Watch: The moment Donnarumma stormed back out of tunnel to confront Liverpool fans after ‘cheats’ chants
Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was involved in a heated confrontation with Liverpool supporters following his side’s controversial 3-0 Premier League victory at Anfield.
The Italian international appeared furious after being targeted with chants of “cheats” by sections of the home crowd as he made his way towards the tunnel following the final whistle.
Footage circulating on social media appeared to show Donnarumma turning back towards the supporters before club staff intervened to prevent the situation from escalating.
Gianluigi Donnarumma confronts Liverpool fans
Viral footage surfaced showing the Manchester City stopper angrily snapping back at a section of the Anfield crowd following the final whistle.
As the goalkeeper headed towards the tunnel, sections of the Anfield crowd could be heard chanting “Cheats” in the direction of the visiting players.
Rather than continuing inside, Donnarumma turned back towards the supporters and appeared to confront the fans.
The 27-year-old looked visibly angry as members of staff stepped in to usher him away from the confrontation.
Liverpool lost 3-0 after dubious refereeing from Chris Kavanagh
The hostile atmosphere came on the back of a controversial afternoon on the pitch, where Liverpool fell to a 3-0 defeat following dubious refereeing decisions by match official Chris Kavanagh.
The game turned completely on its head in the 62nd minute when Ryan Gravenberch was shown a harsh second yellow card for a soft challenge. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher slammed the dismissal as a “shocking decision”.
Capitalising on the numerical advantage, Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki struck within a frantic 13-minute blitz to seal the points for Enzo Maresca’s side.
The defeat brought Liverpool’s unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign to an abrupt end.
Man City’s financial charges controversy fuels hostile Anfield atmosphere
The atmosphere at Anfield had already been particularly hostile amid the ongoing fallout from Manchester City’s financial charges case.
The fixture came against the backdrop of reports that an independent panel had found City guilty of 114 alleged financial breaches.
Liverpool supporters made their feelings clear throughout the afternoon, with banners, boos and chants of “Going down” and “Cheats” directed towards the visitors.
The hostility continued after the final whistle and appeared to contribute to Donnarumma’s confrontation with supporters near the tunnel.
While City departed Anfield with three important Premier League points, the heated scenes involving their goalkeeper ensured the controversy continued well beyond the final whistle.
