Maresca stands firm over Manchester City's Anfield celebrations

Manchester City's 3-0 win at Anfield on Sunday has sparked a row over how Enzo Maresca's players celebrated afterwards, with the Italian refusing to apologise for the scenes.

The Liverpool Echo reports that Maresca made a "good" vow regarding Liverpool and doubled down on his stance over the Man City charges in his post-match comments (Liverpool Echo). Sky Sports frames this as Maresca defending the Anfield celebrations in City's first game since the guilty verdict in their case, noting the scenes "sparked widespread criticism on social media" (Sky Sports).

Both BBC Sport and This Is Anfield highlight the same defiant quote from Maresca, with the Manchester City boss hitting back at critics by asking "Criticised for what?" (BBC Sport) (This Is Anfield). Sky Sports, in a separate piece, also carries his response "What do you want us to do?" when quizzed on the celebrations with fans following the 3-0 scoreline (Sky Sports). All three outlets agree that Maresca sees nothing wrong with how his players marked the win and was unapologetic when pressed by reporters.

Away from the touchline fallout, talkSPORT reports on a mischievous element to the occasion, claiming Liverpool players "orchestrated" a deliberate playlist choice aimed at needling their Manchester City counterparts before kick-off, including a Whitney Houston track among the songs played in the stadium (talkSPORT). This suggests tensions were simmering even before City ran out comfortable winners, adding context to why the post-match celebrations proved so provocative to Liverpool supporters.

Taken together, the coverage paints a picture of a heated Anfield afternoon that didn't end when the final whistle blew. The Liverpool Echo and Sky Sports both stress Maresca's refusal to back down on City's wider legal situation as well as the celebrations themselves (Liverpool Echo) (Sky Sports), while BBC Sport and This Is Anfield focus squarely on his "Criticised for what?" rebuttal (BBC Sport) (This Is Anfield). talkSPORT's playlist story adds a lighter subplot to an otherwise tense derby-like occasion, though it ties into the same combustible atmosphere that fuelled the post-match controversy (talkSPORT).

With City having won so emphatically and the celebrations now a talking point, Maresca's comments suggest he has no intention of toning things down should similar situations arise again.

Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.