Manchester City
How Manchester City Could Face Immediate Expulsion Before Appeal Is Decided
Manchester City face pressure over expulsion rules as executives weigh action before the appeal verdict.
Manchester City’s weekend victory over Liverpool ensured there was no immediate fallout from the guilty verdict, at least on the pitch. But off it, the situation remains unresolved, with the club still appealing and maintaining that its innocence will be established.
For now, no sanction has been imposed. That leaves the Premier League in a holding pattern, even though its own rules do provide a route for the most severe outcome of all: expulsion.
Under Rule B6 of the league’s regulations, members can vote to remove a club from the competition. The rule states: “The League may expel a Club from membership upon a special Resolution to that effect being passed by a majority of not less than three-quarters of such members as (being entitled to do so) vote by their representatives or by proxy at a General Meeting of which notice specifying the intention to propose the Resolution has been duly given.”
In practical terms, that means 15 clubs could join forces to force City out immediately. The Independent has reported that discussions of that possibility have already taken place among several club executives.
One executive was quoted as saying: “This is a farce that will lead to protest, damage to the integrity and reputation of the competition, and possibly even violence,” one is quoted as saying. “The board has a duty at law to its shareholders to protect, enhance and promote the interests of the Premier League.”
The rule exists for a reason, and in theory it gives clubs the power to act if they believe expulsion serves the competition’s interests. Even so, that prospect is widely viewed as unlikely in the present climate.
Any attempt to remove City would almost certainly face a successful legal challenge, which would only deepen the uncertainty already surrounding the case.
Despite that, pressure for action is not easing. Club executives are still pushing for an immediate response, with growing concern that the season cannot continue along its current course.
Manchester City
Dias says City spoke immediately after verdict as focus turns back to PSG
Dias says City quickly addressed the verdict as focus shifts to PSG at the Etihad on Wednesday.
Rúben Dias has said Manchester City players wanted to confront the Premier League’s guilty verdict against the club as soon as they returned from the international break.
With City preparing to welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, their first home fixture since the verdict emerged, the defender explained that the squad felt it was important to get together quickly. Pep Guardiola will be there in support.
“When the news came out, we felt we should have a conversation as soon as we got back,” Dias said. He added that the aim was to make sure everyone was aligned and settled. “We moved forward from there. It happened at a time when we weren’t together, but we quickly talked to each other, calmed down and moved on.”
The wider picture remains unresolved. City continue to deny wrongdoing and maintain that they are fighting what they view as an injustice based on one “false accusation,” while the football calendar keeps moving. The appeal verdict is due before the end of January, although that may not be the end of the process.
For Dias and his teammates, the demands of playing on create an awkward backdrop. The longer the situation remains open, the harder it becomes to separate the football from the case itself, and the Premier League’s position is inevitably under scrutiny.
Supporters have responded with defiance. At Anfield, a banner in the away end read, “In Khaldoon [Al Mubarak] we trust,” while chants in support of Sheikh Mansour were also heard. A familiar Hull City chant was adapted in the second half as well.
Speaking on Sky Sports after City’s win over Liverpool, Gary Neville said it was “difficult” to separate the team’s on-field quality from the verdict and the club’s conduct. He also described the situation by saying, “This is really bad for the Premier League .”
Dias insisted the squad can only continue focusing on what they can control. “We are very good at focusing on our work and being happy whenever we come to work. Our minds are only on that. These are the things we can control and that we have always enjoyed doing so much,” he said. “We have complete confidence in the club.”
There was also reaction to the celebrations after the Liverpool match. “We won 3–0 at Anfield, what do you want us to do?” manager Enzo Maresca said. “We work every day to win games. It’s the only thing we can be focused on.”
Analytics & Stats
Premier League Gameweek 6: the standout performers by FotMob rating
FotMob ratings highlighted the top performers from a strong Premier League Gameweek 6 return.
After a three-week international pause, the Premier League resumed with a sixth round that produced a strong spread of individual displays. Using FotMob’s player ratings, here is a rewritten look at the weekend’s top 10 performers.
Declan Rice earned an 8.3 in Arsenal’s 2-1 comeback win over Leeds United. The midfielder was central to the result, posting a match-high 89 touches, adding 10 defensive contributions and producing the kind of subtle quality that made Bruno Guimarães’s winning goal possible.
Chelsea also featured heavily. Morgan Rogers, rated 8.3, scored the Blues’ second in their 5-1 win over Bournemouth and continued to settle quickly at Stamford Bridge. His dribbling stood out, while a cross-cum-shot helped take him to four Premier League goals in six games. He also recorded a match-high 13 defensive contributions.
Crystal Palace’s 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest included strong showings from Yéremy Pino and Adam Wharton, both on 8.3. Pino got on the scoresheet and created the most chances in the match with three, while Wharton supplied an assist from a corner and combined control with discipline, winning 75% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial battles without conceding a foul.
Jérémy Doku changed Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool from the bench, yet still led the match in dribbles with five and chances created with three before finishing with a superb strike. Elliot Anderson, rated 8.5, provided relentless energy and creativity, capped by the assist for Doku’s goal.
Rayan Cherki was the top-rated City player against Liverpool at 8.6, ending the scoring with a goal that summed up his flair and confidence. João Pedro led the weekend with an 8.8 after two goals for Chelsea against Bournemouth, doing his job in the physical contest and still making a decisive attacking impact from 25 touches.
Liverpool
Iraola questions Gravenberch booking after Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester City
Iraola hit out at Gravenberch’s first yellow after Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester City.
Andoni Iraola was left frustrated after Liverpool’s 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City, focusing his anger on Ryan Gravenberch’s red card and what he felt were soft decisions from referee Chris Kavanagh.
Liverpool were already under pressure when they conceded three times in a 13-minute spell after going down to a numerical disadvantage, and Iraola argued that Gravenberch’s first yellow was far too harsh. He also suggested the standard applied in the match should be carried through the rest of the season.
“I think the first foul of Ryan is never a yellow card, never,” said the Spaniard. “These kinds of games, just a stomp on the big toe, or something minor. He doesn’t even call the foul straight away. He lets bit go, I think Elliot Anderson does a couple of steps. He decides to go down. I don’t know why after he shows the yellow card, because it’s not a situation where it leaves advantage.
“We had nine players behind the ball. It’s like they had a lot of, you know, it was in the middle of the pitch, no danger there. And then you put, as a referee, yourself in trouble, and also you put us in trouble.”
His irritation was not confined to that incident. He added: “Also, at the beginning of the game, yellow card of Ronald [Araújo], I know he complains, he does this. But in these kinds of games, if you are going to start after a handball of [Marc] Guéhi, the punishment is for Ronald complaining.
“You put it straight away at the beginning of the game, the right back with a yellow card. I think you are in the textbooks, yes, perfect. He complains, you can show a yellow card, but then I will be very careful all the season. Every time someone complains, it has to be a yellow card.”
Gravenberch’s second booking, for pulling down Doku in the 62nd minute, was described as a clear yellow. But the first caution remained contentious, with the Dutchman booked in the 47th minute for contact that appeared minimal after he tried to pull out of the challenge. Speaking with Sky Sports, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher also disagreed with Kavanagh’s first booking decision.
