What Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool players did to taunt Man City stars inside Anfield before defeat

Liverpool's players reportedly used a pointed pre-match music playlist to taunt Manchester City ahead of their fiery Premier League clash at Anfield on Sunday.

Reds captain Virgil van Dijk and his teammates selected tracks referencing City's financial controversy, but the visitors had the final word with a commanding 3-0 victory.

Van Dijk and Liverpool stars taunted Man City with Anfield music playlist

According to talkSPORT, members of the Liverpool squad orchestrated a playlist aimed at Manchester City as the visitors completed their pre-match warm-up.

Whitney Houston's ‘It's Not Right' and Calvin Harris' ‘Blame' were among the tracks played over the stadium's public address system, with the song choices interpreted as references to City's financial case.

The musical jibes reportedly continued after the final whistle, when Fleetwood Mac's ‘Little Lies' was played following City's emphatic victory.

The playlist was said to have been put together by Van Dijk and his Liverpool teammates, as per the report.

However, the mind games ultimately failed to unsettle City, who scored three times in a devastating 13-minute spell after Reds midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute.

Erling Haaland opened the scoring by finishing from inside the box after Jeremy Doku's effort fell kindly into his path. Doku then produced a stunning curling strike into the top-right corner before Rayan Cherki completed the rout with a composed finish following an impressive passage of attacking play.

The result preserved City's perfect start to the season, while the travelling supporters celebrated with inflatable bananas in the away end.

FGG says: Liverpool's musical mind games backfired spectacularly

There was clearly an attempt to get under City's skin before kick-off, with the playlist providing a subtle reminder of the financial controversy surrounding the visitors.

However, City's response on the pitch was rather emphatic. Three goals in 13 minutes turned the atmosphere on its head and left Liverpool's pre-match provocation looking like an unnecessary distraction.

The financial questions surrounding City remain significant, but at Anfield, the visitors delivered the result that mattered most on the day.