Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher on Arsenal
Jamie Carragher during his role as a Sky Sports pundit.
Jamie Carragher has revealed whether he thinks Manchester City can sustain a Premier League title challenge after the guilty FFP verdict.
Before the international break, Man City moved clear at the top of the Premier League table by winning their first five games of the 2026/27 campaign.
This increased optimism that Man City could mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title against Arsenal, but this may not happen after the guilty FFP verdict.
If Man City cannot prove their innocence with an appeal, they face a severe points deduction, expulsion and/or being stripped of their Premier League titles.
Regardless, though, Carragher thinks Man City will struggle to maintain their early-season form with “everyone baying for blood”.
“I think the problem Man City are going to have this season – if we just think about this season for a minute and Enzo Maresca and the current players,” Carragher said on The Overlap.
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“They’re top of the league at the minute and have been the best team in the early part of the season.
“I just find it very difficult to imagine they will keep that going because every away game you go to will be the best atmosphere in that ground this season or very close to it. Everyone is baying for blood.”
Jamie Carragher issues verdict on FFP punishment
Regarding the sanctions, Carragher has explained why he thinks Man City should be handed a sanction that lasts for “three to five years”.
When asked how he thinks the Premier League should punish Man City, Carragher added: “I’ve heard people talk about a 100-point deduction, but that’s just over one season that gets them relegated and then they will come back again.
READ MORE: The wildest Man City pundit punishment suggestions ranging from League Two to scrapping the Premier League
“Looking at the current players, a few of them would leave, but I think some of them would say, ‘I could put up with that for a year’. It also builds a connection with the supporters, it’ll be seen in a great light.
“But I think because this has gone on for so long, I do think the punishment should be over a number of years, three to five years and then players would move on.
“But then you’ve got the financial aspect of how can they afford the wages of those players if they haven’t got Premier League money?
“If they’re having to pay all this money out and you can only spend the money that you’re bringing in. They’ll have to abide by it now.”