Following Manchester City's convincing victory over Liverpool, Telegraph reporter Oliver Brown sharply criticized Manchester City's current state, saying the club appears to have no concept of shame whatsoever. Players and fans celebrated exuberantly, as though glory bought through financial rule violations were legitimate, and they have comfortably accepted their status as pariahs in the football world.

It is often said that cheaters never prosper. Yet with the seemingly brazen ease with which Manchester City demolished Liverpool and announced their powerful resurgence, this old adage may need reassessment. Naturally, players and fans savored the moment as though ill-gotten glory were legitimate. Inflatable bananas, an ecstatic Noel Gallagher, and jeers when Gary Neville appeared at the touchline for Sky Sports commentary—this celebration was suffused with unprecedented arrogance.

Shame? Manchester City, from top to bottom, appears utterly unfamiliar with the word.

They have comfortably embraced their role as public enemy number one in football, with some fans even holding banners styled after Oasis's logo, proclaiming: "Cheaters." On the surface, this was one of Manchester City's most emphatic results in their history: thanks to a controversial red card for Gravenberch, an energized Manchester City inflicted one of Liverpool's worst home defeats in the Premier League era. Yet this victory may ultimately prove hollow—a thought that offered some consolation to the Kop during a grueling afternoon.

Liverpool fans chanted "we're going down," while those in sky blue continued celebrating as though they were wronged angels.

The entire affair was a complete farce.

This absurd situation will not disappear next week, next month, or even next year. Every resounding victory, every spectacular Manchester City goal is overshadowed by the possibility that these achievements could be completely expunged from official records. The team is clearly determined to win the league title again, but ultimately that trophy could be recorded as void or redistributed.

So even when an opponent is defeated, they can still freely mock the victors. Liverpool's response exemplifies this perfectly. In any other circumstance, such a scoreline would have humiliated the Reds, and fans would have directed their anger at manager Arne Slot. But this time they remained almost indifferent.

The stadium announcer played Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies" to conclude the match.

It was clear that Manchester City was determined to make a statement to their rivals. After Mateo Kovačić scored the team's third goal within thirteen minutes, shouts of "keep attacking" rang out from the touchline, and manager Pep Guardiola emotionally gestured, signaling the team's irresistible form. Nevertheless, Manchester City itself is consumed by another raging fire that even Erling Haaland's brilliance cannot extinguish. Indeed, Manchester City is currently in outstanding form, on pace to surpass their hundred-point record from nine years ago. But those very hundred points are also points the club could lose due to years of alleged financial rule breaches.

This sharp contradiction has created one of the strangest atmospheres in English football history: Manchester City's resounding victory at Anfield was stunning on a competitive level, yet empty and meaningless in its spiritual foundation.

Intense tribal rivalry causes people to resist acknowledging it, but in the current situation, two facts can coexist. On one hand, you can admire Erling Haaland: scoring decisively after squandering a golden opportunity, encouraged by his father Alf-Inge in the stands; you can also appreciate the exquisite skill of Matheus Nunes, whose curled strike momentarily silenced a roaring Anfield.

But on the other hand, you also feel dismayed by the indifference of Manchester City fans holding banners proclaiming "We Trust The Process," completely ignoring the origins of the club's current competitive advantage.

The football world awaited the outcome of Manchester City's appeal with bated breath. The widespread expectation was that a guilty verdict from an independent panel, after reviewing hundreds of thousands of pieces of evidence, would instill some humility in Manchester City. However, the scenes at this match presented the exact opposite. Manchester City naturally denies all charges, and the team's ostentatious celebration is genuinely difficult to accept. Take, for instance, those inflatable bananas, regarded as a nostalgic nod to the 1980s—when waving bananas became popular after Manchester City dropped to the Second Division. The subtext is clear: even if the team were relegated several divisions, supporters would stick by them, as always?

Such behavior is distinctly peculiar, almost stubbornly delusional.

The current Manchester City, under Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan's ownership, is far removed from the era when Jimmy Frizzell was manager, blessed with seemingly endless wealth that allowed unprecedented financial violations. Nine hundred million pounds is the sum Manchester City allegedly inflated its commercial revenue through fictitious sponsorship contracts. Yet the smug behavior of players and fans at Anfield suggests they take pride in this. Visiting fans repeatedly chanted near the final whistle: "You're being torn apart by leopards."

This mentality is often termed a siege mentality.

The entire team under manager Enzo Maresca is deeply immersed in it: Erling Haaland blew a kiss to away supporters after scoring, and Elliott Anderson praised the fearless courage of his teammates. But such declarations of loyalty and solidarity are fundamentally superficial. Undoubtedly, players who now swear eternal devotion to the club will depart without hesitation once sanctions are officially imposed.

Currently, Manchester City boasts a tainted yet unblemished record. Relying on a star-studded squad built with enormous resources and unwavering resilience, they appear capable of crushing any opponent. Even if winning all 38 matches is difficult for them, should they succeed, they would ironically accumulate 114 points.

Liverpool fans displayed this number in gold balloons, marking the count of proven charges against their rivals; several adapted Oasis songs filled the stands as well, with a banner in the front of the Kop reading: "And in the end, you really did rob us all."

Overly dramatic? Not quite.

This scandal deprives football of many invaluable things, not least the very credibility of the Premier League itself.

Переведено ИИ.

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