Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of their Premier League charges, and new analysis from Midnite suggests that without the goals scored by owner-funded signings, the club would have been relegated in 2015/16 and stripped of seven Premier League titles.
The Premier League released its findings on Tuesday September 29, confirming City were culpable on all but one charge. The club responded with a defensive statement. Rivals have demanded transfer bans, point deductions, fines and even demotion, with ex-Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn suggesting the league should consider stripping City of the titles they won between 2009 and 2018, the period covered by the charges.
How the analysis worked
Manchester United legend Roy Keane said: "If I was a player, I'd be 100% sticking those medals in the bin. Of course you would, it's cheating."
Experts at Midnite analysed data season by season, taking the money pumped into the club by their owners, working out which signings it funded each season, and removing every Premier League goal those players scored.
Seasons affected
In 2011/12, the signings removed included Sergio Agüero, Samir Nasri, Stefan Savić and Costel Pantilimon. Their goals, alongside those of previously removed players, totalled 54 for the season. City's actual position was 1st with 89 points; the revised position was 6th with 60 points, with Manchester United winning the title.
In 2015/16, the signings removed included Kevin De Bruyne, Nicolás Otamendi, Patrick Roberts, Fabian Delph and Raheem Sterling. With 50 goals removed, City's actual 4th place with 66 points became 18th with 38 points, meaning relegation. Leicester City remained champions.
In 2017/18, with signings such as Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy, Danilo and Kyle Walker removed, 83 goals were taken out. City's actual 1st place with 100 points became 17th with 38 points, with Manchester United winning the league with 82 points.
Overall impact
Across 17 Premier League seasons, 627 Man City goals were removed. Seven titles changed hands: Manchester United gained three, Liverpool gained three, and Arsenal gained one.
In 2025/26, John Stones was the final player from the original list still at City, scoring no Premier League goals, meaning nothing was left to remove. City's actual 2nd place with 78 points remained unchanged, with Arsenal still champions with 85 points.
