Liverpool v Man City LIVE: Build-up to City’s Premier League return after guilty verdict

Ahead of his side’s meeting with Manchester City today Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola opted for a diplomatic approach.

He said: “I think uncertainty is not good for anyone involved but there is the process ongoing and we have to be patient like everyone else and see what happens at the end. No one knows what’s going to happen.

“We have to focus on Liverpool and being the best club we can be, the best team we can be. That’s my challenge. My opinion is not valid because I haven’t spent that time and I haven’t read as much as they’ve [the commission] done.

“I think the challenge of the game is so high that I don’t think players think too much outside of this. They are thinking ‘I have to mark this player’ or ‘I have to go and deal with this one’ or ‘I have be at this level because the level of the game is so high’. They will be focused on those things. Obviously they will have their own opinions but I think they will be fully focused on what happens on the pitch.”

Man City have decided to appeal against the guilty verdict in their Premier League financial breaches case, but Miguel Delaney explains why they face an uphill struggle and provides a timeline of what comes next:

Gary Lineker has called on Manchester City to “own” and “accept whatever punishment” they are given for the “good of the game”.

“Obviously, it looks really bad for Manchester City, and bad for the game, too,” former England captain Lineker said.

“When they talk about the ‘Premier League conspiracy theories’, you just think to yourself, ‘Well, this is actually the last thing in the world that the Premier League would want’.

“So, I’d love to see Man City now just own it and just say, ‘OK, we got it wrong but for the good of the game, we’ll accept it and we’ll accept whatever punishment comes our way and we’ll carry on’.

“That would be a blessing and save their face a little bit at the moment, although it doesn’t look likely.”

The FA has now released a statement relating to the case and says it will “continue to monitor developments closely”.

It read: “The Independent Commission’s decision has significant implications for the integrity of the game. We are carefully considering the decision and its implications and will take action where appropriate.

“As proceedings between the Premier League and Manchester City Football Club remain ongoing, we do not intend to comment further at this stage. We will, however, continue to monitor developments closely.”

The new Manchester City manager was polished and poised as he faced questions about their misdeeds – but, Richard Jolly wonders, how long can it last?

Guardiola once said he would stay at City if they were in the third tier, as they were in 1998-99, and Maresca offered a similar indication.

“I won the Championship with Leicester,” he said. “So in case of League One, we’re going to see.”

Since 2009, City have won eight Premier League titles, including six in a decade under Guardiola. Maresca was on his coaching staff when they won the Champions League for the first time in 2023 and he feels those triumphs are not tarnished by the club being deemed guilty of cheating.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “The last time I was here from the Treble season and I know the effort from the players, the club, the manager in that time, who was Pep. I know the effort that the club put to achieve that kind of target so I don’t have any doubt about that.”

“I trust the people and this is also the reason why I joined the club. There is not another club in the world where I would like to be. So I’m very happy to be here. I’m very proud. I said many times since day one.”

“One hundred percent, yes,” he said. “I know the organisation from years ago. I know how serious they are. I know they do the right things. I would like to speak about this when we’re going to win the appeal.”

As expected, the Manchester City verdict dominated this week’s Premier League press conferences, with most managers asked for their thoughts on the ruling.

The majority were pretty tight-lipped, while Enzo Maresca issued a defiant response, saying City would win their appeal against the independent commission’s findings.

Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges put to them by the Premier League. But what has lead to this point? Adam Clery breaks down the full timeline of events that has lead to one of the most seismic stories in Premier League history.

Over that same period City also won four domestic cup trophies which would very likely be taken off them as well leading to a couple of surprising outcomes.

City defeated Stoke City in the 2010/11 FA Cup which would hand Stoke their very first FA Cup win while Sunderland would benefit from being a losing finalist in the 2013/14 Carabao Cup – a trophy they have also never won.

Liverpool and Arsenal would also be handed retrospective cup triumphs as City defeated both teams in the Carabao Cup in 2015/16 and 2017/18 respectively.