Man City beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Sunday to extend perfect Premier League start
Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield in a Premier League match on Sunday, delivering a decisive response on the field in their first game after an independent commission found the club guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League financial regulations. Second-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki completed the victory as Liverpool were reduced to 10 men following Ryan Gravenberch's dismissal.
The fixture was played amid a hostile reception for the visitors, with deafening boos, chants of "cheat, cheat" and taunts of "going down" from Liverpool supporters and banners mocking City's financial conduct on display around the stadium. Manchester City took an alternative route to the ground to largely avoid crowds outside Anfield. The independent commission found City guilty of 114 breaches relating to financial reporting and other regulations over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018; the club deny wrongdoing and have appealed, with potential sanctions ranging from a substantial fine and points deductions to expulsion from the Premier League.
Liverpool began amid an emotionally charged atmosphere but City settled and maintained composure until the match's turning point in the 62nd minute when Gravenberch received a second yellow card for a foul on Doku, leaving Liverpool with 10 men for the final phase of the contest. The dismissal shifted the balance of the game and opened space for Manchester City to press their numerical advantage.
City capitalised swiftly: three minutes after the red card Haaland broke the deadlock, firing a left-footed effort past Alisson after Doku drove into the box and had his attempted shot deflected into the Norwegian striker's path. Haaland moved immediately toward the travelling supporters to celebrate his opener.
Three minutes later Doku doubled the lead with a spectacular long-range effort that curled beyond Alisson into the far top corner, further extending City's control of the match. Cherki completed the scoring in the 78th minute when he allowed the ball to run through to Josko Gvardiol before moving into the box to meet his teammate's return pass and calmly slot home.
Sections of the home crowd began to leave with more than 10 minutes remaining, and City's players and staff celebrated with their travelling supporters after the final whistle, with Haaland and manager Enzo Maresca visibly delighted by the result. The away section also featured giant inflatable bananas, a longstanding symbol of City's supporters dating back to the club's time outside the top flight in the 1980s. After the match Haaland said: "It's time to stay strong and stick together and do what you can do something about, stick together," to Sky Sports, and midfielder Elliot Anderson also pointed to the team's collective resolve, highlighting the importance of standing together in a challenging environment.
The win was City's sixth in six league matches, lifting them to 18 points and three clear of second-placed Arsenal; Liverpool suffered their first league defeat of the season and slipped to ninth. Maresca became only the fourth manager to win his first six Premier League matches with a club, joining Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The independent commission's verdict remains unresolved as the appeal process continues.