Manchester City return to Premier League action this weekend for the first time since being found guilty of 114 rule breaches, and their first test is a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday. The match was always going to draw attention, but the guilty verdict has added an extra layer of tension to an already highly anticipated fixture.
City, the only team with a perfect record from five games, sit top of the Premier League table. They continue to deny any wrongdoing, and their head coach and players appear to be buying into that mantra. The verdict, handed down by an independent commission, has left the Premier League almost at war with the team that has been the most dominant over the past decade.
Anfield's hostility could reach new levels
Anfield loves a reason to get angry, and poking the bear is done at your own risk. Had City not cheated, Liverpool would have won the 2014 Premier League title, having finished second to them by just two points. The bigger issue is that City boasted a number of players purchased thanks to inflated revenues, and Liverpool could have been seen as one of the modern day greats had City not been the force they were.
That will be enough to rattle the Kop, and even if they aren't saying it, there's still a Liverpool star or two who would have a sensational trophy cabinet if it weren't for City. Virgil van Dijk and Alisson have been pipped on more than one occasion.
City have never enjoyed playing at Anfield, even under Guardiola their wins were limited, especially during the Klopp era. Often those wins came when form suggested the team from Manchester should have landed victory. Liverpool had won two out of eight leading into their clash in October 2022, which was settled by a Mohamed Salah strike. In 2017/18, City were streets ahead in the table when the Reds ended their hopes of an unbeaten campaign.
City are a wounded animal
An injured dog bites twice as hard, and regardless of their impressive form under Enzo Maresca, City are wounded. A siege mentality is expected to translate from the boardroom to the pitch - 'us against the world' stuff. Liverpool's chances will be boosted if Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo prove to be fit, but both are currently major doubts. All of Isak's goals this season have involved Gakpo.
City are assessing injuries to Nico O'Reilly and Antoine Semenyo, while Phil Foden remains banned. But their squad still looks stronger. Liverpool's best chance will come if City lose their heads - something which the Anfield crowd will be baying for. But City are backed to make a statement - and not the kind that has been read for the last fortnight.
