Manchester City has taken drastic action ahead of its clash with Liverpool at Anfield to avoid a fiery reception from Reds fans before the Premier League showdown
The Manchester City team bus is seen arriving at the stadium with a police escort
Man City arrived at the stadium without any issues(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester City has taken drastic action ahead of their Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield in a bid to avoid a fiery reception from Reds supporters.
City arrives on Merseyside for their first match since an independent commission found the club guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period between 2009/10 and 2017/18. City deny wrongdoing and have appealed the verdict.
Liverpool supporters lined the streets, creating a vibrant atmosphere as they awaited the teams’ arrival. Red smoke filled the air as the home side arrived to cheers and flares from fans moments before kick-off.
City’s squad has also arrived at the stadium without any apparent issues. The two team buses arrived via a different route, avoiding the usual entrance on Anfield Road.
Merseyside Police is on standby ahead of kick-off amid concerns over the potential for incidents, after social media appeals urged Liverpool fans to gather two hours before the match with “flags, banners, pyros, flares and Kopparbergs”.
Enzo Maresca confirmed City's journey to Anfield went smoothly, telling Sky Sports everything was "all good".
The City boss appeared in good spirits, as he did during Friday's press conference, and insisted his players were ready for the "complicated" challenge awaiting them against Liverpool.
While City’s arrival passed without any major disruption, Alan Shearer believes they will feel the anger of rival clubs starting at Anfield. "I just think it's such a bad look that we're still having to wait for the consequences", he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"We've never seen anything like this. This is the biggest thing to happen to the Premier League since it started in 1992, that's how big it is. Credibility matters and you won't get anything different from any coach or player at Manchester City other than we're going to stick together and we believe in the club.
"They're about to find out the anger from every club, starting at Anfield. The level of hostility will rise wherever they go. The ramifications are endless to this case. Where it goes after is something we don't know. It's huge. It really is massive."
Maresca faced a series of questions about City's guilty verdict on Friday but insisted the club's titles had "absolutely not" been tainted by the ruling. The Italian, who replaced Pep Guardiola this summer, also reaffirmed his "complete" faith in City's owners and confidence that the club will win their appeal.
With the legal battle ongoing, Maresca's focus remains on preparing his players for the challenges on the pitch. "For me, the players - we can control just the pitch side, the football side. So we are focused on that. This is what we can do and what we can control," Maresca said.