Manchester City Thrash Liverpool 3–0 at Anfield as Gravenberch Sees Red

Manchester City delivered a commanding performance to beat Liverpool 3–0 at Anfield on Sunday, October 11, extending their perfect start to the Premier League season and handing the hosts their first league defeat of the campaign.

The match remained goalless for more than an hour before Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute after receiving a second yellow card. The dismissal shifted the balance of the contest, allowing City to take control against the 10-man hosts.

Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 65th minute, giving City the breakthrough they had been seeking. Jeremy Doku doubled the advantage three minutes later, punishing Liverpool as the visitors capitalised on their numerical superiority.

Rayan Cherki completed the scoring in the 78th minute, adding a third goal to cap a dominant second-half display and silence the home crowd.

Liverpool had competed on relatively even terms before Gravenberch’s dismissal, but the red card proved a major turning point. The hosts struggled to contain City’s attacking pressure after going down to 10 men, while the visitors made their advantage count with clinical finishing.

The result was particularly significant for City, who entered the match amid intense scrutiny following a ruling that found the club guilty of breaches of Premier League financial rules. City have appealed the decision, and the controversy formed part of the tense atmosphere surrounding the encounter at Anfield.

City’s victory maintained their 100 per cent record after six league matches and strengthened their position at the top of the table. Liverpool, meanwhile, dropped to ninth after suffering their first league loss of the 2026–27 campaign.

The result gives City an important early-season advantage in the title race, while Liverpool will need to respond after a disappointing afternoon in front of their home supporters.

For City, the performance offered a statement of intent. For Liverpool, the sending-off and three goals conceded will provide significant talking points as they assess how to recover from their first league setback of the season.