Manchester City might have been found guilty by the independent commission, but the Premier League are the biggest losers from this saga. Whatever sanction City are hit with, it will pale in comparison to the mess the Premier League executives will have to clean up.
That mess was on display at a hostile Anfield as City dismantled Liverpool. The game hinged on a second yellow card for Ryan Gravenberch, who was tempted into a foul on Jeremy Doku that broke up a City counter-attack, leaving the referee with no choice but to produce a card. City ran rampant thereafter, with Erling Haaland opening the scoring, before goals from Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki put the icing on what was a defiant victory for Enzo Maresca's men.
Players and fans not to blame
Let's make one thing clear: the players in sky blue aren't to blame, nor are the City fans supporting their team in the face of adversity. The record books will mark this one down as 'Liverpool 0-3 Man City', but when the dust settles, what will it actually mean?
The case, which found City guilty of all serious financial breaches and most of the Premier League's non-cooperation rules, has been appealed. City maintain their innocence, yet barring a successful appeal, they are staring down the barrel of a hefty sanction, which could include a points deduction.
Premier League sinking faster than anyone
That will be a bridge the club has to deal with when or if it comes. For the Premier League, though, they're sinking faster than anyone. City boast a 100 per cent record and sit at the top of their league. The mere thought of City going on to lift the title at the end of the season will send shivers down the spine of Richard Masters, the CEO of the Premier League.
Ironically, there's a case to be made that the biggest winners right now are City themselves, especially if the defiance and character they showed on the Anfield pitch is a taste of things to come. Back in 2023, when the charges were announced, Pep Guardiola - flanked by Enzo Maresca as his assistant - used the saga to ignite City's season. They won the treble.
Legal threats and optics
It would be an unmitigated disaster for the Premier League if they were to react in a similar way this time around - not that the City bigwigs will lose much sleep over it.
Then there's the threat of continued legal action, both from City themselves, as well as opposition clubs seeking compensation from the period surrounding the alleged breaches. For the so-called best league in the world, the optics look pretty amateur right now. City's ship may be sinking, but the Premier League are 10 feet underwater.
