Manchester City made their biggest statement of the season so far on Sunday as they defeated the holders by four goals to one at Anfield.
It was the first time Pep Guardiola had won at the stadium, and it effectively guarantees that City will finish above Liverpool this season as the gap widened to 10 points, with a game in hand still to be played.
City haven't managed to thrive at Anfield in recent years but this time around, the team performed differently than normal.
Guardiola's men average the most possession in England's top-flight with 64.6% of the ball this season, and the expectation was that City would arrive as usual by showcasing an authority over the play, with Jurgen Klopp stating before the clash: "We love playing against possession teams."
While they did see a fair amount of the ball, they ended the match with just 45% possession, which is the fewest that City have posted in a Premier League match under Guardiola since he took charge in 2016, excluding games in which they suffered a red card.
Possession numbers are often overused and more often than not, they tend to be a product of game state, but it was notable how City were willing to retreat to form a central block of sorts before countering through the likes of Foden, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez.
It wasn't their sole means of posing a threat like other teams Liverpool have faced recently, but it was the case more so than past meetings.
It isn't entirely clear whether it was an intentional ploy from Guardiola - who is renowned for his desire to control the ball - but regardless, it placed an emphasis on Liverpool's weaknesses rather than the team's strengths.
Klopp's side appear less equipped to break down defences while simultaneously guarding against counter-attacks of late; Results on Merseyside have crumbled since Liverpool began facing a specific type of opponent, with the match scenario roughly following the theme of Liverpool dominating all of the ball but struggling to penetrate, while their opponents soak pressure with relative ease while posing a threat on the counter-attack.
West Brom, Newcastle United, Southampton, Manchester United, Burnley and Brighton all allowed such dynamics to materialise, with Klopp's men picking up just three points from a possible 18 in those games.
While the City boss didn't divert from his principles too much, it is reasonable to suggest that he did recognise Liverpool's overwhelming problem as the contest approached before devising a plan to shine the spotlight on it.
