Pep Guardiola
Guardiola has now lost seven of his 13 meetings with Klopp
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had the better of his head-to-head meetings with Pep Guardiola before this game with six wins from 12 games - and he outmanoeuvred his illustrious counterpart once more here.
Klopp took this game, if not the entire tie, out of Guardiola's reach by sticking strictly to his instincts and the fiercely intense pressing style that so unsettled City in their only league defeat of the season.
Liverpool, in Klopp's trademark style, never took a backward step and have uncovered an approach that rattles City in a manner that has escaped pretty much all of Guardiola's opponents in this stellar season for his side.
They never allowed City to relax into their passing style, with the likes of David Silva in particular simply not afforded the time and space that has seen teams picked apart in their runaway league campaign.
And Klopp also has the attacking weapons that make Liverpool a team to fear in the shape of the potent triumvirate of Salah, Mane and the underrated Brazilian Roberto Firmino, a trio good enough to expose City's defensive flaws.
It was Firmino who picked City apart for the opening goal for Salah, while the Egyptian turned provider for Mane's header to put Liverpool three up before half-time.
Guardiola, meanwhile, had a rare night when his tactics went awry and his team selection was questionable.
Aymeric Laporte's selection on the left side of City's defence against Salah was always heavily laden with risk and so it proved as he struggled desperately to contain a series of Liverpool raids down his flank. He may have played with comfort against Everton's limp attack on Saturday but this was a different league.
Most contentious of all was the exclusion of Raheem Sterling, in such wonderful form, to accommodate Ilkay Gundogan in midfield.
Sterling has suffered on previous visits to Anfield since his £49m move from Liverpool, becoming a target for sustained abuse from his former supporters.
Guardiola perhaps had that in mind when he made this surprise choice but City were left looking unbalanced. Gundogan, a fine player, was peripheral and it was no surprise when he was eventually replaced by Sterling.
This was not a good night for Manchester City or Guardiola. They will need a faultless one next Tuesday
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