Police officer seriously injured as 10 arrested at tense Liverpool v Manchester City clash

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10 people have been arrested while a police officer suffered a “serious facial injury” during an arrest following Liverpool’s Premier League game with Manchester City.

Merseyside Police confirmed 10 people were arrested during its policing operation for the match at Anfield on Sunday.

In a highly charged atmosphere at the ground, the visitors were berated as “cheats” by Liverpool supporters after an independent commission ruled City had used sham contracts to inject £830 million of inflated income into the club over nine seasons.

The injured officer is recovering at home following the incident in Anfield Road at about 6.35pm as fans left the stadium.

Police are conducting inquiries, speaking to witnesses and analysing CCTV and camera phone footage.

One man was arrested on suspicion of two offences of assaulting a constable, five were held on suspicion of tragedy chanting, one on suspicion of assault and being drunk and disorderly, two for affray and one on suspicion of throwing items on to the pitch.

Chief Inspector Leanne Hobin said: “As with any fixture, Merseyside Police had a comprehensive policing operation in place, having worked alongside the clubs and fan groups to ensure the game can be enjoyed by all in a safe environment.

“Officers were on duty outside the ground to smoothly facilitate the movements of those travelling to and from the game, as well as minimise any disruption on the roads outside.

“The officers and stewards are there to protect the public and keep them safe, and it is extremely disappointing that an officer has sustained a serious injury while carrying out that duty.

“Enquiries into the full circumstances are ongoing so that anyone responsible for criminality can be brought to justice.”

On the subject of tragedy chanting, she added: “The tragic loss of life should never be a subject for tribal point scoring.

“Football fans who chant about tragedies cause huge distress to the loved ones of people who died and their behaviour has absolutely no place in football.

“We will continue to work with clubs to take action to identify any perpetrators and bring them to justice.

“I hope the arrests today send a clear message and act as a deterrent to others. Anyone who engages in this abhorrent behaviour risks ending up in custody and getting a criminal record.

“Despite the actions of a few, the overwhelming majority of the 60,000 fans in attendance behaved well and I want to thank them for their co-operation.”

Anyone with information about any incidents at the match can contact Merseyside Police via social media on X or Facebook @MerPolCC, or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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