City Watch: Blues silence Anfield

If there was ever a week when Manchester City needed to let the football do the talking, this was it.

Our first game since the guilty verdict was always going to be about far more than what happened on the pitch, and Sunday's trip to Anfield proved exactly that. The reception from Liverpool supporters was hostile from the moment the players emerged for their warm-up, with loud jeers and chants of “cheats” greeting the team before a ball had even been kicked. 

The abuse continued throughout the afternoon, with banners and flags making the message abundantly clear, but by the time the final whistle blew, it was City who had the last laugh with a superb 3-0 victory. 

It would have been very easy for the occasion to swallow the players up, particularly given the amount of attention surrounding the club over the last couple of weeks, but I thought the way they handled themselves was outstanding. There was a lot of noise coming from the stands, yet the players remained composed, stuck to their game plan and eventually produced a performance that silenced Anfield. 

Winning there is difficult at the best of times, let me remind everyone that it took Pep Guardiola years to secure his first victory at Anfield in front of supporters. Maresca, meanwhile, has managed it in his first season in charge, and City have now won back to back league games at Anfield for the first time in 73 years. Considering the circumstances surrounding this fixture, that is some achievement.

The game itself was fairly even and, at times, a little passive, with neither side managing to establish complete control during the opening stages. Liverpool certainly had their moments, but City looked comfortable enough without creating a huge amount of clear-cut opportunities, and it felt as though one big moment could completely change the complexion of the game. 

That moment arrived when Ryan Gravenberch was sent off midway through the second half, and City wasted absolutely no time taking advantage. Just three minutes later, Erling Haaland put us ahead, giving us the breakthrough we needed in a game that had been finely balanced until that point.

The introduction of Jeremy Doku had also given City a completely different dimension in attack, with his pace and direct running causing Liverpool problems whenever he got on the ball. Just three minutes after Haaland's opener, Doku produced a brilliant finish of his own, curling the ball into the top corner to double our advantage and leave Liverpool with a mountain to climb. 

Then came Rayan Cherki, who provided another reminder of why I could happily watch 90 minutes of just him playing football. Sitting Jeremie Frimpong down and sending him back to Leverkusen in the process before calmly sending the ball past Alisson was pure class, and it was the perfect way to round off a statement victory. Three goals, three points and a performance that showed this City team can handle the biggest occasions, even when the circumstances are stacked against them.

What has surprised me almost as much as the result, however, is the criticism directed towards City supporters for how they reacted to the victory. There has been plenty of discussion about the inflatable bananas, the flags and the celebrations in the away end, with some suggesting that supporters showed no remorse or respect in the wake of the guilty verdict. To me, that criticism is moronic, because it completely misunderstands the mentality of a City fan at the moment.

The supporters who travelled to Anfield watched their team win 3-0 at one of the most difficult grounds in English football, in an atmosphere that was deliberately designed to make life as uncomfortable as possible for everyone associated with the club. They had spent the build-up listening to accusations, abuse and chants about relegation, only to watch their team respond with one of the best results of the season. What exactly were we supposed to do when the final whistle went? Sit quietly in the away end and pretend we hadn't just watched our team produce a brilliant performance?

The inflatable bananas, in particular, are part of City's history, going back decades to a time when supporters used them to inject a bit of humour into the stands. Bringing them back to Anfield was a bit of defiance and a way for the travelling fans to enjoy the occasion, rather than allowing the hostility to dictate their experience.

The reality is that City fans have no idea what the future holds for the club. The appeal is ongoing, the eventual sanctions remain unknown and there is every chance this situation will rumble on for months, if not longer. Through all of that uncertainty, supporters are still doing what they have always done; turning up, backing their team and sticking with the club through thick and thin. 

That loyalty shouldn't suddenly be questioned because they celebrated a win at Anfield and as Maresca himself has pointed out, the fans have taken much of the abuse and ridicule surrounding the case, and they deserve the opportunity to enjoy their football while they can.

Of course, winning one game doesn't change the legal situation, and nobody should pretend otherwise. The appeal still needs to be dealt with, and the questions surrounding the verdict aren't going to disappear because City have beaten Liverpool. 

However, the players and supporters can only deal with what is in front of them, and on Sunday they did exactly that. For one afternoon, at least, the football gave us something to celebrate rather than another week of speculation.

There is very little time to dwell on it, because Paris Saint Germain are next at the Etihad, which will have been played by the time this column is released, in what should be another fascinating test for Maresca. This is arguably our first properly difficult Champions League fixture of the campaign, with the reigning European champions travelling to Manchester and another opportunity for our manager to show what he can do against the very best. 

There is an added storyline, too, given that Maresca beat the French champions with Chelsea in the Club World Cup last year, so he will know exactly what it takes to get the better of them.

Reports that Pep Guardiola will be attending the game only add to the occasion, particularly as this will be City's first home fixture since the verdict was announced. After the hostility at Anfield, I can imagine the atmosphere at the Etihad being absolutely fantastic, with supporters eager to get behind the team and make their feelings known. If Sunday's performance is anything to go by, this group of players are more than capable of rising to the occasion.

The noise surrounding City isn't going away any time soon, and we cannot control what other supporters think of us or what they choose to sing from the stands. What we can control is what happens on the pitch, and Sunday's victory was a brilliant reminder of that. Now we have the chance to back it up against PSG, with another huge European night awaiting us at the Etihad.