Football writer Alex Keble analyses Jeremy Doku's sensational display as Manchester City beat Liverpool to move within four points of leaders Arsenal.
An outstanding Manchester City performance led by a magnificent Jeremy Doku was the perfect way for Pep Guardiola to celebrate his 1,000th game in management - and for the Premier League to celebrate him.
Guardiola's nine years in English football, indeed his entire managerial career, can be read in the style and manner of Man City’s thrashing of rivals Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
This was a tactical masterclass driven by brilliant individual performances, and evidence, for anyone still doubting, that Guardiola is not done at 37 trophies, that Man City are very much in the title race.
Doku’s masterclass shows best of Guardiola’s City
When Doku jinked inside and curled a shot from 25 yards into the top corner it was simply the icing on the cake after a dazzling show under the lights.
Doku became the first player with 10+ dribbles, 10+ duels won, more than both three chances created and shots on target, plus a goal in a Premier League match since Eden Hazard for Chelsea against West Ham United in April 2019.
The Man City winger gave a truly majestic performance in the driving rain on Sunday evening, his dance on the left flank wrenching a gap between Man City and the champions.
“In big games, there is always more exposure and more beauty,” Doku said after the game, eloquently capturing the musicality of his performance.
Since 2023/24 in the Premier League, Doku has made 55 dribbles versus Liverpool - 16 more than any other player has against an opponent.
He beat Conor Bradley repeatedly throughout the first half, carving out chance after chance, including winning a first-half penalty - missed by Erling Haaland - and, of course, his brilliant third goal.
“I know from the game against Real Madrid how good [Bradley] was against Vinicius,” Guardiola said in praise of Doku’s battle. “[Doku] played an outstanding game. Outstanding.”
Doku’s elegance on City’s left was indicative of the Guardiola era in two ways. First, explosive wingers have always defined his Man City team, from Leroy Sane to Raheem Sterling to Riyad Mahrez.
Second, his role here was a tactical victory, striking at the heart of a familiar Liverpool issue on their right-hand side, where Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella memorably said Arne Slot’s team are vulnerable.
Guardiola’s overload of midfield key to success
The reason Doku so often had success was, yes, partly because there is almost always space behind Mohamed Salah, but also because of the City manager’s tactical decision to swamp the middle.
Bernardo Silva sat alongside Nico Gonzalez at the base of midfield while Phil Foden (dropping from the No 10 role) and Rayan Cherki (moving down from the right wing) helped cram four bodies into roughly the same area of the pitch.
At times in the first half, when this game was effectively won, you could throw a blanket over these four, who, crucially, were operating in front of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.
By sitting so deep and narrow, Man City exchanged passes freely, drawing Liverpool’s hesitant midblock narrower and narrower – until space opened for a snap pass out to the free Doku.
Note how City’s pass map (below) from the first half has so few passes in the central column of the pitch past the halfway line. That’s because City popped the ball around in front of Liverpool before shooting it out wide.
That was the secret to getting Doku in space, but also to avoiding a scrappier midfield battle. Rarely will you see so many Man City midfielders (Nos 14, 20, and 47) all in the same space, as indicated below.
This opened up space on the right, too, where Matheus Nunes had too much space to cross for the Haaland opener, and where an attack was filtered that led to the series of corners from which City scored their second.
However, both of these incidents were more to do with Florian Wirtz struggling to defend in an unfamiliar position on the left wing.
Liverpool were much improved when Wirtz was moved central in the second half and Arne Slot moved to two “false nines” up front, a direct response to City dominating midfield. But it came too late, with Doku’s brilliant strike sealing the points just minutes after the tactical rejig.
Man City are emphatically in the title race, Liverpool’s concerns go on
This was City’s first victory against Liverpool in five attempts and the first time they did so with a clean sheet in 14 meetings across all competitions.
Emphatically, then, City are back – and well in this title race.
Guardiola’s side enter the final international break of the calendar year in second place and a mere four points behind Arsenal after the leaders dropped points at Sunderland on Saturday.
They are looking slick, confident, and supremely talented in the final third in particular.
“It’s nice to have the feeling that we are back,” Guardiola said, referring to the “energy” that has returned and the increased variety in their attacking methods. After the game he spoke repeatedly of the fire in the belly returning, of things clicking where last year they did not.
That is ominous for Arsenal, although Mikel Arteta’s team may fear Liverpool a little less after Sunday.
Liverpool have lost five of their 11 matches in the Premier League, the most defeats by a reigning champion at this stage of a campaign since the five of Leicester City in 2016/17.
“In general they were the better team,” Slot said. “We need to improve - but I didn't need this game to know this.”
Liverpool are now eight points off the pace – and plunged back into uncertainty after the optimism of the midweek victory against Real Madrid.
There remains hope of a three-horse title race. But Liverpool were roundly beaten by Man City by the kind of performance and result that could supercharge Man City’s season - and leave Liverpool with a psychological mountain to climb.