Anfield prepares for one of its most charged occasions in years this Sunday when Manchester City arrive on Merseyside, with Pep Guardiola absent from the touchline for the first time since 2015 in this fixture and the champions facing a hostile reception shaped by recent off-field controversy.
The backdrop to this latest instalment of a rivalry that has defined much of the past decade of English football is extraordinary. An independent commission has found City guilty of the majority of the 115 financial charges brought against them by the Premier League, casting a shadow over the six league titles the club won under Guardiola. New City manager Enzo Maresca insisted on Friday that those triumphs are "absolutely not" tainted, but the verdict has reignited old grievances among Liverpool supporters and former staff who feel they were denied success during City's period of dominance.
John Achterberg, who served as Liverpool's goalkeeping coach under both Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp, captured that sentiment when speaking to The Athletic. "You think about the memories and the successes that you were wrongly denied," he said. "We won one Premier League title [in 2019-20], but it could have been four given that we missed out to City three times by such narrow margins." Liverpool were runners-up to City in 2013-14, 2018-19 and 2021-22, with Klopp's side amassing 97 and 92 points in the latter two campaigns respectively, only to fall one point short on each occasion.
On the pitch, the stakes are significant in their own right. City have made a perfect start to the season, winning all five of their Premier League fixtures under Maresca, and a victory at Anfield would extend that run against one of their fiercest rivals. For Liverpool and manager Andoni Iraola, however, this represents a chance to breathe life into a campaign that has yet to truly take off.
"It's an exciting game," Iraola said ahead of the clash. "We are playing at home at Anfield against City that is top of the league, they have won all of their games. We will go for the game, they will go for it and it will be quite an open game and we have to be ready. I hope we will be at the level of the game, which will be high."
Asked whether this was the type of fixture he had anticipated when taking charge at Liverpool, the Spaniard added: "Yes, we are here to play this game. We know it's going to be challenging. They are very good but we also are very good." He also acknowledged the unsettled circumstances surrounding City's situation, saying: "The worst thing probably is the uncertainty. 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."
History suggests Sunday's meeting will not lack drama. The corresponding fixture last December saw City trail 2-0 at Anfield amid chants mocking Guardiola, who responded by holding up six fingers to the home crowd in reference to his title haul—results that preceded a run of four straight Premier League losses for his side. Previous meetings have also produced controversy, including a 2018 incident in which Liverpool were fined by UEFA after fans threw objects at the City team bus before a Champions League tie, and a memorable 4-3 Liverpool win in January of that season.
Expectations are high for another raucous atmosphere this weekend, with social media posts suggesting fans will gather for a bus greeting outside the stadium and some supporters even encouraged to bring fake money as a pointed reference to the financial charges. Liverpool chairman Tom Werner is expected to be present, while Merseyside Police have confirmed a policing plan is in place without disclosing further details. Liverpool have described preparations as "business as usual," though few around Anfield expect Sunday's encounter to feel like any ordinary fixture.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.