Liverpool to blame? Pep Guardiola's Premier League reign under question

Liverpool solidified its position as clear leader of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield. The victory, masterminded by Arne Slot's squad, extended the Reds' rich vein of form and heaped intense pressure on Pep Guardiola and his players. Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah perhaps belied Liverpool's dominance on the pitch, but they laid bare the vulnerabilities of a City side that seemed a shadow of its usual self.

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Six games without a win have put him in alien territory. A manager used to the top now had to explain why his team was dropping out of the top four. He said after the match, "The first 15-20 minutes they were unstoppable. We tried to play with a lot of control and passing, but it was hard to accept".

Sharp Liverpool

Arne Slot didn't mince words when discussing what it took to defeat Manchester City. "If you want to beat City, you have to be perfect in every part of the game. High pressure, low pressure, buildup-they bring so many problems to you," he said. According to Slot, his team came "close to perfection," and the match proved it.

Liverpool did everything from the first whistle to drown the opposition with intensity and velocity. The first goal: the Salah vision to find Gakpo free in the box and seal the win from the spot as early as Ortega fouled Luis Díaz and gave the final nail on City, who hardly responded in most of the match. 

Guardiola in firing line

For the first time in his managerial career, Guardiola is staring at four successive Premier League defeats. He conceded the weight of this slump: "I know how strong Liverpool is in both boxes. I congratulate them, and we'll restart and go again from zero." But the lingering question is whether that reset will be enough.

The stats against Liverpool don't lie: Guardiola has won only 26% of his matches against the Reds, the worst success rate among his regular opponents. Liverpool fans taunted him with chants hinting at his dismissal-overstatement, perhaps, but one that gives a sense of the growing scrutiny. Guardiola's response? A defiant display of six fingers, a nod to his Premier League titles.

Salah's enduring legacy

As Manchester City searches for answers, Mohamed Salah continues to etch his name in Premier League history. With a goal and an assist, the Egyptian star matched Wayne Rooney’s record for the most games in which a player has both scored and assisted (36).

Liverpool vision by Slot

Since Slot took over, he has slowly molded Liverpool into his image. But while he gave kudos to the very solid team Klopp had left, even the Dutchman himself couldn't have foreseen the present streak: "I knew Jurgen left the team in a very good place. But to win so much against such tough opponents— it's not something you could predict."

Despite this early success, Slot remains cautious about what lies ahead. "I saw Arsenal yesterday, Chelsea today and I've seen City. They'll bounce back because these teams have so much quality. We need to stay sharp and focused."

Rebuilding the City machine

While Liverpool rides this wave of momentum, Manchester City has the onerous task of rebuilding its confidence and rediscovering its identity. Guardiola, though, remains optimistic: "I trust these players a lot. I know we'll get out of this position. We'll see what happens by the end of the season."