Man City rocked by guilty verdict on 114 charges as Haaland fires five-game winning run
Bombshell verdict drops during international break
The biggest story engulfing Manchester City this week has nothing to do with football on the pitch. On 25 September 2026 β right in the middle of the Premier League's late-September international break β it was reported that an independent panel had delivered its long-awaited verdict, finding City guilty of 114 out of the 115 financial charges brought against them by the Premier League. The charges relate to alleged breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018. Club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak quickly responded, insisting that "nothing has changed" at the club following the guilty finding. City's players also spoke out, with midfielder Rodri saying he trusts the club and that they were told to remain relaxed. The club itself maintains that the Premier League process remains ongoing and continues to deny wrongdoing, and an appeal is widely expected.
What punishment could City face?
The stakes could not be higher. Potential sanctions include heavy fines, points deductions, relegation from the Premier League, and even the annulment of titles won during the period in question. Other Premier League clubs are reportedly planning legal action in response to the guilty verdict. However, no sanctions have been announced yet β the appeal process must first run its course, meaning this saga is far from over. Reports also emerged of concerns about whether manager Enzo Maresca could be tempted to leave the club depending on how the situation unfolds.
On the pitch: Five straight wins and flying high
Despite the turmoil off the pitch, City have been in blistering form on it. They are currently on a five-game winning run in the Premier League β the longest in the division this season. Their most recent league outing saw them put five past Sunderland in a 5β3 thriller on 20 September. Before the international break, City had already beaten Bournemouth 2β1 on the opening day, thrashed Crystal Palace 4β1 away, edged Coventry City 1β0, and most memorably, won the Manchester derby 1β0 at Old Trafford on 13 September β playing the final three-quarters of the match with ten men after Phil Foden was controversially sent off for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. Erling Haaland scored the only goal of that game, his ninth Manchester derby goal. In Europe, City also kicked off their Champions League campaign perfectly, beating Porto 2β0 away on 8 September, with Haaland bagging a brace. The Norwegian is the Premier League's top scorer so far with five goals.
Transfer talk
(Rumour) The guilty verdict has immediately sparked speculation about the future of star striker Erling Haaland. Spanish football figure Gainza Mendieta has openly speculated about whether Haaland could move to Barcelona or Real Madrid if the situation at City deteriorates. TEAMtalk also reported that Arsenal have made contact regarding a potential Haaland transfer following the verdict β though nothing concrete has emerged and this remains firmly in the realm of rumour. Meanwhile, City completed a busy summer window, with new arrivals including Enzo FernΓ‘ndez (β¬145M), Ayyoub Bouaddi (β¬95M), Iliman Ndiaye (β¬70M), and Allan (β¬37.5M), while Jack Grealish departed on loan.
Sources
- Manchester City FCβPremier League financial breaches case β Wikipedia
- Man City found guilty on almost all 115 Premier League charges β Al Jazeera
- Manchester City found guilty of majority of Premier League financial breaches β CNN
- Man United 0-1 Man City (Sep 13, 2026) β ESPN
- FC Porto 0-2 Man City (Sep 8, 2026) β ESPN
- 2026β27 Premier League β Wikipedia