Manchester City’s supreme 5-0 rout of Liverpool on Saturday was overshadowed by Reds winger Sadio Mane kicking Citizens goalkeeper Ederson in the face.

It was City boss Pep Guardiola’s first victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side in the Premier League. While their work was made easier by Mane’s straight red card, City were clinical in victory.

The flashpoint came when a Joel Matip through-ball sent Mane careering into the open space behind City’s defence. Ederson came out of his area to challenge and caught a boot flush in the face as Mane tried to win the ball.

There was no malice from Mane, but by the letter of the law a red card was the right decision.

“Sadio is very, very, very upset. He is shocked about the decision and I am sure also about the situation,” said Klopp.

“It was an accident. There was not one second he looks on the goalie. He just wanted to get the ball as soon as possible. Hopefully the goalie is not seriously injured.”

City had taken the lead prior to this incident when Kevin De Bruyne’s perfect pass sent Sergio Aguero through to round Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. De Bruyne was a step ahead of the opposition throughout and he also provided the second, crossing for Gabriel Jesus to head in once his side had a man advantage.

“Football is boxes. Every manager has ideas the way they play, but the boxes make the difference,” explained Guardiola after the game. “What happened when [Mohamed] Salah arrived? Ederson saves. What happened when Sergio arrived there for the first time? We score a goal. Football depends a lot on these kind of situations.”

The game was over when a poor pass from Jordan Henderson was intercepted by Fernandinho. The Brazilian sprung Aguero on the counterattack and the No 10 unselfishly squared to Jesus for a tap in.

“That means a lot for me, what Sergio did, a lot,” emphasised Guardiola. “I don’t say to the strikers: ‘Pass the ball,’ I say: ‘Score a goal please.’ But in that situation that means a lot, and to create something special in the locker room, it’s so important to us.”

Substitute Leroy Sane finished the rout, turning in Benjamin Mendy’s cross for his first before releasing a left-footed screamer from outside the area to compound Liverpool’s misery.