Arsenal to be crowned champions? – What happens if Man City FFP investigation led to points deduction
The current hot topic revolves around Everton facing repercussions for violating Financial Fair Play regulations and the potential impact on this season’s Premier League title race.
After being identified as the first team to breach the new Profit and Sustainability rules in a review conducted by an independent commission, Everton received a 10-point deduction, effective immediately.
This move has caused them to plummet into the relegation zone. It’s worth noting that Everton has the option to appeal this decision, but if unsuccessful, it would mark an unprecedented penalty at the highest level of English football in the modern era.
This could establish a precedent for any team found in violation of these rules in the years to come.
Shifting focus to Arsenal, the spotlight is now on Manchester City, who faced 115 charges in February.
They have expressed their openness to a review following an investigation into their financial dealings.
If the reigning Premier League champions are found guilty of the alleged breaches, a points deduction seems likely as a penalty.
However, Stefan Borson, a football finance expert and former advisor at Man City, suggests that relegation could also be a potential consequence.
“There are too many things that ‘might’ happen if City are found against. It will be very serious — all hell will break loose,” he said. “It will turn into an enormous story — not just in respect of football but much wider than that. So many parties will be implicated. It will be an incredibly explosive situation.
“From a football perspective, it’s impossible to think City would not be relegated if all of these things were found against them. The hearing is likely to be in 2024 at some point. The Premier League are bound to be concerned about what they would do if City are found guilty. The fact the league charged City with such serious matters shows you this is a very bold move.”
Indeed, a points deduction for Manchester City or the prospect of their relegation would work in favor of Arsenal in their pursuit of securing the Premier League title, a feat they haven’t accomplished since 2004.
The realization of this goal could have materialized last season if Manchester City had been found guilty and subsequently penalized for any wrongdoing.
The unfolding developments surrounding Everton’s punishment and the ongoing scrutiny of Manchester City’s financial affairs add an interesting dimension to Arsenal’s aspirations for league glory.
Applying Everton’s 10-point deduction as a benchmark and extrapolating it to Manchester City would have resulted in Pep Guardiola’s team finishing the 2022/23 Premier League season with 79 points. This hypothetical scenario would have positioned them as runners-up to Arsenal, who amassed 84 points.
It’s crucial to note, as analyzed by ArsenalBrief, that any potential punishments for Manchester City, if found guilty of the alleged breaches, are unlikely to be retroactive.
This implies that they would not be stripped of Premier League titles won during the period under investigation.
The 115 alleged Financial Fair Play breaches span a nine-year period from the 2009-10 to the 2017-18 seasons.
Consequently, last year’s Premier League title is not subject to scrutiny, and Arsenal could only have benefited if the investigation had concluded before May 2023.
Arsenal to be crowned champions? – What happens if Man City FFP investigation led to points deduction
