Merson claims bus attack ‘frightened’ Man City squad

Paul Merson thinks the attack on Manchester City’s team bus will have left the players shaken ahead of their Champions League clash with Liverpool.

The Citizens lost 3-0 at Anfield in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane giving Liverpool a deserved win.

However, prior to kick-off City’s bus was attacked on the way to the ground with a small minority of supporters throwing objects at the vehicle while they welcomed both teams to the ground.

Liverpool have now been charged by UEFA over the incident and the visitors had to find a replacement bus to take them home.

And Merson reckons that their below-par performance was partly due to the incidents that occurred before the match.

“Man City’s problem, this season, is that it’s been too easy for them,” said former Arsenal midfielder Merson on The Debate.

“When it’s got hard like it did against Liverpool, you didn’t see too many standing up or take players by the scruff of the neck and say ‘Come on, dig in here. 2-0’s alright, don’t let this start getting 3-0.’

“We’ve seen it a few years ago at Bayern Munich, too easy and then they go to Real Madrid – seven [they actually lost 5-0 on aggregate]. We’ve seen it with other teams.

“Their leagues become so easy that when it gets to the latter stages of the Champions League, they get caught. Juventus got caught the other night.

“Their league’s not the hardest or they dominate it and when they come up against a different league, they can’t cope.

“I think that is what Pep will have been more disappointed about than anything.

“I definitely think the coach situation frightened them. I really do.

“But on the pitch, again, that’s twice now at Anfield that they’ve gone into their shell and I think things will change next season because if they do that again they won’t win the Champions League.”