Manchester City captain Ruben Dias has issued a defiant response regarding his side’s exuberant celebrations following their 3-0 victory against Liverpool at Anfield last weekend. Speaking on Tuesday, the Portugal international dismissed external criticism, stating that while the public may not appreciate the club’s success, the players remain focused on their own ambitions. His comments arrive at a challenging time for the club, as the team continues to play under the shadow of a verdict that found them guilty of over 100 breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair-play regulations. With every match featuring the team now played under a huge cloud of uncertainty, city have appealed the verdict. It would be exactly the same, even if it was 1-0. It’s the only thing that we can think about and be focused [on].”.
The match at Anfield marked City’s first appearance since the conclusion of that legal case, during which the traveling squad faced persistent jeering from home supporters. Despite the pressure, the result keeps the side at the summit of the Premier League table, currently three points clear of title holders Arsenal, having secured six wins from their opening six fixtures. City has since filed an appeal against the ruling, which included 34 separate charges related to a failure to cooperate with league investigators.
Dias stressed that the squad remains united amidst the intense scrutiny. “I really feel like I speak for the whole group; we trust the club,” the captain insisted. Addressing the hostility directed toward the team, he noted that the noise surrounding the club does not change the group’s internal objective. “If there’s more or less noise or whatever the reason the noise is, at the end of the day it’s all the same, same as before, because people don’t love us winning and we love to win,” he added.
Manager Enzo Maresca also rejected the suggestion that his players should have moderated their reaction to the win against a 10-man Liverpool side. “Criticised for what? We won 3-0 at Anfield. What do you want us to do?” he asked. Maresca emphasized that the team will celebrate in the moment as a reflection of the victory’s importance. He admitted, however, that the current situation is likely more difficult for the club’s supporters than for those on the pitch, noting that fans are frequently subjected to taunts of being cheaters by rival supporters. “We will celebrate however it feels in the moment, and it will obviously be a show of how much it means to us.”.
Looking ahead, City faces a significant test on Wednesday when they host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. PSG, who are financed by the Qatari state, are currently chasing a third consecutive title in the competition, a run that notably included a 4-2 comeback victory over City in the 2024-25 season. Maresca described their opponents as currently the best team in Europe and emphasized that his squad must produce a “perfect game” to secure a positive result. With City backed by the ruling family of Abu Dhabi while PSG are financed by the Qatari state, both clubs are bankrolled by wealthy owners from the Gulf. Dias backed Maresca by saying, “To win at Anfield in whatever circumstance, whether it’s earlier in the season or later in the season, we will enjoy it just as much.
The fixture at the Etihad Stadium will also mark a notable return for former City manager Pep Guardiola, who is expected to attend the match. This will be his first visit to the stadium since concluding his decade-long tenure at the club last season. Maresca expressed his enthusiasm for the potential visit, noting that he had spoken with Guardiola following the recent Manchester derby. He described the prospect of the former manager returning to what was his home for ten years as a positive and exciting development for the entire club.
