Dias defends City celebrations as appeal remains ongoing

Manchester City captain Ruben Dias said the squad trusts the club and will continue to celebrate victories, defending the players’ response after their 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield. His comments came as the team’s appeal of an independent commission’s guilty verdict over alleged Premier League financial-rule breaches remained ongoing. City’s victory was their first match since the verdict became public. The result kept them top of the league with six wins from six matches, according to reports published Tuesday. Liverpool played with 10 men, and City’s celebrations drew criticism. Dias said the team would enjoy a win at Anfield regardless of when it came and celebrate according to the moment. The Portugal defender said the players trusted the club and were focused on football. He also said that when the verdict became known, squad members quickly arranged a conversation to discuss it, get on the same page and establish peace of mind. Dias said the players had found calm and moved forward. His account of the meeting was not independently detailed in the supplied reports.