Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has lauded Manchester City for their commanding 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield, describing the result as one that cannot be diminished despite the financial cloud hanging over the club. The win, secured on Sunday, extended City's perfect Premier League start to six wins from six matches this season.

A Historic Win at Anfield

Anfield has historically been an unwelcoming venue for Manchester City, but Enzo Maresca's side delivered a dominant all-round performance to silence the home crowd. The victory followed City's 2-1 win at the same ground in February, making it back-to-back league victories at Anfield — a feat the club had not achieved since January 1953, over seven decades ago.

What Gary Neville Said

Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville acknowledged the charged atmosphere at Anfield, noting that Liverpool supporters were chanting 'you're going down' at City's players. Despite the off-field uncertainty surrounding the club, he was unequivocal in his praise.

'Anfield is a very difficult ground to win at. Those City players and staff are celebrating together. Liverpool fans are singing 'you're going down.' So you get a sense of the background of this game. You don't know where City are going to end up but you can't take that performance away from Enzo Maresca and his players,' Neville said.

He also singled out individual performers, stating: 'Ruben Dias, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Elliott Anderson were excellent.'

Financial Charges Loom Over the Club

The victory arrived at a deeply consequential moment for Manchester City. A Premier League independent commission found the club guilty of 115 charges related to serious financial breaches last month. Potential sanctions including heavy points deductions or even relegation remain on the table, though City have strongly denied the findings and are widely expected to lodge an immediate appeal.

Neville himself noted the awkwardness of commentating on City in this context. 'That's the first Man City game I've done since the charges came out a few weeks ago. I did say if you could take me off Man City games until the verdict, that'd be perfect,' he said. 'We should be able to praise the win without the thing in the back of your mind... At the end of the game you're imagining if the guilty verdicts are confirmed there's going to be a cloud over the club,' he added.

What This Means for the Title Race

A perfect six-from-six start places Manchester City firmly among the early Premier League pacesetters, with Maresca — taking charge of his first full season at the club — making an emphatic statement. However, the looming adjudication on the financial charges means the table's arithmetic could be subject to dramatic revision, creating an unusual dual narrative around one of English football's dominant forces.

How City navigate the legal proceedings while sustaining their on-field form will define one of the most scrutinised seasons in Premier League history.