In what was clearly a milestone night, Pep Guardiola marked his 1,000th game in management by steering Manchester City to a commanding 3-0 win against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
City’s performance was emphatic from start to finish – after an early missed penalty by Erling Haaland, he rose to head the opener just before half-time, and then goals from Nico González (a deflected long-range strike) and Jérémy Doku (a blistering effort from outside the box) wrapped up the result.
Guardiola, reflecting on the night, called it “an incredible present” from his players. City’s back-four and midfield were praised for dominating the contest, leaving Liverpool to chase shadows for most of the 90 minutes.
For Liverpool, this result is a noticeable setback. Manager Arne Slot admitted his side were outplayed throughout the first half and never recovered.
A look at the table ahead of the international break
With this result, the table now looks like this:
* Manchester City move up to 22 points from 11 games, placing them in 2nd position, four points behind leaders Arsenal.
* Liverpool, meanwhile, remain on 18 points, slipping to 8th place, eight points adrift of Arsenal and facing mounting pressure.
What it means:
* City have issued a strong message: not only did they win convincingly, but they did so at a time when momentum matters heading into the international break.
* Liverpool’s defeat raises serious questions about consistency and whether their title-defence ambitions are already slipping away.
* Arsenal remain top, but with City breathing down their necks, the title race is far from settled.
What to watch going forward
* Can City maintain this level of dominance now that they’ve broken a recent winless run versus Liverpool and earned a confidence-boosting victory?
* Will Liverpool respond after the break with improved form, or will this slump continue to deepen?
* With the break upon us, the timing is perfect for teams to reset — but those who drift during this period may pay.
* The title race has fully opened up: Arsenal, City, and perhaps others will now see this as a key moment in the season.
Guardiola’s 1,000th match could not have gone much better.
City asserted themselves in emphatic style, while Liverpool face a weekend they’ll want to forget—but one that might also serve as a wake-up call.
As the players head off for national duty, the Premier League enters a brief pause—but make no mistake, the story of this season is getting more intriguing by the week.
