Manchester City bus route for Liverpool showdown revealed as Merseyside Police place ‘extra focus’ on journey

Merseyside Police will reportedly place ‘extra focus’ on the bus route taken by Manchester City to Anfield on Sunday afternoon following previous problems.

The instruction from the regional police force comes after a number of attacks on Manchester City’s team coach during previous visits to Anfield, most notably in 2018 for a UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie between the two clubs.

That incident came in April 2018, as Manchester City’s coach was pelted with missiles – including glass bottles and coins – by Liverpool fans as it was held at a tight corner leading up to Anfield ahead of a rare European meeting.

Tensions further rose during a Carabao Cup meeting last season, which saw a teenage girl hit by a beer pot filled with coins, forcing Manchester City to reduce the allocation for traveling Liverpool supporters.

Now, according to the information of MailSport’s Mike Keegan, Merseyside Police will ‘place extra focus’ on Manchester City’s bus route into Anfield stadium, following a number of previous problems involving Liverpool supporters.

It is further revealed that the Premier League champions will take the ‘usual route’ into the home of Jurgen Klopp’s side for Sunday afternoon’s mammoth encounter between the two sides separated by one point in the division at present.

Manchester City remained within touching distance of their Merseyside rivals on Sunday afternoon as they came from behind to defeat Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, despite Marcus Rashford’s early first-half opener.

Phil Foden’s inspired performance in the second-half saw the Manchester City academy graduate score twice, before Erling Haaland rounded off the scoring in injury time to secure yet another derby day success and complete the league double for the Champions this season.

Sandwiched between the iconic Manchester derby and City’s trip to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon is a UEFA Champions League last-16 second-leg meeting with FC Copenhagen, with Pep Guardiola’s men holding a 3-1 advantage from the first-leg.