Manchester City are set to receive a "huge" points deduction for breaching Premier League rules, with the current league leaders potentially forced to play in the Championship for two years as punishment for being found guilty of over 100 charges related to financial rules.
The club has always denied wrongdoing and is battling to clear its name on appeal. However, claims in sports media circles suggest Erling Haaland's team is expected to be given a "brutal" points deduction that will guarantee relegation.
Punishment expected before appeal verdict
A report has claimed football chiefs are pushing to announce City's punishment before the results of their appeal are revealed. The most likely punishment, according to sports sources, is a "swingeing" points deduction which would make it almost impossible for City to survive dropping down a league.
There was also talk of City receiving another points deduction that would keep them in the second tier for a further year. Expulsion from the top flight is "unlikely" because it would throw the EFL into "unprecedented chaos".
Nine-season financial breaches
The Etihad club were found guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules over a nine-season period, plus the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the league's investigation.
The commission found the club set up "sham" commercial deals with sponsors that allowed them to hide £900million during the period of investigation from 2009 to 2018. In a statement alongside the commission's findings, the Premier League alleged City "systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade".
City have stressed they have "irrefutable evidence" which clears their name and vowed to be "relentless" in their fight against the Premier League.
Appeal timeline and current form
The club's appeal case is expected to be resolved around Christmas or shortly into the New Year, as a new fast-track process means their appeal, lodged on October 1, must be heard within 12 weeks. The verdict must then be delivered within 30 days.
Premier League rivals are insisting behind closed doors that City's punishment is resolved before the end of this current season. A points reduction would almost certainly see them naturally come last at the end of the season, meaning automatic relegation.
Lawyer James Severn has claimed that Man City face "substantial hurdles" in order to be successful in their appeal. He said: "City will need to identify a material error of law, principle or fact, or serious procedural unfairness, which materially affected the Commission's decision."
Enzo Maresca's side are currently top of the table after a perfect start to the season saw them win all seven games so far. Maresca said last week he "completely trusts" the club and believes it will win its appeal.
