FROM THE ETIHAD STADIUM—Manchester City were as fresh as Liverpool were leggy in their Sunday afternoon duel. City had a cutting edge in Erling Haaland where Liverpool weakly brandished only blunt weapons. They had a back-up No. 6 to the absent Rodri in the excellent Nico González where Liverpool really have only Wataru Endo as cover. They fielded a wide player in Jeremy Doku as electric as Mohamed Salah looked without any spark, but the crucial difference was that Pep Guardiola had a better plan than the man in the opposite dug-out.
Arne Slot was as comprehensively out-thought by Guardiola as Liverpool’s players were outfought by City’s. Tactically, Guardiola’s side were smarter than Slot’s pedestrian, slow-reacting visitors, controlling the centre and varying the speeds and angles of their attacks. Liverpool walked blindly into an ambush.
