Liverpool vs. Manchester City Preview 👀 What will the atmosphere be like at Anfield? | ESPN FC
Liverpool vs Manchester City preview: Anfield atmosphere and off-pitch verdict dominate
ESPN FC's panel previews Liverpool against Manchester City, focusing on the Anfield atmosphere, the fallout from City's financial charges and the uncertainty over punishment, plus Liverpool's injuries and form. The consensus is that the match will be hostile and highly charged, but City's sanctions remain unclear and Liverpool are still a work in progress.
- The Anfield atmosphere will be lively but strange, with the off-pitch charges overshadowing the football itself — City are playing for the first time since the financial-charges verdict, and a win may feel like it might not count given possible points deductions and other sanctions, so there will be a lot of noise around the game
- Liverpool fans will be angry at City and feel that without City they would have won more under Klopp — The two clubs have been the Premier League's main rivalry over the past decade, and Liverpool fans believe City cost them league titles
- Liverpool must make Anfield very hostile and go all out for three points — It is City's first game after the verdict and the world will be watching; Liverpool fans still resent missed titles such as John Stones's goal-line clearance
- Fans regard City as guilty regardless of the appeal, and the delayed verdict has made them angrier; he is skeptical that any punishment will actually be enforced — City have appealed, the sanctions could affect clubs across the league, and there is no clear equitable resolution yet; he will believe the punishment when he sees it
- Any punishment for City will be unprecedented in the Premier League and far beyond the points deductions given to Everton and Nottingham Forest — The scale of the alleged cheating is vast and unprecedented, the outcome remains highly speculative and there are too many variables
- The Liverpool fans she has spoken to want a punishment that hurts City for a long period, such as expulsion, not just a points deduction — A points deduction might relegate City but they could come back in a season or two, so fans want a prolonged punishment; fans do not get a say and City will appeal
- Liverpool's three injury doubts would be a huge blow because they have been their three most important players this season — All three withdrew from international duty, were in great form and have been integral to Liverpool's improvement under Andoni; she hopes they can at least make the bench
- Liverpool should start an energetic young player to press relentlessly and fire up Anfield; he expects a high-intensity game — The young player chased Spurs' back line in the cup, the crowd fed off it and the pressing became infectious for the rest of the team
- Liverpool are still far from the finished article under Andoni and not yet ready to challenge Arsenal and City for the title — They have been in transition since Klopp left, with new signings and an intense attacking style still not fully implemented; the positive is three straight Premier League clean sheets and a more solid defense
ESPN FC’s Kay Murray, Shaka Hislop, Beth Lindop and Don Hutchison preview Sunday’s Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN ESPNFC
Transcript
Domestic football is back this weekend. A reminder of how things are looking in the Premier League. Manchester City top five games in, three points ahead of Arsenal. But of course, they are back in action for the first time since being found guilty of almost all the financial charges against them and it is a trip to Anfield that awaits them. So, we had to welcome in uh Beth Lindop to talk more about that. Don Hutcherson is still with us. Beth, tell us, are you going to be there? And what do you think the atmosphere is going to be like? >> Yeah, I I am going to be there, which is um I mean, it's some baptism of fire after sort of the world's longest international break, no football at Anfield for a few weeks and yeah, back in with a with a bang. Um I think it's going to be lively. I think it it's it's almost it's gonna be quite strange really and not just on Sunday for the whole season but but Sunday certainly because how do you assess Manchester City from a football perspective between now and you know whenever a resolution is reached on this situation because you know wins at Anfield have been pretty hard to come by for for City and you know over the past couple of decades. if they manage to to win there on on Sunday, how do you sort of celebrate that if you're a City fan knowing that it might not count for anything because you could get hit with a, you know, a huge points deduction or or even worse, you know, the the some of the sanctions that are being talked about. So, so yeah, I think there will be a lot of um there'll be a lot of noise around the around the game and around things that are going on off the pitch. And I think from a Liverpool perspective there's there's probably a lot of anger as well in in that crowd because obviously sort of Liverpool have been City's biggest rivals I suppose over the last the last decade or so that has been sort of the foremost rivalry in the Premier League. So I think a lot of Liverpool fans feel like if it were not for City they would have been a lot more successful under Jurgen Klopp in particular. So I think that there'll be a whole sort of malstrom of emotions going on. Um, and it will make it quite hard, I think, to focus on the actual football. >> Yeah, I think that's a big talking point, isn't it? And what makes it even more interesting, Don, the fact that it is Liverpool and Man City who've had that rivalry during some of this time that we're talking about. And now Man City are going to Anfield after we now know what's happened in the international break. >> Oh, there's going to be banners all over the cup, I would imagine. I would imagine it's going to be a very hostile atmosphere and Liverpool have to make it that way. Liverpool have got to take care of business and try and get all three points. I think one of the years that best referring to I can remember when Jones John Stones cleared one off the line at City. If he didn't, Liverpool would have drew the game or won the game. They would have then won the league and been invincible. So that's what I think's cutting Liverpool fans up more than anything. They could have had more they could have had a couple of more league titles. Jet Steven Gerard could have had a league title. Um it's endless what the possibilities might be regarding Man City and I haven't got a clue how the Premier League deal with it. Um but in terms of this game, I mean you couldn't ask for off the back of the charges being found guilty which they're appealing. You couldn't ask for a better game. I mean Liverpool away at Anfield, it's going to be incredible. The whole world is going to be tuning into it. >> I mean it's right you're laughing. It's mustwatch TV, isn't it? >> Absolutely. and and Doug's right going to Anfield as well of all places um they they will let their feelings be known like like nowhere else and rightly so listen and get all illegalities out the way Manchester City have appealed and all all it's alleged but as far as fans are concerned they are guilty without question and they're going to let their feelings be known because and and while we have no idea where this will land because they kind follow on um impacts of of of this behavior um to not just clubs at the top of the table but clubs throughout. Who who knows how you find uh equitable resolution to this. I am not at all sure where this all where this all ends up. I again I I will keep saying when those punishments are handed on, I'll believe them when I see them. I I I'm still a little bit of a a skeptic in in in that regard, but you can't get away from what has been plainly obvious to everyone. And and the fact that it's taken this long to come down with a verdict has only made fans up and down the country all the more angry and rightly so. >> And Beth, what have you been hearing about punishments back in England? I'm sure it's been a big talking point in the media. >> Yeah, it has. I mean, every day there seems to be a new suggestion for for what could happen to to Manchester City. And I think ultimately the the crux of it is that we just don't know at the moment. It's so speculative. And I think, you know, the scale of, you know, the alleged cheating essentially um that that City are being accused of is so vast and so unprecedented that, you know, I think whatever punishment they they're likely to face will be something that we've never seen before in the Premier League. Obviously, we've seen points deductions before. Everton have had one, Nottingham Forest as well. But I think this will be in a different stratosphere and and there are so many variables at play as well. You know that the UK prime minister Andy Burnham has been dragged into the saga because he commented on um you know what the the Emirati government have have contributed to Manchester and on all of this this kind of thing. It's so much bigger than a football story really. So there are so many potential punishments. I think from, you know, from a lot of like Liverpool fans that I've spoken to, they feel like the only way forward is something that is going to hurt City for for a really prolonged period of time, such as an expulsion, you know, not just a a points deduction because that might, you know, if City gets say 50 point deduction, they could get relegated this season, another season or two, they'll be back and and competing at the highest level, you would imagine. So, I think, you know, a lot of fans want it to be something that that is a prolonged punishment, but obviously fans don't get a say. Um, and I'm sure that City will appeal whatever sanctions come their way as well. So, I think it's probably going to be a pretty arduous process and and probably quite a long time before we know exactly what is is going to happen. So, let's get to the game this weekend then, Beth, and the Liverpool side of things because this international break has left Liverpool short of options up front going into this clash. Tell us more about that. >> Yeah, it's been a real blow for Liverpool in this this international break because the the three players who are doubts for for this game on Sunday who all have had to withdraw from international duty, [music] Jeremy Jac, the the young defender, and then Alexander Reac, Cody Gakpo up front. All three of those players have have probably been the the three most important players so far this season. You know, Jac has been a revelation. He was tremendous [music] for France as well when he he made his his senior debut over the over the break, but he's got a minor problem. Cody Gapo was on the the receiving end of a pretty nasty challenge last week. [music] Uh and Alexander Reac out with a thigh problem as well. Well, now Andonia Royola gave [music] an interview to the club website today and and was a little bit ky about whether the players would be available or not. We'll find out a bit more in his press conference, I'm sure, on [music] on Friday. But yeah, it'll be a huge blow. Certainly, all three of them are out [music] because they they were all in such great form and integral to to Liverpool sort of starting to come to life [music] under under Areola. So, I'm sure he'll be hoping that they they're fit to feature at least off the bench if not to start. What do you expect to see, Don, from Liverpool going into this game this weekend with those potential absences? >> Fire. I I I wouldn't it wouldn't it wouldn't surprise me if was injured and he didn't make the game. He started with Kumas because Kumas brings that. He brings in energy where I watched him in the cup game against I think it was Spurs and he chased the back line down. He chased everyone down and the crowd fed off that at Anfield and the atmosphere was great because they saw a player that was running here there and everywhere and then it was infectious. The players behind him then closed down. So I wonder if it might be a game for him even though it's a big one but you could say to a young player just go out there and run as fast as you can and chase everyone down and make that atmosphere as hostile as possible and all the quality of players behind him in wide areas can then try and feed off that. If not, I don't think Beth's too far away. She might even have nail that 11 that that the manager might have to go with, but I expect a real high intensity game. >> Beth, let's just get before you go a little talk on Liverpool. The before and after this international window that we've had. They haven't lost a game, but they haven't looked fully convincing just yet. Is that fair to say? >> Yeah, I I think so. I think this season it was always going to be a little bit bit of an unknown quantity Liverpool because you know they they've made another couple of of big signings in the summer and obviously another managerial change. It feels like they've been in a permanent state of transition really since Jurgen Klopp left in in 2024. So yeah, I think that they're still far from the the finished article under Andoni Royola. I think, you know, he would be the first to say that that this really dynamic, intense attacking brand of football that he wants to implement hasn't quite come to fruition yet. We're still waiting to see what Bradley Barker can do in a in a Liverpool shirt. Alexander Isach has slowly but surely been starting to show what he can do. So, I think that there is still a long way to go before you look at them as someone who could challenge Arsenal, Manchester City for the for the title. But I think there are positives. They've had three clean sheets in a row in the Premier League for the first time since I think it was September 2024. So that that defensive unit is starting to look a little bit more solid and and then Areola will obviously be hoping they can build from there and improve at the top of the pitch as well. >> Okay, we're going to let you go Beth, but make sure you've got your popcorn ready for the weekend. [laughter] Tell us that you're going to be there. >> Lovely stuff. We'll speak to you soon, Beth. Make sure to join the team tomorrow on ESPNFC. We are available daily. Alexis will be back in the chair. Stevie, LA, and Frank will [music] be joining her.