Haaland says City's win a 'mental battle'
Erling Haaland said Manchester City's 3-0 win over 10-man Liverpool was a "mental battle" as it played its first game since being found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial regulations.
There was a hostile atmosphere at Anfield, with every touch by a City player being jeered amid the backdrop of the Premier League winning its case against the club, which has appealed the result and maintains its innocence.
The game turned on Ryan Gravenberch's 62nd-minute red card, which he received for a second-bookable offence, having clumsily brought down Jeremy Doku.
Within six minutes of Gravenberch's dismissal, City were 2-0 up, with Haaland and Doku both clinically finishing past Alisson Becker.
Rayan Cherki then added some late gloss to the scoreline, finishing off a stunning team move consisting of 41 passes as he danced through Liverpool's defence to slot in its third and move City three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Haaland has scored eight goals in his last eight appearances against Liverpool in all competitions – no other player has netted more than five versus the Reds since he joined City in 2022.
"Every single person part of Man City, and every fan, this is a lovely moment that will stay with us for a long time," Haaland said.
"It was tough, it was hard, but we showed amazing character from back to front. So proud of everyone.
"It's always tough to come here; if you look at the record, it's tough. With the Pep [Guardiola] and [Jurgen] Klopp era, it was tough for both teams; always has been.
"Important to stay strong mentally, stick together and do what you can do something about, and the thing we can do something about is to play good football and fight together. That's the only thing we can do.
"You want to win games; it's as simple as that. Perform well, play good football and win games. This was a mental battle, never easy coming back from internationals.
"Proud that we managed to stick together; we are mentally strong. Plenty of games coming up, so time to recover and go again."
A team have started with six straight wins in just two of the last seven Premier League seasons: City in 2023-2024 and again this season.
Having won at Anfield with Nottingham Forest in 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, Elliot Anderson is the seventh player to win his first three away starts against Liverpool in the Premier League.
He controlled the game, having more touches, accurate passes and successful duels than any other player on the pitch.
"Togetherness, fight, a tough place to come, and we stuck together and fought for each other. We've showed courage," Anderson said.
"[The atmosphere] was more than normal; arriving into Anfield and the first 10 minutes of the game, we did well to quieten the crowd. Struggled first half, but second, we were better and then the goals came.
"It's a game you have to stick together more than ever.
"I just enjoy it. I enjoy the crowd, the noise; I thrive on it, and that's when I come alive. It gives me confidence."
Erling Braut Haaland
Manchester City FC
