Manchester City issued a defiant statement at Anfield on Sunday, thrashing 10-man Liverpool 3-0 in their first match since an independent commission found the club guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules.

City, who have appealed the verdict and continue to deny any wrongdoing, were greeted by a chorus of boos from kick-off but silenced the home crowd with three second-half goals. The result keeps their perfect start intact at six wins from six and extends their lead at the top of the table.

The red card that changed everything

The game was goalless past the hour mark when the turning point arrived: Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was shown a second yellow card for a foul on substitute Jeremy Doku, a decision commentator Gary Neville called very soft. City needed just two minutes and 36 seconds to make the extra man count — Erling Haaland emphatically fired home after Doku’s shot was deflected into his path.

Doku then curled a sublime second beyond Alisson barely three minutes later, and Rayan Cherki completed the rout in the 78th minute, slotting home after a sensational team move involving 41 passes — the longest sequence leading to a Premier League goal since 2023. It was Haaland’s sixth consecutive match on the scoresheet.

Guilty verdict casts a long shadow

The trip to Merseyside was City’s first outing since the commission ruled that the club and its Emirati owners had arranged sham deals to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than 900 million pounds between 2009 and 2018. No punishment has been imposed yet, but the club could face a substantial points deduction or even expulsion if the appeal fails, with speculation also swirling around retrospective title-stripping.

For Liverpool, the defeat was a first this season and dropped them to ninth. City also won consecutive league games at Anfield for the first time in 73 years, with Doku — who was involved in the red card and two of the goals — the clear man of the match.