Liverpool 0-3 Man City: How Enzo Maresca's men "picked apart" 10-man Reds amid 115 charges taunts

Written by David Lynch, Liverpool expert

Ahead of Manchester City facing Liverpool this weekend, the prevailing narrative suggested that the visitors were walking into an Anfield bear pit they would not survive.

The excoriating verdict on their cheating delivered by an Independent Commission during the international break, and the obvious implications for the Reds, meant a white hot atmosphere awaited them.

And, down the years, that has been bad news for a City side that has collapsed under the L4 intensity on countless occasions.

However, any suggestions that a similar fate awaited them this time did not take into account the reality of the situation, which is that this is not Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.

What is more, while there have been plenty of encouraging signs early in Andoni Iraola's reign, his team are not yet the well-oiled machine it is hoped they will become.

And for that reason, they were particularly ill-equipped to deal with the pre-match loss of three crucial players in Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak to injury.

Liverpool 0-3 Man City: Reds' one "comfort" from Premier League thrashing

© Imago / David Rawcliffe, Propaganda Photo

Their absence was surely the reason the Reds found it hard to capitalise on having the best of the game right up until Ryan Gravenberch's sending off.

The next seven shots from that point on were City's, and three of them found the net, as Iraola's side's man-to-man approach was picked apart with one man missing.

Of course, Liverpool fans might point to the fact they may have been better prepared for the loss of so many stars had they been able to spend as lavishly as their opponents have down the years.

They might also take some comfort from the fact that this is likely to be the last time they have to face City for a while, given the punishments that are thought to await.

For now, though, the Reds must quickly move on from a disappointing afternoon that did not live up to its pre-match billing.

And, given the bad blood on show at Anfield today, perhaps they more than anyone will celebrate the long overdue arrival of sanctions that will bring an end to a farcical period in Premier League history.