Manchester City and Liverpool's chief executives have taken the unusual step of issuing a joint letter to supporters of both clubs ahead of Thursday's Carabao Cup fourth round tie.
The letter, which has been seen by Mirror Football, calls on fans of both sides to root out the "unacceptable behaviour" which has blighted recent meetings between the pair, and is signed by City chief Ferran Soriano and Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan.
In the most recent meeting between the pair at Anfield in October, City fans were criticised by Liverpool for singing songs referencing the Hillsborough disaster, visiting manager Pep Guardiola claimed that he was hit by a coin thrown from the Anfield stands and City's team bus suffered damage as the team left the stadium following their 1-0 defeat.
The match the latest in a series of ugly meetings between the pair as relations have soured between the two most successful sides in England in recent years.
The letter urges supporters of both sides to report any incidents they see at the Etihad Stadium, with both sides pleading for calm ahead of the resumption of domestic football after the World Cup break.
The letter states:
"We write to you today on behalf of both Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC, ahead of our Carabao Cup match at the Etihad Stadium later this week.
"As with any meeting between our clubs, it promises to be a fantastic spectacle of football and we are sure that you are all counting down to kick-off with much anticipation following the break in domestic football for the World Cup.
"The passion and enthusiasm that we see from our fans when we play each other – at the Etihad Stadium or Anfield – is part of what makes matches between our clubs so special, and we know you are committed to creating a stadium environment where everyone is welcomed, accepted and has a fantastic matchday experience.
"Regrettably, based on recent meetings between our clubs, we also know that a minority of fans are responsible for behaviours and actions that have no place in our game.
"We are therefore writing to ask for your full support in tackling these behaviours and to ensure that both of our Clubs’ good names are preserved. You can help us by reporting any incidents via the options at the bottom of this email so they can be investigated.
"We appreciate that some fans may not be aware of the impact of their behaviours on other fans, both inside and outside the stadium, and we will continue to work with our fans on this education.
"It is however important for everyone to be aware that we are fully committed to dealing with unacceptable behaviours and will take action by issuing bans to those found to be responsible.
"We have engaged the Chairs from both our respective fan groups in our discussions and have their full backing to help create the right environment for our matches.
"If we all stand together to report the behaviours and actions that cause harm - including inappropriate gestures, chanting, throwing of objects, as well as any and all forms of discrimination - then we can all concentrate on supporting our teams.
"Thank you for taking the time to read this email, and for your commitment to help eliminate unacceptable behaviours in football.
"We hope you enjoy the match."
