Liverpool Tops Manchester City in Key Premier League Clash

MANCHESTER, England — Liverpool extended its lead at the top of the Premier League to 11 points with a commanding 2-0 victory against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

In a match that highlighted the struggles of the defending champions, this defeat marked City’s eighth in the league this season and their 14th across all competitions. City’s woes deepened after their midweek exit from the UEFA Champions League, losing 3-1 to Real Madrid.

“We didn’t perform well enough,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “We need to learn from these moments, but it has been a tough season for us.”

Dominik Szoboszlai scored the opening goal for Liverpool in the 14th minute, capitalizing on a corner. Mohamed Salah followed up shortly after with a deflected effort that found the net, bringing his tally to 30 goals in all competitions this season.

With City fighting for a Champions League spot, currently sitting fourth and only two points clear of eighth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, they face a challenging end to the season. In contrast, Liverpool appears well on their way to clinching a 20th league title, which would equate them with Manchester United for the most in history.

The loss for City comes after Arsenal‘s unexpected defeat to West Ham on Saturday, handing Liverpool a chance to strengthen its title challenge. “It’s an incredible feeling to win here; it boosts our confidence,” Salah said.

Meanwhile, other key matches took place, including a thrilling 4-3 victory for Newcastle United over Nottingham Forest. Newcastle surged to a 4-1 lead by halftime after goals from Lewis Miley and two from Alexander Isak, who has now scored 21 goals this season, tying him with Erling Haaland for second in the league.

Nottingham Forest, who initially took the lead with a goal from Callum Hudson-Odoi, mounted a comeback but fell short as Nikola Milenkovic and Ryan Yates scored late, bringing the score to 4-3.

The result keeps Newcastle in fifth place, enhancing their hopes for a Champions League berth as they await their next fixtures.

In Serie A, Napoli continued its struggles with a 2-1 defeat to newly promoted Como, marking the team’s fourth consecutive game without a win. An own goal from Amir Rrahmani in the seventh minute set the tone for the match, but Giacomo Raspadori equalized shortly after. Ultimately, Assane Diao’s late goal sealed the victory for Como, lifting them to 13th in the standings.

Currently, the Napoli team is under pressure as they prepare to face the defending champions Inter Milan next weekend, needing a win to restore their form.