Maresca's message after a famous night for City

Enzo Maresca made no attempt to hide his delight after Manchester City left Anfield with a 3-0 win on Sunday, describing the result as "good for all" at a club that has spent the past fortnight in the eye of a storm. The victory came in City's first match since an independent commission found them guilty of 114 Premier League financial breaches, a verdict that could ultimately see them removed from the competition entirely.

Maresca, though, is not losing sleep over that possibility. "You cannot imagine how happy I am," he said. "I don't care about (the charges), I'm here to try to prepare the games and win games. I said many times, hopefully I can speak about this situation when we're going to win the appeal." The message was clear: City are contesting the verdict, and Maresca intends to keep his focus firmly on the football while that process plays out.

A result that City's whole organisation needed

The win itself was shaped in no small part by the controversial dismissal of Ryan Gravenberch just after the hour mark, with the match still goalless at the time. Once Liverpool were reduced to ten men, City took full advantage, and Maresca acknowledged the timing of events played a significant part. "It was just the right timing," he said. "You know, the red card, the first goal from Erling (Haaland), so many, many, many things."

For Maresca, the significance of the result stretched well beyond three points. "Winning 3-0 at Anfield away, it's a great result for sure. I think in this moment all the organisation needs this kind of win, so it's good for us as a coaching staff, it's good for the players, it's good for the fans, it's good for the organisation. This kind of win is good for all the club." With City Football Group chief Ferran Soriano travelling with the squad, the feeling inside that camp will be that a statement was made at the right moment.

Handling the noise, making their own

City arrived at Anfield via a side entrance after taking an alternative route to the ground, and were met with sustained hostility from Liverpool supporters throughout the afternoon, given the history between the two clubs and the weight of the charges hanging over City. Maresca acknowledged the atmosphere but insisted his players were not rattled by it.

"The players they just focus on football," he said. "They are not thinking about the noise, about what's happening in the future. They are 20, 25, 28, they just focus on what they like, that is play games, and that's it." He was equally direct about what he expects from his side in every away ground they visit from here. "All the away games, they're going to be with noise. So that's why I'm saying that we need to learn how to deal with the noise, but at the same time we need to make our noise. And our noise is we're singing at the end, our fans, us, and this has to be our target in this moment."

For Liverpool, the task now is to respond. Losing at home in these circumstances, with the red card controversy still raw and City's legal situation unresolved, leaves a bitter aftertaste, and how the Reds react in the fixtures ahead will say plenty about where this season is heading.