Arsenal would gain just one trophy if Man City are stripped

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Arsenal supporters spent Friday doing the maths on retrospective Premier League titles. The reality is rather less dramatic.

Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League over alleged breaches of its financial regulations, according to a report from The Athletic, first published on 25 September. The verdict was delivered by an independent commission following an investigation and legal process that has spanned several years.

The charges relate to the period between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. In that window, City won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, three League Cups and one Community Shield.

What Arsenal would actually receive

No decision on sanctions has been reached, but a wide range of punishments is said to be on the table — from substantial fines to points deductions, expulsion from the Premier League, or the retrospective stripping of titles.

That final possibility is the one that lit up social media among Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United fans. For the Gunners, though, there is no retrospective league title waiting. Arsenal did not finish runner-up to City in any of the seasons under investigation, so the Premier League trophy cabinet stays exactly as it is.

What Arsenal would inherit is the 2017-18 League Cup. Arsene Wenger's side were beaten 3-0 by Pep Guardiola's City in that final at Wembley, a result that came during the closing months of the Frenchman's reign. It would be a strange way to add silverware, but it is the only trophy in play for the north London club.

United the biggest beneficiaries

Manchester United stand to gain the most. They finished runners-up to City in both 2009-10 and 2017-18, meaning two Premier League titles would head to Old Trafford. Rio Ferdinand has been vocal about the prospect on X, including making a case for Jose Mourinho's second-placed finish in 2017-18.

Liverpool's situation mirrors Arsenal's in one sense. The 2013-14 season, when Brendan Rodgers' side finished second, is not among those under investigation. Jurgen Klopp's old line about holding a parade in his garden resurfaced on Friday, though the trophy he would actually collect is the 2015-16 League Cup, lost on penalties to a City side managed by Manuel Pellegrini.

City, for their part, have pushed back on the reporting. A club spokesperson said in a statement: "The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC's position remains consistent with the club's statement of February 2023. The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence."

Until the commission rules on sanctions, none of this moves beyond hypothetical. The wait for clarity on what punishment, if any, follows the verdict continues.