Liverpool
Loris Karius – 6
Given a start by Klopp and looked comfortable in his area – poor positioning was possibly at fault for City’s opener but the power of Sane’s shot was significant, for the other two he was helpless.
Joe Gomez – 6
Lost his concentration when allowing Sane to run clear for his goal but otherwise played well – his defensive talent showed when one-on-one but was a little reluctant to join in with the attacking.
Joel Matip – 7
Barring a few poor clearances and passes he had a very solid game – kept Sergio Aguero very quiet and dealt well with the balls that were crossed in from either side.
Dejan Lovren – 8
Captained the side and relished the responsibility – led the line by example and was never shy of a sliding tackle or block, his only blemish was missing the cross that allowed Gundogan to score.
Andy Robertson – 8
Was a constant threat to Sterling and Walker on the left – a tough, tenacious, and technical display which exhibited all of his qualities in both attack and defence.
Georginio Wijnaldum – 8
Was nippy and inventive in the heart of the Liverpool midfield that dominated for much of the match – only part of his game that let him down was his final pass and shooting in the penalty area.
Emre Can – 10
My first 10 of the season is for a dogged yet superb performance from the German – Can dominated the middle of the pitch with his fantastically timed tackles and interceptions and started many of Liverpool’s attacks with his splendid range of passing. City scored two goals when Can was substituted in the 79th minute which says a lot about his display.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 9
Another star in Liverpool’s midfield and scored the opener in the 10th minute with a thunderous strike – he was a constant menace to the City defence and his success was a joy to see.
Mohamed Salah – 8
Scored Liverpool’s fourth goal and was a crucial part in the home side’s speedy attacks with his energy – though couldn’t quite exploit the space between Otamendi and his left-back.
Sadio Mane – 8
Has certainly been lacking confidence of late but there were signs of his quality reemerging in the way he caused countless problems for Walker on the right – his first goal at Anfield since late August was well taken.
Roberto Firmino – 9
Yet another impressive performance from Liverpool’s frontman – his pressing set the tempo of the team, he pounced on the opposition centre-backs swiftly and his finish for his goal was glorious.
Manchester City
Ederson – 7
Commanded his area well, collected a number of crosses, and made a few brilliant saves – was striking how at ease he was with the ball at his feet but was caught in No Man’s land for Liverpool’s fourth.
Kyle Walker – 6
Played a lovely ball for City’s equaliser but his main job was to defend and he struggled against Robertson all afternoon.
John Stones – 6
Looked shaky at times and struggled to contain Firmino, in fact, he was bullied by the Brazilian – made a few important interceptions in the City area.
Nicolas Otamendi – 5
Has had a relatively good season thus far but a few old fallibilities resurfaced at Anfield – Salah’s pace and trickery caused him problems.
Fabian Delph – 5
Got injured in the opening 20 minutes and was forced off shortly after, his replacement Danilo was fairly quiet on the left.
Fernandinho – 6
Was dominated by Can and Co. in midfield and didn’t really instigate any of City’s attacks.
Kevin De Bruyne – 8
Although this was far from his best performances, De Bruyne’s quality still shone through – his exquisite passing was something to behold, he really is the veins in which City’s blood flows.
Ilkay Gundogan – 7
Started quite quietly but grew into the game – his energy was noticeable even if his impact was limited, his goal almost set up an unlikely comeback.
Raheem Sterling – 6
A mixture of Robertson’s aggression and the crowd’s derision towards him left him bamboozled – nothing quite went his way on his return to Anfield.
Leroy Sane – 8
Probably City’s best player on the day and, given his age, his potential is breathtaking – his attitude, work ethic, and quality were a pleasure to watch – his goal was fiercely struck and deserved.
Sergio Aguero – 5
A fairly anonymous performance by the Argentine – was kept quiet by the Liverpool defence and probably had as many touches in the final minutes as he did all game – his involvement was negligible.
