City face Liverpool at Anfield for first time since £900m financial rules verdict

Manchester City make the trip to Anfield on Sunday for a Premier League clash with Liverpool that carries extraordinary weight — their first match since an independent three-man panel found the club guilty of breaching financial rules over a nine-season period.

The panel concluded that City concealed more than £900 million, a verdict the club have consistently rejected. City have lodged an appeal against the decision, though the timeline for that process remains unclear. In the meantime, their first fixture in the wake of the ruling pits them against the very side they have repeatedly battled for Premier League titles.

Chris Kavanagh has been appointed referee for what promises to be a charged occasion at Anfield. Dan Cook and Nick Greenhalgh will serve as his assistants, with Andy Madley as fourth official. Paul Howard takes the VAR role, supported by assistant VAR Nick Hopton.

The fixture carries an added layer of irony given City’s recent record against Liverpool. Enzo Maresca’s side completed a league double over Arne Slot’s team in 2025/26, winning 4-0 at the Etihad before an Erling Haaland penalty late in the game secured victory at Anfield. That second win was only City’s second league triumph at Anfield since 2003, with Dominik Szoboszlai sent off during the contest.

City also eliminated Liverpool from the FA Cup quarter-finals during the same campaign. Despite that recent dominance, meetings between the two clubs have seldom lacked drama, and Sunday’s encounter — set against the backdrop of the financial rules verdict — is unlikely to be an exception.