After the appeal for calm caused by the ill-tempered history of this fixture, Manchester City and Liverpool produced a festive treat that hurtled along at 100mph and contained zero hint of niggle until the 77th minute. At that point, Fabinho, on as a substitute, scissor-tackled Rodri, who took issue, and suddenly there was a melee featuring a shoving Jordan Henderson and Ilkay Gündogan flying into the fray. The upshot was bookings for the first two, and this proving the tie’s rarest of flash points. Instead, it was a feast of end-to-end play in which the defences went awol and neither team enjoyed control, though Pep Guardiola can point to City’s 57% possession overall, and how they emerged as victors from an invigorating tussle. The end score was 3-2 but might have been 10-2 to City or, say, a 5-5 draw, so breathless and harum-scarum was the entertainment from beginning to end. The clock read 20 seconds when Erling Haaland almost opened proceedings, galloping on to Gündogan’s pass but with Liverpool split open and Caoimhín Kelleher racing out, the Norwegian ballooned the ball over. Forty-three seconds later and Darwin Núñez was stampeding at Stefan Ortega’s goal but the centre-forward saw his shot blocked by Aymeric Laporte. Already the fare was wide open and fervent, as Manuel Akanji this time had Haaland haring along the right when he found the unmarked Cole Palmer, who swooped in from the left. The youngster should have scored rather than thrash out for a near throw-in. Palmer, though, made the best amends when forming the crucial link to Kevin De Bruyne as City opened proceedings. The latter hooked over from the left and Haaland rose and volleyed for his 24th goal this term. This was route-one stuff the City way, Joe Gomez left a bystander by a supernatural predator who seems to know precisely where to move before the mortals around him. Palmer’s next act was a mazy run that took him wriggling into the area of a Liverpool side who were befuddled and a good yard off their opponent’s pace. But then came the surprise of an equaliser which arrived because City switched off. Joël Matip had copious time to slip the ball to an unmarked James Milner inside the hosts’ area and he, too, received zero pressure when relaying to Fabio Carvalho who beat Ortega with ease. Both goals told a tale of two iffy rearguards, a yarn that continued when Palmer popped up again to float the ball in as those in red watched. Riyad Mahrez flicked on, and Haaland went close to adding a second. This, once more, came along the City left: Liverpool were being continually pierced there but could do nothing about it. City had welcomed their Merseyside neighbour having not beaten them in the past five meetings (including the Community Shield) with November’s 1-0 loss at Anfield (league) and April’s defeat at Wembley (FA Cup semi-final) their two reverses in the sequence. For this first post-World Cup outing each manager fielded their alpha-attacker in Haaland and Mohamed Salah who, before 6,000 of Liverpool’s travelling support, had been offered no sniff of an opening when the tie reached the interval. Instead the Egyptian magician had to look on as City launched further raids: twice De Bruyne bowled down the right and teed up a teammate – Gündogan, whose effort was stymied, and Nathan Aké, whose header failed to beat Kelleher. Núñez, at the close of the half, spurned a gaping chance to put Liverpool ahead. Given City’s profligacy, they could not have complained. Conversely, their dominance meant Liverpool had to blame themselves when, 67 seconds into the second half, they were breached. Thiago Alcântara lost the ball in midfield, Rodri dropped it on to Mahrez’s toes and after he drifted on to his favoured left foot, Kelleher was allowed no chance. City were ahead – for around a minute. This time Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, on for Carvalho, skimmed the ball along the left touchline and Núñez, in an embarrassment for the defender, overtook Laporte, squared the ball for Salah, who had lost Aké, and in went Liverpool’s second equaliser. Next up in the smörgåsbord of incidents was City again nosing ahead. This was simple – too simple from Liverpool’s perspective – as Palmed tapped a short corner to De Brune and his looping ball was thudded in by Aké’s head. With more than half an hour remaining further thrills ensued. Andy Robertson blazed over, Gündogan crashed into Núñez, Guardiola threw on John Stones, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden; then Núñez sprayed wide from a pass from Naby Keïta, Fabinho’s midriff repelled a De Bruyne effort off the line and Kelleher saved Foden’s follow-up. By the close City had ended the winless run against their rivals and this had been a superb primer for when the Premier League returns on Boxing Day.