Anfield is no longer just a fixture
Manchester City go to Anfield on Sunday, October 11, 17:30 CEST, and this one has changed shape. City were found guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules, and the meeting with Liverpool is now the club's defining moment of the week (4). Euan Jones put it best: "This fixture was always going to be a header, now it's a headline" (4).
Your team is top of the table on 15 points from five games, five wins from five, +8 goal difference. None of that changes what Anfield means now.
Maguire's numbers: points off, and a fine
Finance expert Kieran Maguire has put a figure on what is coming. He predicts a points deduction and a fine for City over the FFP breaches (1). That is the punishment scale fans have been waiting to hear spelled out.
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Boskamp: punish City, but leave the titles alone
Jan Boskamp says City must face the consequences for the financial breaches (7) (9). What he will not accept is stripping the league titles. He defended what Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany won, calling the idea of taking those back "flauwekul", nonsense (9).
Sullivan's pre-agreement is wobbling
City have a pre-agreement for Cavan Sullivan, the 17-year-old American, and PSG, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all watching (3). His agent Dan Segal did not shut it down: "Manchester City est l'un des plus grands clubs du monde. Ce qu'ils ont bâti restera à jamais gravé dans l'histoire. Il est vrai qu'il existe un accord préliminaire avec eux concernant Sullivan, mais on ne sait jamais ce qui peut arriver" (3). That means: yes, there is a preliminary agreement, but you never know what can happen.
Nmecha could come home for €100m
Felix Nmecha left City in 2021. City, Manchester United and Newcastle have all put his name on their list, and Dortmund want around €100m for him (5). A City academy graduate, back at that price.
Rui Pinto loses witness protection
Rui Pinto, the man behind Football Leaks, which helped trigger the Premier League probe into City's finances, has lost his protected witness status in Portugal (6) (8). His lawyers warn of "dire consequences" and say his life is at risk (6) (8).
Fan reactions
The City subreddit is mostly practical this week: one thread is about parking at the Etihad for the City women v Arsenal game, and how mad the stadium car park gets on matchday. No panic about the verdict yet. Just matchday logistics.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MCFC/comments/1wwsg56/parking_for_the_womens_game_at_the_etihad
