The Guardian
October 11, 2026
It is a soundtrack that Manchester City have heard before but never for such sustained bursts during a match. It came from the Liverpool support, first ringing out around Anfield before kick-off and coming at regular intervals thereafter.
It was always going to be like this as City feel their way into a new reality, one conditioned by the guilty verdicts handed to them by an independent commission on virtually all of the 100-plus charges they have faced for breaking the Premier League’s financial rules. City continue to maintain their innocence and have appealed.
The Kop wanted to tell City what they are. And where they are going. According to them, they are cheats, who are set to be relegated. It was not exactly a bear-pit of an atmosphere; it was not really intimidating. It was more of an outpouring and it was impossible to ignore.
City did not care. They rolled with the invective. And after a slow-burn contest turned on a second yellow card for the Liverpool midfielder, Ryan Gravenberch, in the 62nd minute, City cut loose. All that their players can do is blot out the noise. They did so here, running all over Liverpool’s ten men to maintain their 100% start to the Premier League season.
We showed real togetherness and fight – and we played well. The [hostility] was definitely more than normal, but I thought we did well to quieten the crowd.
I enjoy the noise and I feel like I thrive in those atmospheres. That’s when I come alive.
This is a lovely moment that will stay with us for a long time. We showed amazing character from back to front; I’m so proud of everyone.
It’s always tough to come here. It’s about trying to stay strong mentally. Do what you can do something about. And what we can do something about is play good football and fight together.
[Did you spot your dad in the away end?] I was looking for him but no, I didn’t see him. It looked like they [the away fans] had the time of their lives!
“I’ve rarely if ever been left that cold by a game of football,” writes Anonymous of Anfield. “Was more engaged going to overseas league games as a neutral.”
“Hi Rob, no disputing the brilliance of City’s goals but the referee’s decision to give a second booking to Gravenberch, who was Liverpool’s best player today with driving runs and threatening shots, completely changed the game. A really poor decision,” writes Colum Fordham. “Obviously, the introduction of Doku with City a man up has also turned the match on its head. Plenty for Iraola to ponder, in particular the role of Wirtz who, together with Barcola, has been dreadfully disappointing.”
Enzo Maresca spreads his arms wide at the final whistle before embracing his backroom staff. The Liverpool fans respond by singing ‘Going down, going down, going down!’.
Funny old day. For the first hour, the game was too close to call – but then Ryan Gravenberch, who had probably been Liverpool’s best player, was controversially sent off. Erling Haaland larruped City in front, Jeremy Doku curled a beautiful second and Rayan Cherki scored an even better third.
In the grand scheme, nobody has a clue what this victory means. But City’s players showed admirable composure and resilience under extreme pressure; they look thoroughly pleased with themselves as they salute the away end, and so they should.
Enzo Maresca celebrates with his coaching staff at full-time. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images
90+2 min One last chant of “Cheats!” from the home fans. Cherki tries to silence them with a deflected shot that loops over the bar.
90+1 min Van Dijk is booked for a foul on Cherki. Three minutes of added time.
90 min The Sky Sports player of the match is Elliot Anderson, who walked into – and through – a storm without flinching.
Photograph: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images
89 min Cherki’s shot from the edge of the D is blocked. Bouaddi slices the loose ball well wide.
88 min: Liverpool substitutions Federico Chiesa and Joe Gomez replace Jeremy Jacquet and the subdued Bradley Barcola. It’ll take time.
87 min Mac Allister’s free-kick draws a comfortable save from Donnarumma.
86 min Bouaddi is booked for a foul on Munoz.
83 min The game was even until Ryan Gravenberch’s red card in the 62nd minute. Since then, it’s been painfully one-sided. There are more goals out there for City if they want them.
81 min: City substitutions Allan Elias and Ayyoub Bouaddi on, Enzo Fernandez and Erling Haaland off.
Sheer delightful football from City. They kept the ball for almost two minutes before suddenly going for the throat. Anderson’s short pass into the area was dummied by Cherki, who darted behind Frimping in the same movement.
Gvardiol flicked the ball behind his standing foot to find Cherki, who dragged the ball cockily away the sliding Frimpong and passed it under Alisson. By the time Cherki scored, Frimpong was in a different postcode. Outrageous composure and skill from Cherki, and the gazillion passes that preceded it weren’t bad either.
Rayan Cherki scores one of the goals of the season!
Stunning.
Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images
75 min: Double substitution for Liverpool Rio Ngumoha and Jeremie Frimpong replace Lewis Koumas and Ronald Araujo.
74 min Gvardiol shoots over after some olé football from City.
73 min “Rob, the City punishment will certainly include some sort of relegation and I can’t see Erling Haaland playing in a lower division,” reckons Mary Waltz. “Where will he land? I say Barcelona or Real Madrid. What say you?”
If they are relegated, it wouldn’t shock me if he stayed, certainly for a season. Imagine being a Championship centre-half, barely able to feel your legs after playing two games a week for eight months, and you see that monster bearing down on you.
But can he do it on a wet Wednesday at Stoke City next season? Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images
72 min Eek, City have had 82% possession in the 10 minutes since Gravenberch was sent off.
72 min Doku leaves Araujo for dust and slips a low cross that is turned behind by the stretching Munoz. Gravenberch’s red card will dominate the analysis, but Doku has been sensational.
70 min Cherki has a shot blocked after more good play from Doku. “Liverpool have to be careful,” says Jamie Carragher on Sky, “that it doesn’t get really messy now.”
What a brilliant goal from Doku, the kind he seems to save for matches on Merseyside. He cut inside from the left, moved the ball away from Munoz on the edge of the area and flashed an unsaveable curler into the far corner.
Jeremy Doku has made an even bigger difference now!
Jeremy Doku celebrates scoring brilliant second for Man City. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
This intrepid reporter is dedicated to his craft and is watching the game in a pub* a stone’s throw from Anfield. City fans on screen are regularly booed and the opening goal was met his cries of ‘cheats’. The vitriol is certainly not only for inside the ground.
* without an alcoholic beverage
67 min: Liverpool substitution Trey Nyoni has replaced the disappointing Florian Wirtz. And City have brought on Josko Gvardiol for Nico O’Reilly, who was on a yellow card.
Jeremy Doku, who has made a difference since coming on, charged into the area from the left and tried a shot that was blocked by Mac Allister. The ball ricocheted across the area towards Haaland, who blootered a devastating first-time finish past Alisson.
Erling Haaland batters Manchester City into the lead!
Erling Haaland is inevitable. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
64 min Doku’s clever through pass is miscontrolled on the run by the underlapping O’Reilly. Had he taken that in his stride, he would have had a clear shot at goal.
Ryan Gravenberch is shown a second yellow card. Moments after that shot was saved by Donnarumma, Gravenberch lunged towards Doku and was booked. The consensus in the Sky commentary box is that both yellow cards were a bit harsh.
Ryan Gravenberch receives a red card from referee Chris Kavanagh. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images
62 min Gravenberch belts another long-range shot that is pushed away by Donnarumma. But then…
City should be in front. Fernandez or Anderson (I think the latter) started the move with a fabulous pass between the lines to find Semenyo. He darted infield, away from Kerkez, then played a simple pass to put Haaland through on goal. Haaland clipped a right-foot shot across Alisson and wide of the far post.
Erling Haaland rues a missed chance, much to the delight of the Liverpool fans. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
59 min Wirtz’s free-kick from the right is volleyed wide of the near post by Mac Allister. Tough chance.
58 min O’Reilly completes a sub-optimal 60 seconds with a foul on Munoz just outside the area that leads to a yellow card.
57 min O’Reilly gets behind the defence on the left, only to overhit what should have been a straightforward cross towards Semenyo in the middle. It won’t show up on the old xG, but that was a pretty good chance for City.
56 min: City substitution Jeremy Doku replaces Iliman Ndiaye, which means Semenyo switches to the right.
I’m surprised Anderson wasn’t booked for that attempt to foul Gravenberch.
55 min Gravenberch strolls past Anderson, who tries unsuccessfully to foul him. The ball runs to Wirtz, who shoots wastefully wide from 22 yards. Kerkez and Barcola, both in good positions on the far side, aren’t happy.
54 min Araujo curls a wicked cross that bounces past the stretching Koumas at the near post. No matter, he was offside.
53 min “Yes, very good, Anderson,” writes Charles Antaki. “He has an unusual look, though, for a modern footballer - a combination of Easter Island statue and an advert for Brylcreem.”
The Elliot Anderson lookalike competition heats up. Photograph: Daniel Alvarez
50 min Semenyo twists Araujo inside out on the left side of the area and blasts a low cross into the six-yard box that just evades the stretching Ndiaye. The ball was cleared by Kerkez behind him, but had Ndiaye got a touch he would have scored.
49 min Gravenberch pings a wobbling long-range that is pushed away the diving Donnarumma. Then, moments later, Mac Allister shoots just wide from 25 yards. Three shots in 51 seconds for Liverpool, it says here.
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