Manchester City shrugged off the threat of severe Premier League sanctions to defeat ten-man Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield, extending their flawless start to the season under new manager Enzo Maresca.
Second-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jérémy Doku, and Rayan Cherki secured the victory after Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for two yellow cards shortly after the restart.
The result restores City’s three-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, coming in their first match since an independent commission found the club guilty of more than 100 breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018.
Hostile reception at Anfield
City arrived under police escort to a hostile atmosphere on Merseyside. Liverpool supporters lined the streets outside Anfield with banners and chants mocking the visitors, pointing to the commission’s finding that City had artificially inflated revenues and reduced costs by over £900m ($1.2bn).
Possible penalties for the breaches range from heavy points deductions to potential expulsion from the top flight, pending the outcome of City’s appeal.
On the pitch, new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola—already missing injured stars Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak, and Cody Gakpo—suffered his first defeat since taking charge.
Second-half breakthrough
The match turned early in the second half when substitute Jérémy Doku was brought down by Gravenberch, earning the Dutch international a second booking and leaving the hosts with ten men.
City took full advantage of the numerical superiority:
- 65th minute: Erling Haaland pounced on a deflected Doku strike to open the scoring.
- 68th minute: Doku doubled the lead with a curled effort into the top corner.
- Late goal: Rayan Cherki combined with Joško Gvardiol before finishing past Alisson Becker to complete a comfortable victory.
While the win maintains City’s strong momentum on the pitch, the ultimate trajectory of their title defence remains tied to the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding their financial appeal.
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