Haaland and Doku punish 10-man Liverpool as City win at Anfield

Manchester City survived their most awkward away day yet. In their first match since an independent commission found them guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules, Enzo Maresca's side won 2-0 at Liverpool thanks to second-half goals from Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku. Both strikes arrived after Ryan Gravenberch had been sent off for the hosts, a dismissal that unravelled a contest which had been finely balanced until that moment.

• City stay top with five wins from five and now lead Liverpool by six points.
• Gravenberch received a second yellow card in the 63rd minute after bringing down Doku on the break.
• Haaland put City ahead two minutes after the red card and Doku sealed the win with a stunning effort in the 68th.
• It was City's first game since the verdict that found them guilty of financial irregularities.

City answer on the pitch after financial verdict

The build-up was dominated by matters off the pitch. City arrived at Anfield after an independent commission concluded the club had benefitted from more than £900m in disguised funding between 2009 and 2018. The champions have launched an appeal against the judgement, but a hostile Merseyside welcome was widely expected.

Maresca refused to shy away from the subject, insisting he had complete trust in the club. His approach was simple: let football set the agenda. For an hour, Liverpool were willing to contest that plan.

Gravenberch goes from season's best display to costly red card

Until the 63rd minute, the Dutch midfielder was enjoying his most complete performance of the campaign. He carried the ball with purpose, broke lines and helped Liverpool hold their shape whenever City imposed their possession. Then a clumsy challenge changed everything: he lunged at Doku on the counter when the danger looked limited, brought him down, and Chris Kavanagh reached for the second yellow without hesitation.

Perhaps he had too much adrenalin after going for goal, but bringing down Jeremy Doku meant that second yellow card was not a particularly tough decision for Chris Kavanagh.

The red card also creates a selection headache for Liverpool: Gravenberch now faces a ban, and it remains to be seen whether Szoboszlai will be fit in time for next weekend.

Haaland punishes Liverpool immediately after the red

City needed only two minutes to exploit their numerical advantage. Doku raced into the box and his attempted cross took a deflection into Haaland's path. The Norwegian lashed an emphatic finish into the far bottom corner, giving Alisson virtually no time to react.

The goal deflated Liverpool, who struggled to regain their rhythm. A home crowd that had pressed from the first whistle began to sense the comeback was too steep a climb.

Doku seals it with a stunner to justify Maresca's substitution

Doku had replaced Ndiaye in the 55th minute and his introduction proved decisive. He first forced the red card, then played a part in Haaland's opener, and capped a superb cameo with one of the goals of the weekend: cutting in from the wing before curling an inch-perfect effort over Alisson and into the top-right corner.

Maresca's decision to bring on Doku has been justified. He played a part in the first goal and scored the second. The Italian's substitutions have been very good with City this season.

What this result means for Liverpool and the Premier League title race

Liverpool arrived six points behind City with a chance to close the gap and reassert themselves in a title race they let slip late last season. This defeat leaves them with significant ground to make up already, while the leaders have yet to drop even a single point.

For City, the win carries a double message: they continue to dominate the Premier League on the pitch while their administrative future plays out away from it.