There was once a time when Mohamed Salah was made for fixtures like this. During his prime, the Liverpool star would wound the Premier League's elite with unnerving frequency, establishing himself as an Anfield hero in the process.
Fast-forward to now, however, and it's patently clear that the 33-year-old's powers have faded. Whisper it quietly, he might even be past it.
Liverpool went into Sunday's clash with Manchester City hoping to build on their midweek win over Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid.
They were excellent that night, with Alexis Mac Allister heading home the only goal of the game to secure all three Champions League points.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
Arne Slot, consequently, decided to stick with the same XI that had got the job done for Sunday's showdown. That meant Salah on the right, Hugo Ekiteke down the middle and Florian Wirtz on the left.
But there was none of the impressive attacking football from the Madrid match on display. Instead, on a rainy afternoon at the Etihad Stadium, it was Pep Guardiola's men who reigned supreme.
Questions have been asked of City over the past 18 months. They still, right now at least, pale in comparison to Guardiola's greatest title-winning teams.
Man City have boosted their hopes of Premier League title glory with an emphatic 3-0 win over Liverpool
|PA/GETTY/REUTERS
Mohamed Salah was well off the pace in Man City's emphatic win over Liverpool
|GETTY
But while they have Erling Haaland leading their attack, they will always be dangerous. Liverpool, simply put, were powerless to prevent the hosts from securing victory.
Haaland got the ball rolling in the 29th minute, with the Norway international's header deflecting off Ibrahima Konate and into the net.
City then doubled their lead before the interval, with Nico Gonzalez's shot also deflecting on its way in, before Jeremy Doku produced a stunner to make the result safe in the second half.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Jeremy Doku scored a stunning goal for Man City in their win over Liverpool
|GETTY
Liverpool huffed and puffed in their hunt for an equaliser but there was to be no comeback. Instead, it is City who now seem best-placed to challenge Arsenal for title glory this term.
Back to Salah, then. He was nothing short of sensational last season, plundering home 29 goals from 38 matches as the Reds dominated the league from start to finish.
This campaign, however, the former Chelsea, Roma and Fiorentina star has been a complete shadow of his former self.
The legs are gone. The sharpness is gone. The goal threat is gone. One of Liverpool's greatest players, as things stand, appears to have stayed for one season too many.
His lack of pace was evident when Ruben Dias beat him to the ball at one point in the second half. Again, when he was tackled by Matheus Nunes when he would have fancied his odds of beating his man. His finishing was awry, too, with a late chip over Gianluigi Donnarumma sailing wide.
Certainly, it would be no surprise if links to Saudi Arabia reignited as the January transfer window approaches. The move has appealed to the player in the past and, this time around, the stars might just align.
Arne Slot cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as Man City thumped Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium
|GETTY
Meanwhile, Slot is also a man in trouble.
The Dutchman has plenty of credit in the bank from last season's title triumph and rightly so. Winning the crown, just after replacing Jurgen Klopp, was quite some achievement.
But Liverpool's unravelling this season has been spectacular. Barring the Madrid game, they've been out of sorts in every match they've played.
If the Reds keep losing, the pressure will keep mounting. Not even Slot, with his self-confidence, will believe he's entirely safe from the axe.
Liverpool won't win the title this term.
But City, based on this evidence, just might. Whether they can continue their charge after the international break remains to be seen.