Manchester City overcome Anfield cauldron to cruise past 10-man Liverpool

Manchester City overcame a hostile Anfield atmosphere to beat 10-man Liverpool 3-0 in their first match since the club were found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules.

Boos, accompanied by chants of "cheats", greeted City in Merseyside after an independent commission found them guilty of using "sham" commercial agreements between 2009/10 and 2017/18 to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million in a bombshell ruling.

The implications of the verdict have left City's future uncertain, with the club's appeal process ongoing, but Enzo Maresca's side successfully silenced the adversity on Sunday with three second-half goals after Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was sent off for a second booking.

A bitty first half saw neither side able to create a meaningful chance, but there was an immediate upturn in tempo after the break, with Liverpool arguably the more threatening.

Gravenberch was spearheading much of the hosts' positive work going forward, but ultimately tipped the match against his side when he committed a clumsy challenge on Jeremy Doku on 62 minutes, as he was shown a cheap second yellow card, and City dominated thereafter.

It took just three minutes for Erling Haaland to capitalise on the numerical advantage, smashing home after Doku's deflected cross fell loose in the box.

And another three minutes later, Doku doubled City's lead with a sublime, curling effort into the top-right corner after cutting in from the left.

Rayan Cherki put the result beyond doubt when he capped off an incredible move on 78 minutes, squirming away from Jeremie Frimpong and sliding under Alisson after a neat exchange on the edge of the box, in a move which saw every City player touch the ball.

As City closed in on a dominant victory, the Anfield crowd became increasingly subdued, until breaking out into anti-City chanting once more in the final minutes, in a sign of what Maresca's side will expect to face for the foreseeable future.

And former manager Pep Guardiola is expected to be in attendance when they return to UEFA Champions League action on Wednesday against holders Paris Saint-Germain, while Liverpool face a trip to LASK.