Manchester City
Man City appeal hinges on documents and witness evidence in Abu Dhabi case
City are set to argue that Abu Dhabi documents and fresh evidence were wrongly dismissed in their appeal.
Manchester City are preparing to argue that key Abu Dhabi government documents, along with witness evidence, were wrongly set aside in the case surrounding their finances, according to a report.
The Telegraph says the club’s position is built around convincing the appeal panel that the original panel made the wrong call when it dismissed a series of official Abu Dhabi government documents and witness material. City believe those documents show the Abu Dhabi government, of which owner Sheikh Mansour is a member, was the source of funding for the sponsorship agreements under scrutiny.
There is also believed to be new evidence from the Abu Dhabi government supporting that line of argument. City expect the appeal process to raise a central question over whether Abu Dhabi officials can be trusted, as they seek to overturn the earlier findings.
At present, the case is still waiting for an appeal panel to be appointed. Only after that step will a formal timetable be set.
The rules state that the appeal must be heard within 12 weeks of being lodged. On that basis, the deadline would fall on Jan. 21, 2027.
When the club eventually appear before the panel, they will be hoping the new group is prepared to revisit arguments that were firmly rejected before. Their case is said to rest heavily on claims of misinterpretation of the law and on what they describe as “irrefutable evidence” being dismissed.
The earlier commission was unsparing in its response. “We concluded that it was an ‘explanation’ that the Club had concocted well after the event in an attempt to obscure and conceal the realities of the Disguised Funding Scheme,” the commission argued.
The appeal panel will be able to review documents and witness testimony, though it is unlikely to hear from witnesses directly again.
Chelsea
The strongest Premier League season openers and the seasons that followed
Premier League fast starts can be dazzling, but history shows the season rarely ends as it begins.
It is the kind of start every manager hopes for after a summer of preparation: momentum, control and a perfect record to open a Premier League season. Since the competition began in 1992, several sides have produced dream runs that hinted at title glory, only for history to remind everyone that August and September do not decide championships.
One of the most recent examples came from Manchester City in 2023-24. Rodri’s late goal at newly promoted Sheffield United kept their start on track after opening with two wins, and Pep Guardiola’s team then beat Burnley and Newcastle United without conceding before overcoming Fulham and West Ham United. Their run ended at Wolverhampton Wanderers in Gameweek 7, with Arsenal defeating them the following week as well. Even so, City then went on a remarkable 23-match unbeaten stretch, including 11 straight victories to close the season and claim a fourth successive title.
Liverpool’s 2018-19 start under Jürgen Klopp carried similar promise. With Alisson and Fabinho arriving in the summer, the Reds won their first six league matches, including victories over West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion without conceding. A statement win at Tottenham Hotspur followed before Chelsea ended the perfect start at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool would not lose again until Jan. 3, yet a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium proved decisive, and they finished on 97 points without the title.
Guardiola’s first Manchester City campaign also featured six straight wins, although doubts soon surfaced. Their record included just one clean sheet, and a 2-0 defeat at Spurs pointed to problems that later showed up regularly. City dropped as low as fifth in January before recovering to third and securing Champions League qualification, setting the stage for the ‘Centurions.’
Chelsea’s early run under Carlo Ancelotti was built on a similar pattern of fast starts and later pressure. Didier Drogba’s strike helped them beat Hull City on opening weekend, and they followed with six straight victories, capped by a familiar win over Spurs at the Bridge. After two defeats in their next three matches and a draw with Blackburn Rovers in March, seven wins from the next eight, including a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford, carried them to the title by a single point.
Newcastle United’s 1994-95 season under Kevin Keegan was explosive from the outset. They scored 22 times across their first six wins and remained unbeaten until Gameweek 12, with the ‘Entertainers’ capturing the imagination even if the finish fell away. A miserable winter followed, and Newcastle ended the campaign in sixth.
This season, another perfect start has arrived at Manchester City. With seven wins from seven, including victories at Man Utd and Liverpool and high-scoring wins over Sunderland and Ipswich Town, they have again set the early pace, even with off-field scrutiny hanging over them.
Ipswich Town
Haaland Gives Positive Fitness Update After Ipswich Scare
Haaland’s fitness scare eased after he said he was “O.K.” following City’s win.
Erling Haaland eased fears over his condition after finishing Manchester City’s win against Ipswich Town in obvious discomfort. Following the match, manager Enzo Maresca said the striker had given a short but reassuring assessment of his fitness, with the No. 9 described as “O.K.”
The forward still left the Etihad looking far from pleased, even after scoring twice more and helping City secure another three points. In stoppage time, with the champions holding a 3-2 lead and Ipswich pressing for an equaliser, Haaland set off on a late counterattack that ended with his hat trick and put the result beyond doubt.
The incident came when his first touch slipped just far enough to invite Jack Clarke into the challenge. The Ipswich substitute went in with his studs raised, making contact with the ball and creating the kind of awkward contact that left Haaland hobbling soon afterwards.
He still had a little over a minute to negotiate before the final whistle, spending that time limping and appealing for the game to end. As soon as it did, he stormed down the tunnel in clear frustration.
There was at least some relief for Haaland, City and plenty of Fantasy Premier League managers. Maresca said there did not appear to be any serious damage, adding: “Erling said he was O.K. so hopefully it is nothing serious,” Maresca revealed. However, the City boss did add: “The one we need to wait on is Antoine.”
Antoine Semenyo was one of five City players who seemed to pick up some sort of fitness issue in the closing stages of the bruising contest. Introduced in the 77th minute, the winger also failed to emerge from the match without concern.
Aston Villa
Premier League Gameweek 7 predictions: Chelsea tested at Everton, Leeds host Manchester United
Gameweek 7 brings Chelsea to Everton, Liverpool to Brentford, and Manchester United to Leeds on a busy weekend.
A fresh round of Premier League action arrives with Gameweek 7 beginning in Merseyside and ending in north London, and there should be no shortage of movement across the weekend’s fixtures.
Chelsea open the slate at Everton after a commanding 5-1 win over Bournemouth, a result Xabi Alonso described as a “complete performance” from his side. Jordan Henderson’s brace, along with goals from João Pedro and Morgan Rogers, has added to the sense that Chelsea are building momentum. Everton, though, have not lost in the league so far and remain difficult to beat at home, even if their recent record in this fixture favours the visitors only narrowly.
Liverpool travel to Brentford after a high-scoring midweek outing against LASK, while Manchester City will look to answer their own recent setback when Ipswich visit. Newcastle, meanwhile, face an Aston Villa side that appears to be settling after a mixed start, and Fulham meet Hull in a game that could be stubborn rather than open.
The south coast brings another notable contest as Bournemouth and Sunderland both come in after Thursday European wins. Brighton also return home after a convincing continental outing, although Crystal Palace’s strong league form means that match may be tighter than the table suggests.
Sunday’s headline fixture takes Leeds against Manchester United. United remain under scrutiny after a difficult start, and Elland Road is not the sort of venue that offers easy relief. Leeds have already shown enough resilience to suggest they can make life awkward again.
At the City Ground, Arsenal face a Nottingham Forest side that has made a habit of frustrating them on home soil. Forest have only one league win so far, but the numbers behind them suggest they are not far off a better return.
Tottenham close the round against Coventry, with the visitors arriving in confident mood after consecutive wins. Spurs are still searching for rhythm, but this looks like a chance to impose control if they can settle quickly.
