An independent Premier League commission has found Manchester City guilty on nearly all 115 charges of financial rule breaches, ruling that £830 million in sponsorship revenue over nine seasons was disguised owner funding. The club faces potential sanctions including points deduction, fines, or expulsion. Manchester City denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal.
IllustrationManchester City beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford after Erling Haaland’s 60th-minute goal was initially flagged offside but upheld by VAR. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) later acknowledged a VAR “error of judgement” for failing to assess Enzo Fernandez’s offside position and potential interference. Phil Foden was sent off for kicking Bruno Fernandes. Pundits including Gary Neville and Roy Keane argued the goal should have been disallowed.
Reference imageBrazilian striker Richarlison has formally requested FIFA to terminate his contract with Tottenham Hotspur after being excluded from the Premier League squad and assigned to the U21 team. The 29-year-old was close to joining childhood club Vasco da Gama, but the deal collapsed after he refused personal terms despite Tottenham accepting a £20 million bid. Richarlison is now ineligible for Premier League and League Cup matches until January.
Reference imageTodd Boehly and Mark Walter are close to selling their combined 12.8% stakes in Chelsea FC to majority owner Clearlake Capital, which holds 61.5% of the Premier League club. The sale follows a breakdown in relations between Boehly and Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali. A spokesperson for Walter expects to make a profit. Hansjorg Wyss, holding another 12.8%, has not decided on his shares.
The sole major development in the Premier League this period is a devastating verdict against Manchester City in its financial breach case. An independent commission found the club guilty of nearly all 115 charges, and City has announced it will appeal. Rival clubs are reportedly planning legal action, with potential penalties including points deductions, fines, or expulsion from the league.
This period's Premier League focus was entirely on the Manchester derby, where Manchester City beat Manchester United 1-0 away despite playing with ten men. Phil Foden was sent off for violent conduct, and Erling Haaland's winning goal sparked major controversy after a VAR 'error of judgement', with refereeing officials later admitting it should have been disallowed. Off the pitch, Chelsea's ownership structure saw movement as Todd Boehly and Mark Walter neared a sale of their stakes to majority owner Clearlake Capital.
This period's Premier League activity centers on Matchday 4, with the spotlight on a controversial penalty decision in Arsenal's 2-0 away win over Sunderland and Tottenham's club-record worst start of four consecutive goalless games. Ahead of the Manchester derby, the war of words has also heated up, with Manchester City manager Maresca agreeing his side are the 'kings of Manchester', while Manchester United called for calm.
An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of nearly all 115 charges of breaching Premier League financial rules, according to multiple reports. The club has refused to deny the verdicts and announced it will appeal. Rival Premier League clubs are reportedly planning legal action. Potential penalties include points deduction, fines, or expulsion from the league.
Manchester City defeated Manchester United 1-0 away at Old Trafford in the Premier League, despite playing with 10 men for over an hour after Phil Foden’s red card. Erling Haaland scored the only goal in the 60th minute, initially flagged offside but confirmed after VAR review. English refereeing representatives later admitted the goal should have been disallowed. Haaland was named Player of the Match and praised his team’s resilience and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Manchester City beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on September 13, 2026, after Erling Haaland’s 60th-minute goal was initially disallowed for offside but upheld by VAR. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) later admitted a VAR “error of judgement” for failing to assess Enzo Fernandez’s offside position as interfering with play. Phil Foden was sent off for kicking Bruno Fernandes. United hit the woodwork multiple times but failed to score.
This period's Premier League activity focuses on post-transfer-window fallout and player contract disputes. The headline development is Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández's £125 million move to Manchester City after refusing to train and submitting transfer requests. Meanwhile, Tottenham forward Richarlison has formally asked FIFA to terminate his contract after being omitted from the Premier League squad. Separately, Newcastle United secured left-back Lewis Hall to a five-year contract extension, stabilizing their squad.
This period's Premier League activity consists of a single post-match reaction from Chelsea. Head coach Xabi Alonso acknowledged defensive issues after the 1-2 London derby loss to Arsenal, noting the team has conceded seven goals this season. He confirmed Moisés Caicedo's injury is not long-term and praised Morgan Rodgers' adaptation and captain Reece James' leadership.
This period's Premier League activity centred entirely on Arsenal. The team defeated Chelsea 2-1 at home, with Martin Ødegaard scoring the winner and earning Man of the Match honours, his season tally already surpassing last season's total. Kai Havertz also scored against his former club in a 1-1 draw. Manager Mikel Arteta praised the squad's depth and focus, revealing he briefly disconnected from transfer matters to concentrate on the matches.
Manchester City's Phil Foden received a straight red card from referee Michael Oliver in the 23rd minute of the Premier League Manchester derby against Manchester United on September 13-14. The red card was for kicking Bruno Fernandes in the groin/body, confirmed by VAR as violent conduct. This is Foden's first red card in 228 Premier League appearances and the second red card for a Manchester City player in a Premier League Manchester derby. Foden has 0 goals and 1 red card in his last 18 league matches.
Ahead of the Premier League Manchester derby, Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca agreed with player Elliot Anderson’s claim that City are the 'kings of Manchester' based on trophies over the past 15 years. Manchester United manager Michael Carrick rejected the phrase, acknowledging City’s current standing but emphasizing United’s progress and long-term ambition to close the gap. The debate has intensified ahead of Sunday’s match at Old Trafford.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta strongly criticized a penalty awarded to Sunderland during Arsenal’s 2-0 away victory on September 13, calling the contact “minor” and the decision “unacceptable at this level.” Arteta warned the call could change the Premier League title race, praised goalkeeper David Raya for saving the penalty, and commended Bruno Guimarães for scoring his first club goal. He emphasized his criticism was for football’s sake, not just Arsenal.
On September 13, Arsenal defeated Sunderland 2-0 away in Premier League Matchday 4. Goalkeeper David Raya saved a penalty, recorded 2 saves, and prevented 1.69 expected goals. He won both the official Premier League Player of the Match award and a fan vote with 71%. Raya is the only Premier League goalkeeper to save a penalty this season. Bruno Guimarães scored his first Arsenal goal shortly after the save.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi held press conferences before and after a Premier League match against Everton, which ended in a 0-0 draw—their fourth league match without a goal. De Zerbi confirmed James Maddison is fit, Mykhailo Mudryk suffered an injury, and Richarlison chose to exclude himself from the squad. He denied a crisis, attributing the poor start to a late squad rebuild and fitness issues, while expressing confidence the team can still fight for the title.
Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 at home against Everton on September 13, extending their goalless streak to the first four Premier League matches of the season. This marks the first time in club history they have failed to score in their opening four league games. They recorded 51 shots, 12 on target, and 117 touches in the opponent's box, yet zero goals. Only Crystal Palace had a worse start in Premier League history, going seven matches without scoring in 2017-18.
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez gave multiple interviews after a 4-0 Champions League win over Qarabag FK at Old Trafford. He emphasized the importance of the clean sheet for confidence, urged the team to stay calm and humble ahead of the upcoming Manchester derby against Manchester City, and downplayed his past defensive record against Erling Haaland as “history.” Martinez also joked about pundit Jamie Carragher and stressed the club’s standard of giving full effort.