Pep Guardiola's Manchester City travel to Anfield on Sunday, a ground he has always described as difficult. The last time he visited, in December 2024, City were 2-0 down and the home crowd chanted for his sacking. His side went on to suffer a fourth straight Premier League defeat, and Guardiola responded by holding up six fingers to represent the six league titles City won under him.
Those titles now carry a cloud. An independent commission found the club guilty of most of the 115 charges the Premier League brought against them, and City insist they are innocent while an appeal verdict is awaited. On Friday, current City boss Enzo Maresca said the club's titles are "absolutely not" tainted. City have won all five of their Premier League games this season, and five wins from five would be a strong start for Maresca.
For Liverpool and Andoni Iraola, the fixture is a chance to kickstart their own campaign. Iraola said it is an exciting game against a top-of-the-league City side, adding that his team are also very good. It will be the first time since 2015 that neither Jurgen Klopp nor Guardiola is on the touchline, and Liverpool chairman Tom Werner will attend. Several Liverpool figures feel aggrieved over past title races, with Liverpool finishing second to City in 2013-14, 2018-19 and 2021-22.
Matches between the two sides have long been intense, both on and off the pitch. In 2018, Liverpool were fined 20,000 euros by Uefa after City's bus was targeted by supporters before a Champions League quarter-final. Guardiola has said the atmosphere at Anfield is unlike any other in the world. Merseyside Police say an appropriate policing plan will be in place for Sunday.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing