Ten-Man Liverpool Crushed as Man City Respond to Guilty Verdict With Anfield Win

Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Sunday in their first match since being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules, restoring their three-point lead at the top of the table.

Goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki, all in the second half, silenced the home crowd. Liverpool were already down to ten men, with Ryan Gravenberch sent off shortly before Haaland broke the deadlock. City, who are appealing the verdict, have now won all six of their league games this season.

An independent commission ruled that City and their Emirati owners used "sham" deals between 2009 and 2018 to inflate revenue and cut costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 billion). No sanction has been announced, but a heavy points deduction or even expulsion from the top flight is possible if the ruling stands, and there has been speculation about retrospective action to strip titles. The breaches came during a spell in which City won three league titles and a string of other trophies. Rivals believe the spending also laid the foundations for the success under Pep Guardiola, who left at the end of last season. Liverpool, who finished second to City three times in the last 12 years, are among the clubs most affected.

The atmosphere outside the ground was hostile but calm. City arrived under police escort, with nothing like the scenes in 2018, when bottles were thrown at their team bus before a Champions League tie. Fans lined the streets chanting "cheats," stalls sold flags and scarves mocking City's situation, and a banner on the Kop spoke of "a generation of supporters cheated." Liverpool supporter Martin Reilly, 23, told AFP that the club should face the harshest punishment.

On the pitch, Liverpool could not match the occasion. New boss Andoni Iraola, missing the injured Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, suffered his first defeat since taking charge. The hosts briefly came to life after the break, but Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Lewis Koumas on his first Premier League start.

The game turned when Enzo Maresca brought on Doku early in the second half. Within minutes, Gravenberch had fouled him and received a second yellow card, which looked harsh, and Liverpool never recovered. Haaland finished 25 minutes from time after a deflected Doku effort fell to him. Three minutes later, Doku curled a superb shot into the top corner himself. Cherki then played a quick one-two with Josko Gvardiol and slotted past Alisson Becker to complete the rout.