Manchester City greeted by ‘cheats’ chants at Anfield after guilty verdict
Manchester City were met by hostile scenes at Anfield on Sunday in their first match after an independent commission found the club guilty over financial arrangements. Liverpool supporters gathered on the approach to the ground chanting “cheats”, while flags and scarves mocking City’s case were being sold outside the stadium.
Police took the City team coach on a different route to bypass the biggest crowds, avoiding a repeat of the 2018 attack in which the bus was struck by projectiles. The rancour carried into the stadium, with the home support maintaining the pressure as Liverpool began the game on the front foot.
The commission concluded that City and their ownership had used “sham” commercial deals to improve the club’s financial position, concealing funding and overstating income by more than £900 million from 2009 to 2018. City won three Premier League crowns during that span, before Pep Guardiola’s side went on to establish a sustained period of success.
For Liverpool fans, the case has sharpened resentment from title races in which their team collected more than 90 points but still finished behind City. The ruling has raised the prospect of major punishment, including a severe points penalty, removal from the Premier League and the possible loss of earlier league titles.
Appeal leaves competition waiting
City’s final sanction remains unresolved while the appeals process begins, leaving the Premier League facing a prolonged period of uncertainty. Andoni Iraola said on Friday that the lack of clarity was the key concern: “The worst thing is probably the uncertainty, because nobody knows what is going to happen.”
Rival supporters want a punishment strong enough to protect the competition’s credibility and deter any future financial breaches. On the field, Enzo Maresca’s City arrived at Anfield having won seven straight matches in all competitions. His players tried to take control through possession after Liverpool’s early surge, but the noise and tension around the game did not fade.
