Pep Guardiola praised Liverpool's quality after his Manchester City side suffered a 2-0 defeat at Anfield, a result that further solidified the Reds' position at the top of the table.

Goals from Liverpool's attacking stars, supported by Arne Slot's astute tactics, extended their lead to 11 points at the summit.

Despite dominating possession, City were outclassed in key moments, with Guardiola highlighting five Liverpool players as pivotal in his team's defeat.

"I love wingers but I wanted more control because we know, when they lose [the ball], the counter attack with [Mo] Salah, with [Dominik] Szoboszlai, with [Luis] Diaz, with [Cody] Gakpo and [Darwin] Nunez," said Guardiola.

"They are so fast. Stronger, quicker, faster than us in that position.

"The first 50, 55 minutes we [struggled], like many other times coming here in our prime. We suffered, they scored the goal, we are 1-0 down. We cannot compete against Liverpool. Not just Liverpool but many other clubs, the transitional teams."

The loss marked City's sixth in their last seven matches, raising concerns about their faltering campaign.

Liverpool's victory reinforced their status as title favourites, with a nine-point cushion over Arsenal and Chelsea. Slot, however, downplayed talk of a foregone conclusion.

His confidence extended to Liverpool's challenging schedule, which sees them playing six of their next nine matches away from home, beginning with Newcastle at St James' Park on Wednesday.

"I've said many times already that we don't look at it at this moment like this," said Slot.

"We know we have a difficult week coming up again.

"We fought [Real] Madrid and City which were very difficult teams to face, but I think it's even harder to go away to Newcastle. We're not even half way through the season yet, but it's a good position to be in, that's definitely true."

For City, the focus shifts to Wednesday's clash with Nottingham Forest as Guardiola looks to reverse his side's downward spiral.

The result at Anfield not only showcased Liverpool's tactical brilliance but also exposed City's defensive frailties, leaving the reigning champions with an uphill battle to keep their title hopes alive.