Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool PLAYER RATINGS: Kevin De Bruyne runs wild as Reds defence struggles to cope

  • Sergio Aguero put Manchester City ahead against Liverpool after 25 minutes 
  • Sadio Mane was sent off after clattering into City goalkeeper Ederson on 37
  • Gabriel Jesus then netted twice, before Leroy Sane did the same off the bench
  • Liverpool's defence struggled to cope, especially when down to 10 men

Manchester City filled their boots against Liverpool, making the most of a first-half red card to put five past their Premier League rivals.

Sergio Aguero gave City the lead on 25 minutes, running onto a sublime Kevin De Bruyne through ball before rounding Simon Mignolet. 

Sadio Mane was sent off 12 minutes later after colliding with City goalkeeper Ederson, who was taken off injured and replaced by Claudio Bravo. 


City then went on to score four more - two from Gabriel Jesus and two from substitute Leroy Sane - to run out 5-0 winners at the Etihad.

Sportsmail's BEN NAGLE runs the rule over who starred and who struggled in the lunchtime kick-off. 

Kevin De Bruyne (right) was impressive as Manchester City ran riot against Liverpool

Kevin De Bruyne (right) was impressive as Manchester City ran riot against Liverpool

 

Manchester City (3-5-2) 

Ederson 7

Fairly untroubled until his injury just before half-time. Made a couple of simple saves and looked solid until a boot to the face from Sadio Mane ended his afternoon prematurely.

Danilo 7 

Attempted the most passes of any player on the pitch (115) but didn't have an awful lot of defensive work to do after the red card. Solid nonetheless.  

John Stones 6 

Finished the game with 97 per cent pass accuracy, and did his job when called upon. Looked shaky during Liverpool's early spell of pressing, though. 

Nicolas Otamendi 5

Endured a torrid start to proceedings, picking up a yellow card within minutes. From there he was on the back-foot as Salah put him through his paces in the first half. Didn't have much to do when City began to take control of the game, but whether he is good enough to stay there for the whole season remains to be seen. 

Nicolas Otamendi was booked for bringing down Mohamed Salah after only six minutes

Nicolas Otamendi was booked for bringing down Mohamed Salah after only six minutes

Kyle Walker 6.5 

Will have harder games this season, but he pushed forward well and offered plenty to City in defence and attack. Yet to prove he is worth the £50m City paid for him, but an efficient start. 

David Silva 7 

Won't hit the headlines as he didn't score or assist, but Silva was always there and plenty of the attacking threat starts with him. Huge influence on City's play, and a vital cog in Guardiola's machine. 

Benjamin Mendy 7

A tentative first half, but he grew into the game and was a real attacking threat when City were on top in the second half. Not quite shown his Monaco prowess yet, but it's coming.

Left back Benjamin Mendy grew into the game and is getting better as the weeks progress

Left back Benjamin Mendy grew into the game and is getting better as the weeks progress

Fernandinho 7 

Helped to expose Liverpool's defensive frailties. Solid performance, linking well with his team-mates from the first whistle to the last.  

Kevin De Bruyne 8.5 

Assisted City's first and second goals, and was excellent throughout. One of the best players the Premier League has to offer, and he showed that on Saturday. Man of the match.

Sergio Aguero 8 

Some confusion surrounding his future at City, but he showed that he can play alongside Gabriel Jesus. Brilliant and unselfish throughout the game, offering a lot and deservedly scoring the first goal.

Sergio Aguero gave Manchester City the lead with a composed finish after 25 minutes

Sergio Aguero gave Manchester City the lead with a composed finish after 25 minutes

Gabriel Jesus 7.5

Two goals, and his start to life in English football has proven that he will only get better. Great energy throughout - he's an exciting player. 

Subs 

Leroy Sane (57, for Jesus) 8

Staked a claim for a starting position next week after his excellent performance off the bench. Only played for half an hour, but scored two excellent goals and didn't look out of place from the minute he entered the fray. 

Leroy Sane came off the bench to score two excellent goals, showing what City were missing

Leroy Sane came off the bench to score two excellent goals, showing what City were missing

Eliaquim Mangala (71, for Otamendi) 6

Dealt with the game well when he came on but worth noting that there was absolutely zero pressure placed on his shoulders.

 

Liverpool (4-3-3)

Simon Mignolet 7

In all honesty, he couldn't do an awful lot about many of the goals. No glaring errors, just an inept defence in front of him. If anything, Klopp has lined him up for a fall. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold 5.5

Clearly a talented young defender, but he looked out of his depth at times. A few nervy moments throughout. Reds fans will be praying for Nathaniel Clyne's return.

Trent Alexander-Arnold looked out of his depth in the Liverpool back-line at the Etihad

Trent Alexander-Arnold looked out of his depth in the Liverpool back-line at the Etihad

Joel Matip 5

Matip will need a better partner alongside him if Liverpool are to achieve any of their goals this season. The defender had a poor game on Saturday, in the second half in particular 

Ragnar Klavan 5.5

Shoved in the firing line with very little game-time of late. Looked nervy throughout and couldn't deal with City's attacking threat. 

Alberto Moreno 6

The best of the Liverpool back-line, although that isn't saying a lot. Could still learn plenty from his opposite number Mendy. 

Alberto Moreno performed better than his defensive colleagues - but that isn't saying much

Alberto Moreno performed better than his defensive colleagues - but that isn't saying much

Emre Can 6.5 

He, Henderson and Wijnaldum combined for one successful tackle against Manchester City. For a so-called combative central midfielder, that isn't good enough. On the ball though, he showed more than plenty of his team-mates. 

Jordan Henderson 6

On a day when Liverpool's team fell apart, they needed more from their captain. Quiet and lacking in any threat. A day to forget. 

Georginio Wijnaldum 5.5 

Seems to struggle away from Anfield. Didn't deal well with City's threat, and it was one of those games where Liverpool will have been crying out for Philippe Coutinho. 

Liverpool needed their captain to step up on Saturday but he was almost anonymous

Liverpool needed their captain to step up on Saturday but he was almost anonymous

Mohamed Salah 7 

Easily had the beating of Otamendi in the first half, making him look silly on a number of occasions. He died when the second goal hit the back of the net, not getting many more opportunities to show off his attacking flair. 

Roberto Firmino 6 

He was replaced by Dominic Solanke. That's about it. 

Sadio Mane 5

Looked good until, well, THAT happened. A high foot saw him get in the showers early, a tackle that eventually saw his team lose 5-0. Has to take a large portion of the blame for that, unfortunately. 

Sadio Mane was sent off after his foot hit City goalkeeper Ederson in the face on 37 minutes

Sadio Mane was sent off after his foot hit City goalkeeper Ederson in the face on 37 minutes

Subs

James Milner (59, for Wijnaldum) 6

Booed when he came on, and never really got started. Essentially joined a sinking ship with the game already complete. 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (45, for Mohamed Salah) 6

Lost 4-0 in his last game, and 5-0 in this game. Not the best start to his Liverpool career. Didn't offer anything to change the game when he was introduced. 

Dominic Solanke (67, for Roberto Firmino) 6 

Good for him to come on when the pace had slowed, giving him an opportunity to find his feet in the Premier League. Unfortunately, he's still looking.