Manchester City have “strongly condemned” the actions of those responsible for damage to the Liverpool team coach on its journey back from the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Greater Manchester Police has launched an investigation after reports of criminal damage.

“Incidents of this kind are totally unacceptable,” City said.

The Premier League champions added in a statement: “We strongly condemn the actions of the individual(s) responsible.

“We will fully support Greater Manchester Police’s investigation into this incident in any way we can.”

Police said they incident took place at approximately 3.40pm on Ashton New Road close to the junction of Rowsley Street – the road behind the Etihad.

They said there were no injuries and the coach continued with its journey.

“An investigation has now been launched by Greater Manchester Police to identify and locate the offenders,” GMP said in a statement.

City ‘disappointed’ by chants

The club also said they were “disappointed” by “inappropriate chants” by their fans during the game.

The chants taunting Liverpool fans were heard during the first half of the match.

City added: “We regret any offence these chants may have caused and will continue to work with supporter groups and officials from both clubs to eradicate hateful chanting from this fixture.”

The Premier League condemned the chanting and said it was “treating the issue of tragedy chanting as a priority and as a matter of urgency”.

Peter Scarfe, chair of the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance, said broadcaster BT should have lowered the crowd noise and called on City do do more.

“I can’t believe this is happening all over again,” he told BBC Radio Merseyside.

“Why aren’t they reaching out to us? We are the ones who are picking up the pieces.”

October’s reverse fixture between the two clubs at Anfield was also overshadowed by similar ‘tragedy chanting’.

An image also showed damage to the City windscreen after their 1-0 defeat, with detectives investigating a complaint of alleged criminal damage

In 2018, City’s bus was attacked before a Champions League quarter-final, when bottles, cans and flares were thrown.

City manager Pep Guardiola said members of the Anfield crowd threw coins at him during October’s league meeting, following which he apologised for supporter chants which referenced the Hillsborough and Heysel tragedies.

Last month, Liverpool and Manchester United managers Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag called for an end to “tragedy chanting” in a joint statement before the two sides met.

In November, the Football Association had expressed concerns over the rise of “abhorrent chants” related to stadium tragedies – including by fans of City and United on visits to Anfield.

In February, Manchester United and Leeds United “strongly condemned” chants about historic tragedies when they met at Elland Road.

Ninety-seven Liverpool fans lost their lives as a result of a crush at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest, at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium, on 15 April 1989.

It remains the UK’s worst sporting disaster, with a jury at an inquest later ruling that the fans were unlawfully killed.