Merseyside Police are investigating a report concerning criminal damage to Manchester City’s team coach as it left Anfield after Sunday’s Premier League clash against Liverpool. An image online shows damage to the windscreen, and after confirming an allegation had been made on Monday, the Merseyside Police are now conducting further enquiries.
Liverpool beat Man City 1-0 in a heated affair, marred by offensive chants from the away fans and coins thrown at Pep Guardiola by their home counterparts. And tensions were high outside the ground, with City claiming a missile on Anfield Road damaged their bus as they left the stadium.
On Tuesday, a Merseyside Police statement read: “We have now received a report of alleged criminal damage of the Manchester City team coach following the Liverpool and Manchester City game on Sunday, 16 October. The incident of alleged damage to the windscreen was reported to us yesterday, Tuesday, 18 October, and further enquiries are ongoing.
“Anyone with information, video, CCTV or dashcam footage is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ quoting reference 22000766792. You can also call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”
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Sunday was not the first time off-field events had marred an encounter between Liverpool and Man City at Anfield. The visitors had ‘bottles and stones’ thrown at their team coach after a defeat in April 2014, and the vehicle was damaged again in an incident before a Champions League game in 2018.
Last season, members of City’s backroom complained that some home supporters sat behind the dugout spat at them. And after a furious Guardiola reacted to VAR disallowing Phil Foden’s opener at the weekend, coins – totalling £2.50 – were aimed at him from the stands.
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After full-time, the Catalan coach joked about the incident, taunting those culpable for missing the target. “Next time, they will do it better,” Guardiola told reporters. “They didn’t get me. They tried but didn’t get me. They got it on the coach years ago but not this time.”
Liverpool have announced they will study CCTV footage from Sunday’s match and issue lifetime stadium bans to any fan in the stands found guilty of throwing coins at Guardiola. The Reds also condemned Man City fans for ‘vile chants’ and graffiti in the away concourse, vowing to work with the relevant authorities to eradicate such behaviour in the future.
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