Manchester City have been warned they could have the book thrown at them following their legal battle with the Premier League. In February 2023, the English top flight charged its champions with .

These include accusations that the club failed to provide accurate financial information and failed to cooperate with investigations spanning nine seasons (2009/10 to 2017/18). , so they looked to prove their innocence in front of an independent panel.

‌The case – which was heard in private at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London – concluded at the end of last year. A three-man panel have been reviewing the evidence, and .

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

It's said that if are found guilty, . So, with that being said, journalists at football.london have predicted whether or not the English champions will walk away scot-free.

Awarding titles in retrospect would be a deeply unsatisfying outcome if Man City are found guilty. There would be little to no joy for any side who finished runners-up to City, particularly when most of those clubs' fans have long accepted that they did not win.

Seeing your team celebrate as they raise a trophy is one of the most satisfying experiences for a football fan and that cannot be replicated over something that happened years ago.

If found guilty, I wouldn't strip City of any title either as having null and void seasons when it comes to trophy winners wouldn't sit right with me. Instead, a hefty points deduction which leads to multiple relegations and a spending cap for every season they are found to have breached would be more suitable in my view.

Many City fans will have seen their team play in the lower leagues but limiting how much money they can spend would severely hamper them and see almost all of their stars leave. Naturally, the club's fanbase would also diminish. The Premier League is the world's best competition and many supporters have grown used to seeing them compete for top-flight glory. Without this, many will lose interest.

A final verdict from Man City's legal case against the Premier League is firmly on the horizon, but exactly when it will arrive and the potential punishment they could face is still unclear.

Given the vast number of alleged charges, City being found guilty of some financial breaches appears likely and that would seemingly make a significant fine the minimum. Talk of titles being stripped or relegation is understandable given the magnitude of the case but it does appear unlikely that scenario actually plays out.

An appeal will almost certainly be lodged if anything worse than a fine is given as punishment with it likely City's legal team drag it out in the courts.

The more the wait goes on, the more I think that any punishment won’t be as severe as has been previously suggested, if City are found guilty. I can see a situation where they are found guilty on some charges and cleared of others, it then comes down to what punishment is handed out if that’s the case.

Depending on the seriousness of the charges that they are found guilty of will influence the punishment. But given the wait for a verdict and the implications on other Premier League teams, it’s a delicate situation.

Instead of points deductions, or being expelled from the league, I predict that the club will just be handed a big fine. That however is not likely to go down well with their Premier League rivals, and it could lead to further potential legal action from them.

Both Everton and Nottingham Forest come to mind, with both handed points deductions after being found guilty of their own financial breaches. It’s a situation that I can see carrying on for a while yet.

Defeat for the Premier League in this case is going to be the most disastrous outcome for all clubs concerned, whether that be in the initial verdict or upon appeal. They can't afford to let judgement pass in favour of Man City for the most serious alleged rule breaches without fighting to the maximum.

Based on the sheer scale of how many charges are involved, I expect the club to be found guilty in certain instances. Certainly non-cooperation as it is the same people in charge as were involved in receiving the same punishment from UEFA only a few years ago.

So it just comes down to the most serious charges - will they, won't they be proven? If they are, then the harshest punishment that reflects an infringement of this nature must be enacted.

I think the Premier League will offer Manchester City a truce in a desperate effort to save face. Under no circumstance can the competition afford – or be seen – to lose a legal battle over its very own rules.

As it stands, I would back Man City to walk away victorious by split decision. While a win in writing would be a great success for the English champions, I'm sure they're aware of how significant a defeat would be for the Premier League.

Not only would the competition and its higher-ups lose great credibility, but other teams in the division would likely come forward to challenge previous decisions and rulings. It would be a mess and both parties would likely lose a lot of money in the long-run.

So, I reckon the Premier League will offer Man City a truce. They'll go their separate ways, both claiming a win to save face, and Richard Masters will rewrite the competition's rules to ensure a case of this magnitude never happens again.

I'm sure the Premier League would love to throw the book at Man City to lay down the law. But, I just can't see the English top flight unanimously winning the legal battle.