark. City held the ball for large stretches of the first half, but the visitors looked disjointed in the attacking third, with plenty of wayward passes.

Sterling sent Anfield into a loud cheer when he blasted a shot well into the stands, summing up the Citizens' efforts. Jordan Henderson picked out Dejan Lovren with a free-kick, and Claudio Bravo nearly caused trouble with a dreadful punch after timing his jump wrong. Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe didn't like that effort from the Chilean:

Sadio Mane and Wijnaldum combined, with the latter launching a shot high and wide. Milner picked out Firmino with a superb pass, only to watch the Brazilian lose possession with a heavy touch.

Can also went close, curling a shot inches wide after a poor clearance from John Stones. Aleksandar Kolarov couldn't decide between a shot and a cross after a lovely pass from David Silva, sending the ball toward the corner flag.

Kevin De Bruyne threatened with a late deflected shot, and Lallana timed his run wrong or he would have been clear in front of goal, before the official brought an end to the first half.

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

City pushed for possession to start the second half, but more bad passing gave the momentum to the Reds. Chances were rare at the start of the second period, with Aguero barely testing Simon Mignolet from long range.

Silva fared better, skipping past defenders before firing narrowly wide, and Sterling hit the side netting after a good pass from Yaya Toure. Kolarov also tried his luck, but his deflected effort didn't trouble Mignolet.

Henderson suffered a knock just past the hour mark and was unable to continue, forcing Klopp to send on Origi and push Lallana into midfield. 

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Origi proved effective after coming on, however, with his speed taking some of the pressure off the Liverpool defence. While the Citizens kept pushing forward, the threat of the counter meant the visitors couldn't fully commit, and Mignolet didn't have many saves to make.

The Belgian did well to keep out another deflected effort, this time from compatriot De Bruyne, and Silva was furious when he wasn't awarded a free-kick after a shove from Lallana.

Manager Pep Guardiola left it late to make substitutions, introducing Jesus Navas and Kelechi Iheanacho with less than five minutes left on the clock. By that time, the Reds had completely settled in defensively, and it was too late for the newcomers to turn the tide.

Per the Reds' official Twitter account, this was exactly how Klopp wanted to end the year:

Guardiola thought the devil was in the details:

Liverpool's next outing will be at Sunderland, while City host Burnley.