With six fingers raised to a delirious Anfield crowd, Pep Guardiola offered defiance and belief. He would not be laughed out of town. Write off a man with half a dozen Premier League medals at your peril. If only his charges had shown such qualities. Their title challenge might no longer seem like a pipe dream.

CLOSE! Liverpool win possession after Salah chases down Silva’s loose pass to Akanji. He gets there before the Swiss defender and he’s now one-on-one with the ‘keeper, with Gakpo supporting him. He drives towards goal and opens his body up to put it into the far corner, but he hooks his effort over the bar!

Liverpool opened up a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League as Manchester City’s crisis deepened in a 2-0 defeat at Anfield.