Several clubs have openly criticised Manchester City, while former players have demanded they be stripped of the titles won during that period. The Citizens were found guilty by the Premier League after an independent commission determined they arranged sham deals to inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 billion) between 2009 and 2018. The international break only retained focus on the chaos in the Manchester City camp. The Sheikh Mansour-owned club denied any wrongdoing and has appealed the judgement. Despite that, the league’s sentiment is against them. Manchester United legends Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand want their former team’s runners-up medals replaced with that of the winners.
However, in a statement released by the Premier League, there was no mention of the sanctions they are going to impose on them. The pressure on the club is relentless. Anfield has long been a stronghold, and the current controversy is likely to create an even more hostile environment for City’s players. The rivalry between Manchester City and Liverpool has defined the Premier League over the past decade, driven by the tactical excellence of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. Whenever these two sides meet, the stakes are high and the margins razor-thin.
The Athletic reported that City were found guilty on 114 of 115 charges. Liverpool have finished runners-up to City three times in the last 12 years, though only the 2013/14 season in that falls within the period presently under scrutiny.
City lodging the appeal has delayed that, but another report on The Athletic has said that many Premier League teams have instructed their lawyers to assess whether they might be entitled to compensation based on City’s success costing them trophies, Champions League qualification and so on. Their immediate challenge is a difficult away match at Anfield against Liverpool on Sunday (9pm IST).
“I am pretty sure that the Manchester City fans are going to have a good time when we visit Anfield. We have to stick together as a team. We must stay with each other, and we must stay positive. No matter what happens in life, we always have to have a smile. We have to spread the love to each other. Stick together, enjoy the ride, and smile. The remainder of the Premier League season is not short of excitement, although Manchester City are firmly at the centre of an unfolding story that can even see them being sent into relegation.
We have to stay positive, look ahead, and try to win football games, and try to enjoy the situation and the game,” Haaland said in an interview shared by JioStar.
Last season’s 2-1 victory was their first at Anfield in front of fans since 2003, with their only other win in recent seasons coming at an empty stadium in 2021. However, Anfield remains a significant challenge. Manchester City have performed well this season. The transition following Guardiola’s departure, under Maresca’s leadership, has been smooth. Striker Erling Haaland leads the goalscorers’ list with five goals, while Rayan Cherki is finding form and has scored three goals.
Before the international break, City’s morale was high after a five-match winning streak under Enzo Maresca put them atop the table.
