Man City charges latest as Pep Guardiola makes statement and Arsenal feelings clear
We are entering the second week of Manchester City's ongoing legal battle with the Premier League, with rivals across England and even Europe waiting to see if the club are ultimately punished for their alleged financial misdeeds.
The attention was drawn away from the case for at least a few hours on Sunday afternoon as Arsenal's visit produced a feisty top-flight tie. But in the aftermath of that 2-2 draw, focus between fixtures will undoubtedly switch back to any and all information that emerges from this highly secretive court case.
City maintain their innocence on all 115 counts of alleged financial rule-breaking. Plenty of figures are wading in on the debate as the case continues, and even the supporters have now made their feelings totally clear at the first attempt.
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The MEN Sport team has the collected the latest headlines surrounding this event, which no matter the outcome is set to have unprecedented repercussions...
City fans make feelings clear vs Arsenal
For the past week experts and pundits have been having their say on the 115 charges, but now the loudest voice of them all - the supporters - have had their first say since proceedings began last Monday.
The City collective gathered to watch Pep Guardiola's men take on Mikel Arteta's Arsenal on Sunday and as the Premier League's official anthem rang out around the Etihad Stadium, it was met with a chorus of boos and jeers from those who agree with the club's denial of the charges placed against them.
This is not the first instance of such a protest either, as fans made the same outcry when Aston Villa visited in a league fixture immediately after the charges were first dealt in February 2023.
The coincidence of boos coming in this fixture specifically is that Arsenal are one of the teams that may seek to capitalise on particular punishments handed to City. With the ideas of points deductions, title stripping or even relegation discussed in numerous reports, recent runners-up Arsenal will be one of those most eager to learn the outcome of the trial.
Guardiola 'defends his club'
Unprompted in his press conference prior to Sunday's match, Guardiola also drew attention to the case with a statement fighting back against those who have commented during the opening week.
As he built up the clash with Arsenal, the Spaniard stated: "I'm sorry, I want to defend my club, especially in these modern days when everyone is expecting us not [only] to be relegated, to be disappeared off the face of the Earth, the world."
Guardiola has constantly sided with his club over the facts they have told him throughout the process, but whilst this is ongoing his long-term future in Manchester is still to be answered, with his contract due to expire at the end of the current campaign.