Neville asks to be removed from City coverage as guilty verdict clouds Anfield win

Gary Neville has asked to be removed from Manchester City broadcasting duties, admitting the club’s ongoing financial charges case makes it difficult to offer unqualified praise — a tension that came to a head after City’s 3-0 Premier League victory at Anfield.

Goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki secured the win, City’s first league fixture since an independent panel found them in breach of Premier League regulations on 114 charges. A red card to Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch shifted the momentum, but City were dominant for long stretches, with Neville singling out Elliot Anderson as his player of the match.

“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,” Neville said. “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.”

Neville acknowledged the quality of the performance while explaining why he could not celebrate it without reservation. “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,” he said. “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.”

Neville was also careful to separate the institution from the individuals. Both he and fellow pundit Jamie Carragher stressed that players, staff and supporters should not face hostility over a case that does not implicate them personally. “The stain, stigma, reputational damage that hits them — it’s nothing to do with them but they have to face it,” Neville said.

City’s appeal process is already under way, though a final outcome is not expected for several months. A sanctions hearing is also proceeding in parallel, meaning the club’s potential punishment could be determined before the appeal is concluded.