Man City Faces Liverpool Amid Financial Rule Appeal

Manchester City will visit Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, October 11, in a Premier League clash overshadowed by City's appeal against a ruling that found the club guilty of financial rule breaches. The league leaders, who have won all five matches this season, face a potentially hostile reception as the dispute continues without a final resolution.

An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of nearly all 115 charges relating to alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018. According to the Premier League, the club used arrangements that made it appear to comply with financial regulations while artificially inflating revenue and reducing costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 billion).

City have appealed the decision and maintain their innocence. If the ruling stands, possible sanctions include points deductions, fines, transfer restrictions and relegation, although the outcome and timing of the appeal remain uncertain.

The controversy covers a period in which City won three Premier League titles and several other trophies. Liverpool finished second behind City three times over the past 12 years, with one of those seasons, 2013-14, falling within the period under investigation.

A social media campaign encouraging Liverpool supporters to gather near Anfield ahead of the team bus's arrival has added to expectations of a tense atmosphere. Merseyside Police said an appropriate policing operation would be in place for the match.

Former Manchester United captain and England defender Gary Neville predicted a particularly hostile reception for City on The Overlap podcast.

“If they want an understanding of how angry the game is going to be, then Anfield will tell them like you would never believe,” Gary Neville said.

Neville expected supporters to make their feelings clear through banners and chants, anticipating an unusually difficult occasion for the visiting team.

“I suspect there may be banners, there will certainly be chanting. There will be a reception like you have never seen for them at Anfield … it will be a brutal day,” Gary Neville said.

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca, appointed in June after previously working on Pep Guardiola's coaching staff, said he remained confident the club would succeed in its appeal. He also rejected the suggestion that the team's achievements over the past 15 years should be considered tainted.

“I completely trust the club,” Enzo Maresca said.

Maresca linked his confidence to his faith in the people running the club and his decision to take the managerial position.

“I trust the club because 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,” Enzo Maresca said.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola identified the unresolved case as a source of uncertainty across the Premier League. He said his priority was to focus on his own team's performance ahead of Sunday's fixture.

“I think the worst thing probably is the uncertainty, that no one knows what’s going to happen,” Andoni Iraola said.

Iraola said Liverpool needed to concentrate on its own standards rather than the unresolved proceedings involving its opponent.

“But we have to focus on Liverpool – be the best club we can be, the best team we can be and that’s my challenge,” Andoni Iraola said.

On the field, City lead the standings with 15 points from five victories. Liverpool sit sixth with nine points after recording two wins and three draws, leaving them six points behind their opponents.

City defeated Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarterfinals on April 4. Erling Haaland scored a hat trick, while Antoine Semenyo added another goal at the Etihad Stadium.

Across 58 previous meetings, Liverpool have recorded 23 victories, Manchester City have won 14 times and 21 matches have ended in draws. Their five most recent Premier League encounters were Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City on February 8, 2026; Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool on November 9, 2025; Manchester City 0-2 Liverpool on February 23, 2025; Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City on December 1, 2024; and Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City on March 10, 2024.

Liverpool will also be without attackers Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo after both sustained injuries while on international duty. Gakpo injured his ankle playing for the Netherlands against Serbia, while Isak sustained a thigh injury representing Sweden against Romania.

Iraola described Isak's injury as small. The striker had scored four goals in his first five league appearances, making his absence a setback for Liverpool ahead of the match.