With Erling Haaland on the verge of tears in front of Manchester City fans, including his father Alf-Inge, and head coach Enzo Maresca raising his fists in jubilation, the Anfield DJ played Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies” over the speakers in a final message of defiance.
Maresca said: “We knew there would be noise, but we have to make our own noise by winning matches. We have to learn to deal with the noise, but the message is to win matches.
“For me it’s pretty easy. I try to focus on the things I can control. There are things that are out of my hands so I don’t stress about it.
“I can’t control things outside of football, so why stress? I stress about the game plan, the daily practices, but the rest is out of my hands.”
Haaland added: “For every person who is part of Manchester City, every fan, it’s a lovely moment that will stay with us for a long time. It was tough. It was tough, but we showed incredible character from the back to the front. So proud of everyone.
“It’s always difficult to come here. If you look at the record, it’s difficult. With the Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp era, it’s always been difficult for both teams. It was important to stay mentally strong, stay together and do what you can do. What we can do is play good football and fight together. That’s the only thing we can do.”
City have appealed the verdict, but until the dust has settled and final decisions are made, this Premier League season is on hold.
When City come to Anfield and win, especially as convincingly as here, it should be a victory without qualification or questions.
This does not apply in the current uncertainty.
Every victory, every ranking will be accompanied by a metaphorical asterisk until clarity and finality arrive. Nobody knows when this will happen.
Gn sports
