Mirror Football
11 Ekim 2026
Connor O'Neill Senior Sports Content Creator and Kieran Horn Digital Sports Journalist
Gary Neville has told Sky Sports to take him off Manchester City games until the outcome of their appeal against breaching Premier League financial rules is known. Neville was on co-commentary for City's win against Liverpool at Anfield and found it difficult to dish out praise as the points may end up meaning nothing.
In a hostile atmosphere, City delivered a professional display and quitened the home crowd before taking immediate advantage of Ryan Gravenberch's red card card midway through the first half.
Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki all found the back of the net in a blistering 13 minutes from Enzo Maresca's side. Despite winning in some style, it was Elliot Anderson that left Neville impressed.
However, he had refrained from issuing huge praise due to the ongoing financial charges case which later saw him make quite the request to Sky Sports.
He said on Sky Sports: "This is the first Manchester City game that I have done today since the charges or guilty verdicts were handed out a few weeks ago.
"We were just doing the podcast then and said if you could take me off Manchester City games moving forward for the next few months until the verdicts have been heard, I would be absolutely delighted.
"To come and win at Anfield is really difficult, we should be eulogising over them without a but or any hesitation, but there is that thing in the back of your mind.
"They have done a brilliant job here today. They have dominated the game in the last 20 minutes, from the red card onwards. They have dug in and I think players like [Gianluigi] Donnarumma, [Ruben] Dias and Anderson, in that first-half were excellent. They stood strong as a group"
"At the end of the game it is quite hard because you are imagining basically if these guilty verdicts are confirmed in January or February then Manchester City are not going to be in the position they are in and there is going to be a huge cloud hanging over the whole league, which is not good for the Premier League right now and that is what I have just recognised today. Really bad for the Premier League and it is going to continue for a few months."
The appeals process has already been initiated, though it could be a considerable period before a definitive conclusion is reached. The sanctions hearing is also ongoing, with their potential penalty likely to be revealed first.
While praise may be challenging to offer, both Neville and Jamie Carragher made it abundantly clear that the players don't warrant the hostile treatment.
Neville said: "That's the problem for the Man City staff, players and supporters, they are blameless in all of this. The stain, stigma, reputational damage that hits them, it's nothing to do with them but they have to face it on the pitch, in the stadium, week after week."
Carragher added: "The players on that pitch they've had to face the criticism. All eyes on this game, you almost look at the director's box thinking they should be on the pitch facing the barrage of criticism."
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