Liverpool ended Manchester City's six-match unbeaten league run with a 4–0 victory at Maine Road on 27 October 1979. Kenny Dalglish scored twice, with David Johnson and Ray Kennedy also on target, as the champions continued to recover ground after an uneven start to the season.
Since their European Cup elimination in Tbilisi, Liverpool had beaten Bristol City and Ipswich Town and drawn with Bolton Wanderers and Everton. City, meanwhile, had recently beaten Nottingham Forest and held Arsenal away.
Johnson opened the scoring after 12 minutes, supplied by Dalglish. Before the interval, Dalglish made it 2–0 from Ray Kennedy's assist. City had a chance of their own: Steve McHugh's contemporary Manchester Evening News report recorded Michael Robinson striking the inside of a post with a first-half shot.
Dalglish scored again midway through the second half, with Kennedy once more providing the assist. Kennedy then added the fourth late on, supplied by Johnson. Between them, the three scorers had also provided the final passes for all four goals.
The Manchester report emphasised Dalglish's influence against City's young side. Liverpool's starting eleven included Steve Heighway alongside Johnson and Dalglish, while Malcolm Allison's team featured Ray Ranson, Tommy Caton and Nicky Reid.
The result left Liverpool third with 15 points from 12 matches, three points behind Manchester United with a game in hand. A crowd of 48,128 had seen them finish a fifth successive league match without defeat, scoring four at Maine Road for the second season running.