Merseyside Police 'on high alert' ahead of Man City vs Liverpool following previous bus attacks

Merseyside Police are intensifying their pre-match preparations ahead of Manchester City's huge trip to Liverpool on Sunday, following previous attacks on the team bus outside Anfield.

The Premier League's top two will go head to head in arguably the biggest game of the season so far this weekend, with one of City or Liverpool hoping to cement their place as title favourites. Third-placed Arsenal are well in the race but the north west's two powerhouses are once again fighting for silverware.

City and Liverpool have become fierce rivals in recent seasons as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp take their respective clubs to new heights. But recent meetings have been marred by disorder, tragedy chanting and in some cases violence. 

Trips to Anfield have been met with an intimidating atmosphere but individuals have overstepped the mark on occasion by pelting the team bus with bottles and other missiles. The Daily Mail reports that City's team bus will follow its usual route to the ground on Sunday, but police will place extra focus on ensuring there is no repeat of previous unsavoury scenes.

Chief Inspector Kevin Chatterton, match commander for the game, told The Daily Mail: “We have been working closely with the two football clubs and supporters’ groups for this Sunday’s match at Anfield. As with every football match we have a robust policing in place. Any disorderly behaviour will not be tolerated, and we will take action to identify and bring to justice anyone found responsible for committing offensive and disorderly behaviour."

City's away allocation has been reduced slightly for the occasion, although that is due to the ongoing redevelopment at Anfield and not for security reasons. Liverpool's numbers at the Etihad were reduced after a teenage girl was hit by a beer cup filled with coins, the most severe of a number of incidents.

The fixture time has also been moved forward slightly and will now kick-off at 3.45pm, rather than 4.30pm. That decision was taken in line with the police, as one of several measures aimed to reduce the risk of fan altercation.