Manchester City face points deduction that would seal Premier League relegation, report claims

Manchester City are facing a points deduction severe enough to relegate them from the Premier League to the Championship, according to a report by Oliver Holt of The Mail, citing sources close to the ongoing disciplinary process.

City were charged with more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules covering a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. The Premier League alleges the club arranged ‘sham’ contracts with commercial partners that “misrepresented the true agreement between the parties”, concealed their true finances from auditors and regulators, and “committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith”.

City have consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting on their innocence and claiming to hold “irrefutable evidence” that will overturn any sanction on appeal.

Holt reports that expulsion from the Premier League — which would have seen City restart in League Two — is considered unlikely. Instead, sources suggest the most probable outcome is a points deduction large enough to ensure relegation, accompanied by a significant fine. A further deduction that would effectively confine City to the Championship for at least one additional season is also described as possible.

The EFL would not be obliged to accept such a sanction for one of its clubs, Holt notes, though it is considered probable that it would.

According to the report, the Premier League is pressing for City’s punishment to be announced before the outcome of their appeal, which is not expected to be resolved before the end of January.

The news arrives at a striking moment for the club. City currently sit top of the Premier League having won all seven of their league fixtures this season under Enzo Maresca, with Arsenal, Brighton, Chelsea and Liverpool among the sides in pursuit.