Manchester City 4-1 Liverpool: Cityzens player ratings as Pep Guardiola's side narrow lead at top of the table

Manchester City blew past Liverpool after conceding an early goal to win 4-1 in the Premier League on Saturday, April 1.

Manchester City made a host of changes from the side that thumped Burnley 6-0 in the FA Cup. The big news was that the Cityzens lined up without star striker Erling Haaland. The Norwegian missed the international break with a groin injury and was deemed unfit to play. Phil Foden also missed out, having undergone appendix surgery.

Liverpool, on the other hand, made two changes from the side that lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League. Darwin Nunez and James Milner made way for Harvey Elliott and Jordan Henderson as Cody Gakpo returned to a more natural position along the front three.

Manchester City dominated the early stretch of the game, enjoying almost 80% possession in the first 10 minutes. They stitched together a good play in the 11th minute to set Rodri up for a shot from the edge of the box, but the Spaniard could only shoot straight at Alisson.

Liverpool were content to play on the counter. Their resolve paid dividends when Trent Alexander-Arnold's long ball found Diogo Jota. The Portugal attacker could not get a shot off on his own but set up Mohammad Salah for a simple finish to give the Reds the lead in the 17th minute.

Manchester City continued to pile on the pressure however, with Riyad Mahrez coming close with a volley. Their pressure reaped rewards soon after as they worked the ball to Jack Grealish on the left who set up Julian Alvarez with a simple tap-in to level the scores.

It was an end-to-end affair that soon turned chippy. Liverpool felt Rodri was lucky to stay on the field with two quick fouls but the Spaniard received a yellow. Grealish and Alexander-Arnold also had moments between them.

The affair was well-poised at 1-1 heading into the break.

Manchester City did not waste much time coming off the break, taking under a minute to secure the lead. It was a goal similar to the first one, a sweeping move finished off by Kevin de Bruyne.

Pep Guardiola's side went on to earn a two-goal cushion as they worked the ball into the box to find Alvarez. The Argentinian couldn't finish it himself but the rebound fell to Ilkay Gundogan, who made it 3-1.

Jack Grealish further compounded the Reds' misery, marking his brilliant performance with a goal to make it 4-1.

Here are the player ratings for Manchester City:

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Manchester City Player Ratings

Ederson - 6/10

The Brazilian was quite untroubled for most of the game. He could not keep a clean sheet, standing no chance as Salah blasted the opener past him.

Manuel Akanji - 6.5/10

The Swiss centre-back was a calm presence at the back. He demonstrated good passing.

Ruben Dias - 6.5/10

The Portugal defender was also largely action-free for the game, barring Salah's early goal.

Nathan Ake - 6.5/10

Deployed at the back three this time around, Ake exhibited good passing to launch attacks. Defensively, he was solid.

John Stones - 7/10

Stones had a good outing. The centre-back was deployed alongside Rodri in midfield, a position foreign in nature to him. However, he stepped up to the challenge and did well.

Rodri - 6.5/10

Liverpool fans may have felt that Rodri was lucky to stay on the field after two harsh fouls in the first half but the midfielder stayed on with a yellow to his name. He was also effective as a defensive midfielder.

Riyad Mahrez - 8/10

The Algerian delivered a brilliant performance. He terrorized Robertson down City's right and created multiple chances. He also set up de Bruyne's goal to give Manchester City the lead on the day and came close to scoring himself with a free kick. He finished the game with six key passes, two dribbles completed and four long balls completed.

Ilkay Gundogan - 7.5/10

Gundogan delivered a strong performance in the middle of the park. Deployed alongside de Bruyne as part of a 3-2-4-1 in possession, the German was instrumental in breaking lines with passes. He put himself on the scoresheet with the third goal, a composed finish inside the box.

Kevin de Bruyne - 9/10

Kevin de Bruyne was at his scintillating best. He dominated the midfield and the Reds had no answer for his vision and movement. He regularly delivered threatening passes into the box, scoring early in the second half before turning provider for Jack Grealish.

Jack Grealish - 9/10

It was one of Jack Grealish's best performances in a Manchester City shirt. The winger was a constant threat down the left, proving to be a thorn in Alexander-Arnold's side. He also set up Alvarez's equalizer and scored the fourth of the day. He finished with three shots (three on target), one key pass and two completed dribbles.

Julian Alvarez - 8/10

The young Argentinian ensured Pep Guardiola would not miss star striker Erling Haaland today. He scored the equalizer in the first half and fit well into Pep's system.

Substitutes

Bernardo Silva and Cole Palmer - N/A

The substitutes came on late in the game and did not play enough minutes to merit a rating.