Twenty minutes were left when Jurgen Klopp, the collar of his club track suit turned up against the cold, exploded with rage on the touchline. He leapt into the air as if he had been jolted by an electric current and began to scream and shout and wave his arms vigorously in the vague direction of Adam Lallana. Then he spied an empty water bottle and backheeled it towards the Liverpool bench.
His team played as if they were energised by his fury, as if they, too, were electrified by his hunger. Sure, half the story of this game was that Manchester City were utterly shambolic in defence but the better half was that Liverpool were quite breathtakingly and beautifully brilliant.
Philippe Coutinho was unplayable for long periods of the game, a dancing, dribbling, untouchable sprite who was a mystery City’s defenders could not solve. The Brazilian scored one and had a hand in the other two. His performance was dazzling.
Adam Lallana is all smiles after Liverpool open the scoring at the Etihad Stadium thanks to an own goal by Eliaquim Mangala (centre)
Liverpool ace Philippe Coutinho (right) doubled the scoreline at Manchester City after linking up with his compatriot Roberto Firmino
Firmino turned from provider to goalscorer as he put his side 3-0 up after just 32 minutes of the Premier League clash in Manchester
Man City striker Sergio Aguero scored a consolation goal on his return from injury but he could not help his side get back into the game
Liverpool centre back Martin Skrtel slides on his knees in celebration of his side's fourth goal at Manchester City's home ground
So forget the idea that this match was about Raheem Sterling’s first match against Liverpool since he left the club in the summer and joined City for £49million. ‘Sterling, Sterling, what’s the score?’ the Liverpool fans sang in the dying minutes and on this evidence, Liverpool are not missing him. Not one jot. They are moving forwards quickly under Klopp, not looking backwards.
Sterling is a fine player but he was anonymous. He was not alone. City were desperately poor in practically every department. After their fast start to the season, many made them champions elect. Well, they can forget the title if they keep playing anything like this.
This crushing 4-1 defeat left Leicester City sitting on top of the Premier League instead and City, who have veered between the sublime and the ridiculous before this season, need to get their act together if they are to have any chance of climbing back to the summit.
They missed Vincent Kompany, certainly, but Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis played like strangers at the centre of defence. The rest of the team gave the ball away at will. For Liverpool, optimism abounds and suddenly a top four place looks a real possibility. This was gegenpressing’s happiest showing in English football so far.
Sterling had been roundly booed when his name was announced in City’s starting line-up before kick-off but the standard display of football tribalism soon gave way to a display of togetherness. City’s players stood side by side with Liverpool’s as the French national anthem rang around the stadium and fans of both sides applauded.
The decision to sing La Marseillaise before Premier League games this weekend had been criticised by some but it was hard to find fault with a gesture born of generosity of spirit. La Marseillaise was played before El Clasico in Madrid, too. Surely, there does not need to be a limit imposed on shows of solidarity.
In the circumstances, maybe it was understandable that City’s two French players, Bacary Sagna and Eliaquim Mangala, found their concentration wavering in the opening exchanges. Both men spent much of the evening looking as if their minds were elsewhere.
Seven minutes had gone when Sagna was caught on the ball inside his own half by Coutinho. Coutinho sprinted forward and played in Firmino and the Brazilian’s low cross was turned past Joe Hart by Mangala.
Liverpool and Man City players stand together as the two Premier League giants pay tribute to the 130 people who were killed in Paris
Manchester City's Yaya Toure (left) embraces his brother Kolo Toure (right) before proceedings at the Etihad Stadium got underway
Manchester City and France centre back Mangala looks dismayed after turning the ball past Joe Hart and into the back of his own net
Murmurs of dismay rolled around the Etihad. City spent the next 15 minutes dominating possession to very little effect and then, after Klopp had berated Firmino long and loudly for some failing or another, Firmino responded in the best way possible.
Liverpool broke quickly and City’s defence, once again, was thrown into disarray. Firmino ran across the face of the penalty area as if City’s defenders were not there and played a perfect pass into the path of Coutinho. Coutinho slid his shot under Hart and the murmurs of disapproval turned to howls.
There was worse to come for the home team. City were shambolic at the back, partly because Fernando and Yaya Toure were giving them little protection. Even in possession, they seemed utterly unable to cope with Liverpool’s fierce pressing. They gave the ball away time after time after time.
Thirteen minutes before half time, Liverpool went further ahead. Emre Can was allowed to wander away from goal on the edge of the City box and had the time, the space and the vision to play a clever backheel into the path of Coutinho. A lesser player would have tried to score himself. Coutinho is too good for that. He touched the ball sideways to Firmino who passed it into the empty net.
Mangala's error was celebrated by Coutinho and Firmino – it was the latter's cross which was diverted past Hart in the seventh minute
Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Toure look dejected before the restart following Mangala's costly early own goal at the Etihad
City did not know what to do. Liverpool looked like they could score at will. Two minutes after he scored, Firmino should have doubled his personal tally when Coutinho played him through on goal after another dreadful error from Fernando but Hart saved well. A minute after that, he should have scored again but this time his left foot shot rolled just wide.
City regained a bit of pride a minute before half-time when Aguero curled a terrific shot into the corner and away from the despairing dive of Mignolet but it was not enough to save either Toure or Jesus Navas from being replaced at the interval.
City improved a little but they would have conceded a fourth goal if Firmino had not wasted another one-on-one with Hart by allowing the goalkeeper to make a fine save on the hour. A minute later, Coutinho rounded Hart and rolled the ball home only to be judged offside.
City had chances of their own. Mignolet saved at full stretch from Aguero after Sterling’s pull-back and Fernando could not quite turn in a beautifully struck free-kick from Kevin De Bruyne. Any chance of a comeback was ebbing away.
City’s hopes were finally extinguished 10 minutes from time when Martin Skrtel lashed home a loose ball after a corner but City had been second best all night. Just one note of caution: if Klopp can rage when Liverpool play like this, imagine him on a bad night.
Both Raheem Sterling (left) and James Milner (right) were in action against their former side during Saturday's late Premier League match
Coutinho slides on his knees as he celebrates his fifth Premier League goal of the season which was his fourth in his last three games
England internationals Sterling and Nathaniel Clyne have their eyes fixed on the ball as they attempt to win possession for respective side
Hart can only stand and stare as Firmino's shot heads towards the back of the net to make it 3-0 to Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium
Manchester City stars Youre, Martin Demichelis, Sterling and Fernando all look extremely dejected after Liverpool's third goal
Liverpool centre back Skrtel puts his hand on Aguero's face during the match between the two Premier League giants
The Argentina star (left) is congratulated by Manchester City team-mate Fernando during his muted celebration of his goal
Slovakian defender Skrtel rounds off the scoring by hitting the ball past Manchester City's defence and the helpless Hart
Liverpool midfielders Emre Can and Lucas Leiva chase Skrtel (far right) after Liverpool's fourth goal at the Etihad Stadium
German tactician Jurgen Klopp looks stunned after seeing Skrtel slam the ball home with just nine minutes left on the clock
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3328508/Manchester-City-1-4-Liverpool-Philippe-Coutinho-Roberto-Firmino-turn-style-Jurgen-Klopp-s-stun-Etihad.html#ixzz3s9oTNxpA
