Manchester City 5-0 Liverpool, 2017 Premier League: 3 Things We Learned

Manchester City made a huge statement in the Premier League title race thanks to an incredible 5-0 win over Liverpool at the Etihad. The Blues thrashed the Reds after they went down to 10 men, and we learned many things throughout the match that give us plenty of encouragement for the rest of City’s season.

Here are a few takeaways from what happened on Saturday:

1 - Kevin De Bruyne is incredible

The Belgian didn't have his best games at the start of the season, but he used the Liverpool match as the perfect stage to showcase everything that makes him great: his pace, his work rate, his skills, and more importantly his passing ability. De Bruyne made two unbelievable assists for the first two goals and was key in keeping possession and starting plays that led to the three goals scored in the second half.

Kevin is a quiet magician who creates goals out of nowhere and there's no chance City win titles if he isn't at the top of his game this season. And judging by his performance against Liverpool, he's at the peak of his powers and ready to change big games.

2 - Manchester City's depth is scary

Pep Guardiola didn't have Vincent Kompany and Raheem Sterling for this game, who had been the team's top performers so far. But the Blues still managed to defend well and score a lot of goals without them, and that's all thanks to City's strength in depth. Because of Kevin De Bruyne's magical game and Leroy Sané's impact off the bench, Pep didn't need to use Bernardo Silva or Ilkay Gundogan, who also had the ability to change the match.

The Liverpool match proved that City can win every game despite the lineup they choose, because every lineup will be filled with decisive players who can beat any team. Some of the members of the squad will have to be at their best and play most of the matches, but anyone picked by the manager to start games will be able to lead City to victories.

3 - Danilo could be key to City's success

The Brazilian was the least exciting signing of the summer and many thought his price tag was excessive, but Danilo proved his worth against Liverpool. He started on the right side of a back five, then moved to the left of a back three and finished the game as a defensive midfielder. Danilo impacted the play in every position he played, and his versatility could be something Guardiola uses to vary his tactics in every match regardless of personnel.

The Blues switched formations throughout the game, going from a 5-3-2 to a 3-1-4-2 to a 4-2-2-2 and then back to a 3-1-4-2 against Liverpool, and all those changes happened easily because of Danilo's positional flexibility, and he could be an integral part of City's success this season instead of just a backup to Kyle Walker.