Anfield’s surroundings and stands carried a hostile message for Manchester City as supporters unveiled a series of banners aimed at the club during Enzo Maresca’s first match in charge after the verdict in the financial cheating case became known.
The displays appeared both outside Liverpool’s ground and inside it, with City the clear target of the supporters’ anger. The volume and blunt tone of the banners ensured that the fallout from the ruling was part of the occasion long before the football could take centre stage.
For Maresca, the fixture marked an immediate return to a particularly charged English football atmosphere. Anfield has rarely required much encouragement when City are in town; the news of the financial case had added another sharp edge to the familiar rivalry.
