Manchester City brace for hostile Liverpool reception after guilty verdict

Man City face a hostile Anfield when the Premier League leaders play bitter rivals Liverpool in their first game since being found guilty of breaking more than 100 financial rules.

In a decision that could have a drastic effect on the future of the Premier League, an independent commission found City and their Emirati owners had arranged "sham" deals to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 billion) between 2009 and 2018.

The multiple breaches of Premier League laws came during a period in which City won three titles and a clutch of other trophies.

During that time Liverpool struggled to break City's stranglehold on the game in England.

City have appealed against the devastating verdict and manager Enzo Maresca said on Friday he was confident they will overturn the original ruling -- but said he was urging his players to concentrate on events on the field.

Source: The Standard Sports