Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield. All three goals came in a 13-minute spell after Liverpool were reduced to ten men. Until Gravenberch’s dismissal, the game was goalless and, by Liverpool’s own match report, an even contest “short on real chances.”
It was City’s first match since an independent commission found them guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules. The club has lodged an appeal and denies wrongdoing. The visitors were booed during their warm-up and again before kick-off. They answered on the pitch.
- Result: Liverpool 0-3 Manchester City, Premier League, Anfield, Sunday 11 October 2026.
- Scorers: Erling Haaland (65′), Jérémy Doku (68′), Rayan Cherki (78′).
- Turning point: Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second yellow card in the 62nd minute with the score 0-0.
- Table: City have 18 points from six games, a perfect start. Liverpool lost for the first time this season and trail by nine points.
- Next up: City host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday 14 October (20:00 UK).
First Half: A Frantic, Even Contest
The opening was frantic. Sky Sports noted that City were run ragged and on the receiving end of some strong tackles as the game threatened to boil over. The chances were modest on both sides. Jeremy Jacquet and Matheus Nunes each made a saving intervention to stop Cherki and Bradley Barcola respectively.
Victor Munoz tested Gianluigi Donnarumma from range. Enzo Fernández forced a scrambling save from Alisson at the other end. By half-time Manchester City had settled down, and the crowd had quietened a little.
Also Read: Who Leads the Premier League Golden Boot Race? A Complete Overview
Second Half: Pressure, A Miss, Then The Red Card
Liverpool came out strongly. Within three minutes of the restart, Lewis Koumas’s strike deflected off Marc Guéhi and Donnarumma palmed it away. Gravenberch’s long-range effort was also saved, and Alexis Mac Allister curled narrowly wide.
City then missed the best chance of the game. Antoine Semenyo’s through ball put Haaland one-on-one with Alisson, and the Norwegian’s dinked finish drifted off target.
In the 62nd minute, Gravenberch fouled Doku, who had just come on, and received a second yellow card. Iraola said the first booking, for a foul on Elliot Anderson, was “never a yellow card.” On Sky commentary, Gary Neville called the second yellow “very soft.”
Three Goals In 13 Minutes
- 65′ – Haaland. Doku cut inside and shot, and the effort was blocked. Haaland took the loose ball and drove it into the left side of the net. Sky timed the goal at two minutes and 36 seconds after the red card. (Match-day sources differ by a minute on the goal time. The official scoreboard shows 65′.)
- 68′ – Doku. The Belgian moved in from the right, as he had in the build-up to the opener, and curled into the top corner. Liverpool’s report has him arcing over Alisson from the left flank. The two clubs’ accounts disagree on which side he cut in from.
- 78′ – Cherki. The Frenchman finished past Alisson after Josko Gvardiol’s involvement in the build-up. City’s report describes a solo run past Jeremie Frimpong. Liverpool’s report describes a close-range finish after Gvardiol’s flicked assist.
Why It Happened: Tactical Analysis
1. The red card changed the game. City’s expected-goals total was just 0.16 before the sending-off, according to Sky Sports. Liverpool were arguably the better side for the first 62 minutes, as Iraola himself argued. The result still shows how much one decision can change a game.
2. City’s bench decided it. Doku replaced Ndiaye in the 56th minute and was directly involved in the foul that led to the red card and in the opening goal, before scoring the second. Sky pundit Roy Keane said Doku “changed the game” off the bench.
3. City’s defence was disciplined. Nico O’Reilly returned at left-back, and the back line held through Liverpool’s second-half pressure. Donnarumma made several saves, and Elliot Anderson was City’s star man in the club’s match report.
4. Liverpool’s squad is stretched. Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak were all unavailable, and Koumas made his first Premier League start. Gravenberch will miss the next league game against Brentford. Iraola said the team now face four games in ten days, with a trip to Austria in two days’ time.
Also Read: England’s Stunning 7-0 Win Over Croatia Lifts Them to Second Place in Nations League Group A3
The Reaction
Iraola said Liverpool played “two different games”: one until the red card and one after it. He credited his players and the supporters for their effort.
Enzo Maresca said City must “make our noise” by winning games like this one. Haaland praised the squad’s mental strength, saying it was a lovely moment for every fan.
Records and The Table
According to Manchester City’s match report:
- City won at Anfield in back-to-back league visits for the first time since January 1953. The previous visit was a 2-1 win in February.
- City now lead the league with 18 points from six games, three clear of second-placed Arsenal.
- The club’s website says Maresca has now equalled the best start to a managerial reign in Premier League history.
What’s Next?
City host reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday 14 October in the Champions League league phase. They won 2-0 at FC Porto in last month’s opener.
Also Read: The Messi, Ronaldo & Neymar Era: Why Football Will Never Be the Same
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score in Liverpool vs Man City?
Manchester City won 3-0 at Anfield on 11 October 2026.
Who scored for Man City?
Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki, all in the second half.
Why was Ryan Gravenberch sent off?
He received a second yellow card in the 62nd minute for a foul on Jérémy Doku.
Are Man City top of the Premier League?
Yes. They have 18 points from six games and lead Arsenal by three.
Sources & References
- Manchester City FC, match report: “Haaland, Doku and Cherki fire City to victory at Liverpool”
- Liverpool FC, match report: “Liverpool beaten by Manchester City in PL clash at Anfield”
- Liverpool FC, Andoni Iraola’s post-match press conference
- Sky Sports, “Liverpool 0-3 Man City: Premier League leaders make defiant statement with Anfield victory in first match since guilty verdict”
- ESPN, “Man City show defiance in wake of cheating scandal, trounce depleted Liverpool”
