Trent Alexander-Arnold was torn to shreds as Liverpool were easily swatted aside by Manchester City in a 4-1 win.
Pep Guardiola knew he could not afford to lose at the Etihad on Saturday with City eight points behind Arsenal and his side did not disappoint.
Liverpool went a goal up through Mohamed Salah against the run of play when Diogo Jota broke the offside trap but it only seemed to awaken the beast.
City came back with fire in their bellies and it did not take long before they scored an equaliser through Julian Alvarez after some marvellous play from Jack Grealish, who had a corker of a match.
But Alexander-Arnold was guilty of not rushing out to meet the swashbuckling winger quicker as he delivered a pinpoint cross for his Argentine team-mate to score a tap-in.
However, the worst was to come as just seconds after the break Kevin de Bruyne took City into the lead when Alexander-Arnold was accused of bottling a 50/50 challenge.
Speaking live on talkSPORT, Stuart Pearce said: “You can see the frustration in Klopp.
“Trent Alexander-Arnold has jumped out of the way of a challenge and that is absolutely woeful.
“Why he’s jumped out of a 50/50 I will never know. But the ball across the face of the goal was outstanding and it’s a lovely goal.”
City only ramped up their domination as the game went on with Liverpool unable to get anywhere near them as they cruised past players, who barely even made a challenge.
And on 53 minutes it was 3-1, when more shoddy defending allowed City to creep closer and closer towards goal until an Alexander-Arnold block saw the ball at Ilkay Gundogan’s feet from six yards out.
The German had the simple task of tucking it past Alisson before Grealish scored the goal his performance deserved when him and De Bruyne traded passes leaving Alexander-Arnold dizzy before the Englishman made it four.
Pearce added: “I’m looking at the City full-backs in Ake and Stones and they have been very good. I can’t say the same for the Liverpool pair.
“City are so arrogant with the football. The beauty is they know they can switch the football and keep it.
“I think for everything that Manchester City are with confidence with the ball, Liverpool aren’t at the moment.
“Klopp’s team just haven’t got that confidence that they’ve had in recent years.”
Alongside Pearce in the talkSPORT studio was ex-Liverpool star Charlie Adam, who said: “They’re moving with pace and confidence, yeah it’s arrogant, and it’s a complete disrespect to the opposition.”
City’s win will give them huge confidence that they can take Arsenal to the wire in the Premier League title race.
The Gunners take on Leeds on Saturday afternoon with a chance to regain their eight-point lead.
But with the two sides set to meet in the Premier League later this month, that could prove crucial for either team with time running out this season.
