Liverpool failed to back up a frenzied Anfield atmosphere as they fell to a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
In City's first game since they were found guilty of breaching Premier League financial regulations, they showed no signs of letting it affect them as Enzo Maresca's side weathered the early Liverpool storm to stroll to victory in the second-half.
Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second yellow after the hour mark, and from there it was all City with Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki bagging a goal each to earn what was, in the end, a comfortable victory.
Here's how ESPN rated every player on the pitch.
Liverpool manager rating
Andoni Iraola, 5 -- In what was his first real taste of a vintage Anfield atmosphere, it was not an evening to remember for Iraola. Without two of his attacking mainstays in Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak unavailable through injury, the Spaniard will be pleased with his team's showing for nearly two thirds of the contest with the first 15 minutes of the second-half before the red card perhaps Liverpool's best. But after Gravenberch's sending off, the task was too much for the hosts and albeit in a tricky situation, Iraola's substitutes failed to get them back in the game and couldn't stem the tide of City goals either.
Liverpool player ratings (1-10, 10 = best, 5 = average)
GK Alisson, 5 -- Not really much he could've done about the first two goals, should have been stronger for the third.
RB Ronald Araújo, 6 -- Booked after just seven minutes, Liverpool's earliest yellow in over two years, it was a fairly quiet day for the Uruguayan, who failed to really ignite down the right hand side. His defensive showing was commendable though and before the introduction of Doku, he effectively neutralised Iliman Ndiaye's impact. Eventually beaten by Doku in the build up to the first City goal.
CB Jérémy Jacquet, 6 -- Another composed showing from Liverpool's shiny, new centre-back. Not really at fault for any of the goals and in fact had more good defensive moments, especially in the first-half.
CB Virgil van Dijk, 5 -- Someone who knows much about the impact of the news of the last two weeks can have on what has been dubbed the 'City-Pool' era, it was a night to forget for Liverpool's captain who was forced to turn to damage limitation when marshalling his defence in the second 45.
LB Milos Kerkez, 5 -- Like many in Liverpool's XI, decent in the first 45 but was part of the second-half capitulation after Gravenberch's sending off.
CM Ryan Gravenberch, 6 -- A desperately unlucky red card, on another day he might not have been booked at all. Sent off on the hour after two incredibly soft yellow cards, the first for a touch on Anderson and the second for a sloppy challenge on Doku, it was here the game flipped on its head for the home side with Haaland scoring the opener minutes later. Gravenberch was running the Liverpool show prior to the red, with his expansive ball carries and passes from deep in midfield on show, only one way the game was going to go after he was sent off.
CM Alexis Mac Allister, 5 -- Was asked to do alot after his midfield partner was sent off, a tough day. Had a free-kick towards the end of the game that Dominik Szoboszlai, in the stands, would have fancied.
RW Víctor Muñoz, 7 -- Sharp, quick and direct. Perhaps Liverpool's most menacing attacking option of the day, Munoz did not give his full-back O'Reilly a breather and like any good winger should, did not pass up an opportunity to take his man on.
CAM Florian Wirtz, 4 -- At what point do Liverpool supporters start to seriously worry about their £100 million 'superstar.' Another very poor showing from Wirtz, who in the absence of Szoboszlai failed to assert himself into the game at all. A series of poor forwards passes, questionable final third decision making and abject set-pieces plagued his 66 minutes on the pitch before he was taken off for Trey Nyoni after Gravenberch's red. The fact that he was the chosen sacrifice after Liverpool went down to 10 tells you all you need to know about his struggles at the moment.
LW Bradley Barcola, 5 -- This was the fixture that Barcola might have seen as the perfect night to announce himself to the Liverpool faithful but in reality it was an underwhelming showing from another £100m Liverpool signing. He was unable to produce anything of significance down the left and couldn't take the game by the scruff of the neck, like perhaps Liverpool's attackers of of years past could, when they were on top in the first-half.
ST Lewis Koumas, 6 -- The first Liverpool player 21 years or younger to start as striker in the Premier League since Dominic Solanke in May 2018 and in the absence of Isak and Gakpo through injury, local boy Lewis Koumas embodied exactly what Liverpool fans would've wanted in this fixture. He was tireless, did not stop running and looked in no part threatened by the occasion, serving as a constant threat to Dias and Guehi.
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Substitutes:
Trey Nyoni, 5 -- On after the red, Liverpool conceded twice minutes after he came on. Another player who was a victim of the game situation.
Jeremie Frimpong, 4 -- Not great after coming on for Araujo on the right and was unfortunately sent to the cleaners for Cherki's late strike.
Rio Ngumoha, 5 -- Difficult for him to make an impact going forward with Liverpool opting for damage limitation at this point in the contest.
Federico Chiesa -- N/A
joe Gomez -- N/A
Manchester City manager rating
Enzo Maresca, 9 -- Bringing his City side into the lion's den, this is by far the most impressive result of Maresca's tenure so far. To shut out all of the noise of the last two weeks as well as the hostile atmosphere and very visible banners in the ground, this was a show of character and maybe even siege mentality from his side. After a tough first-half, his decision to bring Doku on early in the second changed the game before the red card and transformed City going forward. A satisfying night for Maresca who will want his City side to keep letting their football do the talking over the next few weeks.
Manchester City player ratings
GK Gianluigi Donnarumma, 7 -- Very assured when called upon and made a couple of nice saves from efforts from Koumas and Gravenberch when the game was still level.
RB Matheus Nunes, 7 -- Dealt with Barcola well on his side in what was a solid showing. For a player with his roots in midfield, Nunes looks more and more comfortable at full-back with every game he plays.
CB Rúben Dias 7 -- The leader of City's back four, he was instrumental in making sure the visitors didn't collapse into the fire pit of a fast Anfield start as well as dealing with the dangerous Koumas well.
CB Marc Guéhi, 7 -- Like his partner, Guéhi did not put a foot wrong and a clean sheet away at Anfield with everything surrounding this fixture, job well done.
LB Nico O'Reilly, 5 -- Struggled to deal with Muñoz on his side and couldn't get much going down the flank or when he moved into more central areas. Hooked after an hour.
CDM Elliot Anderson 9 -- The aqueduct for everything City did on the ball on Sunday, Anderson was perhaps the best player on the pitch at Anfield. He led the game for successful passes, duels won and touches, the former Nottingham Forest man controlled the tempo of the game, more so in the second-half when City stepped it up, while also serving as a calm head defensively. Had an effort on goal in stoppage time that would've capped off an immense showing, but it rolled wide of Alisson's post.
CM Enzo Fernández, 7 -- Has perhaps seen more intimidating atmospheres in his time, Fernández linked up well with Anderson at the heart of City's play.
CM Rayan Cherki, 8 -- A luxury player who delivered the cherry on the cake for City on Sunday. Fairly innocuous for large parts but can never be counted out when he's on the pitch as he showed with a naughty finish for City's third. Rolling it away from a sliding Frimpong before slotting it under Alisson with suave, the Frenchman is brimming with talent.
RW Antoine Semenyo, 6 -- Part of a City front line that couldn't really get into the game in the first 45 producing just 0.07 xG (expected goals), their worst since 2020. All of that was forgotten in the second though and Semenyo played his part with every City player touching the ball before Cherki's third.
LW Iliman Ndiaye, 5 -- Hooked just ten minutes after half-time, no moment of note on the former Everton man's return to Merseyside as he struggled to get any change out of Araujo on the right hand side.
ST Erling Haaland 8 -- Virtually anonymous in the first half but as ever with Haaland that is not the meter to judge him by. Presented with the best chance of the game on the hour mark, he couldn't hit the target after being slid through by Semenyo. A chance he would've backed himself to take nine times out of ten. He quickly put that behind him too, as the master poacher did what he does best with an emphatic volley powered home to put City ahead in the second-half. A goalscoring machine.
Substitutes:
Jeremy Doku, 9 -- On for Ndiaye fairly quickly after the break, and the change in tempo down the left was immediate. Willing to take on his man, Doku got his reward with a curling effort after he cut on to his right foot beautifully finding the far corner. Why wasn't he in from the start?
Joško Gvardiol, 7 -- On for O'Reilly, and secured a sensational assist for Cherki's goal with a neat flick into his path in the box.
Allan -- N/A
Ayyoub Bouaddi -- N/A