Hundreds of inflatable bananas were waved in the air by Manchester City fans during the match against Liverpool at "Anfield" (3:0). This was the "citizens" first match in the Premier League since an independent commission ruled that the owners of the Abu Dhabi club systematically broke numerous financial rules between 2009 and 2018.
The reaction at "Anfield", where Liverpool has been Man City's main rival for the past decade, was extremely hostile. The "Citizens" players were greeted with loud boos at every touch of the ball in the opening minutes.
In response, City fans applauded their players before the kick-off signal and waved giant bananas.
With this gesture, they revived a tradition from the late 1980s, when supporters brought bananas and other inflatable objects to matches during a difficult period for English football, when clubs were excluded from European club competitions.
The idea was popularized by the fan group "1894" and is a reference to the fans' desire to bring fun to the game amid conflicts with the football authorities.
This trend dates back to August 1987, when Man City supporter Frank Newton brought an inflatable banana to the "Maine Road" stadium for a match against Plymouth Argyle.
The craze even led Man City fans to adapt the surname of then-striker Imre Várady into the chant "Imre Banana".
The chant established the yellow inflatable as an unofficial mascot and encouraged thousands of other fans to bring bananas to matches. Várady even gave an interview to the Manchester Evening News to explain the story behind the strange phenomenon.
The movement reached its peak on Christmas Day 1988, when over 10,000 travelling Man City fans, known as "the Blues", filled Stoke City's "Victoria Ground" with inflatables. Much to the delight of the away fans, City players even took to the pitch holding giant yellow bananas before kick-off.
City's yellow inflatables were a national phenomenon, with rival fans adopting their own mascots, such as Stoke City's "pink panthers" and others. Stands across England were soon filled with surreal battles between inflatable monsters, green dinosaurs and giant decorative hammers.