Manchester City travelled to a hostile Anfield on Sunday and left with all three points, a result that — despite the charged atmosphere and the wider controversy swirling around both clubs — few neutrals found genuinely shocking.

The Premier League charges hanging over Manchester City had done nothing to dim the tension ahead of kick-off. Liverpool supporters packed the ground with fury in their voices, yet the visitors kept their composure and ground out a win that underlined why they remain a formidable force in English football.

Madrid win ugly, Mourinho goes full Mourinho

Across Europe, Real Madrid secured a victory of their own — but it was far from a performance to savour. The Spanish giants scraped through in a contest that will not live long in the memory for its quality, with their result doing little to quiet concerns about their form.

The evening's real drama, however, belonged to José Mourinho. After Vinicius Junior was shown a red card, Mourinho chose the post-match moment to remind everyone that he has never met a postgame press conference he could not weaponise. The Portuguese coach delivered a characteristically provocative performance in front of the cameras, shifting attention away from his team's laboured display and firmly onto himself.

Vinicius' dismissal had already inflamed passions during the match, but it was Mourinho's reaction in the aftermath that dominated discussion. His remarks — calculated, pointed, and delivered with his trademark air of aggrieved defiance — ensured the football itself became a footnote to the surrounding spectacle.

For Real Madrid, the priority remains grinding out results while key players deal with suspensions and mounting scrutiny. Whether Mourinho's sideshows help or hurt that mission is a question the club will be weighing carefully in the days ahead.

Meanwhile, Manchester City will take the confidence of a hard-fought Anfield victory into the weeks ahead, as their off-field legal battles continue to play out in the background of every result they produce.