Manchester City's under-23 team are said to have 'raised eyebrows' when they arrived at Liverpool's AXA training ground ahead of a recent game.
Barry Lewtas' Liverpool side played host to their Premier League 2 rivals on the afternoon of March 17.
It was a relatively straightforward victory for the hosts, who sealed a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Trent Doherty and Rhys Williams.
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As a result, Liverpool climbed to sixth in the Premier League 2 ladder, while City continue to struggle in 25th with two wins from 17.
City, meanwhile, appeared to try and make a statement ahead of the game against Liverpool.
As reported by the Daily Mail, eyebrows 'were raised' when City's under-23 team arrived at Liverpool's training ground in the first-team bus that features the five trophies they won last season.
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Some have questioned if the move was a 'cheeky attempt' by officials at the reigning Premier League champions to 'emphasise their superiority last year'.
Liverpool, however, had the last laugh when they walked away with all three points.
It has been a strange season for City's under-23 team after lifting three consecutive Premier League 2 titles.
They lost a huge amount of talent in the summer, with star striker Carlos Borges leaving the club to join Ajax for a reported £13 million.
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City captain Shea Charles joined Championship outfit Southampton for a fee of around £10.5 million, while Adedire Mebude penned a deal with Belgian Pro League side Westerlo.
A number of players also left on loan deals, meaning their squad has taken a noticeable hit.
"We are a much younger team now than we were before," U23 manager Brian Barry-Murphy told the Manchester Evening News at the start of the season.
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"I always thought by Christmas last year we would gather momentum and go on really good runs but I think it's different this year due to the nature of the league and the nature of our squad."
Topics: Liverpool, Manchester City, Premier League
Jack Kenmare