Picture-book goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were – ultimately – enough to hand Pep Guardiola’s men a first defeat in the Premier League on Sunday.
Played at a frantic pace, amid a tremendous atmosphere, the meeting between the division’s most free-scoring teams managed to reach, if not exceed, all of the pre-match expectations.
Here is what we enjoyed most about a contest that will live long in the memory…
Firmino taking a leaf out of Robbie Fowler’s book
If you experienced a sense of déjà vu when Firmino raced in behind to fetch Oxlade-Chamberlain’s through pass, shrugged off John Stones with a firm shoulder and delicately lifted the ball over Ederson, there is a sound reason why: because you have basically seen the goal before.