Manchester City arrive at a revealing European night in Manchester with the noise around the club far louder than usual, yet Enzo Maresca insists his players have earned the right to enjoy a landmark win. Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, sealed by Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki, was City’s first match after an independent commission found the club guilty of serious Premier League financial-rule breaches.
The visiting end at Anfield saw a full-throated celebration at the final whistle, with City’s players joining their travelling supporters after one of the season’s most emphatic away results. That reaction drew criticism online because of the timing, with the commission’s verdict having been announced on 29 September. City deny wrongdoing and have lodged an appeal against the decision.
Speaking before Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, Maresca made no apology for the scenes on Merseyside. “Why should we be criticised? We won 3-0 at Anfield. What are we supposed to do?” he said. “It would have been the same if the result had been 1-0.”
Focus turns from Anfield to Paris Saint-Germain
The Italian said the squad’s task is to remain attached to the work that takes place on the training ground, rather than the legal and institutional issues surrounding the club. “We work every day to win matches. That is the only thing we can think about and focus on,” he said. “The other matters are external things we have to deal with. We were extremely happy on the pitch, and you cannot imagine what the dressing room was like.”
Maresca added that he would not allow the off-field case to disrupt City’s preparation. “I am completely calm,” he said. “I care greatly about planning games and how we train. I do not worry about things beyond my control. We understand how serious the situation is, but it is not something we can influence. What we can do is on the field.”
City host Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday in the second round of the Champions League league phase, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00 Brasília time. It will be the team’s first home fixture in front of their own supporters since the financial-rules ruling, placing a continental occasion at the centre of an already charged week in Manchester.
