Manchester City ran out 3-0 winners over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, with an already tense atmosphere inside the ground bubbling over in the players' tunnel at full-time
Gianluigi Donnarumma is pulled away from a fan
Gianluigi Donnarumma was pulled away from a fan(Image: X)
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Gianluigi Donnarumma was pulled away from a verbal altercation with a Liverpool fan at the players' tunnel at full-time, after Manchester City ran out 3-0 winners over the Reds on Sunday. The tension was palpable inside Anfield ahead of kick-off, with fans inside the ground booing City players as a result of the club's guilty verdict on 114 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules.
Chants of "You cheating b******s, you know what you are” and "You haven’t won a trophy since 1976," were popular among fans in the build-up, while others held poignant banners in reference to feeling cheated through City's dominant reign in the English top flight and Europe.
Others vented their frustrations directly toward City players leaving the hallowed turf of Anfield at full-time, with goalkeeper Donnarumma caught up in a heated exchange with a home supporter as he made his way down the tunnel. A fan seemed to have caught the shot-stopper's attention by calling his club cheats, prompting the Italian to backtrack and challenge what was said to him.
A video uploaded to social media shows Donnarumma briefly exchanging words with the supporter in question, before he is dragged away by Manchester City backroom staff and marched down the tunnel. It comes as City's day in the sun on Merseyside was marred by a cagey atmosphere.
Despite Liverpool showing positive signs and controlling the game for two thirds of the match, Ryan Gravenberch's sending off at the 62 minute mark completely flipped the game on its head. The midfielder was already on a yellow card for seemingly standing on Elliot Anderson's foot and bringing him to ground as the second-half got underway.
Around 15 minutes later, and the Dutchman was walking down the tunnel for an early shower as a result of taking all of the man and none of the ball when Jeremy Doku blasted past him on the counter at speed. Erling Haaland broke the deadlock for the Cityzens just three minutes later, with Doku doubling the visitors' tally for the evening shortly afterward.
Rayan Cherki sealed the deal for City with around 10 minutes left to play, as City ran riot over the Reds despite the best efforts of fans to put them off their game. However, pundits across the UK couldn't help but ponder whether Liverpool should have been a man down, given the soft nature of Gravenberch's first yellow.
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