Man City Face Liverpool at Anfield After Financial Ruling — SkimNews
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- Manchester City travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, Oct. 11 (11:30 a.m. ET, NBC) following an independent commission ruling that the club breached Premier League financial rules from 2009-10 to 2017-18, a verdict the source notes City are appealing.
- During the breach span, Liverpool finished as 2013-14 Premier League runners-up, two points behind Manuel Pellegrini's City with both clubs scoring more than 100 league goals that season, giving Anfield a concrete grievance to rally around.
- Enzo Maresca has publicly appealed for fan unity, stating "We need to be all together," while former manager Pep Guardiola plans to attend Wednesday's Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain at the Etihad to show backing for his old club.
- Potential penalties in the appeal include "massive point deductions, or even expulsion" from the Premier League per the source, which also flags that the club's owners may face having to sell depending on the outcome.
- Anfield has not hosted a Premier League match in nearly a month owing to scheduling and the three-week international break, with the source describing the last home game — a "drab draw" against Fulham — leaving fans eager to greet City.
- Manchester City are listed as slight road favorites at +145 (Draw +260, Liverpool +170) despite entering unbeaten, and face Paris Saint-Germain at home in the Champions League on Wednesday, giving the club back-to-back high-stakes fixtures after the international break.
Why it matters: City face a test of squad mentality at a hostile Anfield while their appeal against the financial-rules verdict still looms, with potential penalties ranging from point deductions to outright expulsion per the source. A Liverpool win would tighten the top-four race while giving Anfield a chance to affirm its values against a club whose methods are now under formal Premier League scrutiny.
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