Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side went into the game at Anfield on the back of a shocking start to the season that saw them win two of their first eight Premier League matches.
And much of the pre-match talk surrounded Klopp's comments about Manchester City's limitless wealth.
"You have the best team in the world and you put in the best striker on the market," the Liverpool boss said. "No matter what it costs you just do it. I know City will not like it. Nobody will like it. You've asked the question, but you know the answer.
"You have to compete with them. It is not a problem at all for me, it's like it is. Don't ask me that question because you always open this discussion and it's me telling you. But you all know it, you should know. It is not possible to deal with that and it will be like this."
But the 2019 European champions inflicted City's first defeat of the season after a raucous afternoon at Anfield. City thought they'd opened the scoring through Phil Foden but the goal was ruled out for a foul by Erling Haaland.
And Mohamed Salah lifted the roof after slotting past Ederson to score the match-winning goal for Liverpool. Not even Jurgen Klopp's late red card could dilute the sweet taste of victory for the Anfield faithful.
As Liverpool closed the gap on their title rivals to 10 points, we compiled a collection of amazing stats from a massive result in their season.
1. Salah has now scored 9 goals against Manchester City. Manchester United (10) are the only team he has scored against more.
2. The 30-year-old also became just the second player to score in four successive home matches against Manchester City alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (who played against a much weaker iteration).
3. He registered his 121st Premier League goal for Liverpool, overtaking Steven Gerrard (120).
4. Only Robbie Fowler, who scored 128 league goals for the Reds, has scored more in the competition than the Egypt international.
5. Salah has become only the second player in Premier League history to score 100+ left-footed goals. Only Fowler, with 105, has scored more in England's top flight since 1992.
6. Alisson has now provided an assist in three of his last four Premier League seasons – and scored a goal in the other.
7. And the Liverpool goalkeeper provided more Premier League assists (two) than City's Jack Grealish (one).
8. Diogo Jota won more duels (6) and made more tackles (4) than any other Liverpool player in the first half as Klopp's side set about Manchester City from the outset.
9. Virgil van Dijk has played 69 Premier League matches at Anfield for Liverpool. He is yet to lose one.
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