City’s Premier League case has inevitably dominated another day, but Monday has brought some genuinely different strands rather than simply another round of reaction to Friday’s reports.
Sky Sports has provided a clearer indication of what could happen next, Roberto Mancini has discussed his former contractual arrangements, and Tony Pulis has revisited the 2011 FA Cup final. Away from the case, Erling Haaland scored again for Norway, and Cavan Sullivan reached another landmark.
City case could continue for years
Perhaps the most significant development came from Sky Sports News, which reports that the process around Man City’s Premier League case is moving towards the appeal stage. The independent commission’s full judgment remains unpublished, and City continue to insist that the process is ongoing, with significant elements still to be completed.
As we explained in our look at why the Man City case could continue for years, any appeal would be heard by a new three-person panel. Sky Sports says there is no subsequent route to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, although it believes there is a “strong possibility” City’s owners could turn to the High Court if an appeal went against them.
It means the expectation of a quick conclusion now looks increasingly unrealistic. City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said at the weekend that the Premier League process still had “a long way to run”, while reiterating the club’s determination to prove its innocence.
Mancini discusses ‘double contract’
Roberto Mancini has provided another significant development by referring publicly to his “double contract” during his time as City manager. The Italian also insisted his former club are “not guilty” and said the contractual issue was not his problem.
The arrangements involving Mancini form part of the background to allegations concerning the accuracy of information supplied about manager remuneration between 2009-10 and 2017-18. The existence of two arrangements doesn’t by itself establish a Premier League breach; the regulatory issue concerns the information City provided about those payments.
Mancini managed City between 2009 and 2013, winning the FA Cup in 2011 before delivering the club’s first Premier League title the following season.
Pulis looks back at 2011 differently
Tony Pulis has provided one of the more personal reactions to the latest reports, saying he now feels Stoke City were “cheated” when they lost the 2011 FA Cup final 1-0 to City at Wembley.
We looked in more detail at Pulis’s new view of the 2011 FA Cup final, although his comments remain his interpretation of the reported findings rather than a conclusion established by the unpublished commission ruling. There has been no announcement that City’s 2011 FA Cup victory will be overturned.
The man speaking for City
Al Mubarak has become City’s most prominent public voice since Friday’s reports, prompting a closer look at the man leading the club’s response and his wider role.
He has chaired City since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008 and is also the founding chairman of City Football Group. Away from football, Al Mubarak is managing director and group chief executive of Mubadala Investment Company and holds senior positions within Abu Dhabi’s investment and policymaking structures.
Those positions don’t tell us anything about the merits or eventual outcome of the Premier League proceedings. They do provide useful context to the man representing City publicly during the biggest regulatory dispute in the club’s history.
City remain a possession outlier
There was some actual football analysis amid the legal coverage, with BBC Sport data showing a notable decline in the early-season success of teams dominating possession.
Teams recording at least 60% of the ball have won only 36.4% of the opening 50 Premier League matches this season, compared with 53.5% in 2023/24. City remain an obvious exception, with Enzo Maresca’s side winning their opening five league games while continuing to place considerable emphasis on controlling the ball.
Our look at why City are bucking the Premier League’s emerging possession trend found that Maresca’s side average 64.9% possession when ahead. It is still an early-season sample, but City have so far resisted a wider shift towards teams becoming increasingly comfortable without the ball.
Haaland scores but Dias takes the points
Erling Haaland added another international goal on Sunday night, although Ruben Dias was the City player celebrating at full-time.
Haaland scored Norway’s equaliser in Oslo before Goncalo Ramos restored Portugal’s advantage in a 2-1 win. The striker now has 65 goals in 57 senior internationals, while his 22 Nations League goals extend his record as the competition’s all-time leading scorer.
Our Haaland and Dias report from Oslo covers the City-against-City element of the game, including Dias blocking an effort from his club teammate during the first half.
Sullivan makes US history at 16
Cavan Sullivan’s progress continues at some speed. The City-bound midfielder started the United States’ 4-1 win over Peru and became the fourth-youngest player to represent the USMNT at 16 years and 363 days.
Sullivan played 62 minutes on his senior international debut, adding another milestone to a season in which he has already recorded seven goals and 12 assists in MLS. We looked at Sullivan’s remarkable rise and his future move to City, which was agreed when the Philadelphia Union youngster was just 14.
Cherki and Donnarumma up next
Rayan Cherki and Gianluigi Donnarumma provide two of City’s main points of interest tonight, with France facing Belgium and Italy travelling to Turkiye.
Both games kick off at 7.45pm UK time and are available through Amazon Prime Video PPV. The Man City international duty tracker will continue to follow appearances and minutes across the break.
Tuesday brings another sizeable batch of City internationals before attention gradually begins turning back towards the Premier League trip to Liverpool.
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