Troubled Man City seals statement win

LIVERPOOL — Manchester City shrugged off the threat of huge sanctions to beat 10-man Liverpool, 3-0, in their first game since being found guilty on more than 100 charges of breaking Premier League financial rules. Second-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki extended City’s flawless start under Enzo Maresca after Ryan Gravenberch had been sent off for two yellow cards. City reestablished their three-point lead at the top of the table, but the future of any title challenge rests on the outcome of the club’s appeal against widespread financial impropriety. “We need to learn how to deal with the outside noise, but make our own noise, which is to win games,” said Maresca. “Our fans were singing at the end, so the noise was from us.” An independent commission found City and their Emirati owners arranged “sham” deals to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million ($1.2 billion) between 2009 and 2018. No sanction has yet been handed down, but a severe points deduction or even expulsion from the English top flight are on the table unless City overturn the decision. There has even been speculation there could be retrospective action to strip titles. “The uncertainty is not good for anyone,”...