Manchester City beat 10-man Liverpool 3-0 to extend perfect Premier League start

Manchester City maintained their perfect Premier League record with a convincing 3-0 victory over 10-man Liverpool at Anfield, silencing a hostile home crowd with three second-half goals.

Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki all scored after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, giving City six wins from six and moving them three points clear of Arsenal on 18 points. Liverpool suffered their first league defeat of the season and are ninth.

The match was City’s first since an independent commission found them guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. They were met by loud boos and angry chants from the Liverpool supporters, but Enzo Maresca’s side resisted the hosts’ early pressure and gradually took control.

Liverpool’s task became more difficult in the 62nd minute, when Gravenberch received a second yellow card for fouling Doku.

City took advantage three minutes later. Doku carried the ball into the penalty area and saw his attempted shot deflect into the path of Haaland, who finished with his left foot beyond Alisson.

The striker immediately ran towards the visiting supporters, among them Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher, to celebrate.

Doku then produced a fine strike from distance in the 68th minute, curling the ball into the far top corner to double City’s advantage.

Cherki completed the scoring 10 minutes later. He allowed the ball to run through to Josko Gvardiol before turning into the penalty area, where he met his team-mate’s return pass and calmly found the net.

“It was a lovely moment that will stay with us a long time,” Haaland told Sky Sports.

“It’s time to stay strong and stick together and do what you can do something about, stick together.”

City midfielder Elliot Anderson said the visitors had been united throughout the contest.

“We’ve shown real togetherness and fight. It’s a tough place to come and it’s challenging,” he said.

“We really stuck together out there, fought for each other and played well.”

Liverpool supporters began leaving before the final whistle, while those remaining directed chants of “Going down! Going down! Going down!” at City in reference to the possibility of relegation. City have denied all wrongdoing and appealed the independent commission’s verdict.

Maresca and a defiant Haaland celebrated by grinning and pumping their fists towards the travelling fans, who waved inflatable bananas. The gesture is a tradition dating back to City’s time outside the top flight in the 1980s.

Maresca became only the fourth manager to win his first six Premier League matches in charge of a club. The others were Pep Guardiola with City in 2016, Carlo Ancelotti with Chelsea in 2009 and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Manchester United in 2018-19.

The emphatic result provided City with a strong response on the pitch after a turbulent week away from it, although the financial verdict continues to cast uncertainty over the club despite their commanding position at the top of the league.