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Liverpool host Manchester City in today’s late Premier League kick off in what is City’s first match played since the seismic verdict from an independent commission which found them guilty of breaching financial rules.
City are expecting a hostile reception at Anfield as a result of that guilty verdict though they have launched an appeal against the judgement which found they had benefitted from more than £900m of disguised funding between 2009 and 2018.
Off pitch matters threaten to overshadow matters on the pitch as City’s case will have lasting consequences for the Premier League as well as clubs affected by their rule-breaking. Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, has insisted he has ‘complete trust’ in the club and says the focus for he and his players is on today’s game versus the Reds.
City come into the match with five wins from five and sit top of the table while Liverpool are six points behind them looking to close the gap with a win this afternoon.
Follow all the action from Anfield with our live blog below:
What did Enzo Maresca say?
“I trust the people and this is also the reason why I joined the club. There is not another club in the world where I would like to be. So I’m very happy to be here. I’m very proud. I said many times since day one.”
“One hundred percent, yes,” he said. “I know the organisation from years ago. I know how serious they are. I know they do the right things. I would like to speak about this when we’re going to win the appeal.”
Premier League managers react to Manchester City verdict
As expected, the Manchester City verdict dominated this week’s Premier League press conferences, with most managers asked for their thoughts on the ruling.
The majority were pretty tight-lipped, while Enzo Maresca issued a defiant response, saying City would win their appeal against the independent commission’s findings.
Explained: The complete timeline of Man City’s 115 charges
Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges put to them by the Premier League. But what has lead to this point? Adam Clery breaks down the full timeline of events that has lead to one of the most seismic stories in Premier League history.
What would the Premier League have looked like without Man City?
Over that same period City also won four domestic cup trophies which would very likely be taken off them as well leading to a couple of surprising outcomes.
City defeated Stoke City in the 2010/11 FA Cup which would hand Stoke their very first FA Cup win while Sunderland would benefit from being a losing finalist in the 2013/14 Carabao Cup – a trophy they have also never won.
Liverpool and Arsenal would also be handed retrospective cup triumphs as City defeated both teams in the Carabao Cup in 2015/16 and 2017/18 respectively.
What would the Premier League have looked like without Man City?
No sanctions have been decided as of yet, but if retrospective punishments are applied to Man City’s previous honours, they would be stripped of three Premier League titles during the nine-year period covered by the rules breaches.
2011/12 – Premier League top four without Man City
1. Manchester United – 89 points
2. Arsenal – 70 points
3. Tottenham Hotspur – 69 points
4. Newcastle United – 65 points
2013/14 – Premier League top four without Man City
1. Liverpool – 84 points
2. Chelsea – 82 points
3. Arsenal – 79 points
4. Everton – 72 points
2017/18 – Premier League top four without Man City
1. Manchester United – 81 points
2. Tottenham Hotspur – 77 points
3. Liverpool – 75 points
4. Chelsea – 70 points
The independent commission’s findings, in full
The independent Commission found that between Seasons 2009/10 and 2017/18:
- Manchester City arranged ‘sham’ contracts (which misrepresented the true agreement between the parties) with a number of its commercial partners, as well as relying on ‘sham’ agreements with others, to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs.
- The club filed misstated accounts and concealed the true state of its finances from its auditors and football regulators
- Manchester City was significantly in breach of both the Premier League’s and UEFA’s spending limits.
- During the Premier League’s investigation, Manchester City committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith towards the League (three of the four alleged breaches were upheld)
What was the verdict?
An independent commission was appointed following a four-year investigation to decide the outcome of the charges, which stretch between 2009 and 2018.
The verdict was widely reported last Friday but has now been confirmed by the Premier League, who released a lengthy statement saying that City are “guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules” and are also guilty of “the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.”
Liverpool, Manchester City and a clash that will reveal the Premier League’s new reality
As two rivals meet in a fitting fixture to mark the league’s return after a seismic moment, Miguel Delaney explains why it will set the tone for what could prove a season of chaos:
Liverpool v Manchester City
The Reds fans have already been preparing to welcome City’s squad with animosity and Enzo Maresca will have a tricky task on his hand to keep the focus on the match. The City manager defiantly insisted he has ‘complete trust’ in the club, who have launched an appeal against the verdict.
City come into the match with five wins from five and sit top of the table. Liverpool are six points behind them and can close the gap with victory this afternoon.
Good morning
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Manchester City’s first Premier League game since they were found guilty of all charges of breaking the league’s financial rules.
They travel to Anfield this afternoon, where they will surely face a hostile reception after the independent commission handed down its seismic verdict earlier this month.
We’ll have all the build-up to the game and reaction to the verdict right here.
