Manchester City faced loud boos, ‘cheat’ taunts and relegation chants at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium on Sunday after a verdict found the club guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
The match marked City’s first appearance since reports of the verdict emerged on September 25. Liverpool supporters used the occasion to protest against the club’s financial conduct.
Liverpool fans target City
Home fans drowned out the announcement of City’s team with chants of “Going down, going down!” They referred to a possible relegation punishment over the financial breaches. City deny the charges and are appealing.
One banner at Anfield read, “A Generation Of Supporters Cheated”, while some fans held three balloons to form the number 114.
Two other banners mocked City with lyrics from Oasis songs. The band’s Liam and Noel Gallagher are devoted City supporters.
“All of your stars are fading away,” read one banner, adapting a line from “Stop Crying Your Heart Out”.
Another read “& after all, you really robbed us all,” parodying the band’s hit song “Wonderwall”.
Liverpool supporters have particular reasons to resent City. The Merseyside club narrowly missed out on the Premier League title to City three times during the period covered by the alleged financial breaches.
Lifelong Liverpool fan David Matthias said a possible relegation to the Championship would not provide enough punishment.
“If they only get, say, a demotion to the Championship, and they can come back in one season, that’s not enough. It should be more,” he said.
“And as far as the titles they’ve won, I’d be quite happy to see them stripped of everything.”
City fans celebrate 3-0 victory
Outside the stadium, souvenir sellers offered flags and T-shirts bearing the word “CHEATS”. One flag showed former City manager Pep Guardiola and players, including Erling Haaland, wearing prison stripes with the number 114.
Police also raised their alert level over concerns that supporters could target City’s team bus. The concerns followed a social media post promoting a “Bus greeting”. City avoided the route and took a quieter way to the stadium.
In 2018, bottles, cans and flares struck City’s bus before a Champions League match at Anfield, leaving it badly damaged.
Despite the hostile reception, City had the final say with a 3-0 victory over Liverpool. Haaland described the win as a memorable moment for the club’s supporters.
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