Manchester City and Liverpool players snuck into Anfield via an alternative route on Sunday afternoon to avoid a crowd of fans waiting at the usual entrance. Merseyside Police are believed to have beefed up their resources ahead of the match, with issues arising between the two sets of supporters in recent seasons.
A crowd of fans lined the street hours before kick-off to welcome the Liverpool players and ensure the City camp arrived in a hostile atmosphere. A significant police presence outside Anfield was symbolic of the recent issues that have broken out between the Reds and the Sky Blues.
City’s team bus was notably pelted with objects ahead of their Champions League meeting with Liverpool in 2018. And authorities were seemingly in no mood to risk a repeat, as The Daily Mail claim City players and staff ‘snuck in’ underneath the new stand.
Liverpool’s bus had also taken a detour to avoid the crowds, with police drones flying overhead to help identify culprits in potential instances of pre-match trouble.
Leading up to Sunday’s high-stakes Premier League showdown, Merseyside Police Chief Inspector Iain Wake said: “A comprehensive and proportionate policing operation has been put in place ahead of the game – and we have liaised with both clubs and their supporter groups.
“We will have officers on duty at the ground and the surrounding area, both uniformed and plain clothed, supported by CCTV, the Dog Section, mounted police and other specialist resources.”
“I do the job myself so I see excellence when I face it and Pep is definitely that,” said the German. “The way he has influenced football, winning the amount of trophies he was won in his career.
“But if you see him on the touchline he behaves like he has never won before. The desire he has is absolutely outstanding. In my lifetime he is the outstanding manager, definitely.”
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