Manchester City’s win at Liverpool on Sunday will only add to a ‘feeling of annoyance’ in football fans across the country, summed up by a ‘devastating’ banner at Anfield, believes Gary Neville.
City were in action for the first time since it was confirmed that they have been found guilty on a huge number of charges related to breaching Premier League financial rules from 2009-18.
The club is appealing those verdicts so the process continues and no punishment has been announced, but if City are unsuccessful then sanctions will be severe.
In the meantime they will continue to play and the 3-0 win at Anfield on Sunday saw Enzo Maresca’s team keep up their perfect start to the season, with six wins from six Premier League matches.
Get personalised updates on your favourite club
Sign up to our daily football newsletter, pick your team and get the latest news sent directly to your inbox every morning.
There were plenty of banners at Anfield with pointed messages to Manchester City, but one caught Neville’s eye especially as he felt it summed up the mood of thousands of fans around the country.
‘There was a banner over in that far corner, I thought it was devastating: “A Generation of Supporters Have Been Cheated”,’ Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.
‘I thought, that will be the mood around the country, for 10-15 years, they’ve been cheated.
‘Manchester City have that appeal and they’re confident they’re going to win it and if they do then obviously we all sit there and say fair enough. But if they don’t and those guilty verdicts are confirmed then they’ve got a massive problem.’
The game was very even until Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch was shown a second yellow cast on 62 minutes and City ruthlessly capitalised on having an extra player.
Neville said he was left with an odd feeling after the match, though, on two fronts.
With Manchester City having been found guilty, there is the sense that this brilliant team has only come together thanks to off-field cheating, while there is the odd situation of expecting City to be punished heavily, with a points deduction or even expulsion, so their victories could mean little or nothing.
‘We’re sat here not knowing what this means,’ said Neville. ‘We know what it means today, that Manchester City go three points clear at the top of the league, but there is a feeling that this is ultimately not going to be where City are going to finish.
‘Liverpool fans are singing “Going Down” and they’re shouting “Cheats” during the last 10-15 minutes of the match.
‘They’ll be delighted, City fans, but I don’t think they probably recognise right now the stain, the stigma, the damage that this is going to do to them.
‘There is going to be, up and down the country, a lot of annoyance that they see this team that is glorious to watch at times, win football matches. It’s just not going to be enjoyed.
‘As a United fan I’ve never enjoyed City winning games, but I have admired them. But there’s just a little bit of something there. You feel a little bit lower in your stomach, that you’re watching something that’s false, that’s not right.
‘We just have to get through to January or February when Manchester City will either clear themselves or the guilt is confirmed. The feeling at the end of the match feels quite strange.’
City boss Enzo Maresca has been intent on focusing football, saying after the win: ‘My message to the players since we were together three days ago, when they all came back from their national teams, has been quite clear: guys, the noise will always be there so it’s about how we learn to deal with the noise and it’s our duty to make our noise.
‘Our noise is to win games in the way we did today and to be happy. It was our fans making the noise at the end of the game today.’