Virgil van Dijk warned that Manchester City’s experience at Anfield on Sunday would foreshadow the hostile environments the club will face in the coming months. The Liverpool captain said the crowd’s chants and boos were a sign of things to come and that City players would need to learn to cope with such hostility.
The match at Anfield was City’s first since the club was found guilty of almost all the charges it faced for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules between 2009 and 2018. An independent commission concluded that City had overstated its income by £830.69 million, and that the club would have breached spending regulations in both the Premier League and Europe had it provided a true picture of its finances. The Liverpool fans denounced City as cheats in a series of chants, and van Dijk said it was impossible for the players not to hear them. City, however, remained unfazed and went on to win 3‑0 after Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute.
“I think everyone could hear it,” van Dijk said. “Everyone can share their feelings and I don’t think Anfield will be the only place where it will be the case because fans will have their feelings. But for players I don’t think it is a good idea at this moment in time to share their feelings.” He added that he would wait until City’s appeal was completed before commenting on the club’s alleged rule‑breaking. City’s appeal hearing must finish before Christmas, with a verdict to be announced within 30 days, and the club continues to deny any wrongdoing.
When asked whether the club’s past transgressions had changed his view of the rivalry, van Dijk said no. “I really enjoyed our rivalry and it was a great rivalry on the pitch,” he said. “What happened off the pitch is for others to find a conclusion on and then let’s see.” He also criticised the sending‑off of Gravenberch, calling the first yellow card for a foul on Elliot Anderson “soft,” and noted Liverpool’s own claims of inconsistency after Ronald Araújo was booked for a gesture and demanded a booking for Marc Guéhi for diving. Van Dijk questioned whether the red card was justified, saying, “We can’t use it as an excuse. We went down to 10 men and conceded pretty quickly after that and then it’s a very tough one.”
City’s 3‑0 win keeps them firmly in the title race, but the match’s events and the looming appeal hearing add pressure to the club’s season. The outcome of the appeal will be closely watched by both clubs and their supporters, and van Dijk’s comments suggest he will speak out once the verdict is announced.