Maresca confident City can overcome Anfield hostility amid fallout from financial breach verdict

Enzo Maresca is confident that Manchester City can handle the heat of a hostile Anfield atmosphere this weekend.

Manchester City travel to face Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, in the club's first fixture since an independent commission found the club guilty of historical financial breaches.

The trip to Liverpool will see City face an opponent among those most impacted by City's period of financial breaches. Liverpool missed out to City in the 2014 title race, while the Reds also finished as narrow runners-up in 2019 and 2022.

The two teams have been fierce rivals for major honours across the last decade, though a red-hot atmosphere is sure to be stoked further by recent events.

Maresca admits the home crowd will 'probably will be worse because of the situation' but is confident City can handle the pressure.

Maresca Backs Manchester City to silence hostile Anfield crowd in Premier League clash

"Yeah it will be a tough game, Liverpool, for sure. A test, as you said. We need to be ready, the focus needs to be about the game but we know the environment in Anfield," Maresca said at his pre-match press conference.

"It probably will be worse because of the situation, but again it will be our duty to do our best and try to win the game.

"Absolutely they can face the pressure, absolutely. We have players that they already experience similar situations. Enzo Fernandez, he's playing in Argentina. In Argentina it's almost every game to go to Anfield. So it's not a problem.

Asked if he had any personal concerns about the atmosphere, Maresca added: "If you ask the guys that are here I'm always concerned, not just Liverpool, I will also be concerned about Ipswich. I know that Anfield is a nice pitch, probably will even more warm in terms of environment but the reason I decide to become manager is for this kind of game."