Manchester City shrugged off the threat of swingeing sanctions to beat 10-man Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday in their first game since being found guilty on more than 100 charges of breaking Premier League financial rules.
Manchester City shrugged off the threat of drastic sanctions to beat 10-man Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday in their first game since being found guilty on more than 100 charges of breaking Premier League financial rules.
Second-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki extended City's flawless start under Enzo Maresca after Ryan Gravenberch had been sent-off for two yellow cards.
Victory re-establishes City's three-point lead at the top of the table, but the future of any title challenge rests on the outcome of the club's appeal against findings of widespread financial impropriety.
An independent commission found City and their Emirati owners arranged "sham" deals to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900m (R19.6bn) between 2009 and 2018.
No sanction has yet been handed down, but a severe points deduction or even expulsion from the English top-flight are on the table unless City overturn the decision.
There has even been speculation there could be retrospective action to strip titles.
The multiple breaches of Premier League laws came during a period in which City won three titles and a clutch of other trophies.
City's rivals believe, however, that the illegal spending during that period also built the foundations for a golden era under former boss Pep Guardiola, who left at the end of last season.
Liverpool were one of the clubs most affected, having finished second to City three times in the past 12 years.
City arrived under the protection of a police escort with a hostile Anfield welcome expected.
Liverpool fans lined the streets to greet the visitors with chants of "cheats" and "going down", while merchandise stalls were littered with flags and scarves mocking City's financial scandal.
The battles between Guardiola's City and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in recent years became the Premier League's marquee event.
But with the eyes of the world watching, Liverpool failed to rise to the occasion on the field.
New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola's options were blunted without the injured Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo as the Spaniard suffered his first defeat since taking charge of the Reds.
The home side briefly flickered into life at the start of the second half when Lewis Koumas was denied a goal on his first Premier League start by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City's economic might was in full show to help turn the game as Maresca could turn to Jeremy Doku off the bench early in the second half.
Within minutes, the Belgian winger had been chopped down by Gravenberch, who was shown a harsh second booking and Liverpool never recovered.
Doku's deflected shot was then smashed home by Haaland to break the deadlock 25 minutes from time and open the floodgates.
Three minutes later, Doku curled a sensational strike into the top corner himself.
Cherki then exchanged a slick one-two with Josko Gvardiol before slotting under Alisson Becker to rub salt in Liverpool wounds.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner was beaten on his return to Crystal Palace as Daichi Kamada's first Premier League goal inspired the Eagles' 3-1 win.
Glasner was back in south London for the first time since leaving Palace at the end of last season.
He was greeted warmly by Palace fans before kickoff and it looked like being a victorious return for Glasner when Forest's Dan Ndoye opened the scoring in the third minute.
But Forest wasted a host of chances to increase their lead and Japan midfielder Kamada levelled in the 41st minute to end his long wait for a top-flight goal.
Jefferson Lerma nodded Palace in front in first-half stoppage time and Yeremy Pino's 59th-minute goal sent Glasner home empty-handed.
It was a first home league victory for Palace boss Pierre Sage, who was hired from Lens after Glasner's departure.
Forest sit in 14th place, with Palace climbing above them into 12th.
Hull extended their unbeaten home record since returning to the Premier League with a 2-2 draw against Everton at the MKM Stadium.
Joe Gelhardt opened the scoring for Hull in the 48th minute following an error by Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall equalised seven minutes later, with Thierno Barry putting Everton ahead in the 68th minute.
Hull responded swiftly as substitute Mohamed Belloumi levelled in the 74th minute.
Fifth-placed Everton remain unbeaten in six league games, while eighth-placed Hull have lost just one of their six matches since earning promotion last season. — AFP