What we learned from ‘guilty’ Man City’s win over Liverpool at Anfield

City beat Reds despite a hostile Anfield reception, but Premier League season still hangs in the balance. Save Share Despite thehostileatmosphere created by Liverpool at Anfield for Sunday’s fiery clash, it was leaders Manchester City who had the last laugh with a superb3-0 victoryto maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season. The noise centred on off-pitch matters as City returned to action after a bombshell ruling by an independent commission found them guilty of breaking more than100 Premier League financial rules. Enzo Maresca’s side could not have chosen a worse venue to restart their campaign after the guilty verdict. Anfield for years has dished out an angry welcome to City. On Sunday, the vitriol was at its highest with flags reading “cheats” and “114 charges”, a common sight in the merchandise on sale. But even as the red smoke engulfed Merseyside and chants of “Cheating bastards” rang around the stadium, none of it could derail the defiant Manchester team, who turned the game around in six second-half minutes. Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute, reducing Liverpool to 10 men. City capitalised on the one-player advantage as Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku scored in quick succession before Rayan Cherki added another, silencing the noisy Kop end of Anfield. “It was not easy for the players after the last two or three weeks, but they dealt with the situation very well,” Maresca said after the match. “I said during the week we need to learn how to deal with the outside noise but make our own noise, which is to win games. Our fans were singing at the end, so the noise was from us.” Haaland, this season’s leading Premier League scorer with six goals, looked close to tears after the victory, which he described as a “lovely moment” and one that he said would stay with troubled City for a long time. “It’s time to stay strong and stick together and do what you can do something about – stick together,” he added. While City emerged unscathed from Sunday’s hostile face-off, the victory highlighted the uncertainty that now surrounds the remainder of the Premier League season. Maresca’s side are at the top of the table with 18 points and a 100 percent record. Yet those results could count for nothing unless City, who deny any financial wrongdoing, are successful in their appeal against the guilty verdict....