Liverpool fans formed a sea of red at Anfield, but could only watch on as rivals Manchester City put three past them in their Premier League encounter.
The Cityzens outclassed them in front of their own fans, but the fans took their time to appreciate one of the opposition players, Elliot Anderson, for his masterful performance in the middle of the park.
Liverpool lost in a competitive game for the first time under Andoni Iraola, with the Spaniard losing a Premier League game for the first time since January, a run that began when he was in charge of Bournemouth.
The game was evenly balanced in the first half, but the introduction of Belgium international Jeremy Doku helped City to gain an advantage in the second half, and three goals followed.
Anfield was displeased with its £116 million man Florian Wirtz, but it was the other side's £116 million midfielder that caught the fancy of the Liverpool faithful.
Midfield Maestro Anderson Grabs First City Assist in Liverpool Trouncing
Elliot Anderson was Manchester City's first-choice midfield target in the summer, and they pulled out all the stops to ensure that he ended up at the Etihad Stadium, forking out £116 million to Nottingham Forest.
The 23-year-old has yet to miss a single Premier League game for his club, forming an impressive partnership with Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park.
His quality was evident in the game at Anfield, as he was everywhere in midfield, putting out fires before they even started.
Anderson's influence was clear, as he had the most touches of the ball in the game, and covered the most distance of any player on either side. He also registered an assist, setting up Jeremy Doku to score City's second goal.
He completed 90% of his passes and created a pair of chances, while also completing 67% of his dribbles.
The midfielder made a tackle, an interception, and six ball recoveries, and was fouled eight times by various Liverpool players.
He won 69% of his ground duels and 50% of his aerial duels, and committed only one foul.
| Elliot Anderson vs Liverpool | Statistic |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Passes (Completed) | 81 (73) |
| Chances created | 2 |
| Dribbles (Successful) | 3 (2) |
| Ground duels (Won) | 16 (11) |
| Aerial duels (Won) | 2 (1) |
| Fouled | 8 |
'An Insane Footballer': Liverpool Fans Wax Lyrical Over Anderson
Elliot Anderson was the subject of praise and admiration from the Liverpool fans on social media, as they appreciated the quality of his performance against them.
One of the fans admitted grudgingly that the Englishman is a quality player. "Elliott Anderson is an insane footballer unfortunately."
Another one singled him out as a player they would sign from City. "Out of all the City players, he'd be the one I'd cherry-pick."
A fan asked if he has a relegation clause in his contract, urging Liverpool to pick him up in case their rivals get relegated. "Does he have a release clause when they get relegated? We should pick him up."
Another fan shared a similar opinion, praising the midfielder as the best player on the pitch. "Sign Elliott Anderson when this lot is relegated. What a player he is man. By far the best player on the pitch."
Manchester City won their first game since their guilty verdict was made public by the Premier League, keeping them perfect in the league after six games.
Their opponents were reduced to ten men when Ryan Gravenberch received a second yellow card just after the hour mark, and it marked the start of their dominance.
Erling Haaland rifled home from inside the box in the 65th minute, after a Doku effort was blocked onto his path, before the Belgian himself curled a brilliant effort into the top corner three minutes later.
Rayan Cherki showed off his silky footwork to leave Jeremie Frimpong on his backside before slotting home in the 78th minute to round off the scoring in the game.
