Premier League executives have already discussed whether Manchester City should be suspended with immediate effect. According to the Independent, one senior figure from a top-flight club argued that the looming sanctions for their breaches of financial regulations have opened up a 'farcical' situation that could turn 'violent'.
Executives weigh immediate suspension
In the report from the Independent, it has been claimed that executives have already begun messaging others over whether they should look to suspend City from the Premier League right now, or if 15 fellow members will push to vote for such a motion. In the Premier League rulebook, under Rule 6B, 15 teams can vote to expel them but it has been said that it has no chance of happening, due to conflicting views.
The Independent has highlighted conflicting views, such as existing club owner business relationships with Abu Dhabi. Also should the clubs notion to expel City, it could lead to the club taking High Court action and win, which would see them reinstated.
City beat Liverpool amid scrutiny
City shrugged off the media hysteria to beat Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday. Enzo Maresca's side overcame the 10-man Reds in an atmosphere that saw scrutiny exerted onto the pitch from the Anfield faithful, lambasting their North West rivals as 'cheats'.
Maresca wore the win, thanks to goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki, as a badge of honour as they survived the cauldron - the first of many, it would be assumed. The Italian said: "Ferran (Soriano) was there, Hugo (Viana) was there. We were all together.
"For the importance of the game, Liverpool away, I think it's a good idea for the club to be all together. It's togetherness that in this moment we need."
"It was not easy for the players after the past two or three weeks but I think they handled the situation very well. I said during the week, we need to learn how to deal with the outside noise."
"Because of the situation, the noise will always be there so we need to learn how to deal with it. At the same time, we need try to make our noise by winning games like we did today. At the end of the game, it was our fans singing so the noise was from us and not from the Liverpool fans."
"To win at Anfield is a great result, for sure. In this moment, all of the organisation needs this kind of a win so it's good for us as a coaching staff, it's good for the players, it's good for the fans. This kind of a win is good for the whole club."
Pundits reflect on the 'stain' and 'stigma'
Prominent Sky Sports figures Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were left hollow after City's drubbing of Andoni Iraola's side. Their feelings come amid the uncertainty over the sanctions that could be placed over the club, pending the outcome of their appeal.
Neville said: "We're sat here not knowing what it means. City supporters will be delighted [with the win], but I don't think they recognise right now the stain, the stigma and the damage this is going to do to them."
"Liverpool fans are singing 'going down', they're shouting 'cheats' and you can't get away from that."
"There was a banner over in that far corner which I thought was devastating - 'A generation of supporters have been cheated'. I thought you know, that will be the mood around the country, that for 10-15 years they've been cheated."
"We should be absolutely eulogising over a performance like that, where they've come through and withstood a really difficult opening spell - which is always the case here at Anfield - and then gone on to come out on top."
"But there's a 'but', isn't there? And we're sat here not knowing what this means. We know that Manchester City go three points clear at the top of the league but there's a feeling that ultimately this is not going to be where Manchester City finish."
"It does feel different. There is a 'but', there is a sort of shadow hanging over it - there's a dark cloud that you know has got a load of rain in it, and a massive storm, and you just don't know when it's going to burst but you know it's coming."
