LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Manchester City players were jeered and taunted by Liverpool fans on Sunday in their first game since the club was found guilty of a raft of financial breaches.
But by the end it was the away section, decked out in blue and waving giant inflatable bananas, cheering loudly after a 3-0 win at Anfield in the Premier League.
It is not yet known what the future holds for City after an independent panel found the club artificially
inflated its revenue by more than $1 billion to help sign some of soccer’s biggest stars and dominate the Premier League. But for now it is sitting pretty at the top of the standings with a 100% winning record and looking down on its rivals.
Second-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki saw City take advantage of Liverpool going down to 10 men following a red card for Ryan Gravenberch around the hour mark.
City is the early pace-setter this season, three points ahead of defending champion Arsenal in second, with victory a welcome relief for the embattled club after the fallout from the biggest scandal in Premier League history.
After the final whistle, that relief was evident in the smiles on the faces of Haaland and coach Enzo Maresca as City's players and staff went to show their appreciation to their celebrating fans, which included Haaland's father Alfie.
City was accused of providing misleading information about its finances over a nine-year period from 2009-18 — a span in which it won three league titles and signed superstar players like Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne.
It has appealed, but potential sanctions could include a massive fine, points deductions or even expulsion from England’s top flight.
In many ways a trip to Anfield to face fierce rival Liverpool in its first match since the verdicts was among the worst assignments City could have been handed. Yet such an emotionally charged game may have been the perfect way to ensure minds were only focused on the field.
A hostile reception was always expected from a team that proved one of City's biggest challengers in recent years.
“They should be stripped of everything they’ve won,” Liverpool fan Sav Agathangelo said outside the stadium. “The moment has gone for me to say in the season when we finish second, we’re champions.
“I would strip them of everything but I wouldn’t necessarily award it to runners-up or anyone else.”
City’s team bus has been targeted by Liverpool fans in the past. On this occasion City largely avoided the home fans by taking an alternative route to the stadium.
Inside, however, there was quickly a taste of things to come as the City lineup was jeered and the boos were even louder by kickoff, with chants of “cheat, cheat” and taunts of “going down.”
Yet by the time Cherki scored City's third, many Liverpool fans had seen enough, heading for the exit with still more than 10 minutes left to play.
Mohamed Belloumi came off the bench to maintain Hull's impressive start to the season by salvaging a 2-2 draw against Everton.
The newly promoted team has lost just once this season and went ahead shortly after halftime at the MKM Stadium through Joe Gelhardt.
Everton, which faces a potential sale after U.S. owner the Friedkin Group said it was looking for new investment, rallied through goals by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry to take a 2-1 lead.
But Belloumi, who was a 64th-minute substitute, found the equalizer 10 minutes after coming on.
Oliver Glasner fell to a 3-1 defeat on his return to Crystal Palace with new club Nottingham Forest.
Glasner is a Palace hero after winning the FA Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Conference League as coach.
He left at the end of last season and took over at Forest.
Palace rallied after Dan Ndoye put Forest in front in the third minute at Selhurst Park.
Daichi Kamada and Jefferson Lerma both struck for the home team at the end of the first half and Yeremy Pino added a third after the break.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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