Jamie Carragher urges Andoni Iraola to use ‘cheat code’ tactic against Man City after guilty verdict

Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola to rile up the Anfield crowd for the visit of Manchester City on Sunday (October 11).

The trip to Anfield will be City’s men’s team’s first match since the club was found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League, most of which relate to breaches of financial rules.

City have since appealed the verdict and maintain they have a “comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists” to support their position.

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Jamie Carragher urges Andoni Iraola to rile up Liverpool crowd

Potential punishments if the guilty verdict is upheld include suspension from playing in the league, points deductions, the replaying of matches, expulsion from the league, being ordered to pay compensation to other clubs, automatic relegation and even the stripping of titles.

Given Liverpool were arguably the team most affected by City’s breaches – with the side then led by Jürgen Klopp battling with Pep Guardiola’s team for the Premier League title between 2018 and 2024, as well as Manuel Pellegrini’s side pipping the Reds to the 2013/14 title – City’s current crop of players are expected to encounter a partisan atmosphere on Sunday.

Former Liverpool captain Carragher believes Iraola should use this as a tactic to motivate his players and get the crowd going, giving Liverpool a ‘cheat code’ to gain all three points and continue their unbeaten start to the 2026/27 campaign.

“I've been thinking about this game a lot because we've had such a long break,” Carragher said on the most recent episode of The Overlap.

“It almost feels like it's an important game for Liverpool because I feel like everyone's almost expecting this atmosphere at Anfield. Now this atmosphere will be there, but this team and this manager, because it's new, have probably not used the Anfield crowd yet to sort of propel it to a performance and win a big game – maybe Atletico Madrid had features of that without it being a full-on rocking night.

“I'm really interested to see how Liverpool go about it and the manager understanding how he uses this crowd. I'm really interested to see what the manager says before the game, actually, because I don't think it's in his nature to ramp things up. He just doesn't come across as that – ‘I just want to speak about football’, and I can see him batting the City charges away.

“And I'm thinking, ‘I wouldn't mind him just throwing a little hand grenade in there and just revving the supporters up and using the atmosphere to gain the three points, which is the most important thing.’”

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What did Erling Haaland say about the charges verdict ahead of the Liverpool clash?

Carragher’s comments came a day after City forward Erling Haaland finally addressed the guilty verdict, with the Norway international having previously been pulled from media duties during the international break.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Haaland urged City’s fans to “stick together, enjoy the ride and smile”.

He explained: “They're going to have a good time [at Anfield].

“We have to stick together. We have to stay with each other, and we have to stay positive. No matter what happens in life, we always have to have a smile.

“So we have to stay positive, look ahead, and try to win football games and try to enjoy the situation and win the game.

“We have to stick together; we have to spread the love to each other. So yeah: stick together, and enjoy the ride and smile.”

He added: “I care a lot about the city, I have to say. I care a lot about the fans because I'm a fan myself, and I feel with them as well.”

In an interview with club media, head coach Maresca insisted that the “feeling is fantastic” among the squad despite the obvious negative cloud hanging over the club.