Man City 5 Liverpool 0: MATCH HIGHLIGHTS – Ten-man Reds ripped to shreds as Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane run riot
SADIO MANE was shown a red card for booting Ederson Moraes in the head as Manchester City ran out comfortable winners.
Gabriel Jesus struck twice while Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane netted a brace as the home side ended up running riot against 10-men.
But the game had been in the balance - with City leading by a single goal - when Jon Moss sent off the Senegal forward.
Both sides had early chances with Fernandinho bringing a smart save out of Simon Mignolet with a low drive.
And Roberto Firmino failed to get a proper connection on Mo Salah's cross, allowing Ederson to save easily.
But the breakthrough came when Kevin de Bruyne's lovely through ball sent Sergio Aguero racing clear and he rounded Mignolet and finished easily.
The Kop could have hit back when Mane played in Salah, but Ederson did superbly to save.
The big moment came on 36 minutes when Ederson came charging out of his goal and headed clear.
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Mane - arriving a split second later connecting with the side of the Brazilian's head with his high boot - and Jon Moss showed a straight red.
Ederson needed nine minutes of treatment on a suspected fractured cheekbone and headed straight off to a nearby medical centre.
He was replaced by Claudio Bravo, making his first appearance of the season after a nightmare first year at the Etihad.
But City were determined to make the most of their extra man and doubled their lead in first half stoppage time.
De Bruyne was again the provider as his cross was emphatically headed beyond Mignolet - a sweet moment as he had seen a header chalked off a couple of minutes earlier.
Jurgen Klopp threw on Alex Oxlade Chamberlain for his debut at the break to stiffen up the middle of the park.
INTERACTIVE LINE-UPS– CLICK on a player’s number below to see their stats
But the game was effectively over when Fernandinho sent Aguero clear and he unselfishly squared for Jesus to fire home his second of the game.
And it got worse for the visitors as sub Sane linked up with Benjamin Mendy and then swept home the cross from the French international.
He then curled home his second deep into injury time to compound a miserable afternoon for the visitors.
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FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS
- Jurgen Klopp not only lost this clash, he waved goodbye to a proud record. Under him, Liverpool had been unbeaten away from home against last season's top seven, winning five and drawing four.
- Aguero loves it when the Reds come to town. He has now bagged in all six of his Premier League appearances at home to the Merseysiders.
- And to cap off his afternoon, the Argentine's strike saw him overtake Dwight Yorke as the top-scoring non-European in Premier League history with 124 goals.
- But his strike partner Gabriel Jesus could catch him one day. The Brazilian has now been directly involved in 13 goals in his 12 starts for City in the top-flight.
- One of the key men supplying the fearsome front men is Kevin De Bruyne. No player has got more than his 29 assists since his debut for the club back in September 2015
- After a foul on Sadio Mane in the first half a City fan gestured to Jurgen Klopp that his attacker had dived. The German responded by taking off his glasses and offering them to the supporter.
- James Milner could be forgiven for feeling a little aggrieved when he was brought on by Klopp. A number of City fans greeted their former star with a chorus of boos - despite the fact he helped them to win two titles during his time at the club.
- There was some positive news for City fans on Ederson. His injury was not bad enough to be taken to hospital. Instead he was taken over the road to the club's training complex to check for fractures after medics confirmed he had not suffered concussion.
- Klopp is not used to losing in such humiliating fashion. This was the joint-biggest defeat of his career, level with the 6-1 thumping his Mainz side suffered at the hands of Werder Bremen in 2006.
SOCIAL SAYS
WHAT THEY SAID
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on Sky Sports: "We had all we needed at 11v11. We had chances. The first goal is unnecessary, we were too laid back, not too smart.
"But the decisive decision in the whole game was the red card. I don't think it was a red card, Sadio didn't see the goalkeeper. It's unlucky, an accident. The keeper comes out. You want to go for the ball. I hope people see it for what it is."
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Sky Sports: "It was one game at 11v11, it was equal, we both had chances, but the game was equal. Liverpool are so quick and fast.
"After 10v11 it was a little bit easier for us, and we played the second half the way we wanted to. They didn't do well.
"The game was open until the sending-off. Ederson, the doctor says there is nothing broken. He also saved us in the first half from Mohamed Salah.
"Mane didn't see him, he was looking at the ball but the impact was huge. I don't know if it was a red card. I didn't speak about the decision when we had Kyle Walker sent off against Everton so I will not now."
DREAM TEAM RATINGS
Manchester City: Ederson 7 (Bravo 45+1, 6), Walker 7, Danilo 7, Otamendi 7 (Mangala 71, 6), Stones 7, Mendy 8, Fernandinho 7, Silva 7, De Bruyne 9, Jesus 8 (Sane 57, 8), Aguero 8
Subs: Gundogan, Bernardo, Foden, Delph
Liverpool: Mignolet 6, Alexander-Arnold 6, Matip 6, Klavan 5, Moreno 5, Henderson 5, Can 6, Wijnaldum 5 (Milner 58, 6), Salah 6 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 45, 5), Mane 5, Firmino 5 (Solanke 67, 6)
Subs: Karius, Lovren, Gomez, Sturridge
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