Manchester City vs. Liverpool: Score and Reaction from 2015 Premier League Match
Liverpool shocked Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, beating the hosts 4-1 in front of a jubilant travelling support.
An own goal from Eliaquim Mangala started the slide for City, and further strikes from Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Martin Skrtel made it a bad day at the office for the Sky Blues.
Sergio Aguero scored at the end of the first half to put his team back in the game, but the goal turned out to be only a consolation.
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The spotlight was on Raheem Sterling as he faced his former club, but Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's team made sure it was a sorry day for the attacker.
City coach Manuel Pellegrini decided to make four changes to the City side that started their last league game against Aston Villa, with Martin Demichelis, Eliaquim Mangala, Jesus Navas and Aguero coming into the starting XI to replace Vincent Kompany, Nicolas Otamendi, Fernandinho and Wilfried Bony.
Klopp made three alterations to the side that lost to Crystal Palace at Anfield, as Mamadou Sakho, Jordon Ibe and Christian Benteke made way for Dejan Lovren, James Milner and Firmino.
It was disaster for the hosts after only seven minutes, as the Reds grabbed an unexpected lead. The goal came courtesy of Mangala, who flicked the ball past his own goalkeeper, leaving Joe Hart with no chance after a low cross from the influential Firmino.
TalkSPORT's Stan Collymore called the action, criticising the hosts as Liverpool pushed forward:
It was 2-0 midway through the first half as City's defending once again left much to be desired.
Firmino was once again involved, finding himself on the edge of the opposition box, and his perfectly weighted pass found Coutinho, allowing his compatriot to slot past Hart.
Sky Sports shared footage of the goal:
Former Tottenham Hotspur chairman Alan Sugar tipped his hat to the Reds manager:
The shock moments continued nine minutes later, as Coutinho returned the favour for Firmino, teeing up his Brazil international team-mate for a third Liverpool goal.
The attacking midfielder danced past Bacary Sagna, and he provided Firmino with the easiest of tap-ins, queueing wild celebrations from the Liverpool fans and players.
Collymore once again looked at Klopp's game plan and speculated if Benteke fits into his best formation:
However, City earned themselves a shred of hope just before the half-time whistle, as Aguero shot from distance to score for the hosts.
The mercurial Argentinian latched onto a poor clearance from Liverpool centre-back Skrtel and curled his effort past Reds goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from 20 yards.
BBC Sport's Phil McNulty commented at half-time and pointed toward the home crowd's emotions:
WhoScored.com provided the vital stats for the first half, displaying City's dominance in possession as Klopp's side sat and waited for the counter-attack:
Squawka highlighted the poor shape of City's back four, as they were torn apart by the visitors:
City's intent was clear in the opening moments of the second half, as Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne were given the ball to feet as a priority, providing better penetration.
However, it was Liverpool who had the chance to wrap up the game on the hour mark, as Firmino failed to convert with only Hart to beat.
The Brazilian only had to lift his shot over the diving goalkeeper, but Hart got a vital touch to deflect the ball away.
City fans groaned minutes later, as Aguero was replaced to protect him after his recent run of injuries, and Liverpool fans applauded Coutinho from the field, substituted after a knock.
The Sky Blues continued to look for a second goal, but they always looked vulnerable in defence, rarely comfortable as they moved the ball from the back to midfield.
The life had been sucked out of the Etihad crowd after the substitution of Aguero, and Liverpool looked more comfortable in the final minutes.
The embarrassment was complete with 10 minutes left on the clock, as Skrtel smashed home from the edge of the box. A corner dropped to the defender's feet, and he finished with the class of a striker to make it 4-1.
It was Klopp's greatest day at the helm of Liverpool after the away win at Chelsea, and the Reds will believe they have the makings of a side that can complete for silverware, as City vacated top spot in the league.
Post-Match Reaction
Pellegrini was despondent about his team's performance on Saturday and couldn't give answers as to why his side were so poor, as quoted by the club's official Twitter account:
City now face a vital Champions League match on Wednesday, Nov. 25, as they travel to Italian champions Juventus. Liverpool feature on the following day in the Europa League, playing host to Bordeaux at Anfield.
