Liverpool could be awarded Premier League titles if Manchester City are stripped of their crowns following a guilty verdict on the vast majority of 115 financial charges. The Premier League found City guilty on 114 charges relating to financial rules stretching back to the 2009-10 season, with potential sanctions ranging from a fine to a points deduction or even expulsion from the division. Any punishment is expected before the appeals process concludes, with the club set to challenge the decision.

Potential outcomes and Liverpool's position

If titles are stripped, Liverpool stand to benefit directly, having finished as runners-up to City during the period under investigation. The Premier League handbook allows for recommendations from fines to expulsion, but football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes a points penalty is the most probable result. "There is no doubt a points deduction would be the most likely outcome in the view of many," Maguire said. This outcome would reshape the historical record, potentially adding to Liverpool's official trophy count and altering the league's historical standings.

Expert and historical context

Maguire, co-host of the Price of Football podcast, points to precedent. In 2006, Juventus were relegated, given a 30-point deduction, and stripped of two top-division titles for sporting fraud. More recently, Everton were docked 10 points in 2023 for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules, later reduced to six on appeal, and received a further two-point penalty in April 2024. Nottingham Forest were deducted four points for a similar breach in 2024. These cases demonstrate the league's willingness to impose significant sporting penalties for financial misconduct.

The speculation arrives as Liverpool prepare for a key fixtures list, hosting Manchester City at Anfield on 11 October. This match carries added weight with City currently top of the table and Liverpool sixth, having taken nine points from their opening seven games. The last meeting between the sides ended in a heavy 4-0 defeat for Liverpool at the Etihad in April, a result the current squad will be keen to avenge. The prospect of title redistribution adds a profound layer of consequence to the long-running financial case, with the final sanctions yet to be determined.

First reported at Daily Mail Sport