Riyad Mahrez has taken to social media to express the joy of Manchester City’s 4-0 win over Liverpool on Thursday, although he wished it was by a bigger margin.
The Reds had been confirmed league champions for the first time in 30 years after the Citizens lost 2-1 at Chelsea last week.
City performed a guard of honour for the new champions as they walked out of the tunnel, but had other ideas during the match.
After some early pressure from Liverpool that saw leading African frontmen Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane miss chances to put them in front, and Roberto Firmino hit the upright, City blitzed to a 3-0 first-half lead between the 25th and 45th minute thanks to Kevin De Bruyne (penalty), old Liverpool boy Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden.
Liverpool’s misery was compounded after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain put the ball into his own net midway through the second half. Mahrez made it 5-0 in the 90th minute but his effort was ruled out by VAR after it spotted a foul in the build-up to the goal.
It is Liverpool’s heaviest defeat in the Premier League since Manchester City beat them 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium in September 2017.
Big result tonight even if i wish it was more 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/816tjtRor9
— Riyad Mahrez (@Mahrez22) July 2, 2020
“Big result tonight even if I wish it was more,” the Algeria international posted on Twitter.
Having started against Chelsea, Mahrez made the bench in this game and replaced Gabriel Jesus in the 58th minute, eight minutes before Oxlade-Chamberlain’s own goal.
In the 32 minutes he played, he produced 15 touches, eight accurate passes (80%) and had 100% success in his dribbles (one from one), long balls (two from two) and ground duels (two from two).
Mahrez was denied what would have been his 10th Premier League goal of the season alongside his 11 assists.
Overall, the 29-year-old has 11 goals and 15 assists in 42 competitive outings, similar to his maiden season at the Etihad in 2018-19 where he scored 12 goals and provided another 12 assists and won the domestic treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup.
The Sarcelles-born player recently revealed his early struggles when he moved to the blue half of Manchester.
"I didn't make a difference as quickly as they thought I was going to make," Mahrez told Sky Sports.
"So obviously they don't have time to give me time because we are 20 players, top players.
"I was on the bench and the other players were performing, so it was difficult for me to come back. Then more to the end of the season I came back, I played good and I start this season differently.
"Now when he played me I was performing, so the confidence is here."