‘Taking for granted’: Gary Neville noticed something different about the Anfield crowd as Liverpool beat City

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Gary Neville noticed something different about the Anfield crowd on Sunday as Liverpool beat Man City. He hasn’t seen it for years.

Gary Neville did commentary for Sky Sports on Sunday, meaning he was right in the thick of it as Liverpool beat Manchester City. It was an incredible game that eventually saw the Reds win 1-0. That’s not a result anyone really predicted beforehand.

After all, Liverpool aren’t in good form. They leak goals consistently against all sorts of opposition. Their control over games disappeared over the summer. They’re just not the same side that competed on every level last season.

So to come away with a clean-sheet and a win against City was extraordinary. They’re not only the champions but title favourites and were unbeaten all season.

But Liverpool found a way. The crowd played an enormous role in that, particularly after City’s disallowed goal. They were firmly up for the game – and in a way they haven’t been for some time.

That’s the feeling Neville got as he watched from the stands. This was a crowd treating their side as underdogs for once.

“Liverpool’s performances over the last five years have meant they’ve been confident coming into these games,” he told the Gary Neville Podcast. “But I actually think the crowd today performed like an underdog crowd.

“Clapping throw-ins, cheering throw-ins, tackles, passes, little good bits of quality play where you pass it out to your full-back that they’ve been taking for granted for many years. It felt a little how we [Manchester United] used to come here.”

Gary Neville notices Anfield change

Neville is absolutely right. The Anfield crowd did switch here, feeling a need to give the team something a little extra. The ‘confidence’ of recent years wasn’t there – but how could it be?

This isn’t the same side, after all, but a struggling one. The fact that the crowd sensed that together and provided an extra boost is honestly what makes the stadium so special.

The great Champions League runs are built on exactly that. When Liverpool are up against it, Anfield reacts in a way few stadiums can to get their side over the line. City were just the latest victims of that.