Manchester City brace for hostile Anfield reception after verdict

An England star, tipped to replace the Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso, will line up for Liverpool as Manchester City’s players walk out at Anfield on Sunday, 11 October 2026, a reception expected to rank among the Premier League’s most hostile in history.

Over the period in question, several stars like Gareth Barry joined City when they could have moved to Liverpool.

Financial verdict and its fallout

The Premier League handed Manchester City a historic sanction on 11 October 2026, finding the club guilty of 114 of 115 financial rule breach charges. The breaches involved sham agreements that manipulated accounts by £900 million over the nine‑season period from 2009 to 2018, a span that produced eight trophies. City have denied the allegations and have lodged an appeal against the verdict.

It will also be the first match for Enzo Maresca’s side since the ruling, with the Anfield crowd expected to deliver one of the most hostile receptions in Premier League history. Manchester City maintain their innocence and are pursuing the appeal, adding further tension to the Sunday showdown.

Liverpool’s missed signings

During the offending era, Liverpool, under Rafa Benítez, submitted bids rising to £15 million for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry in the summer of 2008 as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, but Villa held firm.

Liverpool fans attack City with 'cheaters' flags

Barry’s captaincy was stripped after he criticised Martin O’Neill in an unauthorised interview, and he remained at Villa for another season before moving to the Etihad for £12 million in the summer that saw Alonso depart Anfield for Real Madrid. Reported wages of £100,000 a week helped persuade the player, who later became the Premier League’s record appearance holder and contributed to City’s first title in 2011‑12, while Liverpool’s subsequent midfield acquisitions – Alberto Aquilani, Christian Poulsen, Jonjo Shelvey and Charlie Adam – failed to deliver.

City’s 2010‑2011 market spree

David Silva was another high‑profile target that slipped from Liverpool’s grasp. InterFootball Management confirmed that talks were ongoing in 2009 while Benítez, then at Valencia, pushed for the Spanish playmaker. City intervened in 2010, agreeing a £24 million fee with substantial bonuses and offering a lucrative contract, despite not yet qualifying for the Champions League.

Silva went on to win 13 trophies with City and was honoured with a statue in August 2021. The summer of 2010 also saw the arrivals of Yaya Toure, Aleksandar Kolarov and Mario Balotelli, as the club looked to assert its authority in the market, while James Milner followed Barry’s path a year later, joining City for £26 million.

Massive protest as City take on Liverpool after financial ruling

Sunday’s blockbuster encounter therefore pits Liverpool against a City side that has repeatedly out‑spent and out‑signed them, reigniting a rivalry that has produced three title wins for City over Liverpool in 2013‑14, 2018‑19 and 2021‑22, and two league triumphs for Liverpool in 2019‑20 and 2024‑25.