Manchester City players refuse to blame bus attack for Liverpool defeat

Manchester City players denied an attack on their coach before the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Liverpool was a factor in a stunning 3-0 loss to Jürgen Klopp’s side.

City conceded the goals in 19 first-half minutes to make Liverpool firm favourites to go through in Tuesday’s return. Home fans had hurled missiles at the bus on its way to ground – for which Liverpool apologised – causing the driver’s door to be smashed and the vehicle put out of commission but City refused to point to this.

“The bus incident had no effect on us,” Vincent Kompany said. “Not really. We have experienced that before.” Kevin De Bruyne agreed with his captain. “It was OK,” he said. “I don’t mind supporters doing that – I’ve had it a couple of times for my team and it’s a nice feeling. Breaking windows is probably not done but who am I to say something? I am fine with it as long as no one gets hurt. It doesn’t change anything [for the players]. As long as you keep the violence down, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

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Pep Guardiola expressed surprise at the attack. Merseyside police, which said two of its officers had been injured, announced beforehand a change of route which meant Liverpool fans were alerted to where the coach would pass. “Yesterday [it was] explained that it is going to happen,” Guardiola said. “Normally when the police know it is going to happen, they tried to avoid it from happening. So I did not expect that from the Liverpool side, their people. The bus is destroyed but I did not expect a prestigious club like Liverpool doing this kind of thing. It is not Liverpool, it is the people, but hopefully it does not happen again.”

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring on 12 minutes before goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mané on 20 and 31 minutes respectively. City lost 4-3 here in January’s Premier League fixture so Guardiola’s side have now allowed seven goals in the past two matches. Yet the manager denied City have problems defending against Liverpool.

“No I don’t think it is a problem,” he said. “The first time we played here we gave them the goals. Today the first one was a corner from Leroy [Sané] and they counterattacked. In that level the players are so good [and] it is not just about the defenders.”

Jordan Henderson’s booking means the Liverpool captain misses the second leg and Klopp has an injury concern regarding Salah after the Egyptian was forced off on 52 minutes. “He said to me immediately after the game: ‘All fine, all good’ but I hope that’s the case,” Klopp said. “We have to wait for that.”

As Liverpool did not allow an away goal, one goal for them at the Etihad would have City needing to score five. Yet Klopp said: “I didn’t think about that. We have conceded five there once already [in September’s league defeat]. I don’t think it makes it more likely we are through. I don’t feel it.

“We have to work. You have to celebrate the party when the party starts, not four weeks before and I cannot ignore that we have to play in between another game. The only place where the people are more happy about the result than here is Goodison [before Saturday’s Merseyside derby at Everton]. It is better than 3-1, better than 1-0. No one in the dressing room was dancing around.”

Guardiola insists City can knock Liverpool out. “Nobody believes we will go through,” he said. “We will convince ourselves tomorrow.”

Guardiola’s selection of Ilkay Gündoğan instead of Raheem Sterling was a surprise, given the former has never played on the right for City. Sterling replaced Gündoğan early in the second half. Asked if he thought the move had worked, Guardiola said: “We lost 3-0.”

Regarding the bus attack, Liverpool’s statement said: “We apologise unreservedly to Pep Guardiola, his players, staff and officials caught up in the incident. The behaviour of a number of individuals was completely unacceptable and the club will cooperate fully with the authorities to identify those responsible. The priority now is to establish the facts and offer Manchester City whatever support is necessary.”