Manchester City (4-3-3)
Zack Steffen A change Guardiola did not need to make and it backfired horribly as Steffen’s dawdling gifted Mané a goal. Easily beaten for Mané’s second. 4/10
João Cancelo Given a punishing time by Díaz and unable to inject his usual creativity, although that was largely due to the malaise ahead of him. 6
John Stones A few wayward passes early on reflected City’s troubles against a more impressive opponent. Improved in the second half but looked tired by recent standards. 6
Nathan Aké Guardiola’s defensive choices looked unconvincing from the start and Aké’s weak attempt to stop Konaté scoring confirmed as much, although he had several good moments in the second half. 6
Oleksandr Zinchenko Not helped by carelessness around him but struggled to support the attack as Salah and Alexander-Arnold hemmed him in. A weak header almost gifted Liverpool a fourth. 5
Fernandinho A biting presence, and not always in a good way. Booking for a scything foul on Mané could have been his second. Tried to drive the team and should have levelled. 6
Bernardo Silva Did not disguise his annoyance with the lack of urgency around him but unable to spark an improvement until the second half. 6
Phil Foden An attritional night’s work at Atlético Madrid in midweek caught up with him. Unusually careless on the ball and unable to disrupt Liverpool’s defensive shape. 5
Gabriel Jesus Lost his cool in the first half but central to City’s recovery. Unselfish when setting up Grealish’s goal but should have scored when clean through. 7
Jack Grealish A false nine in the literal sense – he just wasn’t there. Anonymous and ponderous in the first half, his switch to the left was long overdue and effective. 6
Raheem Sterling Lively early on but, with Grealish toiling alongside him, his efforts were in vain. Faded badly in the second half and shot tamely at Alisson in stoppage time. 5
Substitutes: Riyad Mahrez (for Jesus, 83) 7
Liverpool (4-3-3)
Alisson A relatively quiet day, which will have surprised him, but made valuable saves when called upon to deny Jesus and Sterling. Distribution poor. 7/10
Trent Alexander-Arnold Sacrificed his creative side to concentrate on stifling Foden, Sterling and anyone else on his flank. Could have been sharper for City’s second. 7
Ibrahima Konaté Headed in from a corner for the third time in three games. Potency in the City box was matched by a powerful, effective display in his own half. 8
Virgil van Dijk Lost the ball cheaply at times but recovered sharply to stifle the City threat. Nudged Jesus aside when the striker was clean through at a key moment. 7
Andy Robertson Rarely found space to deliver piercing crosses into the City area and caught out several times in the second half, including for both goals. 6
Naby Keïta Brought in to improve the energy and threat from midfield and delivered. Pressed tirelessly all over the pitch to keep City at bay. 8
Fabinho A more disciplined, controlled display than when the teams met in the Premier League. Provided the foundation for Thiago and Keïta to shine. 7
Thiago Alcântara Polished a congested midfield battle with composure, vision and touches of class. His delicate dink for Mané’s volley summed up a stylish display. 9
Mohamed Salah Another game where the forward’s work rate and selflessness could not be faulted but his recent toils in front of goal continued. Never allowed Aké or Zinchenko to settle on the ball. 8
Sadio Mané Steffen’s mistake gifted him a goal but was also a reward for his alertness and industry all afternoon. The well-placed volley showed his intelligence, too. 9
Luis Díaz Dazzling feet and direct running drew numerous fouls from a City defence that became increasingly fraught whenever he attacked. His speed and sharpness was hugely influential. 9
Substitutes: Jordan Henderson (for Keïta, 73) 6; Diogo Jota (for Mané, 85) 6; Roberto Firmino (for Díaz, 85) 6; Curtis Jones (for Thiago, 87) N/A
