Manchester City Beat Liverpool 3-0 to Maintain Perfect Premier League Start
Manchester City answered a hostile Anfield atmosphere with a 3-0 win over Liverpool, stretching their perfect Premier League opening to six straight victories and preserving a three-point lead at the top.
City turn the game after Gravenberch dismissal
Liverpool pressed aggressively and their supporters repeatedly targeted the visitors after an independent commission ruled that City had committed financial breaches. The club have appealed that decision.
City held out through the first hour before Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, changing the contest decisively. Enzo Maresca’s side made their extra man count immediately, scoring three times in 13 minutes.
- Erling Haaland opened the scoring.
- Jeremy Doku added another.
- Rayan Cherki completed the 3-0 result.
The victory came despite chants branding City “cheats” from the home end, with the reaction linked to the ruling over contracts and revenue.
Appeal remains active after financial ruling
The commission concluded that City used fraudulent contracts to inflate revenue by £830 million, approximately $1 billion, across nine years. City are challenging the verdict through an appeal.
The case has put the club under fresh scrutiny, and City expect difficult atmospheres away from home as their domestic title challenge develops. At Anfield, however, they absorbed the early pressure before taking control after the interval.
Anderson: criticism has strengthened the squad
Anderson, City’s £116 million ($154 million) summer arrival and the Player of the Match, said the external noise had brought the group closer.
He said the players had become “more together than ever”, adding that they must stay united when opponents and crowds are against them. That feeling, he said, gave City the drive to beat Liverpool.
The England international felt City improved markedly after half-time, saying they showed greater quality, executed their plan more effectively and eventually silenced the stadium with three strong goals.
Anderson also continued an impressive individual run at Anfield. He had already won there twice with Nottingham Forest and has now claimed three consecutive away victories on Liverpool’s ground.
What happens next
City will look to carry their six-match winning start into the next league fixture while the appeal process continues in the background. Anderson believes the team can improve further, pointing to the quality of the squad and Maresca’s coaching.
He said he enjoys the Anfield occasion, particularly the result, and called it a fortunate venue for him after another win on Merseyside.
