EPL Day 12: Mission Accomplished!!! Liverpool Hammer the Champions to move eight points clear; Liverpool 3 - 1 Manchester City

Goals from Fabinho, Salah and Mane gave the Reds the three points at Anfield on Sunday

EPL Day 12: Mission Accomplished!!! Liverpool Hammer the Champions to move eight points clear; Liverpool 3 - 1 Manchester City
Sadio Mane celebrates scoring his seventh goal of the season with team-mate Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool moved eight points clear at the top of the Premier League and nine above Manchester City with a thrilling 3-1 victory over the reigning champions.

Liverpool made one change to the side that sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory at Aston Villa, as Fabinho replaced Adam Lallana in midfield.

 

 

Claudio Bravo started in goal for champions Manchester City in their mammoth Super Sunday clash with Liverpool at Anfield.

Bravo made his first Premier League start since May 2018.

In total, City made two changes to the side that beat Southampton 2-1, with the summer signing Rodri replacing David Silva, who missed the match through injury.

 

 

Fabinho put the leaders in front after six minutes at Anfield with a ferocious, low shot into the bottom-left corner from 25 yards out.

The Brazilian drilled the ball past Bravo from 30 yards but City were furious because they think they should have a penalty for hand ball against Alexander-Arnold moments earlier.

After the incident, Liverpool went straight up the other end and Mane's cross eventually fell to Fabinho, who produced a thunderous strike to give Liverpool the lead.

 

 

The appeal for handball was against Trent Alexander-Arnold but the referee ruled tha hand as in a natural position.

Mohamed Salah then doubled Liverpool’s lead seven minutes later, heading in from Andy Robertson’s sweeping left-wing cross.

It's full-back to full-back as Alexander-Arnold played a wonderful cross-field pass to Robertson. The Left-back then played a brilliant pass of his own to pick out Salah at the far post.

 

 

Fernandinho missed with an attempted clearance and Salah made no mistake, heading the ball back across goal into the bottom corner.

Manchester City still were dominant but were lacking connection infront of an organized Liverpool defense marshalled by Virgil Van Dijk.

Aguero missed a huge chance in the 42-minute after De Bruyne slipped the ball through to the Argentine, who is one-on-one with Alisson. It was a big moment for the City striker but he fluffed his lines and draggled his shot wide of the far post.

 

 

The hosts made it 3-0 on 51 minutes when goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, starting in the place of the injured Ederson, was unable to be keep out Sadio Mane’s header from Jordan Henderson’s pinpoint cross.

Bernardo Silva pulled a goal back in the 78th minute, with his low strike beating Alisson at the near post, but Man City were unable to get any closer.

Liverpool are now 29 matches unbeaten in the Premier League and have 34 points from 12 matches.

 

 

Man City are fourth on 25 points, one behind Leicester City and their Matchweek 13 opponents Chelsea.