Just under a year ago Manchester City and Liverpool played out a Premier League classic at the Etihad. The two great teams of the era went toe-to-toe in another pulsating title race that would again end with the title in Pep Guardiola's hands.
Back then it seemed like a rivalry that would run and run, but 357 days on this was another big day for City's aspirations of a fifth title in six seasons, but another dark day in Liverpool's descent to also-rans as far as the honours are concerned.
Jurgen Klopp's team took the lead against the run of play, but even with the advantage Klopp was never happy. He spent most of the game in a state of perpetual fury on the touchline and by full-time this was less a contest of brilliant equals and more an afternoon that exposed the reality that these two teams no longer operate in the same stratosphere.
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It is Arsenal who occupy minds at the Etihad now and if Mikel Arteta feels like calling Klopp to find out what it's like to take on City down the stretch, he should put his phone down. In 2018/19 they won the final 14 games to edge out Liverpool. Last season it was six wins from seven and 27 goals after the 2-2 draw here.
Pressure is a privilege is a phrase beloved by sportspeople and it seems to seep into the City dressing room. They've now won six of their last seven in the league and are playing better than at any other time this season. This is the first time they've won four league games in a row in 2022/23. Arsenal will be feeling the heat at the top of the table.
They might have had one eye on this game at the Emirates and might have been buoyed by the absence of Erling Haaland, but even when they went behind City didn't look in trouble for long. Liverpool didn't have a great record here even when they were slugging it out with the Blues. They were unlikely to overturn an abject away record this season to cause a shock this time around.
While Klopp's team have stood still in key areas, City are still moving forward. Jack Grealish has followed the familiar path of looking significantly better in his second season than his first and Haaland and Julian Alvarez have added a ruthless cutting edge.
From the early stages City looked the sharper, more confident team, while Liverpool continually coughed up possession. Rodri was the dominant player in midfield, shrugging off challenges and picking line-breaking passes to Julian Alvarez, who was pulling Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Kontate up the pitch, or to Grealish, who was stationed on the outside of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
So it came as a shock when the visitors took the lead. Their initial attempts to play through City's press looked nervy, but when they did manage it they found Fabinho and Alexander-Arnold with too much space. The latter had time to pick a pass into the vast green expanse of the Etihad pitch.
Expecting their teammates to win the ball back, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji were so far apart a cruise ship could have sailed through them. Diogo Jota is much smaller than that. He held the ball up before finding Mohamed Salah for a first-time finish.
That goal did demonstrate Liverpool's threat on the break and that route could have provided a second. City were caught out from their own corner, but Grealish raced back to intercept Salah's square ball for a Jota tap-in. That was a vital contribution, but the £100million winger produced an even more decisive moment in the other penalty area a few minutes later.
It was a sweeping City move, showing patience at the back before injecting some pace into their play. Riyad Mahrez moved infield, Ilkay Gundogan swept it out to Grealish and his low cross was simple for Alvarez to finish. It clearly pleased Pep Guardiola as well, who did a jig worthy of Liam Gallagher in the face of Liverpool sub Kostas Tsimikas before offering Arthur Melo an intense handshake.
You could understand Guardiola's delight, if not his slightly manic celebrations. For all that Haaland has stolen the headlines this season, Alvarez has been excellent every time he's been called on. The season began with the Argentine scoring against Liverpool in the Community Shield, but that day was dominated by talk that Darwin Nunez might outscore Haaland. After this game City's second striker is now only one goal behind Liverpool's £85million man.
He was involved in the second goal as well, in a way that Haaland might not have been. Grealish's pass inside found him on halfway and he spun and immediately found Mahrez running behind into space. This time it was City's turn to catch Liverpool's defence cold. Kevin De Bruyne sprinted ahead of the labouring Virgil van Dijk and was there for a tap-in when Mahrez's first-time ball came across. It was the type of goal Liverpool had been trying to score all afternoon.
That type of incision is rarely Liverpool's calling card this season, however. If you want a true indication of their campaign then just watch City's third goal. It was men against boys as City toyed with their former rivals on the edge of the area. Mahrez moved the attack into the box and found Alvarez, who had time to stumble and still get a shot away. Alexander-Arnold blocked it but Gundogan had the freedom of the six-yard box to take a touch and bury the rebound under no pressure.
City's players were queuing up to have a go now. The magnificent Grealish forced Alisson into a finger-tip save, but he deserved his goal when it came. He collected the ball on the left, played De Bruyne in behind Alexander-Arnold and then sauntered past Liverpool's right-back. De Bruyne's return ball was perfect and Grealish applied the finish.
The away end was almost deserted by full-time. 'Why the f**k are you still here?' enquired the City fans. In terms of being true rivals to this City team, they're not.
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