Manchester City's guilty verdict could have significant implications for Liverpool depending on the punishment eventually handed down by the Premier League
A detailed view of the Premier League trophy, dressed in red ribbons, prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace
Liverpool lost the Premier League title to Manchester City in the 2013/14 season(Image: Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Manchester City's legal battle with the Premier League may finally be approaching a conclusion following developments over the last week, and it is not yet clear how it will impact Liverpool.
Reports of a guilty verdict from the independent commission first emerged on Friday, and that was followed by an official statement from the Premier League on Tuesday afternoon. The League confirmed that the Manchester club has been found guilty of almost all the charges relating to breaches of its financial rules.
City, meanwhile, continues to deny any wrongdoing and looks set to appeal the verdict. Whether it is successful in doing so remains to be seen, but talk of possible sanctions is already ramping up across the football world.
One possible punishment that has been continuously raised, particularly among City's rivals, is stripping the club of titles won during the period in question, which spans from the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons.
In the event that happens and titles or trophies are awarded retrospectively to runners-up, Liverpool would find itself with two additional honors. This is because it narrowly missed out on the Premier League title in the 2013/14 season, losing to City by a mere two points.
Two years later, in 2016, the Reds were also beaten by City in the League Cup final. The game finished 1-1 after extra time, courtesy of goals from Philippe Coutinho and Fernandinho.
A penalty shootout followed, which City went on to win 3-1. Emre Can converted for Liverpool, but misses from Lucas Leiva, Coutinho, and Adam Lallana meant City claimed the prize on the day.
The Liverpool players celebrate at the end of the Barclays Premier League match against Manchester City in April 2014
Liverpool were beaten to the Premier League title by Manchester City in 2013/14(Image: Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Other beneficiaries across English football in such a scenario would be Stoke City, which would be awarded the 2011 FA Cup. Sunderland would also claim the 2014 League Cup, while Arsenal would win the 2018 edition.
Manchester United, meanwhile, would be awarded two additional Premier League titles from 2012 to 2018. Some might note, however, that United was a distant runner-up by 19 points in the latter campaign.
For Liverpool, the majority of its close encounters with City fall outside of the nine-year period considered in the Premier League's investigation. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool lost the title to City by just a single point in 2018/19, as well as in the 2021/22 season.
It is also worth noting that retrospective punishment may not be the route the Premier League takes, as reported recently by the BBC. Instead, it may opt to pursue future sanctions, such as points deductions, fines, or transfer bans.