Manchester City face a hostile reception at Liverpool on Sunday in their first game since being found guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, though how much the verdict will affect the leaders remains unclear.
Fan chatrooms have been humming with opinion and invective but that is nothing new when it comes to relations between the old rivals. The "sham" commercial contract case has hung over the Premier League for years and may rumble on for some time yet after City filed an appeal.
Just how much it spills over into the stands at Anfield, and grounds beyond that over the course of the season, remains to be seen. "If they want an understanding of how angry the game is going to be, then Anfield will tell them like you would never believe," former Manchester United captain and England defender Gary Neville declared recently on The Overlap podcast.
"I suspect there may be banners, there will certainly be chanting. There will be a reception like you have never seen for them at Anfield...it will be a brutal day."
Merseyside Police said there would be an appropriate policing operation in place on the day. Other commentators said that Liverpool supporters had been calling City cheats since they were charged by the Premier League in February 2023.
"Man City players already know what rival fans will do amid charges fallout," read a headline in the Manchester Evening News. "City players won't necessarily be walking into anything new when they resume their club duties this weekend," wrote the paper's chief City reporter.
"It is not going to be pretty, but it will be a surprise if it catches the players off guard given how used to the abuse they are." City, under recently-appointed manager Enzo Maresca (pic), are unbeaten and three points clear of champions Arsenal at the top of the table, five ahead of third-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
They are likely to still be top by the time of Sunday's match even if Arsenal beat Leeds United on Saturday, given the four-goal difference between them. One contributor on the lfcreds.com, opens new tab website said the best response was for Liverpool to beat City on the field and the fans to make their feelings heard inside Anfield on the day.
"Could this be one of the first games that pretty much everyone in the country wants us to win?" asked another.
