Following Man City's dominant victory over Liverpool, Oliver Brown, a journalist at The Daily Telegraph, wrote a scathing article about Man City's current situation. He argued that Man City does not understand the meaning of "shame," as the players and fans celebrated as though the glory they achieved through alleged financial violations were legitimate, appearing entirely comfortable being outcasts in the football world.

There is an old saying that cheaters never prosper. But after Man City's dominant return, effortlessly defeating Liverpool in near-contemptuous fashion, this old adage may need reconsidering. Of course, the players and fans were swept up in that moment, celebrating as though glory achieved through alleged financial violations were legitimate. Inflatable bananas, Noel Gallagher's excitement, and jeers from the stands when Gary Neville appeared to provide commentary for Sky Sports—this celebration overflowed with an arrogance rarely seen.

Shame? Man City, from top to bottom, appears to have no understanding of the word.

They are remarkably comfortable as outcasts in the football world, with some fans even displaying banners mimicking the Oasis logo with the words "Cheaters" stitched on. On the surface, this was one of the most glittering results in Man City's history: thanks to Gravenberch's controversial red card, a resilient Man City inflicted Liverpool's heaviest home defeat in the Premier League era. Yet this victory may ultimately prove meaningless—a thought that offered some consolation to the Kop faithful on this painful afternoon.

Liverpool fans chanted "going down," while Man City supporters in sky blue continued celebrating as though they were wronged angels.

It is all an absolute farce.

This absurd situation will not disappear next week, next month, or even next year. Every glittering Man City victory, every spectacular goal, is shadowed by one dark reality: these achievements could be completely expunged from the official record. The club clearly aims to win the league title, but ultimately, that trophy could merely be recorded as a void, or redistributed entirely.

So even in defeat, rivals can mock the victors without hesitation. Liverpool's reaction is the most telling example. In any other circumstance, such a scoreline would humiliate The Reds, and fans would turn on manager Arne Slot. But this time, they were almost indifferent.

The stadium announcer played Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies" as the match closed.

Man City clearly showed determination to respond forcefully to their opponents. After scoring a third goal within 13 minutes, chants of "keep attacking" echoed around the stadium, and manager Enzo Maresca, visibly emotional, waved his arms powerfully, signaling the team's unstoppable form. However, Man City Football Club faces another crisis—one that even Haaland's brilliance cannot extinguish. Indeed, Man City is currently in exceptional form, capable of matching their 100-point record from nine years ago. But those very points could be deducted due to years of the club artificially inflating revenues.

This sharp contradiction has created one of the most peculiar atmospheres in English football history: Man City's glittering victory at Anfield is magnificent in sporting terms, but hollow in spirit.

Strong partisan divisions make people reluctant to admit it, but in the current situation, two truths can coexist. On one hand, you can admire Haaland: scoring quickly after missing a golden chance, with his father Alf-Inge watching proudly from the stands; you can also appreciate Doku's refined skill, his curling finish temporarily silencing a roaring Anfield.

But on the other hand, you will be dismayed by Man City fans' complacency, those waving banners reading "We trust Khaldoon," completely ignoring the true source of their club's current sporting advantage.

The football world eagerly awaits Man City's appeal verdict. It is widely believed that a guilty verdict, handed down by an independent panel that sifted through hundreds of thousands of pieces of evidence, will bring some humility to Man City. Yet the scenes at this match suggested the complete opposite. Man City, of course, denies all charges, and the team's triumphant celebration is truly difficult to stomach. Take those inflatable bananas, for example—they are seen as a nostalgic nod to the 1980s, when Man City was relegated to the Second Division and banana-waving became widespread among fans. Is the implication that even if the club were to drop several divisions, supporters would still back them unconditionally?

Such gestures are extremely peculiar, almost defiantly provocative.

Man City under Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan is a world away from the Jimmy Frizzell era, with vast wealth allowing unprecedented rule-breaking. 900 million pounds is the total amount Man City artificially inflated commercial revenue through fraudulent contracts. Yet the smug faces of players and supporters at Anfield suggest they take pride in it. Away supporters repeatedly chanted: "You're getting torn apart by a tiger," near the end of the match.

This mentality is commonly called a siege mentality.

The entire team under Maresca has been drawn deeply into this: Haaland blew kisses to away fans after scoring, and Anderson praised his teammates' fearless bravery. But such declarations of loyalty and acts of unity are fundamentally hollow. Certainly, players now swearing eternal allegiance to the club will not hesitate to leave once sanctions are officially imposed.

Currently, Man City holds an imperfect yet impressive record. With a star-studded squad built through enormous investment and relentless determination, they appear capable of overwhelming any opponent. Even if achieving 38 wins from 38 matches is a daunting challenge, should they accomplish it, they would ironically accumulate 114 points.

Liverpool fans displayed this number in yellow balloons, commemorating the number of charges against their rivals that remain outstanding; the stands also featured reworked Oasis songs, and a banner in front of the Kop read: "And after all, you really did take us for a ride."

Too dramatic? Not at all.

This scandal is robbing football of many precious aspects, first and foremost the credibility of the Premier League itself.

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