Roy Keane has blasted Manchester City after post-match celebrations from the visitors’ dressing room were heard during Liverpool manager Arne Slot’s television interview.
The former Manchester United captain accused the Cityzens of showing a “lack of respect” following their dramatic late victory at Anfield.
City looked set for another damaging afternoon in the Premier League title race when Dominik Szoboszlai fired Liverpool ahead with just 16 minutes remaining.
The atmosphere inside the ground suggested the Reds were closing in on a crucial win that would further dent Pep Guardiola’s hopes of reeling in Arsenal at the summit.
Yet the contest was transformed in the closing stages. Bernardo Silva hauled City level with a composed finish before Erling Haaland completed a remarkable turnaround deep into stoppage time, striking in the 93rd minute to silence the home crowd.
The result triggered wild celebrations among the 3,000 travelling supporters and within the City camp.
As the players retreated to the dressing room, music could be heard booming through the corridors of Anfield while Slot was fulfilling his media duties. The timing of the celebrations clearly irritated Keane, who felt the behaviour lacked basic courtesy.
“I will be interested to see if the music is on when Pep is doing his talk,” Keane said on Sky Sports. “Man City are entitled to enjoy themselves, but they have to show a little bit of respect.
“Turn the bloody music down while people are doing press interviews. It is ridiculous.”
While acknowledging City’s right to savour an important win, Keane suggested the Sky Blues should be more mindful of their surroundings, particularly in an opponent’s stadium.
Keane hails City character despite criticism
Beyond the controversy, Keane was full of praise for the way Guardiola’s side responded to adversity on the pitch.
City arrived on Merseyside under pressure, aware that anything less than victory would leave their title ambitions hanging by a thread.
For long periods Liverpool appeared to have the measure of their rivals. Slot’s team pressed aggressively and limited City’s usual control in midfield, eventually taking the lead through Szoboszlai’s well-taken strike.
The goal seemed to reward the home side’s persistence and left the Cityzens facing a familiar problem from earlier in the season.
Keane, however, believed the manner of City’s recovery demonstrated why they remain such formidable contenders.
Reflecting on the wider implications of the result, he said: “Huge result. Big lift for City. Their record here is not great. Pep said before the game, when you come to Anfield you need to show personality and character – and this City team showed it. Particularly in the second half.
“They were very good, in terms of football in the first half. We’ve been critical of this team over the last 18 months because of the standards City have set and this team haven’t really reached it, but today – in the second half – they showed desire, quality.
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“It’s more than three points. Psychologically it’s a big lift – and a bit of a hammer blow for Arsenal. They still have a nice lead, but to see City go a goal down and then for them to get three points, it’s huge.”
City’s win has trimmed Arsenal’s advantage at the top of the table to six points with 13 matches still to play.
Crucially, Mikel Arteta’s side must travel to the Etihad Stadium in April, a fixture that could yet prove decisive in determining the destination of the trophy.
For Guardiola, the victory represented more than just a mathematical boost. Recent months have seen questions raised about whether this City squad retains the hunger and intensity that delivered multiple titles.
Keane himself admitted he had been among those doubters, noting that performances over the last year and a half had sometimes fallen short of the club’s own lofty standards.
