Man City plan for dealing with hostile Liverpool reception revealed ahead of Anfield clash

Manchester City have come up with a plan to deal with a hostile Anfield reception ahead of their match against Liverpool.

City and Liverpool will go head-to-head at Anfield on Sunday in arguably the biggest match of the Premier League season.

The two clubs are locked into another close title race - with Arsenal for company - with Liverpool currently one point ahead of City and two above the Gunners.

With so much riding on the match, City are doing everything in their power to give them the best chance of leaving Merseyside with all three points.

Following incidents in recent years, that includes carefully planning their pre-match preparations.

Pep Guardiola and his squad usually travel to away matched the night beforehand and stay in a nearby hotel.

However, according to Mail Online, City have decided to remain in Manchester on Saturday evening to avoid the risk of firework displays or other disturbances in the middle of the night outside their hotel.

City will instead travel to Merseyside by coach on Sunday morning, and are likely to have a pre-match meal at a nearby hotel in the hours before kick-off.

Incidents in recent years have likely contributed to City taking this decision.

Pep Guardiola and City are not taking any chances. (Image: Getty)

City's team bus was badly damaged by Liverpool supporters as it arrived at Anfield ahead of a Champions League quarter-final first leg tie in 2018.

A similar incident occurred as the City squad left Anfield following a 0-1 defeat in October 2022, a game during which Pep Guardiola claimed a supporter threw a coin at him.

Last year, Liverpool fans set off fireworks in the middle of the night outside the hotel where the Real Madrid squad was staying, although Los Blancos still won 5-2.

Earlier this week, Erling Haaland and Trent Alexander-Arnold traded digs as the build-up to the game heated up.