Manchester City travel to Anfield on Sunday as Premier League leaders after an independent commission found them guilty of almost all 115 charges
The ruling centres on alleged sham contracts and a failure to co-operate with official investigations, with City denying wrongdoing and filing an appeal
Enzo Maresca’s side have won all five Premier League matches this season and remain unbeaten across domestic and European competitions
Manchester City visit Anfield on Sunday as league leaders. The match build-up has been overtaken by an independent commission ruling that found the club guilty of almost all 115 charges brought by the Premier League more than three and a half years ago.
City remain the Premier League's only side with five wins from five in 2026-27. Yet that run has been overshadowed by a ruling that focused on alleged 'sham' contracts used to mask real financial figures and a refusal to help official investigations. City deny any wrongdoing and have lodged an appeal.
Jose Mourinho has joked he could be 80 by the time the saga finally reaches its conclusion, and the appeal process itself must be completed within 12 weeks. So Enzo Maresca's side return to league action with both their on-pitch form and the off-field case hanging over Sunday's meeting with Liverpool.
City's Perfect Start
City keep winning.
Since losing the Community Shield to Arsenal, Maresca's team have won all five of their Premier League matches by an aggregate score of 13-5. They have also opened their Champions League and EFL Cup campaigns with wins, underlining how strong their form has been despite the noise around the club.
Their last league outing brought a warning too. City beat Sunderland 5-3 before the international break, but Brian Brobbey hit a hat-trick for Sunderland at the Etihad and exposed vulnerabilities that Liverpool will try to attack on Sunday.
Anfield now brings a different test. City are likely to face their most hostile away atmosphere of the season as the verdict adds another layer to one of English football's fiercest fixtures.
Liverpool's Motivation
Liverpool still carry the pain of finishing second in 2013-14, a season that fell within the 2009 to 2018 period covered by Man City's alleged misconduct. That history will sharpen the mood at Anfield on Sunday, with the club and its supporters likely to feel the strongest sense of grievance around the fixture.
The Reds never need any extra motivation to put in the performance of their careers against the Sky Blues, and Arne Slot's crop can expect fully-fledged support from rival fans up and down the country this weekend, as will be the case for any and every team to come up against Man City in the coming months.
Liverpool have been unable to replicate Man City's perfect Premier League record in 2026-27 so far, but the hosts remain unbeaten with two wins and three draws on their record, most recently eking out a 1-0 victory at a shot-shy Bournemouth to rise to sixth in the table.
Also emulating Man City's Champions League and EFL Cup successes, the Reds have prevailed in four of their last five matches in all competitions, scoring eight goals while shipping just one in the process.
However, Arne Slot's Liverpool lost all three of their meetings with Pep Guardiola's Man City in the 2025-26 season, but in the first Reds vs. Sky Blues meeting since 2015 without Jurgen Klopp or Guardiola barking orders, the fallout may take precedence over the full-time scoreline.
Injury And Selection
Team news could shape the game.
For City, Erling Haaland caused concern when he appeared to limp off while playing for Norway against Portugal during the international break. Maresca has since confirmed there are no serious fitness concerns over the striker ahead of the trip to Merseyside.
City still have a few issues to manage. Nico O'Reilly has a knock and Antoine Semenyo is dealing with an ankle problem, although neither issue is understood to be severe. Phil Foden is unavailable as he serves a three-game domestic suspension.
Both Man City and Liverpool suffered scares over Scandinavian strikers during the pause, as Alexander Isak withdrew from the Sweden squad with a thigh problem and has been ruled out of this contest.
Cody Gakpo (ankle) is in the exact same boat, and with Hugo Ekitike (Achilles) also out of contention for at least several more weeks, Slot may be forced to deploy Bradley Barcola as his attacking focal point.
Jeremy Jacquet (thigh) and Federico Chiesa (back) are in better shape, though - the former has been declared fit and the latter is back in training - but Conor Bradley (knee) and Giovanni Leoni (knee) will both watch on from the sidelines.
All You Need To Know About Liverpool Vs Manchester City Premier League Match
When and Where Will the Premier League Match Between Liverpool and Manchester City Take Place?
The Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City will be played at the Anfield, Merseyside, England.
What Time Will the Liverpool and Manchester City Premier League Match Start?
The Liverpool Vs Manchester City Premier League match will kick off at 09:00 PM IST on Sunday, October 11.
Which TV Channel Will Telecast Liverpool Vs Manchester City Premier League Match in India?
The Premier League 2026/27 season will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network in India.
How Can Fans Watch Liverpool Vs Manchester CityPremier League Match Online in India?
Fans can stream the Premier League 2026/27 matches live on JioHotstar in India.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Liverpool: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Munoz; Barcola
Manchester City: Donnarumma; Nunes, Guehi, Dias, Gvardiol; Fernandez, Anderson; Ndiaye, Cherki, Doku; Haaland
