Manchester City travel to Liverpool on Sunday for the first time since the independent commission ruled that the club was guilty of the majority of 118 financial charges brought by the Premier League. City maintain they are innocent, and the outcome of the appeal is yet to be determined.
City manager Enzo Maresca stated on Friday that the club's titles were in no way tainted. City have won all five of their matches this season and sit at the top of the table.
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola expects an open contest. "It is an exciting game. We play at home at Anfield against City who are at the top of the table and have won all their matches," said Iraola. "We are going for the win, they will go for theirs, and it will be a very open game. We have to be ready. I hope we will be at the level of the game, which will be high."
Asked if this is the kind of game he enjoys taking charge of at Liverpool, Iraola replied: "Yes, we are here to play these games. We know it will be demanding. They are very good, but we are also very good."
This will be the first time since 2015 that neither Jürgen Klopp nor Pep Guardiola will be on the bench for this fixture. Liverpool's Tom Werner will be in attendance at the match.
Liverpool finished second behind Manchester City in the 2013-14 season, and also in 2018-19 and 2021-22, when Klopp's side secured 97 and 92 points respectively.
John Achterberg, who was the goalkeeping coach at Liverpool under Rodgers and Klopp, told The Athletic: "You think about the memories and the achievements that were unfairly denied to you." He added: "We won one title [in 2019-20], but it could have been four, given that we lost to City on three occasions with such narrow margins."
Iraola highlighted that the greatest uncertainty lies in the lack of certainty. "The worst thing is that there is no certainty. Nobody knows what will happen. We have to focus on Liverpool and be the best club and the best team we can be. That is my challenge," he said.
A recap of previous encounters includes 2018, when Liverpool were fined €20,000 (£17,500) by UEFA after fans threw projectiles at City's bus before the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Anfield. Liverpool then scored three goals in 19 minutes in the first half and eliminated City. Earlier that season, in January, Klopp's side had broken City's unbeaten run in the league with a 4-3 victory at Anfield.
Guardiola said in 2019: "There is something about this stadium that you won't find anywhere else in the world. You score a goal and in the next five minutes you feel you are going to concede four. You feel small, and the opposing players seem to be everywhere."
Merseyside Police state that a police plan will be in place for Sunday, but they did not wish to comment in detail to BBC Sport on the matter. There is an expectation that the team buses will be greeted upon arrival. Banners have been posted on social media announcing a 'bus welcome' at Anfield Road. It remains unclear whether a different route will be used for the bus, but this has happened at Anfield before.
Inside the stadium, Liverpool is known for its collection of banners and flags, and many are planned. One post on social media suggested that fans might bring piles of fake money. The club's stance is 'business as usual', and discussions with police regarding security are regular meetings held before every match.
