Across English football, the Manchester City financial case continues to cast its shadow far beyond the Etihad Stadium, reaching old rivals in Manchester, Merseyside and north London. The eventual punishment for breaches covering the period from 2009 to 2018 remains unclear, with the club’s appeal still to be resolved before any final sanction is known.

There is growing pressure for the authorities to avoid any special treatment and impose a punishment regarded as sufficiently severe. That mood is particularly strong among Premier League clubs which could stand to gain if City were stripped of titles.

Four clubs were told before the wider verdict

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham were reportedly informed of City’s guilty verdict before the other Premier League sides. Each of the four clubs had previously reserved the right to pursue compensation from City.

The case therefore carries consequences well beyond disciplinary procedure. For those four institutions, each with its own history of competing against City during the years under scrutiny, the eventual appeal outcome may shape whether questions of financial redress and sporting honours move from private legal reservations into a more concrete contest.

For now, however, the timetable remains unsettled. The guilty finding has not yet delivered a confirmed penalty, and the appeal process means the final chapter is still waiting to be written.