Manchester City 0-2 Liverpool: Five talking points as Mohamed Salah puts incumbent champions to the sword

Mohamed Salah was at his best for Liverpool during their 2-0 Premier League win over Manchester City on Sunday (February 23), which seemed to be the proverbial changing guard for English football. The Egyptian star was fabulous and will be the topic of many discussions after he helped the Reds open an 11-point lead over Arsenal, with 11 games left.

In a game that will be talked about for some time, the league table toppers and incumbent champions raised multiple talking points.

Manchester City 0-2 Liverpool: Five talking points

5. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool's hero

Mohamed Salah was fabulous yet again and put Manchester City to the sword in a performance that saw him bag a goal and an assist. The Egyptian is not just the best player in England but is strongly claimed to be called the best in the world.

The Egyptian has scored 30 goals and 21 assists in 38 games for the Reds in all competitions, and with 25 goals and 16 assists in the Premier League alone, Mohamed Salah is having a glorious season.

4. Give them what they want!!

Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold are in the final months of their contracts with Liverpool, and it is baffling that the Merseyside club has allowed this situation to progress. There is no reason these players should be available on a free transfer in the summer, and it is a travesty that they can enter pre-contract negotiations with foreign clubs.

Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk were brilliant against Manchester City, contributing and defending goals to secure the result. The club can not allow these players to leave on a free transfer.

3. Jeremy Doku, mesmerizing but lacking end product

Manchester City forward Jeremy Doku was unplayable and terrorized Liverpool's right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold throughout the game. The Belgian completed 15 dribbles in the match and had the English defender on toast whenever he faced him.

It was disappointing that he could not create or score a goal in the match, but he will leave the Etihad with his head held high after a strong performance.

2. Dominik Szoboszlai, the unsung hero

It is easy to wax poetic about Mohamed Salah's performance for Liverpool against Manchester City. However, Dominik Szoboszlai contributed the same goal and assist in the game. He assisted the Egyptian for the opener before he returned the favor in the 37th minute.

1 Manchester City was not bad against Liverpool

Despite losing 2-0 at home to Liverpool, Manchester City did not look bad and controlled phases of the game for periods. It is easy to write Pep Guardiola's side off after their complicated season, but as their 4-0 dismantling of Newcastle United showed, they're not to be trifled with.

Pep Guardiola will drill his new arrivals into what he expects from his side, and it is easy to assume the slump has not been arrested. City will not win the Premier League this season and might not finish in the top four. However, Tottenham will be gravely mistaken if they think they will be a walkover when they face them in the next league game.