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PEP GUARDIOLA CELEBRATES 1000TH MATCH WITH RUTHLESS 3-0 LIVERPOOL WIN

Man City crushed Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad, with goals from Haaland, González, and Doku. The defeat is Liverpool's fifth in six league games, leaving them 8 points off the top and in crisis.

Pep Guardiola celebrates 1000th match with ruthless 3-0 Liverpool win
PEP celebrates on the touchline - Photo Credit: Manchester City FC

Manchester City's decisive victory over rivals Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium brought them closer to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League standings.

Erling Haaland scored his 99th Premier League goal in Pep Guardiola's 1000th game as manager, but goals from Nico González and Jérémy Doku sent Liverpool to yet another league loss, their fifth in 2025–2026.

Liverpool did not have a single shot on goal until the 76th minute, which was a very dismal performance by Arne Slot's team.

Man City got off to a strong start and had a fantastic opportunity to take the lead in the thirteenth minute. After a VAR review, it was determined that Giorgi Mamardashvili's knee had knocked Doku down in the area, and Haaland was awarded a penalty kick.

The Georgian goalkeeper successfully saved the Norwegian's spot-kick down low to his right, preventing him from scoring his 99th goal of the season as he attempted to get closer to 100 Premier League goals. With that save, Mamardashvili became the goalie with the most penalty saves in Europe's top five leagues since the beginning of 2023–24 (6).

Fans of City were used to seeing their team miss four of their previous five Premier League penalties against Liverpool, while Haaland's penalty failure was only his third in 20 Premier League attempts.

Haaland made amends in under sixteen minutes. Finally, he scored his 99th Premier League goal with a superb header from a cross by Matheus Nunes. Mamardashvili was stuck to the spot and could only watch the ball nestle into the corner of his net as he outjumped Ibrahima Konaté to direct his header toward goal. More than any other player since coming to England, it was his 17th headed goal in the Premier League.

Following a corner from Mohamed Salah, Liverpool believed they had tied the score in the 38th minute through a header from Virgil van Dijk, but the goal was disallowed when Andy Robertson was judged to be offside for blocking Gianluigi Donnarumma.

In the first half of extra time, González extended City's lead when his effort from beyond the area bounced off Van Dijk's foot and went past Mamardashvili. The Spanish midfielder's goal was his first in 2025–26 and his first since he scored in the team's victory over Bournemouth in May.

Liverpool had only taken three attempts before the interval, and none of them had been on goal. It was only the seventh time the Reds had failed to attempt a shot on goal before halftime in 74 competitive games played under Arne Slot.

Since losing 3-2 to Manchester United in April 2018, City has won all 71 of their Premier League games when leading by two or more goals at halftime, so history told us that a Liverpool comeback was unlikely. With relative ease, that number increased to 72 games.

Doku was the most impressive player the entire time, using his direct rushing and deft footwork to continually turn Liverpool players inside out. He will not score many goals in a City shirt, and his goal in the 63rd minute was the least he deserved for his efforts. The Belgian, who came in off the right flank, fired a long-range goal past Mamardashvili to give his team a 3-0 lead and snap a 24-game league goalless streak. Additionally, it marked the first time Slot's Liverpool team had ever fallen by three goals in a league match.

This resounding triumph over one of their championship contenders was the ideal way for Pep Guardiola to commemorate his 1000th competitive match as manager and his 253rd Premier League victory overall. As we approach the November international break, they are still four points behind leaders Arsenal, but much larger margins have been overcome in a shorter amount of time.

After just 11 games, incumbent champions Liverpool now trail the Gunners by eight points with this most recent loss, which is their fifth in their last six Premier League games. On goal differential, this loss even dropped them below Manchester United in the Premier League standings.

They completed that season outside of the UEFA Champions League qualifying spots (5th), and it was the only Premier League season in the previous ten years in which they had fewer points from their first 11 games (16). After their costly summer recruitment, a similar performance would be highly unwelcome.

MAN CITY TARGETS FOREST MIDFIELDER ELLIOT ANDERSON IN TRANSFER RAID

Manchester City is reportedly interested in signing Nottingham Forest's dynamic midfielder Elliot Anderson next year. The 23-year-old would add quality to Guardiola's midfield.

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Man City Prepares Bid for Elliot Anderson Next Year

According to a recent report in The Daily Mail, Manchester City is interested in Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson. Word is, the Manchester club might try to bring the English player to Etihad Stadium next year.

Anderson is playing well this season, putting up some nice performances for Nottingham in the middle of the field. So far, the 23-year-old has one goal and one assist in 16 games for the club in all competitions.

He has done a good job protecting the defence, with 33 tackles, 20 blocks, 12 interceptions, and 12 clearances in the Premier League. He has also been accurate with his passing, completing 83.2% of his passes in the league (stats via fbref.com).

His contract with Nottingham Forest runs through the summer of 2029, so Man City will need to make a good offer if they really want to sign him next year.

Is Anderson a Smart Move for Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola?

Anderson has a lot of energy in the midfield. He likes to tackle and can make important interceptions.

He will also clear the ball when needed. Anderson mainly plays as a box-to-box midfielder, but he can also play as a number ten or as a left-winger. With his Premier League experience, he should not need much time to settle in at Man City.

Anderson would definitely add quality to Guardiola’s midfield. He has the potential to compete for a starting spot at the Etihad Stadium in the years to come.

At 23, Anderson’s best years are ahead of him, making him a solid choice for Man City in the future. He is already good enough to help them compete on all fronts. Guardiola should seriously consider trying to sign him this winter or at the end of the season.

PEP GUARDIOLA EXPLAINS WHY FARKE WAS 'RILED' BY CITY'S TACTIC

Pep Guardiola admitted he was "relieved" after Phil Foden's stoppage-time winner saved Man City from a Leeds United comeback. The boss analysed the emotional rollercoaster at the Etihad.

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Guardiola Details Change That Riled Farke After Chaotic Win

Manchester City's coach saw his team grab a late win after Leeds United's impressive comeback in the second half.

Pep Guardiola said he was relieved because his Manchester City team responded well to win after Leeds United came back from a two-goal deficit to tie the game at the Etihad.

Leeds was down 2-0 at halftime. Daniel Farke switched up his formation, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's entrance gave Leeds a stronger presence up front. Calvert-Lewin scored and then earned a penalty, which Lukas Nmecha converted to level the score. But Phil Foden scored in the 91st minute, breaking Leeds' hearts and securing the points for Manchester City.

"I was relieved," Guardiola said. The game wasn't perfect in the second half. It should have been over already, given the chances we had. Daniel changed the system. We gave a goal away. The way we move has to change. At that point, emotions are high. We let in a second goal, but we responded well. We put more players in the box. In the end, Phil's quality made the difference again, helping us win.

Guardiola mentioned Calvert-Lewin's goal, which came in the 49th minute, and the game, as well as how the forward's presence impacted the game. We gave up a goal quickly, he said. Football is about emotions. When Calvert-Lewin plays with Nmecha, it's two against two, and the space is totally different.

The Manchester City coach was also questioned about an incident in the second half when Gianluigi Donnarumma went down and needed treatment for an injury. Guardiola immediately called all of his outfield players for a quick talk. Leeds was in control at that moment, and Farke questioned whether it was fair, even if he didn't want to criticise Guardiola.

To be honest, I didn't speak with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Guardiola said. I told James Trafford to warm up. I honestly don't know what happened. You can ask me next time; I'll ask Donnarumma if he was injured.

I'd love to have a timeout every time. I'm sure if we do that again, the Premier League will fine us again, so it's best if we don't.

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