Why Manchester City’s skullduggery has cast a pall over entire Premier League season

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The strangest Premier League season in memory rumbles on with a massive question mark floating above the whole thing: Does this even matter?

Last week, Manchester City were the benefactors of a pair of soft yellow cards to Ryan Gravenberch that sent them on their way to a 3-0 win over 10-man Liverpool and move to 6 wins out of six atop the league.

Largely outplayed for the first 60 minutes, once Gravenberch was sent off it took less than two minutes for City to take the lead. With Liverpool then forced to press, City were ruthless scoring two more.

Next up is newly promoted Ipswich.

This week it has been revealed that both the appeal of the 114 financial charges City were found guilty and the punishment will be revealed “early” in 2027.

So if City continue rolling along and racking up points, what’s the reaction when they get a points deduction? Or a transfer ban? Or relegation?

Seeing City spend $650 million in the summer transfer window while in the midst of being charged with so many egregious financial crimes really makes a mockery of this season.

The players will be met with derision in every match on the road, their fans will continue to act like victims and supporters of every other team will wonder how a team that was built on such a deceitful platform keeps getting away with it.

The race at the moment may be for second place, but how tainted would a title be if City have a sizeable lead and then suffer a deduction? Would anyone take the winners of this year’s title seriously, whether it’s a financially juiced Manchester City squad or a team that finishes a distant second, but wins due to a points deduction?

And the fact we are still months away from any form of consequence leaves everything in limbo.

There was sympathy last week for City fans, that they have just shown up and supported their club and had no knowledge of the willful cheating going on by the ownership. But following the game at Anfield, banners and chants in support of the owners showed the majority of the fans at the game were fully on board with everything that had gone on.

The arguments will continue to rumble on, but this season is going to be weighed down by questions until we have a definitive ending.

Stock up

Brighton: The south coasters have had a number of impressive seasons where you’d suggest they’ve punched above their weight many times before — but nothing like this season. Their 2-0 win against Sunderland has them in third, two points behind Arsenal and five behind City. They get Crystal Palace this weekend at home and likely are to continue their winning ways before they have a stiff three-week test — away at Liverpool, away at City and home to Brentford. If Brighton are still in the top four by mid-November, they have to be considered a real contender to get into the Champions League for the first time in their history. In the mire that City have brought to the league this season, it’s important to recognize the good stories like Brighton.

Brentford: They managed a draw with Aston Villa last week, but still sit in fourth, just three back of Brighton. They host a struggling Liverpool this week who you just can’t figure out this season, so it’s not a stretch to think of the Bees as favourites to keep the momentum going. Then they face Hull and Nottingham Forest before a tough trip to Brighton and then Everton. It’s all possible for the Londoners to stay in the conversation this season.

Chelsea: There have been plenty of questions posed about Chelsea this season and Bournemouth are really struggling, but last week’s 5-1 thrashing makes you wonder if new manager Xabi Alonso has had something click with his squad, especially the potency in attack with Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers. Everton, Spurs, Manchester United and Sunderland are up next and, if they truly have hit form, you can expect a climb up the table.

Stock down

Bournemouth: People have been expecting this from the Cherries for several seasons now. Losing your best players and your manager season after season eventually has an impact. Up until this season, Bournemouth had defied the odds, but it’s not looking great with them sitting in 18th with just three points from six games. Sunderland, a similarly desperate club, are next followed by Manchester United, Leeds, Ipswich and Nottingham Forest. There’s points there for the taking for Bournemouth, you just have to wonder how many.

Spurs: They still sit in 19th place, one point above Fulham, and last week’s draw with Manchester United was the perfect ‘glass-half-full/empty’ scenario. They outplayed United for most of the game but were behind and got an impressive late goal from Dominic Solanke to seize a point. So at least you didn’t lose, but you haven’t won a game this season and ‘deserving’ more means nothing for a team that’s stunningly battled relegation the past two seasons. Coventry, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Leeds and Ipswich are their next five. Three wins, at a minimum, are needed to ensure they’re not going to be fighting at the bottom all season.

Sunderland: They’ve come through a tough patch, drawing with Brentford before three straight losses albeit to Arsenal, Manchester City and Brighton. But they’re one spot above the relegation zone and they need results. Fellow strugglers Bournemouth host the Black Cats this weekend. It’s the farthest they have to travel all season, but they can send their travelling contingent of fans home happy if they take three points with them.

Who is the crisis club?

Fulham. Stuck in limbo, Fulham parted ways with manager Marco Silva, who had done an admirable job with scant resources. They brought in Alvaro Arbeloa whose previous managerial job was at Real Madrid. So far it has not gone well. Rock bottom they need points. After a pair of draws with Liverpool and Manchester United, they suffered a painful loss to Ipswich last weekend. They actually play hard and produce some decent soccer to watch, but how long with that continue if the results don’t come. Fulham have the best goal difference of any team in the bottom six. They have two newly promoted teams in the next two weeks — Hull at home and away to Coventry. If they don’t win one, or maybe even both, Arbeloa could be the first manager fired this season.

This weekend’s Premier League schedule

Saturday: Everton vs Chelsea; Brentford vs Liverpool; Fulham vs Hull; Manchester City vs Ipswich; Newcastle vs Aston Villa.

Sunday: Bournemouth vs Sunderland; Brighton vs Crystal Palace; Leeds vs Manchester United; Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal.

Monday: Tottenham vs Coventry City.

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