Hello, and welcome to this evening’s liveblog.
Liverpool have already been confirmed as Premier League champions and the next challenge is to win with a record points tally.
Man City, who currently hold the record, will be desperate to deny them having already lost the title to the Reds.
From their final seven games, Jurgen Klopp’s side need 15 points out of a possible 21 to break the record, but won’t find it easy tonight against a Pep Guardiola team out for revenge.
Kick off is at 8.15pm.
Confirmation of tonight’s teams…
⭐️ TEAM NEWS ⭐️
— Liverpool FC (Premier League Champions 🏆) (@LFC) July 2, 2020
Here’s how we line-up for our trip to @ManCity 🔴 #MCILIV@Dejan06Lovren is out as a precaution with a minor knock.
How we line-up tonight against Liverpool! 💪
— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 2, 2020
XI | Ederson, Walker, Garcia, Laporte, Mendy, Rodrigo, Gundogan, De Bruyne (C), Foden, Jesus, Sterling.
Subs | Bravo, Stones, Zinchenko, Bernardo, D.Silva, Mahrez, Cancelo, Otamendi, Doyle.
⚽ @Haysworldwide
🔵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/I5qAtFfzwS
Who do you think will win?
Poll Results:
We’re underway…
3 - Liverpool are looking to complete a Premier League double over Manchester City for just the third time, having last done so in 2005-06 and 2015-16. Exclamation. #MCILIV pic.twitter.com/LkwWJ4YSNV
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 2, 2020
Salah makes a well-timed run behind the City defence and controls a long ball, before hitting it on the half-volley.
Ederson makes a save from the Egyptian international, while he also stops Firmino’s tame effort on the rebound.
A slightly worrying sight for City, as De Bruyne walks gingerly after coming off the worse of the two amid a challenge with Fabinho.
It looks like he should be okay to continue.
The Champions, @LFC playing against the team in 2nd and last season’s Champions, @ManCity in a Premier League game in July, with all the players taking the knee in an empty stadium. If someone had said, a year ago, that that would be happening.....😳 pic.twitter.com/kBKyTKFFpJ
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 2, 2020
Liverpool have had the better of the opening 15 minutes.
The backline have pushed up and pressed City back, with Klopp’s side dominating possession and controlling the play.
Liverpool go close!
Firmino plays in Salah, whose shot on the edge of the box comes back off the post.
The City defence are struggling to cope with the Reds’ attack, and a goal for the visitors feels inevitable at the moment.
PENALTY TO MAN CITY!
Gomez brings down Sterling and the ref points to the spot.
The Liverpool defender also receives a booking.
MAN CITY 1-0 LIVERPOOL (DE BRUYNE 25)
De Bruyne makes no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Liverpool have been the better team so far, yet it’s City who lead.
It’s been a decent response by Liverpool since the goal.
Fabinho plays it through towards Salah, but Ederson is alert and gets on to the loose ball just before the Egyptian can get a touch.
MAN CITY 2-0 LIVERPOOL (STERLING 35)
City break and Foden plays a clever pass through to Sterling, who takes a touch to evade the challenge of Gomze before slotting it home to score against his former club.
City have not been quite as dominant as 2-0 suggests, but they’ve certainly been clinical, and are well on their way to spoiling Liverpool’s title party.
MAN CITY 3-0 LIVERPOOL (FODEN 45)
This is turning into quite a performance from City.
De Bruyne and Foden work a lovely one-two on the edge of the area, before the youngster fires home past a helpless Alisson.
It’s poor defending from Robertson, who dived in and was easily beaten by City’s intelligent link-up play.
“He’s playing like he’s had a week on the lash” is the scathing assessment of the Scottish full-back from Gary Neville on Sky Sports.
HALF-TIME: MAN CITY 3-0 LIVERPOOL
Half-time and City look set to hand Liverpool just their second Premier League defeat of the season.
The Reds actually started the better of the two sides, with Salah inches away from giving them the lead amid a display of dominance in the opening stages.
However, Guardiola’s side have gradually taken control, with uncharacteristically sloppy defending by the likes of Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson punished by the hosts’ ruthless attackers.
Perhaps it’s a bit of a hangover setting in for this history-making Liverpool side — they’ve a second-half mountain to climb if they are get anything from this game.
The second half has begun…
3 - This is the first time Liverpool have trailed by three goals at half time of a Premier League game since May 2015, when they were beaten 6-1 by Stoke City. Hangover. #MCILIV pic.twitter.com/wkgHk5ecQo
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 2, 2020
Danger for Liverpool as Sterling charges through on goal.
He ignores Jesus to his left and his shot is deflected just wide.
The Reds need to be careful here, or this could become a rout.
Gundogan gives it away sloppily before Henderson plays a defence-splitting through ball to Mane.
Yet the Senegal international has trouble adjusting his feet and ultimately fails to control the pass.
Walker is booked for bringing down Mane as he attempts to go through on goal.
VAR confirms the infringement took place just outside the box, as City breathe a sigh of relief.
Alexander-Arnold’s subsequent free kick is off target.
Meanwhile, City make a change, with Mahrez replacing Jesus.
Double change for Liverpool — Wijnaldum and Origi replace Keita and Firmino.
Just before that, there was another menacing City counter-attack, with De Bruyne ultimately curling a shot wide from the edge of the area.
MAN CITY 4-0 LIVERPOOL (STERLING 66)
Man City make it four!
Rodri plays a cross-field ball to De Bruyne, who in turn slips through Sterling.
The England international’s shot looked goal-bound, and a despairing Oxlade-Chamblerlain lunge could only help it into the net.
Sky are suggesting though that will be credited as an own goal rather than a second for Sterling.
City make another change.
Kyle Walker is replaced by Cancelo.
Welsh youngster Neco Williams replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold to make his second Premier League appearance.
With City well ahead, the intensity appears to have gone out of the game now.
This will be the heaviest defeat suffered by Premier League champions during a title-winning campaign since Man United lost 5-0 at Chelsea in October 1999.
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) July 2, 2020
More changes for City.
Sterling and Laporte are replaced by Otamendi and Bernardo Silva.
A raft of substitutions and the fact that the outcome is obvious means this game has an exhibition feel now.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher reveals that Sadio Mane would be his choice for Player of the Year.
Liverpool make another change.
An annoyed-looking Sadio Mane is brought off, with Minamino coming on in his stead.
A chance for Liverpool, but Minamino can’t properly control Robertson’s cross.
The visitors haven’t been as awful as 4-0 suggests, and should have at least one goal by now.
Phil Foden started on the right, went left and is now upfront against Fabinho and Van Dijk and still a threat. Intelligent, versatile, technical and fearless. And only just 20. #mcfc #MCILIV
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) July 2, 2020
There will be four more minutes of misery for Liverpool to endure before the final whistle sounds…
Raheem Sterling has just been named man of the match.
De Bruyne and Foden have been similarly impressive.
MAN CITY 5-0 LIVERPOOL (MAHREZ 90)
MAN CITY 4-0 LIVERPOOL – GOAL RULED OUT!
FULL-TIME: MAN CITY 4-0 LIVERPOOL
Mahrez appeared to make it 5-0 on the brink of full-time with a powerful finish that beat Alisson at his near post.
However, it’s ruled out by VAR following a handball in the build-up.
Almost immediately thereafter, the full-time whistle sounds.
So it’s all over and Liverpool lose a Premier League game for just the second time this season.
There is no doubt Klopp’s side were well below their best, and Man City duly punished them, securing an emphatic win.
The Reds had a promising start and missed a few good chances, but defended poorly and looked rusty following a week of celebrations.
City were stylish and clinical, with De Bruyne, Sterling and Foden all highly influential. They survived a few dodgy defensive moments early on to prevail comfortably in the end.
The game serves as a reminder of the dangers of complacency for Klopp’s team and a warning that the gap between the two sides is perhaps not as sizeable as some Reds figures might have assumed before tonight.
4-0 - Liverpool's 4-0 defeat to Manchester City is the joint-heaviest defeat by a team already crowned Premier League champions in a season, along with Arsenal's 4-0 away defeat at Liverpool in 1997/98. Fizzled. #MCILIV pic.twitter.com/z3ugVCwRA4
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 2, 2020
Right, that’s it from me.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
We’ll have more reaction to follow.
