Manchester City have beaten Liverpool 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium to move five points adrift of league-leaders, Arsenal, as the race for the Premier League title intensifies with ten rounds of matches to go.

Manchester City started the game dictating the play but Liverpool remained steadfast in their back line. But it was the Reds that took the lead in the 17th minute through Mohamed Salah.

Despite the goal, Man City came close to grabbing an equaliser twice through Riyad Mahrez but his freekick and a chance provided by Kevin De Bruyne for the Algerian inside the 18-yard area narrowly missed its intended target on the two occasions.

Exactly ten minutes later, World Cup winner, Julian Alvarez, who was passed the mantle to marshal City’s forward in the absence of Erling Haaland, brought the hosts back into the match as the Argentine was left alone to tap in a Jack Grealish’s pass.

Haaland watched the encounter from the stand after being sidelined by an injury prior to the last international break.

Barely 60 seconds into the second half, De Bruyne slotted Mahrez’s through pass into an open net to put Man City ahead for the first time in the encounter before IIkay Gundogan further extended the lead in the 53rd minute.

The introduction of Konstantinos Tsimikas, Darwin Nunez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Roberto Firmino at once in the 70th minute could not change Liverpool’s woes for the better, with Grealish scoring four minutes later to seal the victory for Man City.

With the victory, Man City extended their league dominance over Liverpool on their home-ground to eight wins and five draws in 14 matches; the Reds’ last away win at Etihad came in 4-1 in November 2015 under Manuel Pellegrini.