Manchester City Hit AEK Athens for Five But Empty Seats Draw Mockery

Foden fireworks and a new face

Manchester City continue to thrive amid infamy, matching Barcelona's perfect record this season at home and abroad. A resurgent Phil Foden scored a hat-trick in their 5-1 defeat of AEK Athens, while new signing Allan also impressed on a night when the champions flexed their attacking muscle.

The crowd that wasn't there

The official attendance for the AEK win was 40,402, but it looked smaller, and mockery duly descended on the club. There is mitigation for those who stayed away. High ticket prices for Champions League matches in tough economic times, combined with a run of five home matches in 17 days, offer context for the empty seats.

Even so, City remain in the crosshairs, and the sight of gaps in the stands raises eyebrows for a club reporting record revenues. Their critics are unlikely to let it drop, particularly given the disparity between commercial success and bums on seats.

Anfield's own gaps

It is also fair to point out that Anfield was not full, either, for Liverpool's 4-3 defeat of Villarreal, suggesting the issue is a broader one across the competition rather than unique to the Etihad.