Angry Liverpool fans mock Manchester City over guilty verdict at hostile Anfield

According to a report by the Evening Standard on Sunday, October 11, 2026, Liverpool supporters staged a series of protests against Manchester City at Anfield, using mocking banners, balloons and chants to express their anger over the Premier League financial breaches ruling against their rivals.

The Premier League leaders faced a hostile reception before their league encounter on Sunday, which marked their first match since an independent commission found them guilty of multiple breaches of the competition’s financial rules over nine seasons, from 2009/10 to 2017/18. Manchester City deny the charges and have appealed against the decision.

Although numerous Liverpool supporters gathered along the usual route to welcome the visiting team, City’s bus avoided Anfield Road and entered through the staff and contractors’ entrance.

The alternative route appeared designed to reduce the risk of disorder, with previous incidents involving damage to the team bus having occurred before matches at the stadium, including a Champions League quarter-final in April 2018.

Inside Anfield, however, the players could not escape the reaction from the home supporters. Boos, whistles and chants accusing City of cheating greeted the visitors when they emerged for their pre-match warm-up.

Liverpool fans also displayed banners targeting the club’s financial case. One read that a generation of supporters had been cheated, while another accused City of having robbed rival fans.

Other messages mocked the club through references to songs associated with Oasis, the Manchester band whose members are well-known City supporters.

Among the slogans displayed were Sham Pain Supernova, All of Your Stars Are Fading Away and Look Back in Anger, Shamchester. Independent merchandise sellers had also offered flags and scarves carrying mocking references to the case ahead of the fixture.

Balloons bearing the numbers 114 and 115 were visible inside the stadium, referencing the charges against City, who were found guilty of all but one of the allegations. The pre-match playlist also featured songs including Whitney Houston’s It’s Not Right but It’s OK and Calvin Harris’ Blame.

Manchester City supporters responded in the away section by displaying inflatable yellow bananas, reviving a tradition dating back to the 1980s. The gesture appeared to demonstrate solidarity with the club amid the ongoing controversy.

Despite the hostility, City manager Enzo Maresca maintained that his team were focused on the match, highlighting the importance of unity among the players and supporters in a difficult away environment.

Defender Marc Guehi also acknowledged Anfield’s reputation for an intense atmosphere, stressing the importance of the team working together.

The protests formed a prominent backdrop to the Premier League encounter, as City continued their campaign while awaiting the outcome of their appeal against the financial ruling.