Liverpool opened up a nine-point lead on the high of the Premier League as Manchester Metropolis’s disaster deepened in a 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday.

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Cody Gakpo’s Twelfth-minute objective was scant reward for the Reds’ first-half domination they usually sealed an 18th win in 20 video games underneath Arne Slot because of Mohamed Salah’s penalty.

Metropolis are actually 11 factors off the runaway leaders down in fifth and winless in seven video games, together with six defeats.

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Arsenal and Chelsea are Liverpool’s closest challengers as Metropolis seem set to lose their crown as English champions after profitable an unprecedented 4 consecutive titles.

Metropolis’s solely level since October 26 even felt like a defeat as they blew a 3-0 lead within the ultimate quarter-hour to attract 3-3 with Feyenoord within the Champions League in midweek.

Pep Guardiola responded by dropping goalkeeper Ederson, whereas Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias have been additionally restored to the defence.

However there was no response from the defending champions as they have been blown away within the opening levels.

Stefan Ortega was pressured into effective saves from Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai earlier than Virgil van Dijk crashed a header off the submit.

Metropolis might barely get out of their half within the opening quarter and the objective duly arrived when Gakpo bundled in Salah’s attractive cross to the again submit.

Van Dijk powered one other huge headed likelihood inches large as the possibilities continued to return for Liverpool.

Even throughout Metropolis’s best seasons underneath Guardiola, they’ve struggled to include the ability of the Anfield crowd.

Metropolis’s solely away win towards Liverpool since 2003 stays behind closed doorways through the coronavirus-impacted 2021/22 season.

Guardiola’s males did a minimum of handle to stem the bleeding by lastly maintaining some possession in the direction of the top of the primary half and Rico Lewis prodded their first try on objective simply large.

Metropolis began the second interval extra positively, however ought to nonetheless have been punished a number of occasions on the counter-attack.

Firstly, Ortega rushed off his line to dam after Gakpo was performed in by an outstanding Andy Robertson go.

Salah then skewed a one-on-one with the German goalkeeper over the bar to the consternation of many of the 60,000 crowd.

One other turnover deep inside their very own half lastly value Metropolis the decisive second objective.

Luis Diaz robbed Walker and surged by earlier than he was introduced down by Ortega.

Salah had fired large from the spot in Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League win over Actual Madrid.

This time the Egyptian discovered the underside nook for his thirteenth objective of the season to spherical off Liverpool’s dream week.

Guardiola emptied Jeremy Doku, Savinho, Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne off the bench within the second half looking for a lifeline.

Nonetheless, Metropolis’s reliance on Erling Haaland for objectives was once more evident as he was marked out of the sport by Van Dijk, who had been imperious till a late lapse of focus ought to have gifted Metropolis a comfort.

He introduced the ball to De Bruyne, however he couldn’t beat the in-form Caoimhin Kelleher.

Guardiola was taunted with chants of “you’re getting sacked within the morning” within the closing levels.

The Metropolis boss responded by displaying six fingers, one for every of his Premier League title wins previously seven seasons.

However like his aspect, Guardiola resides on reminiscences of what they’ve been as Liverpool already look out of sight for Metropolis this season.

Are Liverpool now shoo-ins for the 2024/25 Premier League title?

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By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse