It's fair to say that Manchester City's preparation for their match with Liverpool will have been less than ideal
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 0-1 with Enzo Fernandez and Antoine Semenyo during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on September 13, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Manchester City players know what they need to show at Liverpool
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Even before the guilty verdicts arrived, this trip to Liverpool would have been described as less than ideal for Manchester City. A three-week international break has seen some of their players pick up knocks, others start every game for their national teams, and the majority only return to training on Thursday.
Given Enzo Maresca's side were sloppy defensively for their last game against Sunderland, there is not a lot of time to get general improvements across to the players. Then there will be the specific work needed for Andoni Iraola's Liverpool side.
City's manager will have less time to focus on either because he will need to take time out of both days to deal with the verdicts. He will need as much time as is necessary to reassure the players, and also require briefing on what he can and cannot legally say in a press conference.
When City travel west on the M62 on Sunday then, they will need to rely on things other than their immediate preparation. It will be up to their big characters to rally the players and their outstanding talents to make that individual quality count on the pitch.
And while it is still in the early days of Maresca's time at City, his team can already think back to a big game when the odds were against them and they all pulled together. It is only four weeks since Michael Oliver sent Phil Foden off at Old Trafford and the 10 men of City rallied and picked up three very important points.
That was seen as an early test for a side that waved goodbye to the experience of some of the best players in world football this summer in Rodri and Bernardo Silva. City paid a premium to bring replacements in, but could they buy a fighting mentality as well as quality in and out of possession?
The signs against United were positive and City players will need to be mentally resilient to shut out the literal and metaphorical noise. They may have the same number on the pitch as Liverpool on Sunday, but the atmosphere at Anfield will make it feel like the Blues are up against it - and there will be plenty more matches like that coming up while the club appeal those guilty verdicts.
It remains to be seen if City are prepared for the final outcome on that front, but while the world waits for that to be resolved Maresca and his players can be ready for the extra hurdles that have been placed in their way. The fight and calmness shown in that victory at United may end up being worth a lot more than three points if City can use that Premier League win to help them in the coming weeks and months.