Doku is a transformative symbol of this new City.
The 23-year-old has gone from being an indisputably talented, but sometimes maddeningly inconsistent winger to being the brilliant catalyst behind many of his best moments this season.
He gave a horrible time to Conor Bradley, who stood out in Liverpool’s victory against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Bradley was affected by Doku’s pace and physical presence, although surely no one could cope with the Belgian in this form.
Doku was simply unstoppable, a player now in full bloom after finally getting used to Guardiola’s high demands following a £55.4m transfer from Rennes in August 2023.
Rayan Cherki adds finesse in midfield, while Phil Foden is back to his best and Bernardo Silva still has all the old guile to keep City moving with his cues.
It was a resounding victory in every sense, giving Arsenal and their coach Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s former assistant, plenty of food for thought during the international break.
For Liverpool, this was a resounding return to earth after their recent recovery.
They now languish in eighth place, eight points behind Arsenal and four behind City, but with momentum stalled. Liverpool’s tally of five defeats this season now eclipses the four they suffered when they won the title.
And there are still worrying signs that Liverpool are yet to adapt to the summer influx of almost £450m in new talent.
Hugo Ekitike, one of the successes, was subdued here, while fellow £125m striker Alexander Isak was an unused substitute after three weeks out with a groin injury.
It was another day of suffering and disappointment for £116million playmaker Florian Wirtz, whose struggles were made worse by taunts from Manchester City fans, recalling how he turned down a move to the Etihad Stadium to join Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen.
Wirtz, at this stage, clearly struggles with the physicality of the Premier League. The talent is clearly there, but is too often easily ignored when in possession.
It’s something you’ll have to get used to and counteract. Wirtz was inevitably attacked with cries of “What a waste of money” from the enthusiastic home fans when he was replaced by Federico Chiesa seven minutes from time.
Guardiola, for his part, was delighted with the victory but was looking forward to the games that would follow the international break.
“Now rest and come back with energy,” he said, before reflecting on the path that led him to this stage of an extraordinary life as a coach.
“I think my time at Barcelona B is the basis for many things. Realizing that I was able to do it and learn a lot.
“I will never forget the boys in that first season. For me, it has been very special to play 1,000 games in front of my family and especially against Liverpool. I have great respect for that club.”
This was Guardiola’s day of celebration. And Manchester City made that occasion an occasion to remember.
