Before the visiting side had taken the field at Anfield, chants from Liverpool supporters were already audible throughout the ground, with sections of the crowd directing songs at Manchester City in relation to the legal case the club is currently contesting. Chants referencing the threat of relegation rang out from the stands as the City squad took to the pitch.
Jeers and an atmosphere of open hostility met both goalkeepers — Donnarumma and his deputy Rulli — as they stepped onto the field during the warm-up period ahead of kick-off.
Stalls near the Anfield entrance offered goods that took aim at the legal proceedings hanging over City. Merchandise tables held an assortment of scarves, T-shirts, and flags. Among the supporter displays visible that day, a scarf bearing the words 'Shamchester City - The Cheats' was present alongside a flag on which Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland, and other members of the squad had been depicted wearing prison clothing.
Flags and banners stretched across the away section, where supporters who had made the trip were visible throughout the match. One banner among those displayed read "In Khaldoon We Trust - We've Won It All," a phrase addressed to club chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, who is leading the appeal proceedings and has stated that the club holds evidence to support its case.
Whistles and jeers greeted Haaland and his teammates as they took to the pitch for the pre-match warm-up. The squad's demeanour in the build-up to kick-off gave little outward indication of distraction. Ahead of the opening whistle, Dias pulled his players together in the tunnel for a short address.
The visiting side's coach took an alternative approach into the stadium, steering clear of the supporters who had gathered in numbers outside Anfield. Maresca led his players into the ground under a substantial police presence, with the arrival passing off without incident. Both coaches rolled into their respective ends of the ground at roughly the same time, Liverpool's arriving at the Anfield Road end while Manchester City's pulled up on the opposite side.
Two coaches bearing City markings, their windows blanked out, pulled off Arkles Lane under police outrider escort and descended into the garage beneath the Anfield Road Stand.
Calls of "cheats" were audible among sections of the home crowd gathered near the Anfield Road end of the stadium. Along both flanks of Anfield Road, crowds numbering in the thousands had assembled to watch. A handful of people climbed onto porch rooftops and over the tops of railings to get a better view. Crimson smoke from flares was visible across the area.
Two entry plans for the ground had been drawn up by City, shaped through talks held with Greater Manchester Police, Merseyside Police, and Liverpool Council. The club had been hoping the players' arrival would pass off without disruption. Two routes were under consideration — one following the conventional path, the other threading past the Arkles pub. Bottles were thrown at the City team bus outside the Arkles pub during a Champions League match in 2018, making the venue a recurring flashpoint in the area's matchday history.
A contingent of eight riot vans and a substantial number of officers was assembled to carry out the operation. As the team bus drew near, the Liverpool supporters in attendance gave little indication of knowing a different route had been used.
