How Man City avoided hostile reception at Anfield before Liverpool showdown

Manchester City used an alternative travel route and a decoy bus to avoid a hostile reception ahead of their Premier League clash against Liverpool at Anfield. The tactics were deployed to prevent scenes similar to April 2018, when City's team bus was attacked with bottles and fireworks before a Champions League match. According to a report by The Telegraph, two separate buses arrived at different stadium entrances to mislead waiting supporters.

Tensions were high outside the ground following an independent commission's guilty verdict regarding City's financial breaches, which the club is appealing. Liverpool supporters gathered outside Anfield, with some selling merchandise mocking Manchester City's legal troubles. Speaking on The Overlap podcast, pundit Jamie Carragher warned that City face an intensely challenging atmosphere across all away grounds this season.