Manchester City left Anfield with a 3-0 win, yet the noise around the champions travelled with them into the Liverpool night. Rayan Cherki produced a standout goal as City swept aside Liverpool, but the club’s financial case has become impossible to separate from its football.
Quick facts
- Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield.
- Rayan Cherki scored a spectacular goal in the victory.
- City were found guilty of 114 of 115 alleged Premier League financial-rule breaches dating from 2009 to 2018.
- The club has lodged an appeal against the decision.
- Possible penalties include a points deduction.
- After six league matches, City sit top of the Premier League.
Liverpool supporters made their feelings clear during Sunday’s fixture, directing hostile chants and banners at Enzo Maresca’s side. On the pitch, however, City were emphatic, particularly after Liverpool were reduced to 10 men and City took control over the final 20 minutes.
Gary Neville said the case has changed the context around every City performance. The former Manchester United captain felt their display at Anfield deserved recognition, while admitting that the appeal process now hangs over any praise.
“Winning at Anfield is exceptionally difficult and they should be applauded without qualification,” Neville said. “But there is always that doubt in the back of your mind. They did a fantastic job there and were clearly on top after the red card.”
Neville said he would rather avoid covering City matches until the case reaches its final conclusion. He argued that, should the finding remain in place after the appeal, the club’s current position could be dramatically altered in January or February.
“It is not good for the Premier League,” he said. “A huge cloud will hang over the whole competition for months.”
Title race under a cloud
Jamie Carragher took an even firmer line, saying City should not be allowed to finish the season as champions if the guilty verdict is upheld. The former Liverpool defender accepted that City have been the division’s strongest team in the early weeks, but said the matter must be resolved before the campaign reaches its conclusion.
“They are the best team in the league and they are at the top, but they cannot be permitted to win it if that verdict stands,” Carragher said. “It has to be sorted before the end of the season. It cannot be left to run all the way through.”
The independent commission’s ruling concerned 114 breaches from a total of 115 charges connected to financial regulations over the period between 2009 and 2018. City confirmed their appeal last week, extending a process which could last for several more weeks or months.
For now, the table shows City in first place after six rounds. But each result, even one as commanding as the victory on Merseyside, is being viewed through the unresolved question of what punishment may yet follow.
