“SHOW them the way to go home,” sang the Liverpool fans as they filed out of the Kop several minutes after the final whistle. It’s a song reserved for convincing, important victories, and one which lets the opposition know they have been on the end of a hiding.

With the quality they have in their ranks, even without first-choice goalkeeper Ederson and star central defender Aymeric Laporte, Manchester City fans may not have expected to hear it sung in their direction. 

But as City manager Pep Guardiola looked first to the fourth official Mike Dean and then to the heavens in search of a penalty after the ball hit Trent Alexander-Arnold’s arm in the box for the second time in the game, he and the fans knew the game was over, and the game was lost.