Liverpool's clash with Manchester City was fuelled by the narratives surrounding the recent guilty verdict given against the away side, with the players seemingly making a decision on a dig aimed towards the opposition
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City at Anfield
Liverpool players are claimed to have picked the playlist at Anfield for the match against Manchester City(Image: (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images))
Virgil van Dijk and his Liverpool teammates "selected" songs for a playlist that was used at Anfield before and after the clash with Manchester City, with digs aimed at the away side.
That's according to TalkSPORT, which reports that the Reds had deliberately orchestrated a selection of songs in reference to the guilty verdict that was brought against the club during the international break.
An independent panel had deemed that Manchester City was guilty of 114 of the 115 charges that the Premier League had brought against it, with the findings agreeing with the league's investigation that had accused the club of failing to report accurate financial information, causing historic financial rule breaches, and an inability to co-operate with the investigation process.
While there is an appeal process ongoing, with Man City denying any wrongdoing, the potential sanctions if the decision is upheld are wide-ranging and could be anything from a fine to expulsion from the league.
As the wait for the final outcome continues, Liverpool welcomed Man City in the first match back after the revelation of the verdict, and it came as little surprise that a hostile Anfield atmosphere greeted the away side.
Considering the close battles over the years between the two teams, there was a sense of frustration surrounding the Reds and the verdict. That all played into the reaction from supporters, as well as what appears to be a little dig from Van Dijk and his teammates before and after the match.
The PA system at Anfield was heard blaring out songs such as 'It's Not Right' by Whitney Houston and 'Blame' by Calvin Harris, in what appeared to be a dig at the away side in the pre-match warm-up.
Virgil van Dijk controls the ball during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City at Anfield on October 11, 2026(Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Those digs were made even clearer when, at full-time, the song 'Little Lies' by Fleetwood Mac was playing, showing the tension between the two clubs in light of the findings.
The suggestion from the report that Van Dijk and the rest of his Liverpool teammates orchestrated it perhaps gives some insight into how the players feel about the situation, while it could have also been part of a wider game plan to use the situation for mind games.
It ultimately did not work, though Andoni Iraola's side appeared to shade the match for the first hour, before Ryan Gravenberch's sending off for a second yellow card.
After that point, a collapsed ensued. Goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki completed a 15-minute demolition that made for a difficult afternoon. While it resulted in a first defeat of the season for Iraola, the exact extent of the result is unclear while the guilty verdict hangs over the Premier League.
"It's still a little bit ongoing, so I don’t think it’s smart for me to comment on it right now," Van Dijk told reporters after the game in reaction to Man City's guilty verdict. "But when the verdict comes out, I will definitely have my opinion, and I will probably share it as well.
"But for now, I don’t think it’s a smart thing to do. I think everyone could hear (the cheating chants). Everyone can share their feelings, and I don’t think Anfield will be the only place where it will be the case because fans will have their feelings, but for players, I don’t think it is a good idea at this moment in time.
"I've been in Holland. I’ve been also with some Man City players, and we spoke about it, but what can you do? We have to wait and see. You want me to say some things I don’t want to say at this moment in time. I don’t think it’s very good to do that. I really enjoyed our rivalry and it was a great rivalry on the pitch. What happened off the pitch, that is for others to find a conclusion on and then lets see."
With the situation still unfolding, it remains to be seen exactly what will happen, and what it could mean for Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League.