Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-0 as appeal looms

Manchester City beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield on Sunday, winning their first match since an independent panel found the club had breached Premier League financial rules. The result kept City top of the table, while their appeal against the verdict leaves the prospect of sanctions unresolved. Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki scored in the second half as City overcame a hostile reception from the home crowd. Liverpool supporters jeered the visitors and chanted accusations of cheating and taunts of relegation. City supporters celebrated the victory, with some waving inflatable bananas, a longstanding feature of the club’s matchday culture. The panel’s finding concerned alleged breaches over several years. City has appealed, and the reports provide no timetable for a final decision. Possible sanctions described include a fine, a points deduction or expulsion from the top flight; none has been imposed in the accounts available. The ruling formed a charged backdrop to a fixture between clubs with a recent title rivalry. Liverpool finished second to City in 2014, 2019 and 2022, and anger among some Liverpool supporters was evident in banners and chants at Anfield.