Man City slip into Anfield via back entrance to avoid hostile Liverpool supporters

Manchester City avoided a hostile reception at Anfield on Sunday by entering the stadium through a back entrance rather than the main coaches’ entrance, as thousands of Liverpool supporters gathered outside ahead of the Premier League clash.

City arrived for the match under a cloud after an independent commission recently concluded that the club had “clearly intended to circumvent Premier League rules” by inflating revenue and concealing costs through a series of “sham” commercial deals spanning nine seasons. Rather than pass through the usual main entrance where large crowds of Reds fans had assembled, the City coach was directed down Anfield Road and into the ground via an alternative access point.

The Etihad club have already lodged an appeal against the commission’s verdict, releasing a statement claiming the ruling contained “clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.”

The match represented City’s first competitive outing since the damning findings were published, making the atmosphere at Anfield — already one of English football’s most intense venues — particularly charged. The decision to use an alternative entry point appeared to be a deliberate effort to limit direct confrontation with supporters angered by the commission’s conclusions.

Manager Enzo Maresca and his squad were widely expected to face a fierce reception from the home crowd, and the scenes outside the ground suggested that expectation was well founded. The logistical manoeuvre meant City were largely shielded from the bulk of the protest, though the mood inside the stadium was certain to reflect the broader tensions surrounding the club’s legal and regulatory situation.

City’s appeal against the commission’s ruling means the process is far from over, and the outcome will have significant implications for the club’s standing in the Premier League era.