Liverpool's upcoming clash with Manchester City will be a huge occasion, with circumstances that go beyond the pitch, but there are concerns for Andoni Iraola that Gary Neville has discussed
English former footballer Gary Neville reacts after a tee shot during the Pro Am prior to the AIG Women's Open 2026 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Gary Neville has admitted he has a concern for Liverpool ahead of its clash with Manchester City(Image: (Photo by Morgan Harlow/R&A/R&A via Getty Images))
Former Manchester United star Gary Neville has revealed his concerns for Liverpool's clash with Manchester City, questioning whether the players can truly turn up for such a big occasion.
It comes as the match looks set to be a fiery encounter on and off the pitch, coming against the backdrop of an international break that changed the landscape of the Premier League.
Man City was found guilty of all but one of the charges against the club, with the independent panel deciding that the club had broken the rules over a nine-year period that the league had investigated. While that is subject to an appeal, and Man City denies any wrongdoing, it has only raised the temperature surrounding the fixture at Anfield on Sunday.
Both Liverpool and Man City have competed closely through the past decade, with the many battles between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola being written into the history books. However, the guilty verdict may have only added to the hostility in that rivalry as a result, with the home crowd likely to turn up the heat on the visitors.
While that could end up helping the Liverpool players rise to the occasion and cause the Man City players to wilt away under the pressure, the opposite could also be true.
That is a concern for Neville, looking ahead to the game, who compared the situation to the return of Eric Cantona from his suspension during his playing days with Man United.
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Speaking on The Overlap Daily, he said: "If this were Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, they would drive [Manchester] City into the ground and literally finish them off, probably beat them 3–0 or 4–0.
"I was thinking about the game when Eric Cantona returned against Liverpool. Everybody was waiting for it, but we didn’t turn up. We were terrible, Liverpool was much better, and we drew 2–2.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola during a training session at AXA Training Centre
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola during a training session at AXA Training Centre(Image: Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“I wonder whether Liverpool’s players will go into Sunday thinking that everyone is behind them and wants them to win. There is an element of walking into a lion’s den. I just worry whether they can deal with it. Are they going to show up that lot [Liverpool]?"
That will be the task for Iraola: to manage the occasion and the players through what will be a cauldron of noise at Anfield, with the weight of expectation on the Reds to go out there and perform.
However, much like that Cantona game, Neville recalled another scenario where he saw his Man United team falter when met with a big occasion. He continued: "I made big mistakes against Liverpool in games involving Danny Murphy, and I also made mistakes against Manchester City.
"Wayne Rooney had a similar problem with emotional games, and I don’t think Manchester United ever won on some of the big Munich anniversary occasions.
“Sometimes, the weight of emotion and the pride you feel in wanting to serve the fans, and then you don’t turn up. You get yourself into an emotional state before the game.”
It remains to be seen how the Liverpool players will cope with the occasion, as much as the Man City players will be the ones under pressure from the likely chorus of jeers from the stands.
What could work in favor of the Reds could also be the team's downfall, in what is an important game with plenty of eyes on it.