Could Manchester United and Liverpool Increase Their Title Haul Due to Man City's Infractions?

Following today's revelation that an independent commission investigating Manchester City's financial irregularities has found the club guilty on 114 of the 115 initial charges, various speculations have emerged regarding potential sanctions for the "Citizens." Among the most shocking scenarios is the possibility that three titles won by City between 2009 and 2018 could be stripped from the club. This period is precisely when the alleged breaches occurred.

In both 2012 and 2018, cross-town rivals Manchester United finished second in the Premier League behind City, meaning that hypothetically, two more titles could be added to the "Red Devils'" tally of 20 championship wins. In 2014, Liverpool were runners-up to Manchester City, so that title could potentially go to the Merseyside club, then managed by Brendan Rodgers.

Even if titles are not directly revoked, there's a hypothesis that points could be deducted from Manchester City's totals for those seasons. This makes the cases of 2012 and 2014 even more intriguing, as in the former, the "Citizens" secured the trophy solely on goal difference over United, and in the latter, the gap between City and Liverpool in the final standings was a mere two points. In the 2018/2019 and 2021/22 seasons, Liverpool finished just one point behind their major rivals at the time. However, these seasons fall outside the period for which City is currently being held accountable.

Even if this scenario doesn't materialize, alongside other potential sanctions Manchester City might face, competitors are almost certain to pursue legal action for significant financial compensation due to lost earnings during the period when their major rival benefited from an unregulated advantage.