JURGEN KLOPP claims Liverpool "cannot compete" with state-owned clubs like Manchester City - but Mo Salah proved him wrong with a late Anfield winner. <br /><br />Pep Guardiola’s champions suffered their first defeat in 21 Premier League matches and surrendered a four-point deficit to Arsenal at the top of the table after their own Phil Foden ‘opener’ was ruled out by VAR. <br /><br />Salah, who netted the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history in the midweek demolition of Rangers, netted a cool breakaway goal from an assist by keeper Alisson, as the Reds put a miserable start to their league campaign behind them. <br /><br />Just minutes before Salah’s strike, fourth official Andy Madley had incorrectly put up Salah’s No 11, when Klopp was making a double substitution. <br /><br />Salah looked agog until Klopp told him it had been an error - and the Egyptian was soon netting his first Premier League goal since August, having missed an earlier one-on-one opportunity. <br /><br />Guardiola had been fuming after Foden’s effort, early in the second half, was correctly ruled out for a shirt-tug by Erling Haaland on Fabinho. <br /><br />And Klopp was sent off late on by ref Anthony Taylor after Bernardo Silva tangled with Salah and tempers boiled over.<br /><br />City have not won at Anfield, in front of a crowd, for 19 years and even though they arrived on Merseyside 13 points clear of their perennial title rivals, they deserved this victory. <br /><br />Klopp had claimed Liverpool "could not compete" with City’s finances but he probably never doubted that they were still capable of defeating them in a one-off match.<br /><br />The Anfield boss had dropped his captain Jordan Henderson and employed the 36-year-old James Milner at right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold only fit enough to start on the bench. <br /><br />City did not look like themselves early on - not wearing sky blue for no apparent reason, and showing signs of edginess in and out of possession.<br /><br />Liverpool were far more like their old selves, the classic Klopp high-energy, high-tempo high-pressing unit. <br /><br />Salah was menacing, clearly fancying himself against Nathan Ake at left-back. <br /><br />Scoring chances were scarce - Ilkay Gundogan had a shot comfortably saved by Allison and Diogo Jota headed straight at Ederson after a chipped cross from Harvey Elliott.<br /><br />Then Milner, who had made a cracking start, surged forward and saw his cross pushed out by Ederson, with Andy Robertson skying a shot he might easily have scored from.<br /><br />City were beginning to control possession and Liverpool, as Guardiola had predicted before kick-off, were not averse to punting it long. <br /><br />Haaland had been lurking ominously, like a dorsal fin in shallow waters, but he narrowly failed to lob Alisson, then headed over from one De Bruyne centre and headed straight at Alisson from another.<br /><br />It had been a feisty first 45 minutes, ref Anthony Taylor unfussy and helping the game flow, but neither side were able to find an opener.<br /><br />Five minutes into the second half, Salah was presented with the best opportunity of the ma
