Mohamed Salah the difference for Liverpool in game of slim margins against Man City

Just one week after we were treated to the champions of England squaring off against the kings of Europe, Manchester City were involved in another toe-curlingly big game on Sunday with Pep Guardiola's side travelling to Anfield.

The favourite for the Premier League title changes on a near daily basis during the early stages of the season, but it would take someone brave to bet against either of these sides not being right up there when the campaign draws to a close.

Perhaps more so than any other game in European football, this fixture has been dominated by the managers in recent years. In the red corner, Jurgen Klopp, the popularisor of heavy metal football and gegenpressing.

In the sky blue corner, Pep Guardiola, a man whose obsession for the beautiful game is genuinely scary at times. Most of the time, actually.

Going into this meeting between the old foes, the historical head-to-head record was completely even. Each manager had won eight games each with three ending in draws.

With that in mind - and with Liverpool back to almost full strength, following last season's injury carnage - this one was always going to be a tight contest, and so it proved.

As it has in years gone by, Sunday's meeting was a game decided by moments; brief flashes of other-worldly footballing ability that separates the top class from the truly world-class players.

No one encapsulated this more than Mohamed Salah, who produced two moments of complete genius that so nearly earned his side all three points. They seemed to come out of nowhere too.

Like most of the Liverpool XI in the first half, Salah looked well off the pace with City threatening to do that thing where they make even the best team on the planet look like Kings Langley - currently bottom of the Southern League Premier South.

After the break, things changed drastically. Now it was the Reds in the ascendency. Salah was their instigator as usual, lifting the ball casually over a stricken Joao Cancelo just inside his own half before turning on the after burners and heading for the City penalty area.

When he got in sight of goal he played a genuinely, millimetre-perfect through ball to partner in crime Sadio Mane, who produced a dainty chip to beat Ederson and make it 1-0.

After Phil Foden had stolen some of the limelight with a superbly-taken strike just after, Salah was clearly in the mood to regain head boy status. He did so with a scrumptious goal of his own in the 76th minute.

Receiving the ball from Curtis Jones with no less than three City players surrounding him, Salah somehow wriggled his way into the box where he proceeded to make Aymeric Laporte look very, very, very silly before firing across Ederson to score.

A wicked deflection off Joel Matip may have robbed Salah and Liverpool of a statement victory, but there could be no denying who stole the show in Merseyside.

Forget this shared man of the match nonsense Sky Sports were peddling during the game. Salah once again proved he is a true, all-time Premier League great and we should all enjoy him while he lasts.