What reception awaits Man City at Anfield?

In December 2024, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side trailed 2‑0 at Liverpool, with the Anfield crowd chanting “you're getting sacked successful the morning” toward the visiting coach. Despite doubts that he would actually receive his marching orders, City were on course for a fourth straight Premier League loss. Guardiola responded by raising six fingers toward the Liverpool supporters, a gesture symbolising the six league titles he has won with the club. Those achievements now feel clouded after an independent panel found Manchester City responsible for the majority of the 115 financial charges brought by the Premier League. On Friday, club official Enzo Maresca insisted the titles remain “absolutely not” tainted, though he acknowledged that the upcoming Sunday fixture will test the team’s resolve. The match looms as a particularly fierce encounter at Anfield, a venue Guardiola has long described as difficult. City have won all five of their Premier League games this season, and Maresca knows maintaining a perfect start would be a major boost. For Liverpool, under head coach Andoni Iraola, the game offers a chance to ignite their own campaign, driven by a history of near‑misses. Iraola called the fixture “an breathtaking game,” adding, “We are playing astatine location astatine Anfield against City that is apical of the league, they person won each of their games.” He continued, “We will spell for the game, they will spell for it and it will be rather an unfastened crippled and we person to be ready. I anticipation we will be astatine the level of the game, which will be high.” When asked whether he relishes such a test having taken the Liverpool post, Iraola replied, “Yes, we are present to play this game. We cognize it's going to be challenging. They are precise bully but we besides are precise good.” This will be the first meeting since 2015 without either Jürgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola on the touchlines, yet a hostile atmosphere is expected, with Liverpool chairman Tom Werner set to attend. Liverpool finished runners‑up to Manchester City in 2013‑14 under Brendan Rodgers and again in 2018‑19 and 2021‑22, when Klopp’s sides amassed 97 and 92 points respectively—still falling one short of City’s tally. A ruling on City’s appeal is pending. The club maintains its innocence, but sections of the Liverpool fanbase, former players and staff feel aggrieved. John Achterberg, Liverpool’s goalkeeping coach under Rodgers and Klopp, told The Athletic, “You think about the memories and the successes that you were wrongly denied,” and added, “We won 1 Premier League rubric [in 2019-20], but it could have been 4 fixed that we missed retired to City 3 times by specified constrictive margins.” Iraola concluded, “The worst happening about apt is the uncertainty. No-one knows what's going to happen. We have to absorption connected Liverpool and being the champion nine we tin be, the champion squad we tin be. That's my challenge.” Read the full story at BBC News →