Liverpool supporters are preparing a fierce reception for Manchester City around Anfield on Sunday, with the champions’ first match since the independent commission’s verdict set to arrive with rather more than the usual edge.
City travel to Merseyside for the 17:30 Premier League fixture after being found guilty of 114 financial-rule breaches. The club have appealed the commission’s decision, and the outcome of that process is expected in the coming weeks.
Anfield prepares its response
- Fan groups have called for supporters to gather on a road beside Anfield, one regularly used by both home and visiting team buses.
- Those attending have been asked to bring flags, banners and flares in an effort to create a “red sea” before kick-off.
- The planned welcome reflects the anger among Liverpool supporters, who believe their club has been among those affected by City’s financial irregularities.
The breaches cover the period from 2009 to 2018. Liverpool did not finish second to City for a league title during those nine years, but supporters argue that the impact of financial wrongdoing worth €1 billion continued beyond that period.
Under Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool recorded several Premier League runners-up finishes behind Pep Guardiola’s City, adding another layer to what was already one of English football’s sharpest modern rivalries.
Appeal still to be decided
City’s appeal means the case has not yet reached its final stage. If the findings are upheld, sanctions are expected to be considered before the end of the season.
For now, though, the immediate consequence is a particularly charged afternoon outside Anfield: Liverpool and City have met often enough with major prizes in sight, but this one comes with the wider arguments of the Premier League following the teams onto the pitch.
