Maresca Defends City Celebrations After 3-0 Win at Anfield

Enzo Maresca has defended Manchester City's celebrations after their 3-0 win at Liverpool. The City head coach was blunt. Criticised for what?

Speaking on Tuesday before City's Champions League game against Paris St-Germain on Wednesday, Maresca was asked about pundits and media questioning the mood of his squad at Anfield. "What do you want us to do?" he said, adding that his players work every day to win games and were happy on the pitch and inside the changing room, according to BBC.

The Liverpool match was City's first game since an independent commission found the club guilty of charges relating to breaches of Premier League financial rules. City have appealed against that verdict.

Maresca said the celebrations would have looked exactly the same if City had won 1-0. "We won 0-3 at Anfield," he said. It was a point he returned to more than once. City, the Premier League leaders, had just won away at one of the hardest grounds in England.

Captain Ruben Dias backed him. "I stand by the manager's words," Dias said. He called the win "a show of how much it means to us" and said the players "are very calm and we trust the club" over the guilty verdict.

Maresca had already called it "the perfect away performance" after the game on Sunday, in comments reported by Manchester City. City rode out early pressure and a loud Anfield atmosphere before taking control, according to Reuters. Erling Haaland praised the team's attitude, mentality and character after the final whistle.

There was a familiar face in the away end. Alf-Inge Haaland, Erling's father, was among the City supporters at Anfield.

What makes this stand out is the timing. City are trying to play as normal while a huge off-pitch story hangs over them. Maresca had already rejected any suggestion on 9 October that the club's titles were tainted. Now the message from manager and captain is the same. Focus on the football.

For fans, this means Wednesday will be telling. The PSG tie, Europe's top club competition, is City's first home match since the verdict. Pep Guardiola, who won 20 trophies in 10 years as City manager before stepping aside at the end of last season, is expected to return to the Etihad Stadium for the game.