Manchester United legend Roy Keane didn’t mince words following Liverpool’s devastating 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad. The Sky Sports pundit declared the Reds are officially in “crisis mode” and have no realistic chance of retaining their Premier League title this season.
Table of Contents
Liverpool Match Overview: City Dominance at the Etihad
| Stat | Details |
|---|---|
| Final Score | Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool |
| Liverpool’s League Losses | 5 defeats in 11 games |
| Recent Form | 7 losses in last 10 matches |
| Title Gap | 8 points behind Arsenal |
| City’s Position | 2nd, 4 points behind Arsenal |
Pep Guardiola’s landmark 1,000th game as manager turned into a nightmare for Liverpool. Despite Erling Haaland missing an early penalty, he quickly recovered to score his 14th league goal. An unfortunate Virgil van Dijk own goal and Jeremy Doku’s stunning curler sealed a comprehensive victory for the Cityzens.
Keane’s Harsh Reality Check
“You can’t be considering Liverpool for the title,” Keane stated bluntly. The Irish pundit highlighted Liverpool’s alarming vulnerabilities, calling them “a really weak team” who looked inferior to City in every department—physically, technically, and mentally.
What concerned Keane most wasn’t just the defeat but the manner of it. “Their decision making was not good enough. There was a lack of intensity, a lack of energy,” he emphasized, pointing out that even Liverpool’s substitutes “looked really soft.”
For clubs competing at Liverpool’s historic level, five league losses after just 11 games represents an unacceptable crisis. The defending champions have won back-to-back matches only once recently—against Aston Villa and Real Madrid—sandwiched between catastrophic runs.
Can Arne Slot Turn It Around?
Manager Arne Slot faces mounting pressure as Liverpool’s title defense crumbles. While Slot claimed satisfaction with the second-half performance, Keane dismissed this assessment: “The game was over! It’s easy to play well when you’re not playing for anything.”
The reality is stark: Liverpool trail Arsenal by eight points with City breathing down their necks. Without urgent tactical and mental adjustments, the Reds risk slipping further down the table in what should have been a season of championship consolidation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many games has Liverpool lost this Premier League season?
Liverpool has lost 5 out of 11 Premier League matches this season, including 7 defeats in their last 10 games across all competitions—a concerning statistic for any title contender.
Q: When did Manchester City last beat Liverpool in the league?
Before this 3-0 victory, Manchester City hadn’t defeated Liverpool in the Premier League since April 2023, ending a two-year winless streak against the Merseyside club.
