Jeremy Doku hopes he is only just getting started after delivering a stellar display in Manchester City’s 3-0 dismantling of champions Liverpool.

The Belgian winger produced one of his best performances in a City shirt, capped with a sublime goal, as Pep Guardiola’s side reaffirmed their title credentials with a statement victory on Sunday.

Doku delivered only fitfully in his first two seasons at the club but is enjoying a new lease of life this term, which is something he attributes to his faith.

“I feel like I just have confidence,” said Doku, who was making his 100th appearance for the club. “What changed for me this season is I have got God in my life. I have his presence with me.

“I want to play without any fear or doubt or anything. I’m 23 years old. I hope this is not my peak level. I hope I can still improve, improve my finishing, improve my movements in the box, improve my decision-making, improve on my awareness when I have the ball – a lot.

“This is an unfinished product and I hope with these team-mates, and a very good coach like Pep, I can still improve.”

City’s impressive victory, which came in Guardiola’s 1,000th game as a manager, cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to four points.

Erling Haaland had an early penalty saved but made amends by heading in the opener, his 99th in the Premier League, after 29 minutes. Nico Gonzalez doubled the lead with a deflected strike before Doku curled in a brilliant third.

Liverpool did have what would have been a Virgil van Dijk equaliser controversially ruled out when the score was 1-0 for an offside against Andrew Robertson, but there was no doubting City’s superiority.

Doku said: “We have been building and we know that we can still improve.

“We’re not really looking at Arsenal though, what the other teams are doing, because at the end of the day, we know that it depends only on us.

“And we know that if we are playing well, it’s difficult to stand next to us.”

Liverpool’s dispiriting loss was their fifth in six league games, equalling the number they suffered in the entirety of their 2024-25 title-winning campaign.

Having started the season with five successive wins, the Reds are now eighth, eight points adrift of the Gunners and with chances of retaining their crown fast receding.

Robertson said: “I don’t think you can talk about the title this early on in the season, regardless of what position you’re in – but you need to consistently start winning games again for that to even come into the question.

“We just need to get back to the levels that we know we can. If we do that on a more regular basis, then we’ll pick up more points than we won’t.

“But obviously, we’ve given ourselves a huge uphill battle.”