City face hostile Anfield trip after financial rules verdict

Manchester City visit Liverpool on Sunday, 11 October, for their first match since an independent commission found them guilty of breaking financial rules. The Premier League leaders have appealed the verdict, but the ruling is set to intensify an already fierce reception at Anfield.

The commission found that City arranged “sham” deals that artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by more than £900 million (RM4.9 billion) between 2009 and 2018. City manager Enzo Maresca said on Friday that he was confident the club would overturn the ruling on appeal.

A rivalry shaped by title races

The breaches identified by the commission took place during a period in which City won three Premier League titles and numerous other trophies. Liverpool have finished second to City three times over the past 12 years, although only the 2013/14 season falls within the period examined by the commission.

Twice under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool missed out on the title despite collecting more than 90 points. Those contests helped make meetings between the clubs major fixtures, and Sunday’s match arrives with their rivalry under fresh scrutiny.

City’s recent record at Anfield also shows the scale of the task. Their 2-1 win last season was their first there in front of a crowd since 2003; their other victory in that span came during Covid-19 restrictions in 2021.

Anfield awaits the league leaders

City arrive at the top of the Premier League after seven successive wins in all competitions at the start of Maresca’s reign. Liverpool supporters, meanwhile, have often created an intense atmosphere for City’s visits, and the verdict gives Sunday’s crowd another reason to make its feelings heard.

John Gibbons of Liverpool podcast The Anfield Wrap told AFP that he believes City should be stripped of titles. “Otherwise, you send the wrong message to anyone in the future,” he said. The appeal remains unresolved.

Appeal leaves bigger questions unanswered

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola pointed to the uncertainty surrounding the case on Friday. “I think the worst thing probably is the uncertainty, that no one knows what’s going to happen,” he said.

A severe points penalty that could lead to relegation, or even expulsion from the English top flight, remains among the possible outcomes described in the case. There is also speculation that City could be stripped of titles, but no appeal ruling or sanction has been announced.

For now, City’s immediate challenge is on the pitch at Anfield. Whatever happens on Sunday, the wider consequences of the financial rules verdict will remain unsettled until the appeal is decided.