Why 115 Charges?

There are not 115 wholly different charges. There are essentially three charges:

City overstated their revenue
City understated their expenses
City have failed to comply with various regulatory requirements
The first relates principally to the allegation that the sponsorship from Etihad and Etisalat was in fact disguised equity funding from ADUG

The second relates to the Al Jazira ‘second contract’ for Roberto Mancini and image rights players for (IIRC) Yaya Toure in particular

The third includes a series of allegations that we have not complied with the PL’s FFP rules, UEFAs FFP rules and the PLs requirement that we should co-operate with an ongoing investigation.

It is however alleged that each of these alleged offences is committed across multiple seasons. One separate charge relates to each instance of alleged wrongdoing over each of the 10 seasons or so that the charges cover.

If you want an analogy, imagine you drove from London to Manchester at a steady 100mph and got caught by 12 speeding cameras. Each represents a separate charge, but they are different aspects of the same basic allegation.


Do these allegations amount to fraud?

The allegations that we have knowingly misrepresented the accounts across multiple seasons are tantamount to allegations of fraud. This is because the allegation is that City's directors signed off accounts knowing that they did not represent a true and fair view of City's finances. That is an offence under the Companies Act. So while the PL have not accused us outright of fraud, the conduct they are alleging against the club would, if proved, amount to fraudulent conduct.

"I'm not saying you're guilty of arson, but I saw you set fire to your own house."

Moreover, it is inherent in the charges that other companies who have included the amounts of (say) the sponsorship deals in full must have conspired with City to ensure that the true figure was artificially (and dishonestly) inflated. Or, in the case of Al Jazirah, that the employment contract with Mancini was a complete sham. This too is essentially an allegation of fraudulent conduct.

The allegations of regulatory breaches (eg non-co-operation) are not fraudulent in their nature.


What is the standard of proof?

The standard of proof applied by independent panel will be the balance of probabilities. This means that the tribunal will need to consider whether it is more likely than not that City have committed the conduct alleged against them.

However, because the allegations are serious, the evidence which it would take to satisfy the panel to that standard would need to be correspondingly cogent. It is inherently unlikely that the boards of several large companies would all conspire to commit several legal and regulatory breaches, so to satisfy the panel that this is what actually happened, the evidence of that will need to be particularly cogent.

This post has been edited by kjs86: Sep 17 2024, 10:07 PM

What is the evidence relied on by the PL?

The PL investigation was opened very shortly after the UEFA investigation, and appeared to lie dormant while the case with UEFA/CAS ran its course. It is not known that there is any more evidence available to the PL than was available to UEFA, namely the Der Spiegel leaked emails.

That said, the PL pursued numerous disclosure applications against City which were successful. We simply don’t know what further evidence there may be.



Are any of the allegations time-barred?

Yes. UEFA’s FFP rules had a 5 year time-bar, which had expired in the case of some of the charges. There is no similar time-bar under the PL’s rules but the relationship between City and the PL is essentially that they are both parties to the same contract. English law says that you have 6 years in most cases to bring a claim for a breach of contract.

The charges were brought at the beginning of 2023, so on the face of it, a lot of the claims relating to anything preceding season 16/17 will be time-barred. However, there is a principle that if the breach of contract was knowingly concealed, that six year period will begin not when the breach actually occurred but when the complainant became aware of it (or, if earlier, should reasonably have become aware of it.)

So the question of the seriousness of the charges and the question of what is time barred go hand in hand. The negative, from City’s point of view, is that the time-bar is not necessarily a complete defence to the more historic charges (which is actually most of them). The positive, from City’s point of view, is that to succeed on the most serious charges, cogent evidence will be needed to show that City have committed the breaches alleged. If that evidence is not there, the charges will fail and would be time-barred anyway.



Are City in danger?

It depends on how you define ‘danger.’ Based on the evidence that exists within the public domain (eg the evidence in the 'opens skies' case in the USA) it is very difficult to see how the PL can possibly succeed, at least on the most serious charges. The non-co-operation charges may be less difficult to establish, not least because City took the PL to the courts in a number of respects.

That said, (a) we don’t know what (if any) further evidence the PL may have, and (b) one possibility is that the PL are pursuing us precisely because they think the evidence they can point to will be sufficient to make the charges stick.

What is certain is that if the charges are proved, or substantially proved, the sanctions applied against City would be very very serious. Everton have had a points deduction of 10 points on the basis of one admitted allegation of breaching FFP in one season. If the charges are proved, it is difficult to see that anything short of relegation (whether by means of a massive points deduction or otherwise) AND a massive fine would meet the justice of the case.

If the non-cooperation charge alone was proved but all the others were dismissed, I would anticipate a fine. A points deduction for a non-co-operation charge would in my view be somewhat disproportionate.


Can City appeal to CAS if they lose?


No. There is however a right of appeal to a further Independent Panel. They would not be starting again and looking at all the same evidence from the beginning, however, they would be concentrating on whether the first panel have made an error of law or arrived at a decision that is perverse on the evidence before the first panel.

Thereafter there is no further appeal but there is a right of further legal challenge based on errors of law,

As a practical proposition it is unlikely if City lose at the first stage and their appeal is also dismissed, that (unless both panels have got it disastrously wrong) that there would be much prospect of success in a further legal challenge but you never know.



If fraud is alleged, why haven’t City been charged by the criminal authorities?


It would have been unusual for (say) the Serious Fraud Office to commence an investigation in a case like this where what is alleged is a breach of the PL’s internal rules. However they tend not to announce it from the rooftops when they are commencing an investigation, especially if that would result in (for instance) evidence being destroyed.

If the charges are proved (and there is no appeal), it is quite probable that a criminal allegation would be launched. Given how high-profile this case is, it would be difficult for the SFO to resist the pressure to launch their own investigation.

However, the standard of proof in a criminal case is even higher – it is beyond reasonable doubt – and the age of some of the charges means that it would be very difficult to persuade a jury that the accounts signed off 12 or 13 years ago were knowingly/fraudulently mis-stated. Moreover, if City lost it is almost inevitable that there would be an appeal, which would mean that the events in question were even more historic.

Never say never, but criminal charges seems very very unlikely even if the PL charges are successful.



Who sits on these panels?

About five years ago the PL established a panel from whom the members of any independent disciplinary commission will be appointed. There are about 12 members of the panel. In practice they tend to be practising KCs or retired judges. The chair of the panel is Murray Rosen KC. That does not mean he sits on all the independent commissions or that he will sit on City’s. Usually three will be appointed by the chair of the panel to hear any particular disciplinary case.

Murray Rosen might sit on City's panel, but in the event of an appeal he would have to appoint the members of the appeal panel from a similar but smaller pool. To avoid the argument that he would hand-pick a panel that would be the most likely to uphold his own decision I doubt he would sit on the first panel, though he might sit on the appeal.

The members of the panel tend to be people with an interest in football and they may or may not be match-going regulars at any particular team. I would imagine that the rules under which they are appointed require them to state their team allegiance and they will be barred from hearing disciplinary cases involving those teams.

That said, these are serious players in a game where being a serious player is the norm. They would only be appointed as KCs/Judges having demonstrated outstanding intellect and integrity, and appointment to a high-profile disciplinary panel would require them again to demonstrate those qualities. This is not some Kangaroo Court, it will be an assembly of highly trained, widely experienced and intellectually formidable individuals.

There is sometimes an argument raised along the lines that membership of a disciplinary or similar panel of that sort both constitutes a source of income and is a matter of status, and so there is an inevitable tendency on the part of members of those panels to recognise the hand that feeds them. Whether or not an individual panel member is biased depends on the facts of a case. If these were valid criticisms in themselves every member of every pool of potential members of a disciplinary committee would be biased. In fact, whilst not peanuts, the fees received for hearing a disciplinary case like this would make up only a small proportion of their overall remuneration for the year. Panel members are appointed because of their independence, not because they are likely to surrender it, and many have a tendency to demonstrate that independence.

Of course, everyone gets it wrong from time to time. Sometimes a judge just doesn’t see things the same way that a claimant or defendant does. But there is no reason whatsoever for thinking, at least at this stage, that the hearing will be anything other than full, detailed, scrupulously fair and intellectually rigorous. This panel is to the individuals who made the PL’s charging decision what CAS was to UEFA ‘s first committee.

But on steroids.



This post has been edited by kjs86: Sep 17 2024, 10:10 PM

Premier League clubs are said to be frustrated at the secrecy surrounding Man City's legal case with the Premier League.

According to The Telegraph, the precise location of the meeting being kept under wraps has annoyed clubs. It is likely that little information about the case gets out throughout the process but the report suggests some judgements during the hearing could be shared "as deemed 'appropriate'".

Speaking on Friday, Pep Guardiola said he feels as though all other 19 Premier League clubs want Man City to be sanctioned.

He was responding to comments from La Liga president Javier Tebas, who claimed that the English clubs he had spoken to had indicated a desire to see the Blues punished.

"Maybe he's right. For the fact that all the Premier League teams want us to be sanctioned, that is for sure,"

Rodri on a new contract offer: "Nothing much to say. I have three more years at #ManCity, and when I sign the contract I don't think of other teams, I just think of finishing. So I have three more years at ManCity, and nothing more to say..."

Rodri has admitted that winning the Ballon d’Or this year would be ‘a dream’ for him, with people starting to recognise his work.

Player Ratings

Ederson – 7

Made a few saves in the first half and had an okay game in general.

Manuel Akanji – 7

Played a key role in keeping the high line to catch the visiting attackers offside. Very fast when getting back in position to defend.

Ruben Dias – 6.5

Struggled a little with the pace of Marcus Thuram and was unfortunate to pick up a yellow card in the first half. Communicated well with the other defenders. Took over captaincy when Kevin De Bruyne came off with an injury.

Josko Gvardiol – 7 (MOTM)

Ventured forward to create overloads in the attacking third but still came back to help with the counter-attacks.

Rico Lewis – 7

Still building his relationship with Savinho but looks more comfortable every game in midfield.

Rodri – 7

Caught out of position every now and again as the visitors flew up the pitch to counter. Controlled the game when in possession.

Bernardo Silva – 7

Covered every blade of grass and took joy in flicking the ball around the Inter Milan midfield.

Kevin De Bruyne – 6.5

Was a threat down the left side with Jack Grealish but came off at half-time after hobbling towards the end of the first half.

Savinho – 7

Unfortunate to be taken off at half-time. Looked the most dangerous on the right side and brought the crowd into the game.

Erling Haaland – 6.5

Had a few half chances but is still looking for his 100th Manchester City goal. It was good to see him dropping deeper to be involved in the build-up play.

Jack Grealish – 7

Always looking to come inside the pitch but the low defensive block kept him at bay. Linked up nicely with Kevin De Bruyne in the first half. Came alive in the second half to cause problems.

Substitutes

Ilkay Gundogan – 6.5

Played the ball around the final third and should have scored from his two late headed efforts.

Phil Foden – 7

Should have done better with his effort in the box but was the main man when he came on.

Jeremy Doku – 6.5

Added an element of pace and dynamism on the right side but the Inter defence dealt with his crosses and passes into their penalty area.

Player Ratings

Ederson: Nearly put City into trouble with a rushed clearance out of position but made an important save at the end of the first half. 6

Lewis: Pushed up whenever he could high into the box but wasn't able to get on the ball too much. 7

Akanji: Mostly excellent, using his pace well to keep the Inter line quiet. A few misplaced passes though. 6

Dias: Harshly booked for a meaty but accurate tackle, and defended smartly after that to keep City stable. 7

Gvardiol: Some excellent signs going forward but not good going backwards as Darmian drifted past him too many times. 6

Rodri: Off the pace, getting his pocket picked more than he or anyone else would expect. Felt like a game where he was feeling his way back in. 5

Silva: Played in the middle for the first half before moving to the wing when Foden came on. Unable to have a serious influence. 6

De Bruyne: Not much worked for him, and he took a knock that forced him off at half-time. A bit longer than he lasted in Istanbul but a throwback. 5

Savinho: Another game, another early withdrawal. He looked promising in the first half but it must be a concern if his early bath wasn't tactical. 6

Grealish: City's best player, growing in influence through the game and driving with purpose as he ran at the Inter defence. 8

Haaland: One header that plopped safely into Sommer's hands and barely a peep out of him other than that. 6

Substitutes

Foden (for De Bruyne, 46): Like Rodri, the effort was there but the sharpness wasn't. 6

Gundogan (for Savinho, 46): Missed two decent chances to break the deadlock. 6

Doku (for Silva, 80): Showed intent from the right wing

Player Ratings

GK: Ederson - 6/10 - Inter's finishing was pretty poor, with Ederson having to deal with pretty tame efforts.

RB: Rico Lewis - 6/10 - Rarely operated in the right-back zone as he sought to have an influence from between the lines. Attempted to overload Inter in the right half-space, but didn't have much success.

CB: Manuel Akanji - 7/10 - Had plenty of defending to do, but Akanji defended the counter-attack well. Recovery running and tactical fouls came in handy.

CB: Ruben Dias - 7/10 - Often got the better of Marcus Thuram when the pair battled physically, and commanded his line well to ensure Inter were often caught offside.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 6/10 - An up-and-down performance from Gvardiol. While his proactivity allowed City to break at times, Inter did have joy breaking down his side in the second half.

CM: Rodri - 7/10 - There was a little bit of rust on his first start of the season. Rodri was efficient without being spectacular in possession, and he wasn't his usual dominant self at transitions.

RM: Savinho - 6/10 - City turned to the Brazilian as their primary outlet in the opening period, but the crafty winger was often met with double- and triple-teams. Inter marshalled him well.

AM: Bernardo Silva - 5/10 - Struggled to affect proceedings from multiple zones and was withdrawn late on for the more direct Jeremy Doku.

AM: Kevin De Bruyne - 4/10 - His half-time withdrawal may have been enforced, but De Bruyne was off-colour in the opening period. The Belgian committed errors in every third of the pitch. Timed his darts in behind well, at least.

LM: Jack Grealish - 6/10 - Another who faced multiple bodies whenever he got the ball, Grealish huffed and puffed without much reward.

ST: Erling Haaland - 6/10 - The big fella started brightly, and came close on a couple of occasions, but he was completely anonymous in the second-half.

Substitutes

SUB: Ilkay Gundogan (46' for De Bruyne) - 7/10

SUB: Phil Foden (46' for Savinho) - 5/10

SUB: Jeremy Doku (80' for Bernardo) - 6/10

Manager

Pep Guardiola - 5/10 - His team were stifled, and, as was the case in Istanbul less than 18 months ago, outplayed. However, City didn't earn the desired result on this occasion.

Player Ratings

Ederson (7/10):

Pulled off some strong saves to deny Inter's few chances.

Ruben Dias (7/10):

Made some excellent interventions as Inter threatened with counter attacks.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Strong on the ball, pushed up to offer support as City looked to cut through a strong defence.

Josko Gvardiol (8/10):

An excellent display. Made a big clearance and read the game well to make sure nothing got by him.

Rico Lewis (6/10):

Had to cover a lot of ground as he charged up and down the field and stayed sensible in his passing.

Rodri (5/10):

Too slow on the ball. Hindered City's attacks and gave Inter an opening.

Bernardo Silva (5/10):

Had a quiet first half in a more central role and didn't fare much better on the right.

Kevin De Bruyne (6/10):

Had some dangerous moments but was subbed at half-time with an injury.

Jack Grealish (7/10):

Made some incisive passes and helped create a huge chance for Foden.

Erling Haaland (4/10):

Had a couple of decent chances but hardly touched the ball. A rare off night for the goal machine.

Savinho (6/10):

Had a lively first half and set up Haaland with a good cross but was taken off at the break.

Subs & Manager

Phil Foden (6/10):

Had a great chance midway through the second half.

Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

Tried to get into lift City's attacks but and got on the end of two dangerous balls, but couldn't find the net.

Jeremy Doku (6/10):

Made a lively impression in the last 10 minutes.

Pep Guardiola (5/10):

His team were set up well to dominate possession but they failed to break through and his substitutes didn't do enough to alter their style.

Player Ratings

Ederson – 5

Not very confident when coming for crosses which led to Arsenal’s second goal. Had little to do in the game.

Kyle Walker – 5

Potentially at fault for both of Arsenal’s goals but came forward in the second half after the sending off.

Ruben Dias – 6

Picked up a yellow card but dealt with Kai Havertz to stop him from breaking through.

Manuel Akanji – 6

Stopped the threat of Bukayo Saka and stepped into midfield during the second half.

Josko Gvardiol – 6

Pushed high up the pitch when in possession and created an overload in Arsenal’s third.

Ilkay Gundogan – 6.5

Tried to play quick and intricate passes through the tight lines of the defence. Had a chance early in the game which he couldn’t convert.

Rodri – 6

Played okay for 20 minutes but was unfortunate to pick up an injury so early on.

Bernardo Silva – 6.5

Very efficient in tight spaces and was always looking to create. Could have found an equaliser in the second half.

Jeremy Doku – 6

Not his most effective game in a City shirt and struggled against the low block.

Savinho – 7

His quick feet and dynamism created the first goal and he looked a threat every time he got the ball.

Erling Haaland – 6.5

Took his chance well to score his 100th City goal but had little impact on the game afterward.

Substitutes

Mateo Kovacic – 6.5

Always tried to break the lines of the Arsenal defence and move past the defenders in the tight spaces.

Phil Foden – 6

Struggled to make an impact on the game with the tight Arsenal defence. Did not get on the ball as much as City fans would have wanted.

Jack Grealish – 7

Was key to the late equalising goal and brought something different to the game when he came on.

John Stones – 7.5

Came on in the closing stages and was in the right place at the right time to score the all-important equaliser.

Player Ratings

Ederson: Put himself in danger by being booked for complaining, and if he will feel hard done by for the second goal he could have been stronger. 5

Walker: Set Savinho loose for the opening goal and tested Raya a few times but defensively he made too many costly mistakes. Fortunate to stay on with Lewis watching from the bench. 4

Akanji: Another accomplished performance from a man who now feels like City's best defender, calm at the back amid chaos. 7

Dias: Saw plenty of the ball as City dominated against 10-man Arsenal and always willing. Booked for dissent. 6

Gvardiol: Pushed up well into midfield as an extra man and was unlucky not to to beat Raya. Saka didn't get much off him all afternoon. 7

Rodri: Havertz left one in on him in the opening seconds and then he jarred his knee after a coming-together with Partey. 6

Silva: Typically clever and committed, always looking to spark the chance and turn the lost cause into a golden opportunity. 7

Gundogan: Missed a good chance early on and then hit the bar when City were on top. Couldn't link up much with Haaland. 6

Savinho: Brilliant to set up Haaland and was so tricky that several Arsenal players were booked trying to stop him. Not as much joy against 10 men. 7

Doku: His brightest five minutes were the five before he was taken off for Foden. Struggled to impose himself against Timber. 6

Haaland: Excellent for the goal and did his best with the little space he was given after that. 7

Substitutes

Kovacic (for Rodri, 21): More comfortable in the second half when City had the ball than he was trying to contain Arsenal, but his clumsiness cost momentum in the later stages. 6

Foden (for Doku, 69): Could not find his shooting boots 6

Stones (for Walker, 78) Only went and bagged the equaliser. 7

Grealish (for Savinho, 78) Helped make the equaliser 7

Player Ratings

GK: Ederson - 4/10 - Could have been more aggressive when the corner came right into the six-yard box for the Gabriel header, but ended up getting blocked in. Conceded more goals than saves.

RB: Kyle Walker © - 5/10 - Can be slightly aggrieved by being pulled out of position just before the first goal. But he was completely done by the movement for Gabriel for Arsenal's second.

CB: Ruben Dias - 4/10 - Camped in Arsenal's half like an extra midfielder in the second half, without seeming to know what to do with the ball. The visitors were happy to let him have it because his final ball and shooting skills were poor to say the least.

CB: Manuel Akanji - 6/10 - Stopped having to defend by half-time and kept pushing forward.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 7/10 - His efforts were some of the best that City had in their seige of the Arsenal goal, forcing good saves from Raya.

CM: Rodri - N/A - Seemed to make the most of Havertz bumping him but couldn't continue after appearing to jar his knee just under 20 minutes in.

CM: Ilkay Gundogan - 6/10 - Lashed at a really good early chance when he'd done the hard part initially. Unlucky to strike a post not long after.

RM: Savinho - 7/10 - Made the early goal with a dazzling turn and slick through ball and was probably City's most dangerous spark for long periods.

AM: Bernardo Silva - 6/10 - Couldn't direct a good chance on target after Raya had initially saved a Haaland header. Had a lot of touches in Arsenal's third but it got harder to make it count.

LM: Jeremy Doku - 6/10 - Looked to try and make things happen but a couple of blocked shots from outside the box were his most meaningful actions.

ST: Erling Haaland - 6/10 - Took his early goal extremely well, with the early finish to the near post seeming to wrongfoot Raya. Chances dried up because Arsenal squeezed the penalty area shut.

Substitutes

SUB: Mateo Kovacic (22' for Rodri) - 5/10

SUB: Phil Foden (69' for Doku) - 4/10

SUB: John Stones (79' for Walker) - 7/10

SUB: Jack Grealish (79' for Savinho) - 6/10

Manager

Pep Guardiola - 7/10 - Between Rodri being forced off and Arsenal's goal, looked various stages of irate at times during the first half. There wasn't much else he could other than will his team on.

Player Ratings


Ederson (4/10):

Had no chance with Calafiori's effort but needed to be stronger up against Martinelli as he was caught under the ball for Gabriel's header. A spectator thereafter.

Kyle Walker (3/10):

Looked a shadow of his old self as he was beaten for pace by Martinelli on more than one occasion, including for the first Arsenal goal. Failed to track Gabriel for his header, too. Stung Raya's palms from range on a couple of occasions.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Assured in possession and dealt with crosses from open play into the penalty area.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

Heavily involved, both as the last line of defence and then in the build-up during the second half. Didn't do much wrong, but not his best game either.

Josko Gvardiol (6/10):

Kept Saka pretty quiet in open play during the first half. Forced Raya into a save midway through the second period.

Rodri (6/10):

In the wars from the opening seconds as he was clattered by Havertz before he was forced off after 20 minutes with what looked to be a serious knee injury.

Bernardo Silva (7/10):

In constant motion and showed some nice touches in and around the penalty area. Couldn't quite unlock the Arsenal defence, however.

Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

Should have opened the scoring early on and then rattled the post from a free-kick at 1-0. Faded from the game, however, as it became more compacted around the Arsenal penalty area.
Savinho (8/10):

City's best player throughout. Superb touch inside and through-ball laid on Haaland's opener, and he game Calafiori trouble throughout while drawing two bookings with his pacey dribbling.

Erling Haaland (6/10):

Superb finish brought up his century of goals for City, but he struggled to get involved in the game thereafter. Had a couple of headed efforts kept out by Raya in the second half.

Jeremy Doku (4/10):

Largely locked down by Timber as he couldn't have anywhere near the same impact as Savinho on the opposite flank. Replaced by Foden midway through the second half.

Subs & Manager
Mateo Kovacic (5/10):

Barely misplaced a pass but lacked the incisiveness that Rodri may have brought after he replaced the injured Spain star.

Phil Foden (6/10):

On for the final 25 minutes but couldn't unlock the Arsenal defence.

John Stones (7/10):

On for the final 10 minutes or so and was in the right place at the right time to poke home the equaliser.

Jack Grealish (6/10):

Thrown on alongside Stones and his ball into the box led to the equalising goal.

Pep Guardiola (6/10):

Decision to stretch the game and press high paid early dividends, but his team lacked ideas after the break as they looked to break Arsenal down. Slightly fortunate to escape with a point.

Player Ratings

Ederson-6/10: Could do little about Arsenal’s goals and was a spectator in the second half.

Kyle Walker-4/10: City’s captain was at fault for both of Arsenal’s goals. The first one could be attributed to the referee. But he lost Gabriel on the corner. Not his best performance.

Manuel Akanji-6/10: It’s hard to grade City’s defenders given how the second half played out. Akanji did what he had to do in both halves.

Ruben Dias-6/10: Same performance as Akanji. Dias did have several chances in the second half but shooting isn’t his forte.

Josko Gvardiol-7/10: I thought he was good again and was denied by Raya twice. A good display again.

Rodri-N/A: Not on long enough to mark but he was clearly targeted by Arsenal. It must be said that the challenge from Thomas Party wasn’t malicious that caused Rodri’s injury. Went off with a knee injury after 15 minutes in a major blow for the champions.

Ilkay Gundogan-6/10: A quiet performance from Gundogan. He hit the bar in the first half but was quiet for most of the game.

Bernardo Silva-6.5/10: A busy display from Bernardo, especially in the opening 15 minutes. Not at his best after that but wasn’t City’s worst performer.

Savinho-8/10: He was a constant threat before he was substituted. Set up Haaland’s opener with a sublime assist. Another quality showing from the Brazilian.

Jeremy Doku- 6/10: Most of City’s attacking play came down their right-hand side, so Doku didn’t see a lot of the ball. Wasn’t at his best when he did before he was substituted.

Erling Haaland-7/10: Scored his 100th goal for the club with a sublime finish. He was crowded out of the game when Arsenal defended deep for the second half.

Substitutes

Mateo Kovacic-6/10: Came on for Rodri early in the first half. Had several chances to score but not his day in front of goal.

Phil Foden-6/10: The game appeared set up for him when he came on. He couldn’t find any space but perhaps he should have come on earlier.

John Stones-7/10: Scored the equaliser to rescue a point for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Jack Grealish-7/10: He deserves credit for his quick thinking that set up City’s equaliser.

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega – 6

Didn’t have a shot to save aside from Kwadwo Baah’s disallowed effort and Tom Ince’s unstoppable finish. Passed well enough.

Kyle Walker – 6

Very little to note, as Watford hardly ever attacked down his side and he kept his ball-playing simple. Failed to clear a simple ball that played a huge role in Watford’s goal late on.

John Stones – 6

Sunday’s saviour wasn’t required to do anything quite as dramatic as against Arsenal. His long passing radar seemed somewhat off.

Kaden Braithwaite – 6.5

Given a tough task in coping with fired-up Championship-level strikers on debut. Did look neat with the ball at his feet though.

Rico Lewis – 8

Showed off his technical quality in all sorts of advanced midfield positions and knocked passes around with ease, most notably to assist Matheus Nunes.

Nico O’Reilly – 6.5

Didn’t look quite as composed as in his impressive US pre-season tour outings, struggling to deal with second balls. He grew a little more confident in the second period and was unlucky not to score before being withdrawn.

Matheus Nunes – 7.5

Will be delighted to get that goal duck off his back, and had some other good moments in an accomplished enough showing.

James McAtee – 7.5

Worked hard all game long, not being offput by any errors to continue trying to break Watford down. Instrumental in the opening goal.

Jeremy Doku – 7.5

The main target of City’s attacks in the first half, giving him plenty of opportunities to give Yasser Larouci problems. Did start against Arsenal two days ago, so despite scoring a nice goal, was rested at half-time.

Phil Foden – 6

First time back in the false nine role in quite some time, so we’ll put his sluggishness down to that, plus his lack of sharpness.

Jack Grealish – 8 (MOTM)

Massive defensive effort and didn’t stop trying to beat his man, in a refreshing change of pace from what we usually see from him. Set up Jeremy Doku’s goal.

Substitutes

Savinho – 7.5

Gave much better fluidity to the attack, looking really sharp and hungry. So unlucky to be denied his first goal by the post.

Jacob Wright – N/A

Josko Gvardiol – N/A

Player Ratings

Ortega: May as well have watched the game from the stands for all he had to do in the game other than picking the ball out of the net. No chance to impress. 6

Walker: A much quieter matchday, mopping everything up at the back from a centre-half position. 7

Stones: No big goal but a solid enough performance to build his minutes. He will be needed without Rodri. 7

Braithwaite: Did not have it all his own way against the tricky Baah and came off with cramp in the second half. 6

Lewis: The heartbeat of the City team getting involved in every bit of play, and contributed for the second goal. 8

O'Reilly: Growing in the role and looks to have shot up literally from his appearance in the Community Shield. Didn't enjoy complete control but helped to push City forward. 7

McAtee: Some nice work on and off the ball, taking the ball from the keeper for the first goal, although will rue an early missed chance. 7

Nunes: A nicely taken goal to give City a comfortable lead, albeit a few ropey moments in the game that left Guardiola unimpressed. 7

Doku: Took his goal nicely and was always looking to take his man on and create something else for the attack. 7

Grealish: Showed intent from the off and earned an early assist. Kept taking on the Watford defence to continue his momentum. 7

Foden: Improved in the second half but still gave the impression he was finding his pace - not helped by having his back to goal so often as a forward. 6

Substitutes

Savinho (for Doku, 46) Lively from the moment he came on and the post denied him a brilliant solo goal. 8

Wright (for O'Reilly, 73) Made himself busy in the middle. 6

Gvardiol (for Braithwaite, 76) Slotted in without any fuss. 6

Player Ratings

Stefan Ortega (6/10):

Saved by the whistle after being beaten at his near post and saw a few shots miss his goal.

Kyle Walker (5/10):

Was fine on the ball but looked suspect defensively at times.

John Stones (7/10):

Saw more of the ball than anyone else in the first half and distributed it well.

Kaden Braithwaite (6/10):

Got a solid welcome to senior football by Baah but had some good moments on his debut.

Rico Lewis (7/10):

Showed determination throughout and did well to find Nunes ahead of the second goal.

Nico O'Reilly (6/10):

Put in a combative display in midfield in just his second appearance.

Matheus Nunes (8/10):

A huge threat through the middle and was rewarded with a goal but could have had more.

James McAtee (7/10):

Unsettled Watford with his pressing to create the first goal. A heavy touch let him down in one promising attack but had a good game otherwise.

Jeremy Doku (8/10):

A smart first touch set him up for an excellent goal and was a massive threat. Subbed at half-time.

Phil Foden (4/10):

Not very effective in the middle of the attack. Had six shots and only one - from long range - was on target. Also lost the ball to let Watford create a chance.

Jack Grealish (8/10):

Perfect pass to Doku for the opener and offered a lot down the left wing with his dribbles and smart passes. Almost scored in the 81st minute.

Subs & Manager
Savinho (7/10):

Offered a similar energy to Doku after replacing him by putting his dribbling ability to use. Saw an effort cleared off the line then smacked the post after a long run down the field.

Jacob Wright (5/10):

Slotted into midfield late for the last 20 minutes but didn't have much to do.

Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

Gave Tom Ince all the space he needed to curl in a beauty in the 86th minute.

Pep Guardiola (7/10):

Will be annoyed by how many chances Watford were allowed to make but his team deserved the win despite the many changes.

Manchester City will be tasked with sourcing reinforcement in central areas during the January transfer window by manager Pep Guardiola, a new report has claimed.

Premier League champions Manchester City could turn to one of four identified midfield profiles during the January transfer window following Rodri’s injury blow.


Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi is among those names, with Manchester City reportedly ‘considering’ the possibility to agreeing to meet the player’s €60 million release clause. Elsewhere, it is claimed that Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella is also on the club’s radar.

Fellow Serie A star and Atalanta midfielder Ederson is a player that the report says to ‘keep an eye on’ in the coming months, while Crystal Palace and England international Adam Wharton completes the shortlist.