Firmino and Liverpool punish sluggish Manchester City

Roberto Firmino scored his first Liverpool goal and made two more as Jurgen Klopp’s team stopped Manchester City recapturing the Premier League summit with a brilliant 4-1 away win on Saturday.

City were bidding to return to first place after being usurped by Leicester City earlier in the day, but they were left in third after a sloppy and unfocused display at the Etihad Stadium culminated in their third defeat of the campaign. Raheem Sterling, playing against Liverpool for the first time since his acrimonious close-season exit, had been the focus of the pre-match build-up, but it was Firmino, a £29 million ($44.1 million, 41.4 million euros) capture from Hoffenheim, who stole the headlines. The Brazil international created an own goal by Eliaquim Mangala, teed up Philippe Coutinho and scored himself, all inside the first 32 minutes, and although Sergio Aguero marked his return from a seven-game lay-off with a hamstring injury by replying, Martin Skrtel slammed home Liverpool’s fourth late on.