Manchester City shrugged off the threat of swingeing sanctions to beat 10-man Liverpool 3-0 in their first game since being found guilty on more than 100 charges of breaking Premier League financial rules. Second half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki extended City’s flawless start under Enzo Maresca after Ryan Gravenberch had been sent-off for two yellow cards.
Victory reestablishes City’s three-point lead at the top of the table, but the future of any title challenge rests on the outcome of the club’s appeal against widespread financial impropriety. An independent commission found City and their Emirati owners arranged “sham” deals to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 billion) between 2009 and 2018.
No sanction has yet been handed down, but a severe points deduction or even expulsion from the English top-flight are on the table unless City overturn the decision. There has even been speculation there could be retrospective action to strip titles. The multiple breaches of Premier League laws came during a period in which City won three titles and a clutch of other trophies.
City’s rivals believe, however, that the illegal spending during that period also built the foundations for a golden era under former boss Pep Guardiola, who left at the end of last season. Liverpool were one of the clubs most affected, having finished second to City three times in the past 12 years. “There are so many moments and memories we can’t get back,” Liverpool fan Martin Reilly, 23, told AFP.
“They have to throw the book at them.” City arrived under the protection of a police escort with a hostile Anfield welcome expected, but there was no repeat of the violent scenes when their team bus was pelted by bottles ahead of a Champions League