Man City Face 'Day of Reckoning' at Anfield After Financial Breach Verdict

Manchester City are preparing for their first match since being found guilty of multiple charges of breaching Premier League financial regulations. And their opponents on Sunday are none other than Liverpool — one of the clubs that has voiced its frustration over the losses suffered during the seasons covered by the investigation.

The Anfield stands are expected to greet Man City with a hostile atmosphere. Manager Enzo Maresca and his players must steel themselves for the reaction that will likely last the entire match.

Man City continue to maintain their innocence and have appealed the verdict finding them guilty of more than 100 charges of financial rule breaches. Even so, this remains the biggest scandal in the history of the wealthiest, most competitive and most popular league in club football. The reaction from the stands is likely to endure long after the appeal outcome or any potential sanctions are handed down.

The current squad and coaching staff will have to bear the consequences directly from allegations spanning 2009 to 2018. The fact that the first match after the international break — when the verdict was announced — falls at Anfield has left even scriptwriters pausing in disbelief.

"If they want to understand just how furious that game will be, Anfield will show them in an unbelievable way," former Manchester United captain and England international Gary Neville said on The Overlap podcast. "I suspect there will be banners, there will certainly be the chanting. It will be a reception they have never seen at Anfield... it's going to be a day of reckoning."

Why is Liverpool expected to greet Man City with fury?

Among the clubs that finished second behind Man City since the Abu Dhabi takeover, Liverpool will argue it is one of the sides that suffered most heavily.

There is a growing view that any titles stripped from Man City should be awarded to the nearest rival or the losing finalist during the period under investigation. For Liverpool, two near-misses in the title race against Man City came after 2018.

Under manager Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool won the Premier League in 2020, but also finished second behind Pep Guardiola's Man City by a single point in the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons. Both were memorable title races that raised the bar for points totals and quality of football.

If the Premier League decides to strip titles from the seasons under investigation, Liverpool (with titles won after 2018) would not be handed another championship. Liverpool fans will argue — and likely debate fiercely on Sunday — that it was nearly a decade of rule-breaking that helped Man City reach that level, as the independent panel concluded.

However, Liverpool also have grounds to claim at least one title from that period. Under Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool finished second behind Man City by two points in the 2013-14 season — the moment Steven Gerrard slipped against Chelsea is etched into the memory of an entire generation. That failure left Anfield supporters still waiting for their first league title since 1990.

Just weeks earlier, Gerrard had been the star as Liverpool beat Man City 3-2, seemingly putting one hand on the trophy. If titles were reassigned, the Liverpool legend might finally receive a Premier League medal.

Is anyone in Man City's current squad left from the period under investigation?

Apart from Phil Foden — who is suspended for this match — no member of Man City's current squad played for the club between 2009 and 2018. Enzo Maresca, who coached Man City's youth team in 2020-21 and served as Guardiola's assistant in 2022-2023, only took charge of the first team in June.

Even so, they will be the ones to absorb the widespread discontent from supporter bases across the country in the months ahead. Notably, it remains to be seen who from Man City's leadership or board will attend the Liverpool match.

How heavy is the pressure on the players? And how will Man City fans respond, given the club's uncertain future — potential sanctions range from a heavy points deduction to expulsion from the Premier League — and the owner's breaches are now laid bare for all to see in the commission's verdict?

Man City currently lead the league with five wins from five matches — all of them played while the club stood accused of financial breaches. Now that the verdict is in, it is time to see the impact on the team — and the reaction from their rivals.