Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool finished second in the 2018-19 season, accumulating a staggering 98 points, while winning 30 matches and losing just once. City incredibly pipped them to the Premier League trophy by one point. A strikingly similar scenario occurred in the 2021-22 campaign, with Liverpool placing as runners-up with 92 points. You guessed it, City had 93.

What’s done is done, and ultimately we are entering a territory of ifs, buts and maybes. However, if City’s appeal against the charges is unsuccessful and the guilty verdict is upheld, then Liverpool would have unfairly missed out on historic success and lifelong memories.

The current City players found themselves in a peculiar situation as none of this is their fault, but they’ll be the ones who receive the brunt of abuse from rival fans as the public-facing figures of the club. They’ll need to be braced for a hostile reception at every away ground in England. However, you can expect Anfield to turn up the heat to one of the highest levels, given the aforementioned landscape and how City’s actions have impacted Liverpool’s trophy haul.