Hostile Anfield Awaits Manchester City Following Financial Rule Charges in Premier League Showdown

Enzo Maresca has guided Man City to a perfect record in the Premier League this season. Manchester City will face the full fury of Anfield on Sunday when the Premier League leaders confront old rivals Liverpool in their first game since being found guilty of breaking the competition’s financial rules.

City can expect a hostile reception from Liverpool fans after an independent commission found they arranged “sham” deals to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million ($1.2bn) between 2009 and 2018. The financial breaches occurred during a period in which City won three Premier League titles and numerous other trophies, with Liverpool struggling to break the Etihad Stadium outfit’s silverware monopoly.

City have appealed against the devastating verdict and manager Enzo Maresca was bullish that they will overturn the original ruling. But the Premier League season is now stuck in stasis awaiting a ruling on the appeal and any potential sanction.

Liverpool supporters have often created a febrile atmosphere for City’s visits since they emerged as title contenders following the takeover by their Abu Dhabi-based owners in 2008. This weekend’s showdown is likely to set a new standard for vitriol directed at City’s players and fans.

What is the controversy surrounding Man City?

An independent commission found Man City guilty of nearly all of the 115 charges of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018. The Premier League said the commission found that City used schemes during the affected period to appear to comply with financial rules.

City have continued to protest their innocence and have lodged an appeal, but if the decision is upheld, then points deductions, fines, transfer embargoes and relegation are all possible punishments for the club.

‘A brutal day’ awaits Man City at Anfield

A social media post promoting a “Bus greeting” has urged Liverpool supporters to gather near the stadium several hours before kickoff with flags, banners, pyrotechnics and flares ahead of the arrival of the City players’ bus. Merseyside Police said there would be an appropriate policing operation in place on the day.

“If they want an understanding of how angry the game is going to be, then Anfield will tell them like you would never believe,” former Manchester United captain and England defender Gary Neville said on The Overlap podcast. “I suspect there may be banners, there will certainly be chanting. There will be a reception like you have never seen for them at Anfield … it will be a brutal day.”

Over the past 12 years, Liverpool have finished second to City on three occasions. Only one of those, in 2013-14, came during the period under scrutiny in this financial breach controversy. But City’s rivals believe the wrongdoing in that period built the foundations for a golden era under former boss Pep Guardiola, who stepped down at the end of last season.

Liverpool vs Man City: Predictions

Opta’s supercomputer has handed City a 40.7 percent chance of victory on Sunday. Liverpool have a 34.6 percent probability, while there is a 24.7 percent chance of a draw.

What have the coaches said?

In his pre-match conference on Friday, Man City’s manager Maresca said he has absolute faith the club will win its appeal and rejected any suggestion that City’s haul of silverware over the past 15 years was now tainted.

“I completely trust the club,” said Maresca, who was appointed manager in June but also previously worked at City as part of Guardiola’s coaching staff. “I trust the club because I trust the people and this is also the reason why I joined the club. … There is not another club in the world where I would like to be.”

His Liverpool counterpart, Andoni Iraola, said the lack of clarity over City’s future is causing uncertainty throughout the Premier League. “I think the worst thing probably is the uncertainty, that no one knows what’s going to happen,” Iraola said. “But we have to focus on Liverpool – be the best club we can be, the best team we can be and that’s my challenge.”

How have Man City and Liverpool played this season?

While off the field, Man City are embroiled in a huge controversy; on the pitch, they’ve been the best team this season. City are top of the Premier League’s points table with 15 points, winning all five games so far. Liverpool are sixth in the standings, having won twice and drawn three times. They are on nine points, six behind City.

Isak and Gakpo ruled out for Liverpool

Liverpool were handed a huge blow ahead of Sunday’s heavyweight clash, with attackers Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo both ruled out. Both players returned from international duty with injuries. Gakpo picked up an ankle injury playing for the Netherlands against Serbia, while Isak suffered what Iraola described as a “small” thigh injury with Sweden against Romania.

Man City’s Haaland fit to face Liverpool

Haaland’s involvement against Liverpool had been in doubt after the striker came off during Norway’s Nations League loss to Portugal earlier this month. But that was understood to be a precautionary measure amid an intense run of games during an extended international break. Maresca has confirmed that Haaland, who has scored 169 goals in 205 games for the club, is available for their trip to Merseyside.