Liverpool can be first to rap rocky City

“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns in all the world…”

It had to be Anfield.

Manchester City must feel like Rick in Casablanca when they play their first match after the guilty verdict.

The fixture list shows a wicked sense of humour with Liverpool more than happy to be the femme fatale on this occasion.

We can be sure City would have preferred a home tie after such an apocalyptic ruling.

And, if not, anywhere but at the club that suffered the most from their serial cheating.

‘Hostile’ does not begin to describe the welcome they’re guaranteed to receive.

Anything between “a bear pit” and “a cauldron of hate” is what City can expect when they take the field on Sunday night (Malaysian time).

Anfield was simmering at the best of times, and City’s bus was attacked en route to the ground on one occasion.

You suspect the route will be a closely guarded secret this weekend, but as soon as it’s spotted, the players can expect an eventful ride.

If that doesn’t shake them, the reception on the pitch will sort the men from the boys.

You have to feel a bit sorry for them, most of whom have been at the club for less than two years, and even the seniors cannot be blamed for the sins of their owners.

They can, though, be guilty of receiving “stolen goods”.

But it’s the head honchos, the plotters and the schemers, who should face football’s collective wrath.

People like chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who told UEFA when previously charged that they would sue for the next decade.

And what about Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan himself, who has only ever attended one Premier League game at the Etihad?

At least it would show some cojones if he turned up for this one.

Judging by City’s bullish response so far, it seems that they still don’t get it.

And if they put the warmth of Sunday’s “welcome” down to historic rivalry, they may be surprised to find hostility on every English ground they visit. And maybe a few foreign ones, too.

Let’s face it, City have cheated Europe as well.

And Liverpool fans are already saying they’ve never had so many fans of other clubs wanting them to win on Sunday.

Gary Neville puts it like this: “If City want to understand how angry the football world is, then Anfield will tell them in a way you would never believe.

“There will be banners, there will be chants, it will be a brutal day for them.”

Perhaps only then will the £900 million’s worth of pennies begin to drop.

City’s conniving and dishonest owners have turned a famous club into the pariahs of football, with every club suffering under the weight of their chicanery.

Liverpool came off worst, having had a likely golden era fall victim to blatant larceny.

Titles pinched. Winnings embezzled. Glory stolen.

Three times, they were pipped to the EPL title by fine margins, just 11 millimetres being the difference in 2019.

A rule-breaking £900 million of “disguised funding” was the real difference.

Not just football fans will be watching to see how this plays out.

City has reported that staff have been abused in the street. New players are bewildered and have their agents poring over their contracts.

You would love to know who had relegation clauses inserted.

They’ve had three weeks of international break to digest this, but it cannot have gone down very well.

Enzo Maresca has been defiant, as has Pep Guardiola, who is promising to attend the PSG game at the Etihad on Wednesday.

Most City fans will rally behind the team whose best bet seems to be to acquire “a siege mentality” because that’s how the season is going to feel.

They had started so well, winning every game to top the table. The match at Liverpool always stood out as a potential cracker with Andoni Iraola’s side still waiting for a spark.

Sunday’s atmosphere and City’s vulnerability could provide it.

Jeremy Jacquet looks a gem of a signing and with kids like Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni coming through, the prospects look brighter on Merseyside.

If Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister can maintain their recent improvements, a decent season is in prospect.

But Florian Wirtz remains an enigma. His last season at Bayer Leverkusen saw him tot up 31 goal involvements. Last season at Liverpool, he got 18.

Although he scored a good goal for Jurgen Klopp’s Germany in the break, he still didn’t look like his old self.

At least Alexander Isak is beginning to resemble the striker Newcastle once had.

When you look at City and see the glittering array of exciting talent they have, the swindle makes you even more angry.

It would have been fascinating to see if they could challenge Arsenal, with many neutrals favouring City because they’re a much better watch.

But no more: from now on, the view is bound to be jaundiced.

We will not know where we stand until the appeal has been heard and probably well beyond that.

It’s unthinkable that the verdict can be overturned – English football would be a laughing stock.

So we have to hope that appropriate punishment is dished out soon. A points deduction to relegate them at least two divisions, a transfer ban and a monumental fine to be distributed to the rest of the league, including the EFL, is just the minimum for what is a crime against football.

In the meantime, clubs will show how they feel, starting with Liverpool on Sunday.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.