Following Manchester City's dominant victory over Liverpool, Oliver Brown of The Daily Telegraph penned a scathing article highlighting Manchester City's current predicament. He argues that Manchester City appears devoid of any sense of shame, with players and fans celebrating glory allegedly gained through illegal spending as though it were legitimate, while remaining perfectly content with their status as football's outcasts.

There is an old saying that dishonest people never succeed. Yet after Manchester City dispatched Liverpool with such contempt and mounted an overwhelming comeback, this age-old adage may need re-examination. Unsurprisingly, players and fans savored the moment as though glory allegedly gained through illegal spending were legitimate. Inflatable bananas, Noel Gallagher beaming from the stands, and vile chants erupting when Gary Neville appeared pitchside for Sky Sports commentary—these celebrations were drenched in unbridled arrogance.

Shame? Manchester City appears not to understand what that word means from top to bottom.

They have fully embraced their role as football's villains, with some fans holding banners emblazoned with "Cheaters" designed like an Oasis logo. On the surface, this was one of the most brilliant results in Manchester City's history. Aided by Gravenberch's controversial red card, Manchester City inflicted Liverpool's joint-worst home defeat in the Premier League era. Yet this victory may ultimately prove hollow—a thought that offered little comfort to Kop supporters during a painful afternoon.

Liverpool fans chanted "Get them relegated," but Manchester City players in sky blue continued celebrating as if they were innocent angels.

This entire situation is pure farce.

This absurdity will not disappear next week, next month, or even next year. Every dominant Manchester City victory, every glittering goal is cast in shadow. These achievements could be expunged from the official record. The team may clearly be chasing another league title, but ultimately that trophy could be left blank or reallocated.

So even in complete defeat, one can relish mocking the victors. Liverpool's response offers the best example. In any other circumstance, such a scoreline would have been humiliating for Reds supporters, and fans would have vented their fury at manager Enzo Maresca. Yet this time, there was an almost detached response.

The stadium announcer ended the match playing Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies."

It is clear that Manchester City is determined to hit back at their rivals. After Sérgio Gómez scored City's third goal in the 13th minute, chants of "Keep attacking" erupted from the sideline, and the notably emotional Maresca gesticulated wildly, embodying the team's unstoppable momentum. Yet Manchester City itself is engulfed in another raging fire that even Erling Haaland's brilliant performance cannot extinguish. Indeed, Manchester City appears positioned to replicate their 100-point record from nine years ago with tremendous momentum. Yet these very 100 points are the exact tally that could be stripped from the club due to years of grossly inflated revenue.

This sharp contradiction has created one of the strangest atmospheres in English football history. At Anfield, Manchester City's overwhelming victory was remarkable in competitive terms, yet spiritually hollow and empty.

Difficult as it is to admit given the intense rivalry, two truths can coexist in the current situation. On one hand, one can admire Haaland—quickly scoring after missing a decisive chance with his father cheering from the stands. One can also appreciate Kalvin Phillips' sublime technique, his curling goal momentarily silencing the roaring Anfield crowd.

Yet on the other hand, one feels disappointed by Manchester City fans' indifference. They held banners reading "In Khaldoon We Trust," an act that completely ignores the source of the club's enormous competitive advantage.

Football has been waiting anxiously for Manchester City's appeal verdict. There was widespread belief that a guilty verdict rendered by an independent panel after reviewing hundreds of thousands of pieces of evidence would instill some humility in Manchester City. Yet the scenes witnessed in this match suggested the complete opposite. Manchester City, of course, denies all charges, and their brazen victory celebration was truly unacceptable. Consider, for instance, the inflatable bananas—viewed as evoking nostalgia for the 1980s when Manchester City was relegated to the second tier and fans famously waved bananas. Does the underlying message suggest that even if the team were relegated several divisions, supporters would cheer just the same?

Such behavior is incredibly bizarre, bordering on delusional stubbornness.

Manchester City under Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan is a completely different world from the Jimmy Frizzell era. Endless wealth has allowed the club to engage in unprecedented illegal activity. 900 million pounds—this is the total amount Manchester City inflated commercial revenue through false contracts. Yet the self-satisfied expressions of players and supporters at Anfield made it seem as though they were proud of it. Away fans repeatedly chanted near the end that they were "getting torn apart by cheaters."

This mentality is often called a siege mentality.

The entire team under manager Enzo Maresca has fallen deeply into it. Haaland blew kisses to away supporters after scoring, and Elliott Anderson praised his teammates' fearless courage. Yet such acts of loyalty and solidarity are fundamentally superficial. It is certain that players now declaring eternal loyalty to the team would leave without hesitation once official sanctions are imposed.

Currently Manchester City possesses a perfect yet tainted record. With a squad built through massive spending and unwavering resilience, they appear capable of overwhelming any opponent. A 38-game winning streak remains a challenge for them, but should they succeed, they would paradoxically reach the symbolic 114 points.

Liverpool fans commemorated the number of charges of which City was found guilty using golden balloons to display this figure. Supporters adapted several Oasis songs, and a banner at the front of the Kop read "In the end you've robbed us all."

Overly emotional? Not necessarily.

This scandal is stripping football of many precious things, particularly the credibility of the Premier League itself.

AI 번역.

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