Haaland hails City’s character as Liverpool loss deepens Premier fight

Erling Haaland praised the “character” of his teammates after Manchester City’s 3‑0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, a match played under the shadow of a Premier League financial‑rules sanction. The win keeps City unbeaten with 18 points from six games and extends their three‑point lead at the top.

Red card sparks City dominance

City arrived after a whirlwind three weeks that ended with the club launching an appeal against the guilty verdict. The first game looked a stern test at Anfield, but a Ryan Gravenberch dismissal turned the tide.

After an even first half, the Dutchman was sent off just after the hour mark for a second yellow card. City took the lead a few minutes later when Haaland fired an emphatic finish past Alisson.

Jeremy Doku’s stunning curled effort added a second three minutes after Haaland’s strike, and Rayan Cherki completed the rout with a brilliant dummy and finish. The atmosphere on Merseyside was described as strange and subdued.

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Haaland singled out man of the match Elliot Anderson for praise, highlighting the “character” shown by the squad. “Every single person part of Man City, and every fan, this is a lovely moment that will stay with us for a long time,” he said.

He added, “It was tough, it was hard but we showed amazing character from back to front. We spoke about the character playing with 10 men at Old Trafford, the first guy I think of is Elliot.” Haaland stressed the mental battle of returning from internationals and praised the team’s mental strength.

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Implications and upcoming fixtures

City’s win means they maintain a 100 percent winning record at the summit, with 18 points from 18 and a three‑point advantage over nearest challengers Arsenal. Their next midweek test comes in the Champions League against Paris Saint‑Germain, followed by a home league clash with Ipswich on Saturday, 17 October.