Predictability went hand-in-hand at the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City reaffirmed their Premier League title bid against a Liverpool team struggling for consistency.
Kenny Dalglish's side, coming to terms with the Football Association's charge against Luis Suarez, having refused the right to appeal just an hour before kick-off, were no match for their hosts.
Almost a year had elapsed since the £35million outlay for Andy Carroll was paid and the lofty striker continues to offer little signs of delivering any redemption appear increasingly distant.
If Steven Gerrard's a la carte deliveries against Newcastle were not enough to inspire him to hit the goal trail, then this showing does not auger well for his long-term future at Anfield.
It was a problem which was felt across the board on a stormy night down the East Lancs Road.
Dirk Kuyt's easy dispossession by David Silva saw him combine with Edin Dzeko to tee up Sergio Aguero, who hit a curling 30-yard effort which floated under Pepe Reina's body with great precision.
The continual misfortune of another Spanish stopper a very short distance from this corner of Manchester may not prevent this gaffe from being magnified as it was a concerning blemish.
His heroics in denying Vincent Kompany with a finger-tip stop will not be as fondly remembered by impartial observers as much as his second concession of the night, which was not blameless.
But the inquest as to how both Kompany and Yaya Toure were able to power free headers with the goal at their mercy extends beyond the Liverpool goalkeeper and indeed his back four.
Toure, the Ivorian midfielder, doubled City's advantage just a minute later after Kompany's aerial threat again proved a handful, this time to the uncharacteristically troubled Martin Skrtel.
Kompany's coronation as man of the match was no less than the City captain deserved as he proved a handful at both ends of the pitch while Jay Spearing was the only real stand-out for the Reds.
James Milner will mark his 26th birthday tomorrow with over a decade of top flight experience under under his relatively young wing and was offered an ideal present by his counterparts; flattery.
At a barely a month older, Charlie Adam paled in significance as did Stewart Downing, 18 months Milner's senior, as the supposed best of British football's current generation.
Downing could have forced a breakthrough in the opening stages, minutes before City's opener, after Jordan Henderson gifted him a one-on-one with Joe Hart with a threaded pass.
A weak heart consumed the winger's experienced head as he hit a limp effort which his international team mate had no difficulty saving as Liverpool's season continued its disturbing pattern of repetition.
Gareth Barry was given his marching orders, for a second bookable offence which seemed harsh but it benefited the disadvantaged as they moved further ahead with 15 minutes remaining.
But Mike Dean's decision to award a penalty to City after a minimal brush between Skrtel and Yaya Toure to allow Milner to kick-start his celebrations early by wrong-footing Reina from the spot.
Suarez's loss across the forthcoming seven games will be felt far greater than last week's win over Newcastle had suggested while City's travesties on their travels were easily eradicated.
Liverpool's inability to cope with the domineering presence of City's attacking line-up proved that Dalglish's penchant for outwitting the Premier League's higher calibre sides had waned.
His decision to rest Bellamy, as with Steven Gerrard's substitute start last week, set the tone for a game which could have ignited a new rivalry among two of the North West's giants.
Instead, it served as a garish reminder of the gulf in class between the industrialist cities as City's riches conquered over a Liverpool side seemingly ill-equipped for a top four assault.
This meeting between the side with the Premier League's best home record and one whose exploits on the road rank in the higher reaches of the form table is only the beginning.
Two more clashes lie ahead in the coming weeks as Liverpool's plans to secure their place in the Carling Cup final looking increasingly ominous without a reliance on Suarez's creativity.
MAN CITY (4-2-3-1): Hart; Richards, Kompany, K.Toure, Clichy; Barry, Milner; Aguero (A Johnson 73), Yaya Toure, Silva (Lescott 76); Dzeko. Subs (not used): Pantilimon, Lescott, Zabaleta, Savic, de Jong, Kolarov
LIVERPOOL (4-5-1) Reina; G Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique; Downing, Henderson, Adam (Gerrard 57), Spearing (Maxi 76), Kuyt (Bellamy 57); Carroll. Sub (not used): Doni, Carragher, Shelvey, Kelly.
Goals: Aguero (11), Yaya Toure (33), Milner (PEN 75)
Booked: Barry, G Johnson
Sent off: Barry
Attendance: 47,731
Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)
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