Manchester City head to hostile Anfield after guilty verdict and launch appeal
October 11, 2026 08:20
WHAT HAPPENED
An independent commission used the word "sham" eight times when describing some of Manchester City's dealings and concluded the club had artificially inflated revenue by more than £900m through what it described as "sham" deals. City say the commission's ruling contains "clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe" and have lodged an appeal.
The guilty verdict has created a charged atmosphere around the club's fixtures. BBC Sport says the Kop is expected to greet City with pronounced hostility at Anfield, where the rivalry with Liverpool has been particularly intense under Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. Former England striker Alan Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I just think it's such a bad look that we're still having to wait for the consequences... They're about to find out the anger from every club, starting at Anfield."
CONTEXT
City’s new head coach Enzo Maresca, who inherited the team after Guardiola, faced questions about the verdict at his pre-match media briefing. Maresca said he trusted the club's leadership: "The reason I joined this club is that I completely trust, 100%, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, all the organisation. So I don't have doubt about that." He acknowledged the expected difficulty of the game and the charged environment: "It probably will be worse because of the situation... it will be our duty to do our best and try to win the game."
The BBC report notes the rivalry between City and Liverpool has been fractious for more than a decade, pointing out that Liverpool finished second to City in 2013/14, 2018/19 and 2021/22, with the latter two seasons decided by a single point.
WHY IT MATTERS
The verdict and the pending appeal have cast a shadow over the Premier League season. BBC Sport reports that every City victory and the league table will be viewed through the prism of potential future penalties, and there has been public talk of severe punishments including expulsion, relegation and record points deductions. Any final sanctions must wait while the likely lengthy legal process runs its course.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
City's appeal is ongoing while the Premier League considers what punishment to impose. The legal and regulatory processes will determine whether and how the commission's findings affect City’s results and standing.