7:28PM

And finally: Pep Guardiola speaks to Sky Sports

I enjoyed it a lot. They gave me a good present, the players, with this performance against the champions. They did it defensively and many, many, many good things happened at the highest level, all of them.

Liverpool were better in the second half, our performance dropped a little bit but I was pleased [about] everything.

Defensively we were good against the qualities of Mo and Ekitike. We had good energy with our people and the vibe from our fans was incredible.

In football you cannot control when you lose the ball and in the second half they were more aggressive. I talk about the concept of winning the duels all the time when you win the duel you keep the ball and pass the ball. All three midfield players gave us control, played a lot of passes, the centre defenders, and the threat of Jeremy was outstanding along with Erling.

The right-back Connor is very quick, I saw him against Vinicius, so I think [Jeremy] had a really good game.

7:11PM

Arne Slot speaks to Sky Sports

It was a very, very, very difficult first half for us. They were pressing us really high and were very good in ball possession. We struggled in the first half and you are hoping that at the end of that, 1-0 behind. And then in the last few minutes there were influential [moments, the disallowed goal and City’s second] that ended us going in 2-0 down instead of 1-1 or 1-0.

In the second half it was a much better performance from us but in the first half it was obvious that they were much better than us.

In my opinion the wrong decision has been made [not to validate their equaliser] because he [Robertson] was not interfering with play at all, with what the goalkeeper can do. Someone after the game showed me the same referee allowing a goal for Wolves against City last season. It took the linesman 13 seconds to raise his flag to say it was offside. That could have influenced the game in a positive way for us because we had been so poor in the first half,

Being 2-0 down was probably a fair reflection of [how poor we were]... we would have been lucky going in a 1-1 or even 1-0. But you cannot predict [how it might have altered the outcome].

They were better than us. We had lots of troubles bringing the ball out from the back. Their first goal was a cross, we were in the right position and then we may be unlucky with the deflection.

It’s been a very good tart of the week with a very bad end of the week, But it’s a hard place to come for everyone. In general they were the better team. We need to improve and I didn’t need this [result] to know that.

Last season when we were eight points clear it never felt that it was settled [the title race]. This week has given me a lot of positives to take into the games after the break. It’s easy to focus on the negatives but there are positives from this week as well.

We shouldn’t talk about the the number one position, we should focus on our performance that needs to be better.

6:54PM

Sky Sports speaks to Jérémy Doku

In big games it’s always more exposure, always more beautiful. I’m very happy. It’s always good for the confidence. There are great players who push me here, this guy [Dias], who believe in me and give me the feeling I want to do more. I’m just happy with the way we played.

6:48PM

A word from Ruben Dias

Him [the manager and whether he feels pleased for him] and everyone. I’m very happy for him. We live for games like this. No higher level than this. Very happy for him, very happy for us, very happy for everyone.

[Have you been pushing Doku to be better?] We need to push everyone. I need to push him, he needs to push me. Everyone. These little differences, people ready to sacrifice for the guy next to him, are the things I saw before I came here.

This is not new. We have been talking a lot about a rebuild since last season. It’s part of the process. New faces but the quality stays the same and we keep pushing. It’s early in the season. We keep our feet on the ground and keep pushing.

6:29PM

Full time: City 3 Liverpool 0

A fitting performance to mark Guardiola’s 1000th game in management. They climb back to second, four points behind Arsenal. Liverpool continue to look confused in terms of their selection and carrying too many players who seem tired/leggy.

6:27PM

90+3 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Doku is confirmed as man of the match, which Gary Neville called half an hour ago.

6:25PM

90+1 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Three minutes of injury time are signalled and begin with Foden rolling on the floor holding his head after a shoulder barge on to the back of his skull from Szoboszlai who is booked for it.

6:23PM

90 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Jones is booked unfairly I think when Savinho throws himself to the turf while being tailed by the substitute.

6:22PM

89 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Another shot from O’Reilly, this one speared wide from an acute angle.

6:21PM

87 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Plenty of gleeful taunting now by City fans. On top of the “getting sacked in the morning” crowing towards Arne Slot, Florian Wirtz, all £116m of him, finds himself assailed by a chorus of “what a waste of money”.

6:20PM

85 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Gravenberch blocks O’Reilly after the left-back shifted the ball past him and tried to run past with a full bodycheck.

6:18PM

83 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

O’Reilly, who has had a fine game after seemingly hurting his calf early on, is teed up for a left-foot shot from 20 yards by Foden’s clever pass. But he blazes over.

6:14PM

81 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Salah through the inside-right after Kerkez’s 50-yard headed clearance bounces invitingly, steers a half-volleyed shot inches past the left post with the outside of his left boot.

‘Sacked in the morning,’ sing the home fans to Slot.

6:12PM

79 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Van Dijk’s heavy touch when a deep corner is headed back into the City box allows Donnarumma to pounce and smother it.

6:11PM

77 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Szoboszlai smashes a right foot shot from 22 yards that was arrowing towards the top left corner until Donnarumma took off to his right and batted it away with a string right hand.

6:09PM

75 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Fast break spearheaded by Nunes after picking off a Jones pass ends with Marmoush shooting into some red-socked shins from 18 yards after being set up by Haaland’s cute pass.

6:08PM

73 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

City defend the corner and Gakpo is caught offside when the ball is knocked back over to the left.

Doku leaves the field to a stadium on its feet. Fabulous performance.

Marmoush → Doku.

Jones → Mac Allister.

6:06PM

71 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Szoboszlai skips over O’Reilly’s challenge, drives down the right and flays over a low cross that Nunes turns behind before Gakpo can get there.

6:04PM

68 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Szoboszlai grabs the hems of his shorts and screams after being penalised for fouling Doku as he tried to help out Bradley.

6:01PM

65 min: Man City 3 Liverpool 0

Liverpool had just enjoyed their best spell with the use of the high press but it left them very vulnerable to the counter and City exploited their high line with the flying O’Reilly and Doku combo that has exposed Konaté all game.

5:57PM

GOAL!

**Man City 3 Liverpool 0 **Doku crowns a man of the match performance with a purler. Another terrific link up with O’Reilly on the outside after the left-back burst forward to receive a crossfield pass. Doku takes the ball, shifts it to his right, burns across Konaté and wraps his right instep around the ball to fire it into the top right corner from 20 yards.

5:54PM

61 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

Big chance for Liverpool after fine work from Bradley on the underlap down the right. He ghosts to the byline and whips a cross through the six-yard box but Gakpo blazes over from five yards. Quite a tight angle but should have done much better.

5:52PM

59 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

Kerkez → Robertson Gakpo → Ekitike.

Wirtz moves to a false nine role but his first main contribution is a poor corner after González had hacked Bradley’s cross behind.

5:51PM

57 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

Doku again runs at Bradley, twisting his blood but, having done the hardest part, smacks his shot into Konaté. Liverpool counter and somehow Gvardiol escapes a booking for a cynical/professional/tactical foul to spoil the counter.

5:48PM

55 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

Savinho → Cherki.

The sub sprints on moments before Foden bends his free-kick straight into the wall. Liverpool cannot clear their lines and concede another corner.

5:47PM

54 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

Bradley is penalised for a foul on González after another penetrating run from Doku. Gravenberch had a nibble at the Belgium winger but he still managed to get away. Free kick is 25 yards out, left of centre.

Doku is terrorising Liverpool. He’s been brilliant. Doku-Bradley just not a fair fight at the moment and it’s the Liverpool right back who ends up bringing down Nico Gonzalez 22 yards out.

5:46PM

52 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

Donnarumma races out of his area as a wonderful Gravenberch pass sets Salah off behind the defensive line. Dias hares back and slides in to knock it away from Salah and the keeper but Gvardiol also covering manages to mop up.

5:44PM

50 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

It’s tipping it down now in east Manchester. City build up the right with Nunes and shift it infield until Haaland’s ball round the corner is picked off by Mac Allister.

5:42PM

48 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

City counter at speed with Doku and O’Reilly flying down the left and only just failing to complete a one-two to stretch the lead.

5:40PM

46 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

Gary Neville was advocating three half-time changes but Slot has stuck to his starting XI. They start at a decent lick down the right with Salah bombing on but he is ultimatelt crowded out in the box when trying to pick out Ekitike.

5:29PM

Bittersweet symphony

For all Liverpool’s gnashing of teeth over the disallowed goal, City are good value for this 2-0 lead. Jeremy Doku has dominated Conor Bradley at every turn, while the symphonic passing en route to Haaland’s header was a fitting tribute to Guardiola in his 1,000th game.

5:25PM

Half-time: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

Liverpool may be grateful that they are only two goals down but they are right to be miffed by the decision that cost them their ‘goal’ at 1-0 down. Robertson was harshly penalised for a misdemeanour that had no bearing on the incident. And yet for the rest of the game City have run them ragged.

5:23PM

45+5 min: Man City 2 Liverpool 0

Neville is right. Liverpool are so off the pace it’s concerning for their fans. Whether they’re still knackered from beating Real Madrid or dizzied by City’s pace and passing, I don’t know.

5:19PM

GOAL!

Man City 2 Liverpool 0 (González) From the short corner, Liverpool go to sleep and stay where they are as City stroll and shift the ball from Doku to Bernardo to Cherki who rolls it to the left of the D for González to hammer a daisycutter. Van Dijk lazily sticks out his right leg and deflects it ps his keeper.

5:18PM

45+3 min: Man City 1 Liverpool 0

City take a corner short on the left...

5:18PM

45+2 min: Man City 1 Liverpool 0

Cherki’s twinkle toes takes the ball to the byline but his dinked cross sits uo nicely for Mamardashvili as City try to turn the screw before the break.

5:17PM

45 min: Man City 1 Liverpool 0

There will be seven minutes of stoppage time for the two VAR checks and O’Reilly’s treatment. Gary Neville argues that Liverpool look leggy and are already blowing heavily, sluggish in the press.

5:14PM

42 min: Man City 1 Liverpool 0

City corner on the right a minute after Bernardo was booked for a cynical trip. Liverpool defend it well.

5:12PM

No goal

Van Dijk buried the header from a corner earned by Salah. Robertson ducked to let the ball go over his head and into the right corner but the linesman’s flag went up and VAR stuck with the onfield decision.

Slot is raging because two Donnarummas were not saving that and he had a clear sight of the header all the way from Van Dijk’s brow to the goal-line.

5:10PM

VAR check for Liverpool equaliser

Robertson was offside but was he interfering with play, in the keeper’s eyeline?

5:09PM

37 min: Man City 1 Liverpool 0

Those cats were fast as lightning, in fact, it was a little bit frightening Credit: Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

5:07PM

35 min: Man City 1 Liverpool 0

Yellow card for Mac Allister for chipping at the irrepressible Doku’s ankles.

5:06PM

34 min: Man City 1 Liverpool 0

Liverpool have been uncharacteristically passive. City are dominant and their strategy of forcing Liverpool to make Konaté their playmaker are working well so far.

5:05PM

32 min: Man City 1 Liverpool 0

Van Dijk is attempting to alter Liverpool’s tactics and tells Robertson and Bradley that they can’t give Doku free rein on the left and Nunes the same on the right.

Count the passes ... that’s a wondrous goal from City. It starts on their own left by-line where they work the ball collectively out of the tightest of spaces. They don’t relinquish it thereafter before Nunes crosses for Haaland to finish with a brilliant header. A fitting goal for Guardiola’s 1000th game

4:59PM

GOAL!

**Man City 1 Liverpool 0 (Haaland) **City get their just deserts. Liverpool defending their box, leave Nunes alone wide on the right, unmolested, inviting the cross. So he RSVPs by whipping it to the back stick and Haaland leaps above Konaté and ricochets the defender’s header back and over the keeper. O’Reilly started that breathtakingly slick move by his left corner flag.

4:59PM

28 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

Doku feints, twists and jinks as he runs at Bradley who does well to hold him up for a while but he still manages to slip to his left and get a shot off that Mamardashvili tips away at the near post. From the breakdown from the resulting corner, Nico González is booked for grabbing Wirtz’s collar to stop him countering at pace.

4:56PM

26 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

Matheus Nunes, Foden and Bernardo link up down the right but Liverpool’s compact shape encourages City to try to force a pass after some elite ball recycling and Bernardo, of all people, hooks it out of play.

4:55PM

24 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

City are pressing Van Dijk heavily and quickly, forcing him either not to be a receiver for a pass from his keeper or offload it quickly to Konaté who can’t pass as well as his captain.

4:54PM

22 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

O’Reilly is going to try to run the calf problem off. He comes back on the pitch as Gvardiol hits the deck after another challenge with the sturdy, raw-boned Salah.

4:52PM

20 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

Lengthy break after O’Reilly goes down after tackling Salah. Seems to have a problem with his right calf.

4:49PM

17 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

Haaland gives the ball to Gravenberch in the centre-circle, wins it back and spins a pass out to Doku who storms up the left, burning past Szoboszlai. He squares it to Cherki who gets a shot off from 16 yards or so that strikes a defender and goes out for a corner that Liverpool defend securely.

4:47PM

15 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

All City so far and they come back from the disappointment as Haaland overcomes his deflation to help Bernardo storm through the middle. He would have been in on goal had it not been for a fine Van Dijk tackle, at which he threw everything but the kitchen sink.

Virgil van Dijk is imploring his team-mates to calm down after the shock of Erling Haaland’s penalty miss. Not that he was exactly blameless in the drama, stoking City’s fury by refusing to hand the ball over to Ruben Dias for Haaland to take.

4:44PM

Save stands

No his initial movement was backwards

4:43PM

Saved!

Haaland rolls it tepidly to the right centre of goal and Mamardashvili gets there.

But was he off his line?

Giorgi Mamardashvili saves Erling Haaland’s penalty Credit: REUTERS/Phil Noble

4:42PM

City penalty

Doku had almost gone the long way round the keeper but felt the touch and faceplanted into the turf.

Bernardo is busy guarding the penality spot, shoving Bradley away as the Liverpool defender tries to get to it, presumably to try to scuff it up.

4:41PM

VAR check for a City penalty

Doku slalomed into the box from the left having got the better of Bradley after a longish duel. Mamardashvili slid in on his knees and seems tp catch him with his knee on his toe.

VAR asks the referee to take a second look Credit: Sky Sports

4:39PM

9 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

Salah surprises O’Reilly with his pace when Ekitike rolls a short pass to the winger. Ekitike benefiting from Gvardiol letting the ball bounce. But Donnarumma raced out to help.

4:38PM

7 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

Foden is put clear through ahead of Van Dijk by a wonderfully weighted Doku pass from the inside-left to inside-right channels but Foden’s control is unusually heavy and the Liverpool captain gets round to cover.

4:37PM

5 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

Very congested so far. Everyone funnelling narrow until O’Reilly goes on the overlap outside Doku and links up with his wingman who slips into the area, the ball never wholly under control as he pinballs between Bradley and Gravenberch before running into the brick wall of Konaté‘s right boot in a block tackle.

The Etihad has been awash with Guardiola banners. “We’ve got Guardiola - 1000 games” reads one draped across the East Stand. Another in the North Stand reads: “Mas que un entrenador” – more than a trainer. And those supporters in the South Stand made it abundantly clear they don’t want Guardiola to leave – whenever that will be. “Volem que et quotes!!!” the banner read in Catalan. Translation: We want you to stay.

4:34PM

3 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

Doku switches back to the left and City go backwards to go forwards. The Etihad resounds in the ‘Steve Gerrard, Gerrard fell on his f—— a—’ song to commemorate their 2014 title.

Gravenberch legs up O”Reilly after the City left-back whipped the ball off Salah and made strides up the left.

4:32PM

1 min: Man City 0 Liverpool 0

Liverpool kick off, attacking from right to left and, in true 2025-26 style, lump it forward and concede an immediate throw-in. Doku puts City back on the front foot with an 80-yard run, pushing Wirtz back and winsa throw-in again, all within 60 seconds.

4:28PM

Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola

Both lay poppy wreaths by the side of the pitch before the Last Post.

4:25PM

The teams are in the tunnel

And about to emerge. both sides in their home strips, City in sky blue and white, Liverpool in Ron Yeatsian red.

There will be a commemoration of the fallen and all who have served for Remembrance Sunday before kick-off.

4:18PM

Guardiola speaks to Sky Sports

[Rayan Cherki] is a special talent, a quality for connecting. There is no special reason for his selection, we think he can give us that extra thing.

There is a lot of games to play, the league is so long. The difficulty is there but the challenge is beautiful. We focus on the game and then we’ll celebrate [the 1000th game] or go home and go to sleep [depending on the performance].

4:15PM

The 1000 club assembles to praise Pep

4:11PM

A quick word with Arne Slot

After the results we’ve had over the past one and a half months you focus on yourself. We prepare for City, one of the most difficult opponents, and pay no attention to the [Arsenal game]. I was still analysing City yesterday for the 250th time but heard the results and all the results.

Both Man City and Real Madrid are very, very god teams but you cannot compare, one has a manager that has been there for 10 years, one for only a few months. But yes there is a similarity between Mbappé and Haaland, particularly their pace.

4:07PM

For all the news from the four 2pm kick-offs

Please click here for Will Conroy’s coverage and our correspondents’ reports.

3:56PM

League of nations

It was only nine months ago that Liverpool, for the first time in their history, named a top-flight starting XI without a single English player. Now Arne Slot’s league of nations – Georgia, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Hungary, Argentina, Egypt, Northern Ireland, Scotland are all represented among today’s starters, but not England – is such that the omission barely registers.

3:51PM

Ekitike: Arne Slot is on my back, he wants me to keep my shirt on

Hugo Ekitike is laughing and giving a knowing glance to a club colleague, having just been asked whether Arne Slot can be a tough taskmaster.

With his eyebrows raised high enough to brush the ceiling, at first it seems Ekitike is considering a diplomatic response. What follows is as direct as one of his dashes towards the opposition goal, as he is pushed for an example of Slot’s most pertinent advice.

“Obviously [he told me] to keep my shirt on!” he says, giggling, a reference to the daft sending-off he received in this season’s Carabao Cup for removing his jersey after scoring.

3:43PM

Will Guardiola bow out at the right time?

The judgment on when to leave is often a decision botched by the greatest managers, not least because that instinct for survival is necessarily so strong in them that it is hard to bypass – and for Pep Guardiola it will be just the same.

Sir Alex Ferguson called it right in 2013 and left with the Premier League trophy in his hands, his grandchildren on the Old Trafford pitch around him and a Wayne Rooney rebellion quelled. Over at Manchester City the same afternoon, one of Guardiola’s predecessors, Roberto Mancini, was about to be sacked. Ferguson could not have directed a better finale himself.

Arsène Wenger got it wrong by ignoring all the reasons that seemed obvious to everyone else. Jürgen Klopp? Perhaps too early to say, but last season’s Premier League title at Anfield must still give him pause for thought. Johan Cruyff, the lodestar of Guardiola’s early career, did not even make it to the end of the 1995-96 season at the Nou Camp. He was sacked by a Barcelona president who could no longer take the arguments.

Guardiola coaches his 1,000th game as a manager today, more than half of them at City, and – at 54 – relatively young to have reached such a milestone. Another pivotal game against Liverpool awaits in what might be Guardiola’s last season at the club, although the extension he signed 12 months ago takes him to the end of 2026-27. One hardly needs to emphasise the scale of his achievements or the breadth of his influence. Stepping away takes something else for a great manager.

3:35PM

Your teams in black and white

**Manchester City **Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Bernardo, Nico, Foden; Cherki, Haaland, Doku. Substitutes Trafford, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Marmoush, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Bobb, Lewis.

**Liverpool **Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Ekitike, Wirtz. *Substitutes * Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Kerkez, Isak, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Ngumoha.

**Referee **Chris Kavanagh (Ashton-under-Lyne)

3:19PM

City team news

Guardiola makes three changes from midweek: Dias, Cherki and Bernardo come in for Stones, Savinho and Reijnders.

Your City line-up! 💪🩵

XI | Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Nico, Bernardo (C), Foden, Cherki, Doku, Haaland

SUBS | Trafford, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Marmoush, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Bobb, Lewis

🤝 @etihad pic.twitter.com/YWYbutQhMj

— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 9, 2025

3:17PM

Liverpool team news

Slot sticks with starting XI from victory over Real Madrid with Isak returning to the matchday squad.

2:41PM

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2:39PM

Preview: Second place up for grabs

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool from Etihad Stadium. The match will start with City in third and Liverpool in sixth and a victory for the former would close the gap at the top to Arsenal to four points after the leaders were deservedly held to a draw by Sunderland yesterday. Liverpool, despite those four successive defeats, a run terminated by their 2-0 victory over Villa last week, would climb to second, only five points behind Arsenal if they can follow up their 2-0 win there last season by taking three points today.

Both sides won in European competition in midweek, City an emphatic 4-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool a good 1-0 win over Real Madrid so come into Pep Guardiola’s 1000th match as a manager in relatively fine fettle. City are missing only Mateo Kovacic, who probably should have gone for surgery earlier, while Alisson. Jeremie Frimpong and Alexander Isak have all been ruled out for the away side. The intriguing selection dilemma for Liverpool will be over whether Arne Slot gives free rein to Florian Wirtz on the left against one of City’s makeshift right-backs or reverts to Cody Gakpo while City, whose wingers Jérémy Doku and Savinho were instrumental in their midweek win, will more than likely restore Bernardo Silva in some capacity especially if Rodri is deemed not fit enough to start.

Before last season’s 2-0 victory which lengthened their lead to 11 points and all but sealed the title, the Etihad had not been a happy hunting ground for wins while Guardiola has been in charge. It hasn’t for anyone so it’s no disgrace, but they did draw four of the previous eight matches there under Jürgen Klopp, losing heavily three times and by the odd goal once. After heavy investment in 2025, both teams have been vastly remodelled from the match which City won 4-1 in their Treble-winning season. Both are still suffering teething troubles but have enough quality to bring the best out of each other in one of only a handful of genuine must-not-miss matches for fans of other sides.