Liverpool 2-0 Man City: Reds extend Premier League lead
Liverpool 2-0 Man City: Reds extend Premier League lead. Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to nine points with a deserved 2-0 victory at home over Manchester City on Sunday.
The Reds took an early lead courtesy of Cody Gakpo and looked set to blow the reigning champions away only for poor finishing to thwart them.
But any worries about a City comeback were ended when Mohamed Salah smashed home a penalty late in the second half to ensure the hosts take all 3 points and moved 11 points clear of the champions.
How the game unfolded:
Twice in the opening stages the visitors were guilty of surrendering the ball in deep positions, with Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai both forcing saves from Ortega as a result.
Virgil van Dijk then struck the post with a powerful header, before the seemingly inevitable breakthrough came in the 12th minute.
It was Gakpo who opened the scoring, but the Dutchman only had to run into the ball at the back post such was the quality of Mohamed Salah’s inswinging cross from the right.
That goal further ignited the atmosphere, and Liverpool almost responded as Van Dijk headed wide before Gakpo scuffed one over after a lightning break.
But the Reds could not find a second, and City offered a brief reminder of their potential threat with five minutes of the half remaining, Rico Lewis scuffing their first shot of the opening period wide.
City built on that in the second period, beginning to dominate possession and finally gain a foothold in the game. However, Liverpool continued to create the better chances, with Gakpo forcing a save from Stefan Ortega on the break, Van Dijk heading another corner over, and Salah missing uncharacteristically after nicking the ball from Manuel Akanji.
With each miss from the hosts, it began to feel more and more like there could be a twist in the tale that would see City pinch a barely deserved share of the spoils.
But any hopes the visitors had of doing so were extinguished when yet another turnover in defence allowed Luis Diaz to race through and force Ortega to bring him down in desperation.
After a midweek penalty miss against Real Madrid, Salah did the rest in smashing the ball into the bottom corner. And that meant that City were consigned to falling 11 points behind the leaders, who themselves are now nine clear of second-placed Arsenal.
