Liverpool took the opportunity to open an incredible eleven-point gap on Manchester City with a pulsating 2-0 win over the reigning Premier League champions at Anfield.
Stirred by shouts of 'You're going to be sacked tomorrow morning', Pep Guardiola responded to the Anfield crowd by highlighting City's six Premier League titles under him.
But only in the first week of December it already looks like the champions are all but out of this season's race, having lost four consecutive league games for the first time since 2008.
“I don't think there is a way back now for Man City,” Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher concluded after the final whistle. “Man City will not win the Premier League this season.
“It's a mini-crisis. I actually think City will have a fight for the top four.”
How Liverpool knocked City out of the title race
This final episode between two fierce title rivals was so often one of the biggest occasions in the fixture list and it did not disappoint, with Liverpool taking an early lead through Cody Gakpo.
It could easily have been worse for ragged City, whose crisis is worsening by the week, as Virgil van Dijk planted a free header against the post and Stefan Ortega – chosen ahead of Ederson – denied a pair of Dominik Szoboszlai efforts.
Liverpool were spinning, better in every department than their struggling visitors. Trent Alexander-Arnold was next to graze Ortega's right post, as the slickness of his passing caused chaos in City's Rodri-less midfield.
And thanks to suggestions, City's legs continued, the second period only getting worse. Arne Slot's side were penetrating every quick attack, while Gakpo almost had a second when he was released by a beautiful pass from Andy Robertson, before Matheus Nunes made an excellent recovery tackle.
Salah let City off the hook moments later after a terrible mix between Bernardo Silva and Manuel Akanji, going one-on-one alongside Ortega, but the Egyptian is rarely denied.
The day definitively belonged to Liverpool, and Salah made sure of that by firing a confident penalty past Ortega – who had taken down Luis Diaz to concede the spot-kick – to cap off another fine display.
City's title defense appears to be all but over.
Conclusion: We came close to perfection
Liverpool boss Arne Slot:
“Yes [it was almost a perfect match]and if you look at the work rate, I think it was perfect. The number of chances we missed made it exciting in the end. But maybe that's nice for competitions like this. It should be so. But it would have been better if we had scored the second goal earlier.
“We always aim high, but they are so good at building up, so you have to work very hard. Our players had energy.
“We are a team that fits together and it is difficult to beat us. But we also have to give it our best. Next week is another big week against Newcastle and Everton.
'I don't think anyone, including myself, would have predicted this [start]. I knew Jurgen [Klopp] left the team in a good place, yet against all the teams we have played. We have to stay sharp and focused.”
Guardiola: Maybe I deserve the sack
Pep Guardiola's response to chants about his sacking: 'Listen, I'm so proud of my six Premier Leagues, I'm so sorry. I didn't expect Anfield at 0-2 to sing about his sacking, maybe I deserve it Honestly with the results I might still have a job because we won six Premier Leagues and a lot of titles, otherwise the hierarchy might think 'this doesn't work'.
“But I didn't expect them to sing. It's fine, it's part of the game. When you win you laugh, when you lose they laugh. You have to accept it. The time with Jurgen [Klopp] was incredible for me and the battles with Liverpool. This will be difficult to repeat, but we will all think about it and try to become strong.”
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