Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca struck a calm note in his first public comments since the club were formally found guilty in their Premier League case.

After more than two years of deliberation, an independent commission ruled that City had “artificially inflating the club’s revenues, and reducing its costs, by more than £900 million [$1.2 billion]” across nine seasons from 2009-10 to 2017-18. The possible sanctions remain severe, with expulsion from the Premier League or even a forced sale of the club among the outcomes that have been discussed.

City have rejected the verdict, which they continue to describe as an “opinion”, and insist they have “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” that will come out during an appeal process due to be completed by Jan. 23, 2027 at the latest.

Maresca, who worked under Pep Guardiola as first-team assistant and also spent time in the club’s youth department, made clear that he prefers to wait for the appeal before going further. “I just said, I would like to speak about this situation when we win the appeal,” he said.

He also said his confidence in the club remains absolute. “I know the organization from years ago, I know how serious they are, I know they do the right things,” Maresca explained. “I would like to speak about this when we win the appeal.”

Asked whether he would have taken the job if the guilty verdict had already been known, he replied: “100%” and added: “The reason I joined this club is that I completely trust, 100%, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, all the organization. So I don’t have doubt about that.”

Even when the prospect of relegation was raised, he answered: “I won the Championship with Leicester, so in case we’re in League One, we’ll see. But we are thinking about something we don’t know.”

Maresca admitted he has not read the commission’s full report, saying: “I promise you that my focus is just about football.” He also rejected the idea that City’s trophies from the period were compromised. “Absolutely not,” he said, before pointing to the work behind the treble season in 2022-23.

Manchester United have made a fresh attempt to keep JJ Gabriel at the club, offering the teenager an official scholarship contract in a bid to prevent a free departure.

The move matters because, under Premier League youth rules, Gabriel could have left in January without a fee had United not acted. The Guardian reports that the club have now returned with a scholarship offer for next season, which means any Premier League side interested in him would have to negotiate a fee directly with United.

If no agreement is reached, the Professional Football Compensation Committee could decide the eventual package, in a process comparable to Rio Ngumoha’s move from Chelsea to Liverpool.

United would hope for more than just compensation in that scenario. Per The Guardian, the club would be aiming for a fee “in excess” of £3 million ($4 million), plus 20% of Gabriel’s next transfer fee. That would be preferable to seeing him depart for another club in Europe and leaving United with only training compensation.

Interest in Gabriel has intensified since he became available. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are among the clubs linked, but The Guardian says the Spanish side are the “favorites” to sign him.

That would fit the pattern of a young player seeking a bigger platform, though United are still trying to keep him. The problem is that a switch away from Old Trafford now appears “unlikely” to be avoided.

Should Gabriel move to a European club, only FIFA training compensation would be due, generally around £200,000-300,000 ($265,000-397,000).

His frustration at limited first-team opportunities has been central to the situation, yet a move elsewhere would not guarantee more game time. The draft also points to examples involving Endrick, Franco Mastantuono and Yan Diomande, all of whom have found breaking into a strong side far from straightforward.

After an international break that was longer than most, the Premier League resumes with a slate of fixtures that should quickly restore the league to centre stage. Gameweek 6 brings heavyweight meetings, difficult home tests and plenty of pressure on sides already searching for rhythm.

Arsenal’s defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion before the break ended a remarkable run and raised the question of how they would react. Five months had passed since their previous league loss, but the 3-0 reverse on the south coast was a severe setback. Leeds United now arrive at the Emirates Stadium unbeaten and sitting fifth, only three points behind the Gunners, while history still strongly favours Arsenal, who have won their last eight meetings with Leeds in all competitions.

Chelsea also need a response after being beaten 3-0 by Brentford. That result was their third consecutive league match without a win and the third time they have conceded three goals in a game this season. Bournemouth’s visit offers little comfort, especially with Chelsea waiting on late checks for João Pedro, Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo and Reece James. Marco Rose’s side may be winless, but they have taken points from Chelsea in four of the last six meetings.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur meet under clear pressure. United have managed only five points from a manageable run, with defeats to Hull City and 10-man Manchester City damaging the mood. Tottenham, meanwhile, sit bottom after two goalless draws and three defeats, and Roberto De Zerbi’s side arrive with their costly new arrivals yet to settle. The stakes are obvious for both clubs.

The weekend’s headline fixture comes at Liverpool, where Manchester City play for the first time since being found guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. After a three-year investigation, the verdict has inevitably shifted attention onto Enzo Maresca and his players, even if they had no part in the issue. City have won all five league games under Maresca, but this is a different test entirely.

Liverpool have every reason to make the occasion felt. They have twice been runners-up to City title teams since 2009 and remain one of the most persistent challengers of the last decade. With the atmosphere set to be intense, this could become one of the defining matches of the round.