Manchester City could be facing legal action from their Premier League rivals having been found guilty of breaking 114 financial regulations

Premier League clubs are planning potential legal action against Manchester City following their guilty verdict on 114 financial rule breaches. With the club earning huge success during the nine-year period they are accused of breaching regulations, others in England look to be after financial compensation.

City claimed eight Premier League titles since the 2011/12 campaign, when they famously snatched the crown from Manchester United on the final day of the season. Domestic cup competitions and one Champions League have also been claimed since 2009 with the legitimacy of those triumphs now under scrutiny.

And the Premier League sides that were potentially impacted negatively want repercussions, as per The Athletic. They have claimed legal action is being planned by City’s domestic rivals with one scenario seeing all those impacted coming together to form a class action.

United, specifically, have already been looking into their options and the knock-on effects of City’s misconduct on their own success and finances, as per another report from The Athletic.

An appeal from City is anticipated first, however, with any action from rival clubs expected to follow that process. It has been further suggested that United have been specifically scrutinising the seasons in which they were most adversely affected.

Topping that list would undoubtedly be the 2011/12 campaign, when Sergio Aguero’s iconic last-gasp goal wrested the title away from United.

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City’s remarkable 100-point season, during which United finished as runners-up, also fell within the nine-year period in which City are accused of committing financial breaches.

The same situation occurred during the campaign without supporters following the Covid-19 pandemic, though this came after 2018, which marks the final season under the club’s investigation period.

Missing out on those trophies would almost certainly have carried financial consequences for the club in areas such as prize money and Club World Cup qualification.

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United legend Rio Ferdinand has already expressed his views emphatically on what he hopes will transpire through several posts on social media platform X.

He first said: Another premier league medal to be added to the cabinet [eyes emoji. He also called for medals to be awarded to Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who were at the helm during seasons where United finished runners-up to City.

He wrapped up his demands by declaring: “Seriously tho…. Ryan Giggs should have 14 Premier League titles [nine laughing face emojis]. Come on @premierleague.”

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City remain the sole party involved to issue a public statement on the issue, with the Premier League declining to comment while the matter continues due to City’s appeal.

Through a spokesperson, City said: “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 that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”

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There were fireworks and flames on a balmy September night and, perhaps, at the end of an encounter that nonetheless produced the expected result, something resembling hope for Harlequins. 12 months ago, almost to the day, a club soon shown to be in turmoil were beaten by a below-their-best Bath in a performance that rather set the tone for a season of tumult and trouble. Handed the same tough task to open another Prem season and more than a dollop of misfortune beforehand, there was just enough pluck and punch to suggest brighter times may be to come – even if the hosts cannot yet compete with this division’s best.

It did not help, of course, to be down four figures like Marcus Smith, Alex Dombrandt, Fin Baxter and new recruit George Furbank – comfort can be taken from the fact that all bar Dombrandt are expected back in the next couple of weeks. To have lost both Smith and Furbank during the course of their final preseason game was a tough break indeed given both the leadership and quality they provide – and there were encouraging signs of a sort in their absence with a Santiago Carreras wonder-try that caused a 14-point swing the real difference between the teams.

The spunk, spice and spite about their side’s performance would have pleased a Stoop crowd that increasingly grew unfaithful last year – even if a few nagging concerns about the state of what feels a strangely shallow squad remain. Indeed, the eventual margin of defeat remained unchanged; in pure accounting on the table, a pointless outing for the hosts. There is much, much more work to be done. “There were moments today that last year Bath would have run in three tries really quickly,” head coach Jason Gilmore said. “We created a lot of line breaks out there and then were just a bit impatient. I’m proud of the boys efforts and we definitely competed hard, but disappointed that we blew a few chances.”

It was one of those bitty games of rugby characteristic of these opening skirmishes of the season, one in which the ball seemed to spend as much time on the deck as safely in the grasp. Indeed, both of Harlequins’ first half scores found the bounce of the ball looking kindly upon them – first Will Porter after a lineout and then Oscar Beard from an aerial contest making the most of a friendly ricochet, with the second score finished off by a long-striding Chandler Cunningham-South.

Yet things always looked closer to clicking for Bath. Dan du Preez, lured south from Sale to fill an Alfie Barbeary-shaped hole at the base of the scrum, had given them an early lead with a punchy short-range try, and Joe Cokanasiga was similarly muscular as he cut a sharp angle on Tom Carr-Smith’s shoulder. Their third try, meanwhile, was a moment of magic – Carreras jutting out a leg to intercept what should have been a scoring pass to Beard, before dashing beneath his flick up and under the posts.

“He’s done some things in training that are amazing,” Bath boss Johann van Graan explained. “In my view, that is try of the season for us in round one. That decision, firstly, to use his foot, and then the skill level to kick it up, gather on the touchline, keep his head and finish it. What a moment and what a player.”

The Argentina playmaker had struggled to show the best of himself during his first season at the Rec but here was a reminder of the quality lurking in Johann van Graan’s ranks. When they had come here last year, the Bath boss had been forced to deploy Max Ojomoh in the No 10 shirt but if the playmaking partnership of Carreras and Finn Russell find their groove under new attack coach Mike Prendergast, Bath may look a complete attacking proposition again. Re-finding the scalpel to go with the bludgeon that took them to two semi-finals last season may prove the difference this.

That up-front heft remains, mind, even without Thomas du Toit, Barbeary and a couple of other departees. Dan Frost was the beneficiary of a driving maul to bag a bonus point before half time. But Harlequins stuck in there, upping their own physicality in a manner they had failed to at times last year. Pedro Delgado gave them hope and compatriot Guido Petti should really have given them more, only to be turtled by two Bath tacklers as he strove for the line.

It proved costly as Bath regained their grip on the contest. Ewan Richards and the rest of a power-packed bench produced a rumbling mass that Harlequins could not stop. There may be a bit of pain yet before they turn the promise into points.

Northampton, meanwhile, began the defence of their Prem title with a 59-26 win over Newcastle Red Bulls as youngster James Pater filled Furbank’s boots effectively with a hat-trick from full-back.

Tommy Freeman also crossed thrice in a fine start to the season for the defending champions – though Werner Kok snatched a bonus point for the Red Bulls at the last to root Harlequins to the bottom.

Christian Eriksen has agreed to terminate his contract with German soccer club Wolfsburg, nearly four months after the Danish midfielder collapsed on the field for the second time in his career, the team said Wednesday.

The 34-year-old Eriksen hasn’t played since he collapsed after clutching his chest during Denmark’s friendly match against Ukraine in Odense, Denmark on June 7. His contract had been due to run until the end of June 2027.

“At the moment, it is important for me to be close to my family in Denmark. I’m pleased that we were able to find a solution together,” Eriksen said in a statement issued by the club. “It was a great pleasure for me to play for you, and I will look back fondly on this period.”

The incident in June brought back memories of Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at the European Championship five years earlier, as players formed a circle around him while he received medical attention. He was able to walk off the field by himself and was taken to a hospital.

(Photo by Bo Amstrup / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images) / Denmark OUT

Eriksen said in June he was “doing well” and that an implantable cardioverter defibrillator fitted to support his heart after the 2021 incident had done its job. He had been undergoing rehabilitation in Denmark since.

The former Manchester United and Tottenham player had joined Wolfsburg as a free agent before the 2025-26 season, which ended with the team being relegated from the Bundesliga.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

The current generation of City fans only know about success, but those from yesteryear know all about watching their side playing in the old Division Two.

Their promotion via the play-offs at the end of the 1998-99 season came after facing the likes of York City, Oldham Athletic and Chesterfield in the league.

Fast forward almost three decades, City now possess one of the best strikers in the world in Erling Haaland, who reached 100 Premier League goals faster than anyone in the competition’s history.

City sit top of the table after winning all five of their league games so far and their first game after the international break is a trip to face Liverpool at Anfield.

City fan Matt said on 5 Live: “I think I need therapy now. It has escalated over the last few hours. It’s so hard to be a die-hard Blue. The decision is made, yet we haven’t appealed it or really made a statement yet.

“I was there when Paul Dickov scored back in Division Two. We celebrated that success and went on to do incredible things. We have a song about going down with a billion in the bank.

“If we get titles taken off us, point deductions, we come out of this league, then we will fight until the end. I can’t wait to see Erling Haaland bag a hat-trick against Grimsby.

“You go through the good times and the hard times. We have to go to Liverpool and it’s going to be very interesting to see how we react. We boo the Champions League anthem, well what about the Premier League?”

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle was once again unable to practice on Friday due to a toe injury. He is now trending in the wrong direction to play in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

If Dowdle is unable to suit up this week, it should open up the door for Jaylen Warren to see a significant boost in snaps and opportunities in Week 3. This is a situation you should still be monitoring, but we would be surprised at this point if Dowdle is able to suit up on Sunday.

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Fantasy Impact

RB Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s not looking good for Dowdle this week after injuring his toe in Week 2. If he is listed as inactive, we will then have to begin to look forward to Week 4 and hope this isn’t a multi-week injury. We are hoping to get more clarity on this situation sooner rather than later, but if you were planning to start Dowdle this week, you should come up with a backup plan.

RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

Warren had already been the better fantasy option of the two backs, but his value will skyrocket if Dowdle is ruled out. After playing on just 31% of the offensive snaps in Week 1, Warren saw his snaps climb to 71% in Week 2, with Dowdle injuring his toe. We would expect that number to climb even higher this week.

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Through two games, Warren has carried the ball 21 times for 89 yards at 4.2 yards per carry, and caught seven of nine targets for 61 yards. We would expect that he will see 15-plus carries this week and at least five targets.

He is going to see plenty of opportunities this week and should be locked into lineups as a fantasy RB2 this week. Even in a matchup against the Bengals, who have been tough against fantasy running backs this season.

RB Eli Heidenreich, Pittsburgh Steelers

There is a faction of the fantasy community that is very excited about Heidenreich, which makes him worth mentioning. He was very good with the Navy last season and fits well in the Pittsburgh system; however, he would probably be a better fit if it were Warren instead of Dowdle missing time.

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Nevertheless, he could be a factor in this backfield. There is also a chance that Travis Homer could be the next man up. In no world should you be starting Heidenreich this right, but he could be an intriguing option in some DFS tournaments.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Injury Update: Rico Dowdle Fails To Practice Friday, Locking Jaylen Warren Into Fantasy Football Lineups.