Red card turns marquee clash as Maresca addresses financial charges after emphatic Anfield win

Not even the ruling of an independent commission, which found the club guilty of more than 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations, could derail their momentum.

"We have to create our own narrative through our results and take the focus away from the entire case. I trust the club completely because I believe in the people who work here.

Over the past two or three weeks, it hasn't been easy for the players to focus purely on football, but they have handled the situation exceptionally well. We do our talking on the pitch, we managed to win another game, and our supporters were singing at the final whistle," said Citizens manager Enzo Maresca to accredited media.

The showdown at Anfield turned in the 62nd minute when Reds midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was shown a second yellow card for a foul on substitute Jérémy Doku. City took full advantage of the extra man within three minutes as Norwegian striker Erling Haaland struck in his fourth consecutive match in this fixture. Doku then followed up with a sublime curling finish before Rayan Cherki capped off a commanding 3-0 victory for the visitors in the 78th minute.

"To win 3-0 at Anfield is fantastic, and in our current situation, it is a huge lift for the club—for the players, the coaching staff, and the entire organization. I don't want to get caught up right now in how much these three points will count at the end of the season.

We will have to see whether our appeal against the independent commission's verdict is successful. My job is to prepare the team to deliver the best possible performance. I am delighted with the way we showcased ourselves away against one of the strongest sides in the Premier League," added Maresca.

Under Maresca's leadership, City have won every fixture this season aside from August's FA Community Shield defeat against Arsenal (0-3). Liverpool, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat since Andoni Iraola took charge in the summer; having already drawn three Premier League fixtures, the Reds currently sit ninth in the table.

"It felt as though we were watching two completely different matches. The red card for Gravenberch was the pivotal moment. Up to that point, we were the better team, but after the sending-off, the visitors took control of the contest and scored three goals," emphasized Iraola, who was missing Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak, and Cody Gakpo through injury.