Man City ready to "embarrass" Premier League after new appeal twist

Manchester City could "embarrass" the Premier League if they win the title before their sanctions land, sources have told Football Insider.

An independent panel have found Man City guilty of all of their 115 charges for financial rule breaches, with a damning statement having been issued earlier this week.

However, Enzo Maresca's side have enjoyed a strong start to the new season on the pitch, and are top of the league after winning all five of their first five games.

As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, should Man City go on to win the league before their sanctions are decided, the whole ruling will become a "farce".

Man City have continued to protest against the Premier League's deicison and maintain their innocence, with an appeal set to be lodged against the ruling within hours.

That appeal hearing is expected to take place over the coming months, and there have been suggestions it could drag on long-term, meaning City could do the unthinkable.

What punishments could Man City face?

Football Insider revealed on 2 October that Man City will be hit with "swift and excessive" punishments as rival clubs push for a decision to be firm and harsh given the nature of the breaches.

There have been suggestions of points deductions, hefty fines, transfer bans, immediate relegation, and potentially stripping the club's trophies, with all options being considered.

However, should their appeal process drag on beyond the end of the season while Maresca leads his side to victory in the league, it will call into question the integrity of the league.

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Man City maintain their innocence, and they will appeal the verdict before Friday's deadline, but there's still a long way to go.

"Man City Chief Executive Ferran Soriano has suggested that the case will run for a long time, with City maintaining their innocence and trying to push the blame back on the Premier League as well.

"So there's so much still happening behind the scenes and at the moment we are being left with more questions than answers.

"For the integrity of the league, if the guilty verdict is upheld after the appeal process, clubs are pushing for those sanctions need to be swift and excessive.

"The Premier League need to have this all sorted out before the end of the season, otherwise it will all become a farce and it will just lead to more uncertainty.

"There is also the possibility of Man City going on to win the Premier League this season if a decision is not made before then, which would embarrass everybody involved.

"How bad would that look for the Premier League? It's not something they can really afford to let happen, so that decision needs to be made sooner rather than later."

When can we expected to hear the Man City appeal verdict?

Man City are expected to lodge their appeal against the verdict within hours, and that has led to suggestions that a final decision may not be made for a long time.

Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider that Man City's appeal has little chance of success, and a verdict will likely be heard within three months.

However, speaking on Gary Neville's Stick to Football, leading Sports Law barrister Paul Gilroy KC responded: "Never mind this season or the next, or maybe the next five seasons."

Man City are willing to take the process external to the Premier League, to the high court, and will exhaust their options as they aim to challenge the initial verdict.

That may open the door for their on-pitch exploits to continue while they battle behind the scenes, with Maresca's side still hunting for the title.