Salah double keeps Liverpool top after statement win at the Etihad

Mohamed Salah scored twice in eleven second-half minutes as Liverpool left the Etihad with a 3–1 win that felt heavier than the scoreline. The Egyptian’s first was a counter-finish of brutal simplicity; his second, a curling effort into the top corner that the home supporters could only applaud.

Manchester City had controlled large parts of the first half without ever seriously testing the visiting defence, and the pattern of the game changed the moment Liverpool’s midfield began winning the second balls. From there, every Liverpool attack carried a threat.

The win moves Liverpool two points clear at the top with a game in hand, and the manner of it matters as much as the number. This was a performance of control away from home against the one side built to deny them space.

City, for their part, will point to a disallowed goal and a contentious penalty call. Their manager refused to discuss either. “We lost a big match because we were not ruthless in both boxes,” he said. “That is the whole story.”