"It feels quite strange" | Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher react following Man City's Anfield win

Sky Sports Premier League

Neville and Carragher on Man City's win at Anfield: the result is overshadowed by the charges and Liverpool's selection is questioned

The video reviews Manchester City's 3-0 win at Liverpool and discusses the strange atmosphere created by City's 115 charges, the credibility of the Premier League, the performances of Elliot Anderson and Erling Haaland, plus Liverpool's red card and selection issues. The conclusion is that City's football deserves praise but the case must be resolved before the result can be fully enjoyed, and Liverpool need to rebalance their midfield and attack.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWPremierLeagueYT Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher spoke after Manchester City's 3-0 win away to Liverpool at Anfield where they discussed the two teams' performances and how Enzo Maresca's side will be feeling after their first game since the guilty verdict on all charges related to serious breaches of Premier League financial rules. premierleague football GaryNevillePodcast 00:00 - How do you feel at end of the day? 04:10 - Man City look to have enjoyed their day 07:33 - Are City the best performing team in the league? 10:10 - Premier League rules 13:25 - "It is a problem for the Premier League" 15:50 - Appeal process 'can not be allowed' to go on-and-on 17:20 - Further match analysis 21:00 - Wirtz discussion 25:25 - Barcola discussion 27:25 - Coventry v Newcastle preview ► Premier League highlights: https://bit.ly/PL2627HL ► MNF, FNF, SNF & Super Sunday analysis: https://bit.ly/SkyMatchAnalysis ► Gary Neville Podcast: https://bit.ly/GaryNevillePodcast ► Saturday Social: https://bit.ly/SkySaturdaySocial ► Buy this season’s shirts: https://bit.ly/SkySportsShop More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkySportsFootball ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysportsfootball ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsfootball ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsPL ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about…

Transcript

Welcome everybody to Anfield for the Gary Neville Jamie Carrager podcast at the end of a a most peculiar day in the history of the Premier League. Uh Liverpool have been beaten 3-0 by Manchester City uh which is barely the headline in itself and I I think the simple question to start with to both of you is how you feel at the end of that day. >> It's an odd feeling isn't it? Because ordinarily over the last 101 15 years when we've seen Manchester City come here quite often we've seen them have very difficult days. It's a horrible place to come just full stop for any team from Manchester, United or City. Uh and we would be absolutely um eulogizing over a performance like that where they've come through and withtood a really difficult part of the game which is the first part always is here at Anfield, the frantic nature of it and then they come out on top with 3-0. But there's a butt, isn't there? And we're sat here not knowing what this means. We know what it means today. We know that Manchester City goal 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 finished. You know, ultimately Liverpool fans are singing going down. They're shouting cheats through the last 5, 10, 15 minutes of the match. And you can't get away from that ultimately. And City fans are not going to be able to get away. They'll be absolutely delighted. The City fans, they love their football club. They will support their football club long after this season for the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years. But I don't think they probably recognize right now the stain, the stigma, the damage that this is going to do to them. And there is going to be I think up and down the country a lot of annoyance that they see this team that is glorious to watch at times and got some fantastic players um wing football matches. It's just not going to be enjoyed. And I don't think to be fair as a United fan I've ever enjoyed City winning game. But what I have done is admired them enormously over the last 101 15 years. And there's just a little bit of something there, isn't it? That just takes away the the feeling that you have at the end of a football match that means that you feel a little bit lower in your stomach. You feel a little bit like you're watching something that's false, that's not right. And we just have to get through to January, February, don't we? Where this obviously, well, Manchester City will either clear themselves or they'll be found further guilty than well, the the guilt will be confirmed. So yeah, for me I think there's just a feeling that at the end of a match feels quite strange. I could sense it a little bit in your voice, Peter, when the second and third goals went in that wasn't quite the sort of feeling that you get and I was the same. I think you were the same, weren't you? Just feel a little bit like the the funny thing is with Manchester City, they'll be delighted tonight. They won and understandably so. And listen, those supporters, as you've just said, love their football club and this will be one of almost one of the great days. They probably all look back in years to come. you know, everybody's being against us. The whole world's against us and we all came to a we had a party, got the bananas out from, you know, something that you associate with them sort of the late 80s, early 90s. So, they love that today. But in some ways, I almost think the feeling around Manchester City will grow even more the more they win. In some ways, everyone was desperate for them to lose their most of the country. So, they'll be delighted. And any set of supporters and players would have been exactly the same. and we'll ram that down the throats of everybody who's against us. And I keep saying a football club is like your family. You defend them to the absolute hill. So, and that's what City fans have done and they'll love today. But I just think the feeling around the country will just keep growing and growing and growing until this is sort and this this needs sort for Manchester City as well one way or another. They can't keep kicking the can down the road. just needs to we need a resolution as soon as possible because we're watching a game there today and what does it actually mean really going forward? Does it make any difference to Manchester City this season going for the league with Arsenal? They're the two best teams by a mile. We know that no one else is going to really compete with them in terms of the title. But uh yeah, I mean we want every game to matter. We say that to Sky, don't it's almost like a slogan for Sky and every game matters. But right now it doesn't. It it does indicate that whatever they had to manage over the course of the last Fortnite, Manchester City, they've managed it really well, haven't they? Because it could have gone either of two ways that there could have been a scenario you could dream up the night before of them actually crossing the white line and not finding that fiber and intensity and defiance, which is a word we've used a lot today. Um, and they did and they did appear to enjoy their day. Yeah, I thought they had some really good performers. I thought Don Don Roman goal was fantastic. Thought Diaz at the back thought he just played quite a few long passes actually in the first half that just sort of he didn't sort of complicate his game. I thought he was very solid. Thought Elliot Anderson in midfield was absolutely outstanding. And then Harland's just there, isn't he? I mean, that first goal, that sort of finish is just brutal. I always think emphatic, devastating. They're the words I use when I watch Erling Harland. He comes alive for a moment and just lights the game up. What a goal scorer. What a player. So those three players I just thought generally and Elliot Anderson big big question marks about the money. Big question marks. Can he replace Rodri? Big question marks. Can he fill the gap and can he become a player that can play at this level? Because obviously he's coming up from Nottingham Forest. He's answered all those questions in the first couple of months. He's been absolutely outstanding. Uh looks like a real top performer. And I'm not I think when Declan Rice went to Arsenal, we knew that Arsenal were getting gold. We knew that they were getting a fantastic player that would do a great job for them. And I think we all said that eventually we thought that the he take them to the title. He would be the difference player. I think that's probably happened. I don't think we thought that Elliot Anderson was maybe in that category or in that level. But I tell you what, his knowledge of the game, his understanding of the position, the way in which he's now starting to stride around the pitch and the ways which he started to leave one on a couple of players, you know, the likes of Mallister and others, take the ball in difficult situations, dominate big matches like Anfield and at Old Trafford, which is tough for Manchester City to go and play at these grounds. He's been outstanding, hasn't he? He's been really, really good and looks like he's worth every single penny and more. Yeah, and I mean if you're a Newcastle fan watching that, you know, the mess they got themselves into with PSI and listen that maybe goes back to the Manchester United, Manchester City situation and they had to sell players and you know, we talk about the rules, but you think about could they have sold someone else and kept him. You know, you think of the the money Nottingham Forest got. I mean, I'm not even sure what Newcastle it was about 15 million, wasn't it? Something like that. You know, wasn't a lot more than that. And you look at him as as a player now. And right now, you're looking arguably the best midfield player in the country alongside Declan Rice. should always put Declan Rice top of that list certainly at the end of last season winning the title but uh bodess well going forward for England maybe as well after you know got two English players who for me are right at the the top of the class Premier League. Did you see Drew Bellingham's assist last night for the Venicious Junior goal? I mean, that was unbelievable. I mean, you think about England's midfield of Rice, Bellingham, and Anderson. >> He gets that ball on that left hand side, he skips. Oh jeez, I broke. >> Sorry. >> Shut up. That's enough. Yeah, come on. >> Yeah, Bellingham, you think about the three in midfield that England have got. Outstanding. You could argue it's getting to a point whereby you could think it might be one of the best midfield, best midfield in the world type thing. is I mean I know the Spanish will have something to say about that but it's a brilliant midfield we have. >> No, it's it's hard not to get excited actually as an Englishman about that with the next tournament being at home but that's another story. I I just wonder Jamie whether if we stripped away the whole shenanigans with Manchester City off the back of this weekend you would be um tilting towards City over Arsenal, you know, in that sort of two-way conversation because they would some of the football they played today was was beautiful, wasn't it? I think it's hard to do that this early. I think what you would see from Manchester City's point of view. The two toughest venues along with Arsenal away they they've gone and won and won in very difficult circumstances where at Old Trafford with 10 men and here today coming into the situation that they came into. So, uh I'm a big fan of Mesa. I always have been. I remember him coming here with Chelsea in his first season and that was the season Liverpool won the league and Liverpool won the game but tactically it was fantastic. caused Liverpool real problems every time an Slo came up against. So there was he could definitely handle himself at this level and when you go back to how they beat how Chelsea beat Paris Sanjgeran in the club world cup I think they beat him 3-0 or 3-1 and it wasn't just that they they scraped through they beat the best team in the world and played them off the park. Cole Palmer was outstanding so he he could he could handle himself at elite level. So I always thought it was a great appointment when he come in. You see how he handled himself in the press conference ahead of this game as well. Didn't look flustered. looked in total control. So I I think they've got a top manager there. Yeah. And listen, I said in the game, who knows how long that lasts because of the situation with City going forward, but we've always known they've had great players and I said that in commentary. Whether you're talking about the money they've spent, was it in a dishonest way or you know the Well, listen, they've been proven guilty. You know, we keep talking about let the process carry on. They've been proven guilty. We've had a process for three years and they lost 114 or 115 charge. So they're guilty. They may get a couple off in an appeal, but they're guilty. But what you must say is the players that they have actually brought in, very few of them haven't worked. And I look at my own team, Liverpool, and I'm thinking we have certainly haven't got that success rate over the last, you know, couple of years. You think of Elliot Anderson straight away performing. Erin Harland's done us from, you know, day one. Churkey came in what just over 12 months ago. He looks the part straight away. So all these players that Manchester City by whether legally or not, they've hit the ground running. And that's why no matter how many changes they've had over the years, it never feels like they're in they were in transition because the players who came in have started straight away. So you never felt like you missed company or you missed Aguero or you missed David Silva cuz the next came in was fantastic as well. And that hasn't been the case with Liverpool since Jurgen Klopp moved on that I mean all over the place in terms of buying and selling. >> That that's the flip side isn't it Cara because we've seen obviously Manchester United spend well over a billion pounds in that same period. We've seen Chelsea spend I think over a billion pounds. I think other clubs I think Arsenal now are probably getting there over 10 years and City have invested that money incredibly well and their coaching system and their style of playing has been absolutely outstanding. The question mark is and I think this is something that I think me and you probably I I don't like the rules so I think I've said this a number of times. I think Manchester City should have been allowed to spend more money and more owner funding should have allow been allowed to go into the club. problem is that every other club has been abiding by those rules or 99.9% of those clubs, the other clubs have been abiding by those rules and that's the problem that they have. They voted for the rules and then have gone and broken them. I think if they'd actually sort of not voted for the rules and said, "No, we're taking on the establishment here in English football. We we should be allowed to challenge you." because I believe that black what Jack Walker did with Blackburn um is is something I believe every owner in the country of a football club should have the ability to do which is to go and try and win a Premier League title by investing in their team and in their club. So I do believe that but the thing is with cities if they just came out and said no we invested owner money we give ourselves big sponsorship contracts because they to be fair we have got connections to those spons I think we'd all probably sit there and say actually maybe there is a rule change they'll still probably get the book thrown at them but I think there'd be more compassion and more empathy I think it's the fact that they keep on denying it and they keep on digging deep a deeper hole and they keep on sort of what be doubling down that's the problem I think isn't it? Yeah. And the scale of it, you know, you're talking about almost a billion pound of it. But listen, I I agree with I love what you've said there. But that's the thing. It feels like they're going to keep going and going with it. And you know, all the headlines tomorrow, we're talking about it now. It won't be about how fantastic Manchester City had a great it'll be about this this league is a sham. You know, we'll keep using that word because the Premier League used it, I think, eight times in the statement or >> um you know, the result they put out after the verdict. And uh it that's that's the stain of Manchester City right now and that's why I keep saying I think the owners will have to go because even in situations like that where Manchester City have been fantastic. The supporters have had a great they've loved it but every headline tomorrow this is a sham league. This is a sham result. What does it mean? Does and this will not go away until we get the ver and that's why it's imperative Manchester City and the Premier League get this sorted out ASAP because we can't have this. We've got the best league in the world. We've got the most exciting league. I'm sure people from everywhere around the world were watching today. We're in the in the in the press box, the media room before had people from all over the world because of Manchester City's situation. But if that wasn't there, they'd still all be here to watch Liverpool v Manchester City. The whole world's watching. And we should be really proud of what we've got here as a Premier League. You know, I'm delighted I'm still involved and I was a player involved. Delighted I'm involved with Sky. I can talk about the best league, the best players, but but we've got this these eyes on us about all over the world about is this real? Is this fake? Is you you know we look at the Italian league, maybe your other leagues and always look at and think not quite sure about that. That's never been the case here and this this needs to get as a sort and listen everybody's saying that. You're not hearing anything new from me, but the quicker we get this sort out, we can all move on. >> Yeah, Mar and Juventus are still to this day thought about in that negative way, aren't they? And it is a problem for the Premier League this right now. It's a real problem for the Premier League because that's the first Manchester City game that I've done obviously since this came out. And it does feel different, doesn't it? It does feel different. There is a but there is a sort of shadow hanging over it. There is a dark cloud that you know has got a load of rain in it and a massive storm and you just don't know when it's going to burst, but you know it's coming and it's just you're waiting and it's not good for anybody really. And I think that the reality of it is the Premier League, as you say, is deemed as being the sort of greatest thing that we have in this country. The fact that everybody around the world loves it, but I won't be volunteering. No, I I don't get to volunteer. We get told what games to do, don't we? We get we get a list sent through to us. But, you know, I I prefer not to do Manchester City games for the next two or three months being honest with you. And that's never been the case for the last 10 12 years because I've always admired them enormously, the football that I've seen. You mentioned Kevin De Bruyne a lot. you know, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva and I think of those two football players that you watch and Aguero, I absolutely loved watching them play. It was a joy to watch those football players play. Absolute joy because you were watching world class in the league and you watch Harland, it's world class. It really is. So, you want to see worldass players. The fact I wish they were in a red shirt and he wishes they were in a Liverpool red shirt is a different matter. You still got this admiration and massive professional respect for what you're watching when you're seeing great things. And we're seeing it now and with that game today, we should be absolutely fawning over Manchester City's three-0 win at Anfield because that's bloody hard to do. But we're sat here like thinking like this. And by the way, we won't be on our own. Everybody at home probably after we'll have switched off. Yeah, I'd love to know what how many people switched off at 2-0 thinking don't want to watch that anymore. I don't want to watch them celebrate winning. And that's sad for Manchester City fans who have done absolutely nothing wrong here. you know, Manchester City fans have not done an absolute thing wrong and they'll be thought of defiant right now and thinking that ultimately I think that things but you've got a there was a there was a banner over in that far corner. I thought it was devastating. a generation of supporters have been cheated and I thought you know something that will be the mood around the country for 10 15 years they've been cheated and Manchester City they have that appeal and they're confident they're going to win it and if they do then obviously we all sit here and say right okay fair enough but the reality is if they don't and those guilty verdicts are confirmed they've got a massive problem and problem the problem I have with it is that it'll go to another appeal and it'll just keep going and going and going and that's where I think it just drags the game in the gutter and this will go on for it can't be allowed to happen and I know people keep saying oh they're not guilty we got an appeal they are guilty we we we had a process for over three years 1140 out of 115 yes they're allowed to appeal I get that that's Manchester City's thing but right now they are guilty we've had the process we've done that we've been really respectful when City have been lifting trophies no one said the words about 115 charges especially at Sky being really respectful and thought well okay if they get off it you got to keep saying Guardiola is grea