Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have warned that a ‘stain’ will continue to hang over Manchester City and the Premier League until the club’s financial charges are finally resolved.
City's victory at Liverpool on Sunday, which hinged on Ryan Gravenberch's controversial dismissal, took them back to the top of the Premier League ahead of champions Arsenal.
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But the win was inevitably overshadowed after the independent Premier League commission found Manchester City in breach of the Premier League's financial rules - City have denied wrongdoing and have lodged an appeal - with commentator Peter Drury describing the game as "the most peculiar day in Premier League history".
"We're sat here not knowing what it means," reflected Gary Neville. "City supporters will be delighted [with the win], but I don't think they recognise right now the stain, the stigma and the damage this is going to do to them.
"Liverpool fans are singing 'going down' they're shouting 'cheats' and you can't get away from that."
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Jamie Carragher added: "In some ways, the feeling around Manchester City will only grow the more they win. It will keep growing and growing around the country. We need a resolution as soon as possible. We're watching a game today, but what does it actually mean?
'Cheat' banners were unfurled by both sets of fans, with every touch by a City player greeted by a chant of 'cheat' in the final minutes.
"There was a banner over in that far corner which I thought was devastating - 'A generation of supporters have been cheated'. I thought you know, that will be the mood around the country for 10-15 years they've been cheated," said Neville on his podcast.
"We should be absolutely eulogising over a performance like that, where they've come through and withstood a really difficult opening spell - which is always the case here at Anfield - and then gone on to come out on top.
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"But there's a 'but', isn't there? And we're sat here not knowing what this means.
"We know that Manchester City go three points clear at the top of the league but there's a feeling that ultimately this is not going to be where Manchester City finish."