Man City beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield to extend perfect Premier League start

Manchester City defeated Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield in a Premier League match on Sunday (October 12, 2026), with second-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki securing the win.

The game was played amid a hostile atmosphere after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of 114 breaches of the league's financial rules; the club were greeted by boos and angry chants and have denied wrongdoing and appealed the verdict.

Liverpool applied early pressure but Manchester City withstood the opening period before a turning point when Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute for a second booking following a foul on Jeremy Doku, allowing City to take greater control of the match.

Three minutes after the dismissal, Haaland struck with a left-footed shot past Alisson after Doku worked the ball into the box and his attempted shot was deflected into the Norway forward’s path. Doku extended the lead in the 68th minute with a long-range effort that curled into the far top corner. Cherki completed the scoring in the 78th minute, letting the ball roll through to Josko Gvardiol before turning into the box to meet his teammate’s pass and slot the ball home, prompting many Liverpool fans to head for the exits.

Haaland celebrated with the travelling City supporters, including Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher, and afterwards said: "It was a lovely moment that will stay with us a long time," Man City striker Haaland told Sky Sports. "It’s time to stay strong and stick together and do what you can do something about, stick together." Manchester City midfielder Elliot Anderson added: "We've shown real togetherness and fight. It's a tough place to come and it's challenging," he said. "We really stuck together out there, fought for each other and played well."

Liverpool fans at the final whistle chanted "Going down! Going Down! Going Down!" in reference to City's potential relegation, while a defiant Haaland and manager Enzo Maresca grinned and pumped their fists at the supporters who waved inflatable bananas, a tradition dating from the club's time out of the top flight in the 1980s.

The victory gave Manchester City six wins from six and moved them three points clear of Arsenal on 18 points, while Liverpool suffered their first league defeat of the season and sit ninth in the table.