Manchester City returned to action after being found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations, securing a 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. However, the result did little to ease the hostility surrounding the club, with home supporters directing chants, boos and banners at the visitors throughout the match.
The game marked City’s first appearance since an independent commission found the club guilty of all charges relating to serious breaches of financial rules. The Premier League had brought 115 charges against City, covering alleged misconduct between 2009 and 2018. The club has appealed the verdict.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters accused City of systematically breaking the rules over almost a decade, intensifying criticism from rival clubs and supporters.
Anfield proved a particularly hostile setting. Liverpool finished runners-up to City in the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons, losing the title by a single point on both occasions. The financial commission’s findings have reignited debate over whether City’s spending power helped create an uneven competitive landscape during those years.
According to the commission’s findings, City inflated their commercial revenue by more than £900 million. The scale of the alleged financial misconduct has prompted questions about the impact on rival clubs, particularly Liverpool, whose sides under former manager Jürgen Klopp repeatedly challenged City for domestic honours.
City arrived at Anfield via an alternative route, with a police escort, amid concerns about the reception they would face. Their team bus was attacked by Liverpool supporters in 2018, when bottles and fireworks were thrown at the vehicle.
The hostility continued inside the stadium. City players were booed during their warm-up, while supporters displayed banners accusing the club of cheating and questioning the legitimacy of its achievements. Songs played over the stadium speakers, including Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies”, added another layer to the atmosphere.
Despite the reception, City delivered a commanding performance. Erling Haaland opened the scoring shortly after Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch was sent off following a second yellow card. Jérémy Doku later came off the bench to score City’s second goal, underlining the depth of the squad available to manager Enzo Maresca.
Haaland’s goal was his sixth in the league this season and his 118th in 138 Premier League appearances for City since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. His presence has become a symbol of the club’s ability to attract elite players, a capacity critics argue is closely linked to its financial resources.
City supporters responded to the criticism with a banner reading “BU115HIT”, rejecting the accusations against their club. The team’s victory, meanwhile, reinforced its position among the leading contenders for another league title.
The reception at Anfield is unlikely to be an isolated incident. Arsenal, Manchester United and other clubs have also had reasons to scrutinise City’s conduct and its consequences for the competition.
For now, City remain on the pitch and in contention for more silverware. But while the appeal process continues, the club faces the prospect of sustained hostility from rival supporters, with its sporting success increasingly overshadowed by the dispute over its financial practices.
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