Arne Slot's side moved nine points clear of second-placed Arsenal after Cody Gakpo's first-half opener and Mohamed Salah's late penalty dealt another blow to reeling City, who are languishing 11 points behind Liverpool in fifth place.

City have lost four successive top-flight games for the first time since 2008, making them the first Premier League champions to endure such a dismal run the year after claiming the title.

In the 32 Premier League seasons, only three times have teams come from 11 or more points behind at any point to win the title.

City have clawed back significant deficits to win the Premier League in the Guardiola era, but they have never managed to lift the title after being behind by more than 10 points.

City's seven-game winless run ranks as boss Pep Guardiola's longest barren streak in his glittering managerial career.

Just weeks after he signed a new two-year contract, Liverpool fans taunted Guardiola with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning", prompting a defiant response from the Spaniard, who held up six fingers to illustrate the number of titles he has won with City.

Liverpool have won 18 of their 20 games in all competitions since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the close-season.

The Reds have won 11 of their 13 Premier League matches and are firm favourites to win the title for the first time since 2020.

Guardiola sprang a surprise by starting Stefan Ortega in goal instead of the dropped Ederson, but the German had to pick the ball out of his net after just 12 minutes.

City's defence was in disarray as Salah curled a shot towards the far post and Gakpo pounced to poke home from virtually on the line.

Salah's 78th-minute penalty, awarded for Ortega's foul on Luis Diaz, was a dagger in the heart of City's title hopes.