"A huge cloud hangs over the Premier League": Neville warns of a disaster trailing Manchester City
"We must praise them without any hesitation or doubt"
Gary Neville, the Manchester United legend, has warned that the continuing conviction of Manchester City "is very bad for the Premier League" after their stunning win over Liverpool.
The former United defender can't bring himself to praise City's performance without the uncertainty over the club's future creeping in.
Enzo Maresca's side kept their perfect start to the Premier League season intact with a 3-0 win at Anfield.
Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki all scored after Ryan Gravenberch saw red in the second half.
Behind the result sat a far messier story. The Etihad club has been found guilty of more than 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules across nine seasons.
City have appealed and now await the outcome, with severe sanctions still on the table.
For Neville, that limbo hangs over the whole of English football.
Speaking on "Sky Sports", he said: "Winning at Anfield is extremely difficult, and we must praise them without any hesitation or doubt."
He continued: "But there is that thing going around in your mind, which is that they did a great job here today. Obviously they controlled the game in the last 20 minutes since the red card. They held out."
What really worries Neville is the months ahead, and what happens if the guilty verdict stands.
He added: "If these guilty verdicts are confirmed in January or February, Manchester City will not be in the position they are in now, and there will be a huge cloud hanging over the entire league."
He went on: "And that is not good for the Premier League at the moment. That is what I realised today. This is a very bad thing for the Premier League, and it will go on for several months."
Anfield gave City a hostile welcome. Liverpool supporters raised banners and sang about the financial scandal throughout.
None of it rattled Maresca's men. A sixth straight league win took them three points clear at the top.
