City bosses talk about temporary punishment after watching Liverpool match
Premier League leaders had some chats about the idea of giving Manchester City an unusual temporary punishment during their 3-0 win over Liverpool, reports say. If that happened, it would be one of the most talked-about moments in English football history.
City easily beat a 10-man Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, with first-half goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki. Enzo Maresca’s team got a tough welcome from the home fans, but Liverpool’s attempts to throw City off didn’t work, as City cruised to their sixth win in a row. After a busy two weeks where City was found guilty of serious financial rule breaches by both the Premier League and UEFA, this match showed just how strong City still are on the field. It left some officials feeling uneasy.
The first half was a bit quiet, but things changed after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute. City’s depth showed again when Maresca brought on Doku for fresh energy in the 56th minute. Liverpool made their first change by swapping Florian Wirtz for young midfielder Trey Nyoni, who was making just his 10th Premier League appearance.
Injuries might affect City down the line, but it’s hard to see them not being contenders for the Premier League title by season’s end.
According to Miguel Delaney from The Independent, some Premier League officials were so worried that they messaged each other during the Liverpool game about the possibility of kicking City out of the league right now. Rule B6 in the Premier League rule book says a club can be expelled if 15 other clubs vote yes in a Special Resolution.
Right now, the Premier League seems eager to resolve the issue quickly, but everyone will probably have to wait a bit. City has appealed the decision from the league’s independent commission, which found them guilty of serious financial rule breaches. City insists they’re innocent and says they have “irrefutable evidence” to prove it.
Sky Sports says a sanctions hearing can happen separately from the appeal, which must take place within 12 weeks and last up to five days. Both clubs can appeal the sanctions decision too, which could slow things down even more. If the sanctions committee—made up of the same three-person panel that made the original decision—rules against City, the club can take the case to the High Court.
Maresca clearly believes the panel will rule in City’s favor. After the game at Anfield, when asked if the decision should come quickly so City can celebrate any wins this season, he said, “I don’t care. I’m here to prepare and win games. Hopefully, I can talk about this situation after we win the appeal.”