Police officer hospitalised and 10 arrested as trouble flares after Man City's 3-0 win at Anfield
A Merseyside Police officer sustained a serious facial injury and 10 people were arrested after trouble flared when Liverpool hosted Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
The force said one man was arrested on suspicion of two offences of assault against a police constable following the game, which City won 3-0. The perpetrator was detained on Anfield Road at around 18:30 BST, and the injured officer, after being taken to hospital for treatment, "is now recovering at home".
Five held over tragedy chanting
Five fans were arrested on suspicion of tragedy chanting, while the other arrests included one supporter held on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and assault, two for affray, and one on suspicion of throwing items on to the pitch.
"The officers and stewards are there to protect the public and keep them safe, and it is extremely disappointing that an officer has sustained a serious injury while carrying out that duty," said Chief Inspector Leanne Hobin.
On the arrests for alleged tragedy chanting, Hobin said: "The tragic loss of life should never be a subject for tribal point-scoring."
"Football fans who chant about tragedies cause huge distress to the loved ones of people who died, and their behaviour has absolutely no place in football," she added. "We will continue to work with clubs to take action to identify any perpetrators and bring them to justice."
Hobin also praised the vast majority of those inside the ground: "Despite the actions of a few, the overwhelming majority of the 60,000 fans in attendance behaved well and I want to thank them for their co-operation."
A fevered, hostile afternoon
The trouble came at the end of an afternoon when tensions around the fixture were already heightened. Sunday's match was City's first since the club was found guilty of 114 charges over the breaching of Premier League financial rules, and the visitors had to navigate a hostile reception, taking an alternative route to Anfield and arriving through the staff and contractors' entrance amid heightened tensions.
Reds fans held up half-and-half scarves reading "Shamchester City – The Cheats", while banners inside the stadium carried messages such as "A Generation Of Supporters Cheated". City's line-up was drowned out by deafening jeers, and sections of the home support chanted "cheats" towards the end of the match. City fans, meanwhile, waved inflatable bananas as their team ran out comfortable winners.
On the pitch, City's victory — secured through goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki after Ryan Gravenberch's 62nd-minute red card — kept the visitors' 100% start to the Premier League season intact.