The scoreline at Anfield will matter, of course. But for Manchester City, the real question hanging over Sunday's visit to Liverpool isn't whether they can take three points—it's whether those points will still exist when the season ends. Phil McNulty's analysis for BBC Sport lays bare the toxicity and uncertainty now defining the champions' campaign, with 115 Premier League charges casting a shadow that no tactical adjustment can dispel. ## The charges that won't go away The Premier League's case against City centres on alleged breaches of financial regulations. One hundred and fifteen charges. The number itself has become a chant from opposition fans, a taunt that follows Pep Guardiola's side to every ground. McNulty's dispatch doesn't specify the nature of each charge, but the sheer volume speaks to the scale of the investigation. If the club is found guilty, sanctions could range from points deductions to something far more severe: the erasure of titles, the voiding of a season's work. ## What lies ahead McNulty poses the central question bluntly: will their season even matter? It's not rhetorical. City could win the league, lift the FA Cup, and still face a reckoning that renders it all moot. The uncertainty isn't just about punishment—it's about legitimacy. Every goal, every win, every trophy now carries an asterisk in the minds of rivals and neutrals alike. The toxicity McNulty describes isn't just external noise; it's the corrosive doubt that seeps into every achievement. ## Liverpool as backdrop Sunday's match at Anfield serves as the stage for this unfolding drama, but Liverpool are almost incidental to the larger story. The fixture is high-stakes, a clash between two sides who've defined the Premier League's modern era. Yet for City, the opponent matters less than the context. They play on, because they must. But the shadow of those 115 charges travels with them, a weight no amount of possession or pressing can shift. The hearing will come. The verdict wi