Manchester City played host to Liverpool in the Premier League this afternoon.
Before the game kicked off, there was a sense of deep foreboding around the The Etihad – almost as if everyone knew what was about to unfold.
The 2024/25 Premier League campaign has been a really tough one for Manchester City and their beleaguered boss Pep Guardiola.
However, the 54-year-old Man City manager‘s unbelievable trophy haul during his time at The Etihad gives him the right to oversee the huge rebuild required.
And boy, is that needed.
Liverpool were head and shoulders above Pep’s side today, in every single department.
What Real Madrid fans sang to Pep in the Bernabeu on Wednesday night would have hurt him, but today’s performance would have caused him even more pain.
Liverpool looked like a class above as they reminded the Man City manager, players and the fans of just what they used to be.
There were plenty of utterly awful displays out there from the City players today.
Manchester City player ratings vs Liverpool
Here’s how Manchester News rated the City players’ performances against the Reds.
Ederson 5
Didn’t have a chance with Liverpool’s goals in fairness to him, but he is one of the City players who have regressed most this season. He just seems to be miles off the standards required at this level now.
Josko Gvardiol 5
The Croatian is a very good player, but he was poor against Liverpool. Mohamed Salah had him on toast all afternoon.
Nathan Ake 5
The Dutchman has been solid for Pep’s side throughout the years but he seems to have regressed this season, like so many other City players. Is it too harsh to say the way he threw his leg out in an attempt to block Salah’s opener was slightly reckless? I don’t think it is actually.
Abdukodir Khusanov 5
Another steep learning curve for the 20-year-old today. He just wasn’t at the races.
Rico Lewis 5
Another player who seems to have fallen off a cliff this season. The 20-year-old had a tough afternoon against Luis Diaz, and he is far too lightweight in general.
Nico Gonzalez 5
It has been a slow start to life in Manchester for the 23-year-old, and he was largely anonymous today. However, he needs time to settle in to the pace and intensity of Premier League football.
Kevin De Bruyne 3
A truly awful performance from De Bruyne. That really was bottom of the barrel stuff from the 33-year-old. His days are clearly numbered at The Etihad, and he surely won’t still be a City player next season.
Phil Foden 3
What on earth has happened to Foden? He is an absolute shadow of the player he once was. It was only last season when he bagged 19 goals and eight assists in the Premier League. Against Liverpool today he couldn’t even a muster a shot on target or a key pass. Very poor indeed.
Jeremy Doku 6
The 22-year-old winger has absolutely no end product does he. Doku wasn’t horrendous today by any means, but he just isn’t good enough for Manchester City.
Savinho 6
Looked really bright on the right hand flank at times, but more end product is definitely needed from the Brazilian in big games, just like Doku.
Omar Marmoush 6
Took his goal really well in the first-half but he was rightly flagged offside. The Egyptian will come good for Man City, but he was nowhere near his best against Liverpool. That said, he was arguably the best City player on the pitch.
Subs:
James McAtee 6
Didn’t do anything of note, but in fairness that was a very tough game for him to be introduced into.
Ilkay Gundogan 5
The 34-year-old is finished at the very highest level, and his cameo appearance against Liverpool did nothing to dispel that notion.
Ruben Dias 6
Didn’t make any glaring errors, but he is yet another player who has been miles off the levels required this season.
Mateo Kovacic 5
The 30-year-old will surely be off this summer. Kovacic wasn’t particularly bad when he came on but it’s clear to see he will not be part of the City rebuild.
Pep should sell 5 Manchester City starters vs Liverpool
That simply wasn’t good enough from the City players today.
They didn’t work together as a team, and some of the individual performances were difficult to watch.
I would be hugely surprised to see five players who started against Liverpool to still be at The Etihad next season – Ederson, Nathan Ake, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku and Rico Lewis.
None of them were good enough today, and the simple fact of the matter is that they aren’t at the levels required for City to dominate domestically or on the continent anymore.
Pep Guardiola has to make sweeping changes in the summer transfer window.
And Manchester City’s performance against Liverpool this afternoon proved that.
