Man City Players Ready for Liverpool and PSG Matches, Maresca

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has said he and his players are focused on football despite the “noise” around the club as they get ready to face Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.

City will head to Anfield for the 4:30 PM UK time kick-off before they host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League three days later.

Maresca, in a statement on the club website on Thursday, said the club had been clear about its position. He mentioned that he and the players trust the club's leadership, adding that their focus is on what they can control on the pitch.

“Personally I’m very calm to be honest,” he said. “The Club has been quite clear. We trust completely the Club.

“We understand the noise but the focus for us is just what we can control and we can control just the football side.”

The City manager said the players are excited about the upcoming matches, especially since the team is top of the league.

“The feeling is fantastic, to be honest. The players are excited for the next two games. But especially they are excited because in this moment we are top of the league.

“The players are just focused on that. They know what we can control is the football side, they are not worried at all about different things.”

Maresca said the players know there is noise around the club but they are concentrating on their professional duties. They are ready for the challenge of facing Liverpool at Anfield.

“They know their profession and they know that the noise is there but they don’t care too much about the noise. They are just focused in this moment on how we can beat Liverpool and how, together with the fans, we can try to win in Anfield.”

PUNCH Online reports that these comments come amid controversy over Manchester City’s Premier League financial rules case. An independent commission found the club guilty of 114 of the 115 charges regarding alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018.

The findings included breaches involving financial reporting, sponsorship agreements and spending limits, as well as failures to cooperate with the league’s investigation. City has denied any wrongdoing and is appealing the decision, while sanctions have not yet been decided.