Liverpool prepare to host Manchester City following Premier League financial ruling

Liverpool are preparing to host Manchester City on Sunday for the 202nd match between the two clubs across all competitions, Al Jazeera reported. City enter the match leading the Premier League table with 15 points, six points ahead of sixth-placed Liverpool. Al Jazeera added that Liverpool hold the overall head-to-head record with 95 wins to City's 53, alongside 53 draws. [1]

The match comes after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of Premier League financial rule breaches covering the period from 2009-10 to 2017-18, according to CBS Sports and the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail reported that City were found guilty of 114 of 115 charges. City are appealing the decision, CBS Sports and the Daily Mail both reported. [3][4][7]

Secret settlement discussions between Manchester City and the Premier League broke down prior to the verdict because the parties could not agree on terms, according to reporting by the Daily Mail citing Bloomberg. The Daily Mail said the club could have faced a heavy fine if a deal had been reached instead of risking severe sanctions. [4]

In related developments, Portuguese authorities suspended a decision to end witness protection for a computer hacker whose document leaks helped trigger the Premier League investigation into Manchester City, BBC Sport reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca said squad members remain focused on the upcoming fixture despite the verdict. [6][16]