Big-spending Manchester City sent out a warning that they may be a threat for the English Premier League title this year with a clinical 3-0 win over a below-par Liverpool on Monday, dpa reported.
Gareth Barry put City ahead and Carlos Tevez scored twice to give City victory in front of owner Sheikh Mansour, who was there to see his side for the first time.
Liverpool were without midfielder Javier Mascherano, who has been linked with a move away from the club and Roy Hodgson's side were second-best throughout.
Barry put City ahead on 12 minutes with a neat finish from James Milner's pull-back but they remained just a goal up at the break as Liverpool came back into it towards the end of the half.
Tevez then got the slightest of touches to divert Micah Richards' header past Pepe Reina in the Liverpool early in the second half to make it 2-0.
Liverpool stepped up their game a little soon afterwards and almost pulled one back when Steven Gerrard hit the post and then Joe Hart made a brilliant double-save from David Ngog and Fernando Torres.
But the match was over on 68 minutes when Martin Skrtel pulled down Adam Johnson and Tevez converted the resultant penalty.