Manchester City attacking midfielder Iliman Ndiaye found himself at the centre of a heated moment following the final whistle of Sunday’s match at Anfield, where they thrashed Liverpool 3-0. As he made his way to the tunnel, the Senegalese winger provocatively shouted the iconic chant of the Merseyside rivals: “Up the Toffees!”
This bold response came after a barrage of insults hurled at the City players from the Liverpool crowd post-match. Ndiaye’s shout was quickly captured on video and has since made its rounds on social media.
The Merseyside context and £65 million transfer
Ndiaye's outburst was deeply personal. The midfielder had just joined Manchester City a few weeks prior on transfer deadline day for a hefty £65 million from Everton. During his two seasons at the club, he became a firm favourite among the blue half of Merseyside, having scored historic goals at the iconic Goodison Park and netting the very first goal at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium. Opting out of a contract extension, he made the switch to the Cityzens, who were keen to bolster their attacking options.
In Sunday’s clash, Ndiaye started the match but was substituted for Jeremy Doku in the second half. Doku played a pivotal role, contributing to all three goals after the dismissal of Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch, sealing a comprehensive 3-0 win. The away section of City fans celebrated with inflatable bananas and boisterous displays, while the home crowd simmered with frustration.
Electric atmosphere at Anfield
The rivalry was palpable even before the kickoff. For Pep Guardiola's side, this was their first game following a verdict from an independent commission, which found the club guilty on 114 out of 115 breaches of Premier League financial rules from 2009 to 2018.
Liverpool fans, whose team had lost out to Manchester City for the title in several of those seasons amidst fierce competition, chanted accusations of fraud at the visitors from start to finish, unfurling scathing banners and greeting every touch from the City players with deafening boos. The insults continued as the players left for the tunnel, prompting Ndiaye to pop his head back out onto the pitch and loudly remind the home fans of the eternal city derby with his chant in support of Everton.
