Liverpool fans chant 'going down' at Man City after 114-charge guilty verdict

Manchester City brushed aside Liverpool at Anfield with three second-half goals to claim a sixth consecutive Premier League victory, but the result was overshadowed by the fallout from the club’s guilty verdict on 114 financial charges — a fact the home crowd made sure to underline.

As City’s players ran down the clock in the closing stages, Liverpool supporters filled Anfield with chants of “going down, going down” — a pointed reference to relegation, one of the most severe punishments the independent commission could ultimately recommend.

The match was City’s first since the commission found them guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules across a period spanning 2009 to 2018. Among the potential sanctions are relegation and the stripping of titles — including the 2013-14 title, which City won by two points ahead of Liverpool.

City have appealed the decision and continue to protest their innocence. Manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged the gravity of the situation but insisted the squad’s focus remained on results. “We completely understand the seriousness of the situation,” Maresca said. “I’m not saying we don’t understand that. We understand, the players understand, but it’s our duty, our job to try to control the noise. The managers and the players are focused on winning games, not about something different.”

Asked about his own future at the club given the uncertainty, Maresca was measured. “I don’t know. We are predicting the future. I’m worried about tomorrow, two days, three days — I don’t know what’s happening in the future. The only thing I can say is that I think it’s fair from my point of view, from all of us, that we respect the process. There is an appeal ongoing, we’ll see what happens.”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has argued that a multi-year points deduction would be a more meaningful punishment than relegation, suggesting a sustained penalty would drive key players away and have a longer-lasting impact on the club.

Pep Guardiola, who previously stated he would remain as manager even if City were relegated, was not quoted following the Anfield result. On the pitch, City’s performance gave little indication of a squad distracted by off-field turbulence, with the three-goal victory cementing their position at the top of the Premier League table.