Four Premier League clubs told of Manchester City verdict before wider announcement

Four Premier League clubs were informed of the outcome of Manchester City’s financial case before the decision was communicated to the rest of the division.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were told about the verdict before all other Premier League clubs received an email on 25 September, according to The Telegraph.

The Premier League has found Manchester City guilty of breaching financial regulations in 114 of the 115 charges brought against the club.

The four clubs began potential legal proceedings in 2024 that could allow them to seek compensation if Manchester City’s guilt was upheld following an appeal. The amount of any compensation has not been established and the case has not yet reached its final conclusion.

Manchester City continues to deny wrongdoing and submitted its appeal before the deadline. The club says it has “a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence” to demonstrate that it committed no breach.

The appeal will be heard by an independent three-member commission, with a decision expected before the end of this year, according to the British newspaper The Mirror.

If the appeal is rejected, Manchester City could face a range of sanctions. Those measures could include financial penalties, a transfer ban, a points deduction, the removal of titles and, at the most serious end of the scale, expulsion from the Premier League.

In a statement, Manchester City said: “Manchester City Football Club confirms that at 7pm on Thursday 1 October 2026, it submitted its comprehensive appeal against the opinion of the Premier League commission in relation to the disciplinary case.”

The statement added: “The club’s consistent position is that this opinion contains, in several respects, clear and fundamental errors of law, principle and fact, and is unsound.

“The club is innocent of the allegations made by the Premier League, and there is a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence supporting all of its positions in this case.”