Liverpool bounced back from Sunday's Capital One Cup final loss to beat Manchester City 3-0 on Wednesday night.
The Reds produced arguably their best display under Jurgen Klopp at Anfield to exact revenge on Manuel Pellegrini's City who beat them in a penalty shootout at Wembley.
Liverpool opened the scoring on 34 minutes when Adam Lallana received a pass from James Milner and was given time and space in midfield to run at the City defence before firing a low left-footed effort into Joe Hart's bottom corner.
Seven minutes later and the Reds were two to the good through former City man Milner who took a heavy touch from Roberto Firmino's through ball before poking beyond Hart.
12 minutes into the second half, the Merseysiders added a third when Lallana raced onto a loose ball and played in Firmino who emphatically finished for his seventh in the league this season.
The victory saw Liverpool move to eighth on the table where they sit six points off fourth-placed City who dropped a third-straight league fixture.
MATCH OVERVIEW
Liverpool: 3 (Adam Lallana 34', James Milner 41', Roberto Firmino 57')
Manchester City: 0
Anfield, Liverpool - 43,597
TALKING POINTS
- Was this Liverpool's best showing under Klopp? Can they have a say in finishing in the top four if they can produce more of the same?
- What are City up to? Good wins in the Champions League and League Cup but failures as they chase a third Prem title.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Liverpool head to struggling Crystal Palace on Sunday as City get set to welcome bottom-placed Aston Villa to the Etihad on Saturday.
TWITTER INSIGHT
YNWA pic.twitter.com/R6rt7GxpBH
— Divock Origi #27 (@DivockOrigi) March 2, 2016
Never mind win is a win well done lads...#YNWA
— Dejan Lovren (@DejanLovrenLFC6) March 2, 2016
We tried hard but the quality wasn't there today and they were better. Saturday is all that matters now. We move on. #MCFC#NeverGiveUp
— Vincent Kompany (@VincentKompany) March 2, 2016
QUOTES CORNER
Liverpool boss Klopp on the big win after the League Cup loss:
"The boys did brilliantly. They were very angry in a positive way. The pressing situation was brilliant, the counter-pressing was good and then we had to score goals and we did."
Man City's Pellegrini on his side's title hopes:
"I am not thinking about the title and not thinking about not to qualify for the Champions League.
"It is important to think in the next game (at home to Aston Villa) we need to win at home because we lost the last three in the Premier League."
STATS SPECIALS
*Thanks to Opta
3 - Man City have lost three successive Premier League games for the first time since November 2008. Slump.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 2, 2016
3 - Roberto Firmino has both scored and assisted in three of his last five Premier League appearances. Influence.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 2, 2016
1500 - James Milner's goal vs Man City was Liverpool's 1500th in the Premier League. Landmark.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 2, 2016
3 - Adam Lallana has scored three goals in his last four PL games, the same amount as in his previous 37 apps. Improvement.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 2, 2016
