It’s only fitting that the first opponent Manchester City face after they have been found to be guilty of committing 114 charges relating to breaches of financial rules between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons would be Liverpool, and that too at Anfield.This fixture comes with an unusual atmosphere of anger, resentment and the feeling of being wronged, not least because of the embattled history between the two, especially in recent years.Liverpool have been beaten to the finish line by Manchester City by a single point on two occasions, in 2018/19 and 2021/2022. City also pipped the Merseyside club to the title by two points in 2013/14.The games between the teams, particularly when Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola were at the helm, had everything from blitzkrieg counters, to goal-line clearances, to stretching saves. Klopp, one of the pioneers of the Gegenpressing method up against Guardiola’s refined possession-based tiki-taka, usually resulted in enthralling matches decided by razor thin margins. In the 21 meetings between the two in the PL, the games averaged 3.2 goals.The last time @ManCity travelled to @LFC https://t.co/QC2Z4jk0s3— Premier League (@premierleague) October 9, 2026In fact, a goalless draw in 2018 was the only one between the pair. But the contest was always so much more than the goals scored. The genuine admiration that both managers had for each other, making small tweaks after every game to hack into the others’ system, made the occasion all the more exciting.This is why the revelation that City have been found guilty has stained those contests. In the time period that they are being investigated in, City won 3 PL titles, Liverpool only directly losing out in 2013-14. But it would be hard to justify how years of skirting rules did not directly influence subsequent seasons as well.To play a game of hypotheticals now seems useless. There is no exact number spent on players by City using fraudulent methods, and if those players directly had an impact on City winning three premier league titles.The club has certainly done a good job of making the investigation as tough as possible for the independent commission. According to the Athletic, City “made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation,” which is why they were additionally charged for non-cooperation as well.Story continues below this adTheir manager Enzo Maresca defended the club vehemently saying, “the only thing I can say is what I said already that the reason why I joined the club is because I completely trust, 100 per cent, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, all the organisation. I don’t have any doubts about that.” When asked if he feels Pep’s achievements while at the club have been tainted, he replied, “absolutely not.”Also Read | ‘Sham’ contracts, inflated revenues: Charges against Manchester City, penalties it could faceThe verdict will no doubt be on the City players’ minds, the prelude to all their success being considered a sham. Will a Erling Haaland goal on Sunday even be seen as legitimate?Speaking at a press conference, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said, “the worst thing probably is the uncertainty, that no one knows what’s going to happen.” The Spaniard further clarified that, “obviously they (the players) will have their own opinions, but I think they will be fully focused on what happens on the pitch, yes.”None of this is fair but the longer the situation goes on, the more unfair it becomes for all the club’s facing them. The contest at Anfield features a mostly new cast, many of the players possibly not feeling as strongly about this as their predecessors. Klopp left two years ago while Pep exited just last season, bringing to a close almost a decade of serial winning. The fans, though, are the same.