Manchester City have been rocked by news of their guilt in the 115 case but there are more concerns for Enzo Maresca and his players
It has been a miserable few weeks for Manchester City and their fans. The club that sits on top of the Premier League table after five games has been thrown into turmoil with publication of a 40-page decision from an independent panel that find City overwhelmingly guilty in the 115 case.
Rivals are so delighted that nobody is even pretending to get angry about that Elliot Anderson handball shout against Sunderland last month because the consequences of the expert verdict will be catastrophic. City are appealing and insist they have irrefutable evidence, but their chances of success cannot be too high given that evidence has already been categorically refuted.
And in the months it takes for that to happen, City’s guilt will be talked about on a daily basis. Premier League club executives are discussing – under the cover of anonymity, of course – what punishments they would want to see the Blues face and points deductions are being gaily speculated on.
Enzo Maresca and his players have to shut out all of that noise and concentrate on trying to win two football matches a week, starting at Anfield on Sunday. But even as the players try to keep calm and carry on, their rivals are also ploughing ahead.
Premier League champions Arsenal have been publicly silent on the guilty verdicts with the process ongoing, but on Wednesday they announced a new contract for Mikel Arteta. Already the longest serving manager in the division by some distance following the departures of Jurgen Klopp and then Pep Guardiola, the former City assistant is now signed up at the Emirates until 2030.
In a statement announcing the news, CEO Richard Garlick said: “We want to create a winning era together with Mikel… Mikel has the belief, determination and the understanding of what it takes to build something remarkable and enduring here, and we are excited to continue that journey together.”
As City’s golden era is tainted, the last thing they want to be hearing about is the start of another one in North London. And, despite a 3-0 defeat for the title favourites at Brighton before the international break, it is Arsenal who remain the team to beat for City and any of the chasing pack, with the stability at the club giving them a critical advantage.
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The punishments handed out – or not – to City at the end of the appeal process will determine how far the gap to the very top is, but in the meantime they have to keep making progress under Maresca to stay as competitive as they want to be. As difficult as it might seem with so many pitchforks out for City, Arsenal’s commitment to Arteta is a reminder that there are more than just guilty verdicts for City to be concerned about.
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