Liverpool's clash with Manchester City at Anfield on October 11 was billed as one of the most emotionally charged meetings in years, with the visitors playing their first match since being found in breach of Premier League financial regulations. Liverpool's supporters, long known for their fervour and their readiness to voice an opinion, had promised a hostile reception for City.
In the end, City left Anfield with all three points and smiles on their faces, but they could not escape the mockery from the stands. To avoid the fierce welcome that had been anticipated, the City bus was routed into the stadium through a different entrance normally reserved for matchday service vehicles. That approach allowed the club to avoid the flares and attacks on the bus that marred their Champions League visit to Anfield eight years ago.
Inside the stadium, however, the songs and banners were unavoidable. Liverpool fans' creativity was on full display in the streets before kick-off and in the Anfield stands, where they held aloft a series of deeply sarcastic flags.
Most striking was a long banner bearing the word "cheats" but with the "e" replaced by a pound sign, repeated 115 times — matching the 115 charges City face, of which the club was found guilty on 114. The banner was raised in the stand behind City's goal.
Other flags mined the lyrics of Oasis, the famous rock band whose frontman Liam Gallagher is a passionate City fan and was present in the away section. Liverpool supporters picked lines from Oasis hits such as "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" and "Where Did It All Go Wrong?" to taunt the Manchester club.
The banners also referenced the 2009-2018 period, when City won a string of trophies with a squad of global stars, and the empire built by former manager Pep Guardiola, who delivered 20 major honours in a decade in charge. Liverpool fans expressed a sense of having been "robbed" of titles during the years City dominated English football.
City's own supporters responded in kind, waving inflatable bananas in the away end. The tradition dates back to 1987, when a City fan brought an inflatable banana to a match. The gesture was also aimed at mocking former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who slipped in a game against Chelsea in the 2013-2014 season, setting in motion the sequence of results that let City come from behind to win the Premier League title.
The match ended in victory for City, but the memory of the tense atmosphere and the Liverpool fans' inventive banners lingered. It was not only a top-level contest on the pitch but also an occasion for supporters to make their views known on the burning issues in English football.
