With 64 points, the defending champions are four points behind the Gunners, who have the same number of games but host Leeds at 16:00.

Liverpool remain in 6th place, seven points from the qualifying places for the Champions League.

This match between the two main title contenders in recent years has confirmed the gap that exists between the two sides this year, with City having been in control of most of the match by asserting their collective superiority.

In the absence of his Norwegian with 42 goals in 37 matches in all competitions, Argentine world champion Julian Alvarez, scorer for the equaliser and involved in two other achievements, did better than ensure the interim.

In a very committed, not to say bumpy, game, especially in the first half, the only moment of floating came after the Reds opened the scoring against the course of the game.

A beautiful combination of Liverpool had launched Diogo Jota in the back of the defense and Mohamed Salah, arriving launched, had scored with a nice strike without control of the left (0-1, 17th).

But City quickly came to their senses and on a very nice offensive game of Kevin de Bruyne for Riyad Mahrez, passed by Ilkay Gündogan who shifted Jack Grealish, the center at ground level of the latter was taken by Alvarez at six meters (1-1, 27th).

The Argentine then scored the second goal by finding Mahrez deep on his right wing and the Algerian's centre was pushed into goal by De Bruyne, despite Alisson's desperate interception attempt (2-1, 46th).

A little later, after a new sequence of passes worthy of a demonstration on a blackboard, a countered strike from Alvarez came back into the feet of Gündogan who made the break with composure (3-1, 53rd).

Grealish's 4th goal, after a sort of long one-two with De Bruyne, was again a model of technical skill and intelligence in the moves (4-1, 74th), which shows that the international break has not made City lose any of its momentum.

For Liverpool, who travel to Chelsea in midweek before hosting Arsenal next weekend, the European dream hangs by a thread.

© 2023 AFP