Tension, ‘cheat’ banners and inflatable bananas: Manchester City’s welcome to Anfield

A lively atmosphere greeted the former Premier League champions for their first game since being found guilty of breaking financial fair play rules

Fans lined the streets of Anfield in preparation for the arrival of the Manchester City team bus, with pyrotechnics and pure vitriol adding to the tense pre-match atmosphere. Every vantage point was taken, with spectators standing on walls to get a glimpse of the enemy, only for the coach to sneak in from the opposite side of the ground to avoid confrontation.

The subterfuge defused a volatile situation that could have turned into an incendiary one. Tensions were high on Merseyside. Since the City takeover in 2008, Liverpool have finished second to their rivals on three occasions, although only one of those falls within the parameters of the investigation into City’s financial breaches of Premier League rules. Liverpool supporters are aggrieved, feeling they would have won more trophies had City not circumnavigated the rules to help sign elite players.