Three goals in the opening 32 minutes set Liverpool on their way to a memorable 4-1 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this evening.

Eliaquim Mangala broke the deadlock by turning the ball into his own net after just seven minutes, before Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino added to the lead in a barnstorming start to the match.

Sergio Aguero handed the hosts a lifeline by pulling a goal back right on the stroke of half time, but Martin Skrtel ended any hopes of a comeback with an emphatic fourth nine minutes from time.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at a remarkable 90 minutes of football.

Match statistics

MAN CITY
Shots: 11
On target: 3
Possession: 59%
Corners: 11
Fouls: 5

LIVERPOOL
Shots: 14
On target: 9
Possession: 41%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 13

Was the result fair?

Absolutely. In fact, there may be a part of Manuel Pellegrini that is feeling a little relieved that it wasn't even more embarrassing for his side. Liverpool came flying out of the blocks and the hosts simply could not handle that. Defensively they were a shambles and, coupled with some majestic football being played by the visitors - in particular Coutinho and Firmino - that meant the match was only going to go one way. Right from the first whistle Liverpool looked more up for this match than their opponents, who really struggled to get going.

Mangala's own goal was a sign of things to come as Liverpool continued to punish defensive errors in the first half, although the hosts have Joe Hart to thank for keeping the score down. This could have quite easily been seven or eight for the visitors had the England number one not made a string of big one-on-one saves. Even at 3-0, though, there was the feeling that City had the quality to mount a comeback, and may also get the chances to do so in such an open game. When Aguero scored on the stroke of half time, then, plenty of Liverpool fans would have been worried.

As expected, City applied pressure at the start of the second half, but Liverpool rode the storm and in the end saw out the match pretty comfortably, although that might not have been the case had Aguero or Fernando converted good chances just past the hour mark. For the neutral it was a classic match but there is no doubt which team was by far and away the better side today. Liverpool looked hungrier, sharper and tactically superior, and that resulted in a more comfortable victory than even the most ardent Red would have expected.

Man City's performance

Where to begin? Having been knocked off top spot by local rivals Manchester United, and then Leicester City, before kickoff, Pellegrini would have wanted a reaction from his side. What he got was the worst City performance in some time. It is hard to imagine quite how they could have made more of a mess of this game. The absence of Vincent Kompany is not enough to excuse the shambolic defensive performance as Liverpool repeatedly cut through the City back line like a hot knife through butter. Liverpool had as many as seven one-on-one chances today, and a few more good openings beside that.

The midfield was also way below par, and Pellegrini must also take some of the blame for that. Coutinho and co had a field day against the sluggish Yaya Toure and Fernando, and it wasn't until Fernandinho came on at the break that things looked to be a little more even in the middle of the park. There were threats up front, with Aguero looking as dangerous as ever and Kevin De Bruyne managing to come out of the game with some credit, but on the whole it was a truly shocking display.

There was a sense of defiant belief at half time following Aguero's goal, and at the time it seemed as though it could still be a big moment in the match. However, City failed to take their chances when they arose - most notably when Raheem Sterling and Aguero could not capitalise on an under-hit James Milner back-pass - while their defence continued to be carved up at will by Liverpool. Pellegrini will be keen to sweep this one under the carpet as an anomaly of a result, but it was certainly a chastening experience for all involved at City.

Liverpool's performance

For everything said about City, you can reverse it for Liverpool. This result was as much to do with some scintillating football from the visitors as it was suicidal defending from the hosts. Jurgen Klopp got his tactics spot on, and from start to finish his side carried a threat that has been sorely lacking for much of this campaign. They had scored just 13 times all season before this one, but they could - perhaps even should - have got seven or eight on the day.

Some of the football they were playing was a joy to watch. Coutinho and Firmino linked up quite brilliantly and were responsible for virtually every chance the visitors created - and there were a lot of them. Emre Can played his part with some lovely flicks here and there, but throughout the whole team it was a stunning performance. It wasn't perfect - they too could have prevented the goal against them and defensively they looked a little shaky at times, but it is hard to say anything negative about this display.

The goals were of the highest order, with the passing and movement helping to make City's bamboozled defenders look even more nonplussed. Perhaps the highest compliment that can be paid to the performance was that it bore all the hallmarks of the Luis Suarez-inspired team from the 2013-14 season. They swarmed their opponents early on and had the match almost over as a contest inside 35 minutes. It was certainly their best performance since that winning run that took them so close to the title, and suddenly the immediate future looks a lot brighter for the red half of Merseyside.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Philippe Coutinho: There were a number of standout performances today, but ultimately it came down to Coutinho or Firmino. The latter created the first two goals and scored the third, and would have been a worthy winner, but he also missed a number of gilt-edged chances. Those chances were all created by Coutinho, and the little magician also had a role to play in the first three goals for his side. He seems to love playing against City, and this was his best performance yet.

Biggest gaffe

Take your pick. All five goals had defensive errors you could point to, and there were plenty more which didn't end up adding to the scoreboard. There really are too many to pick from but Mangala deserves a special mention for a catastrophic display at the heart of the City defence - including, of course, his own goal.

Referee performance

Jonathan Moss had a couple of penalty shouts to deal with in this match, but he got each one correct. The yellow cards he handed out were warranted, and by and large he let what was a free-flowing match go whenever possible. His performance contributed to the spectacle, which is always a good sign for the referee.

What next?

Man City: City will need to forget this match in time for their tricky Champions League trip to face Juventus in Turin on Wednesday.

Liverpool: Liverpool are also in European action this weekend as they host Bordeaux at Anfield on Thursday evening.