Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have delivered a stark warning: a 'stain' will continue to hang over both Manchester City and the Premier League itself until the club's long-running financial charges are brought to a final resolution.

The pair spoke out following City's 3-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday — their first match since the independent Premier League Commission found the club in breach of the league's financial regulations. Manchester City have denied any wrongdoing and lodged an appeal against the verdict.

The win lifted City three points clear at the top of the Premier League, leapfrogging champions Arsenal, yet the result was heavily overshadowed by the ongoing legal cloud hanging over the club. Commentator Peter Drury described the occasion as