Mohamed Salah was on target again as Liverpool took a significant stride towards their second Premier League title with a 2-0 win over champions Manchester City.
The Egyptian also created another for Dominik Szoboszlai as Arne Slot's side claimed a crucial victory at the Etihad Stadium which lifted Arne Slot's side 11 points clear at the top of the table.
City, without the injured Erling Haaland, lacked potency and their defeat underlined their startling decline this season after winning the title for the past four seasons.
Pep Guardiola's men remain fourth in the table, but qualification for the Champions League is now their relatively modest aim having fallen 20 points behind the Merseysiders.
Liverpool, with confidence restored after some recent hiccups, look well on course to take their crown.
“It is incredible,” Salah said to Sky Sports. “It is a very hard place to come and play here.
“They are a tough team and they have an incredible manager I am glad in the end we won the game. It is special. Especially when you are in the title race, it is incredible.
“Hopefully we keep calm because sometimes the pressure gets to us. We try to win each game.”
When asked if he was playing the best football of his Liverpool career, he added: “I don't know. It is opinion.
“Maybe people prefer my first seasons or now but I prefer now because winning the league, helping the young players, it is special.
“We need another title. Me and the big guys in the team, we need another title.”
Nervy performances against Everton, Wolves and Aston Villa, had raised questions over how the Merseysiders would cope with the pressure of the run-in.
Yet Arsenal's unexpected defeat to West Ham on Saturday appeared to give them just the fillip they needed.
They responded with a strong display which blunted City's attack although, once again, they owed a lot to Salah.
Salah's goal took him to 30 for the season in all competitions for a fifth time in his Liverpool career and his pass for Szoboszlai meant he had scored and assisted in 11 separate league games this term.
Despite that, aside from a Szoboszlai shot which was blocked by Rico Lewis, City actually started well as they looked to at least land a blow on one of their strongest rivals of recent years.
They won a couple of early corners, Jeremy Doku looked like he could be a handful for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden shot at Alisson Becker.
Yet it was Liverpool who seized the initiative in the 14th minute after Luis Diaz won a corner.
The set-piece was drilled low into the area by Alexis Mac Allister and flicked into the path of Salah by Szoboszlai. The Egyptian did what he has done all season and thumped into the net, albeit via a deflection off Nathan Ake.
City had a good spell in response and Omar Marmoush thought he had levelled with a powerful strike off the post on the half-hour, but was correctly flagged offside.
That moment aside, City, for all their possession, rarely looked like troubling Alisson.
Liverpool showed their clinical side to double the lead in the 37th minute as Salah raced clear down the right and squared for Szoboszlai. Given time and space inside the box by City's static defence, the Hungary international simply passed the ball into the bottom corner.
Szoboszlai thought he had created a third goal early in the second half when he broke through to tee up Curtis Jones, but he was ruled offside following a VAR check.
City were energised by that reprieve and Marmoush flashed narrowly wide at the other end.
Liverpool threatened again when Diaz forced a good save from Ederson.
From then it largely became a rearguard action by Liverpool as they looked to sit back and protect their lead.
City probed but without the prolific Haaland, who failed a fitness test on his injured knee, they lacked a cutting edge.
Doku wriggled into the box numerous times but was unable to pick out teammates and Foden was also unable to find a way through.
The visiting Liverpool fans chanted they were going to win the league and, after such a statement victory over a once-powerful opponent, it is clearly closer to becoming reality.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
Section 375
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra & Rahul Bhat
Director: Ajay Bahl
Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL
Rating: 3.5/5
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
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