Liverpool: was Mané’s red card correct?

Sanchez has refused to sign a new contract, with his current deal expiring at the end of the season, and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had chose to sell his prized asset on the condition he could land Monaco prodigy Thomas Lemar.

The move collapsed on transfer deadline day to leave the Chilean superstar fuming.

But there was no denying him three minutes later from another header, De Bruyne providing the assist again.

There were good signs early on but it was the cold showers of reality that were falling on Klopp and his players from leaden skies above Etihad Stadium.

“Obviously we knew it was going to be a very intensive game”.

“But if it is not possible then we will just do it with the guys we’ve got”.

It was his perfectly weighted through ball that found Sergio Aguero’s well-timed run for the opening goal and then De Bruyne created the second with a pinpoint cross from the left which was headed home by Gabriel Jesus. But Vincent Kompany had to sit out the meeting with Liverpool with yet another calf complaint and Guardiola should have learned last seasonn that his captain can not be relied upon to make a consistent contribution. When you see a 5-0 win over Liverpool, you think it’s pretty emphatic but you want to see them tested against eleven men and someone to really go at that defence.

This was only Jurgen Klopp’s second defeat in 23 Premier League games against sides that finished in the top seven the previous season.

It was also the Reds’ heaviest loss to City since 1937.

Brother Phil disagreed, however, tweeting: “Red card for me – good decision Jon Moss“.

He said: “Unfortunately I have had a few days like that as a manager, but not at Liverpool – thank god”.

“Sometimes these things can happen”.

They took a Liverpool side that could have gone top of the league with a victory and scored a deluge of goals in the pouring rain.

Liverpool deserved every bouquet that was thrown in their direction after their destruction of Arsenal – in fact, perhaps they did not get enough credit.

De Bruyne, who set up goals for Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, said: “The only thing we didn’t do a year ago was win the big games”. Subs: Gundogan, Delph, B Silva, Foden.

That is exactly what happened Saturday, in the first Premier League match back after the worldwide break. Subs: Karius, Lovren, Gomez, Srurridge. “The subsequent games in the Champions League and Premier League will do that”.