Manchester City broke a 136-year record in English top-tier football on Sunday, beating West Ham 3-1 to win the Premier League title for a fourth consecutive season.
The record-breaking title chase ended on the last day of the season, with Man City needing a win to beat runners-up Arsenal, who won 2-1 at Everton. Had Man City lost or drawn, Arsenal would have won the trophy.
Instead, City celebrated their sixth EPL title in seven seasons.
No English club has won four consecutive league titles, and this comes on the heels of Man City’s treble victory last season – in which the team won the EPL season championship, English soccer’s FA Cup tournament and Europe’s Champions League. Man City’s revenue this year was $891 million, up more than 16% from last year, setting an EPL record.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s club, under the management of legendary Catalan coach Pep Guardiola, has transformed into a football giant with 16 titles. Sheikh Mansour’s financial resources as a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family and the club’s eagerness to spend money on top-level players have made City a force in global football.
However, there is a cloud hanging over the club with the sky blue jersey. In February 2023, the EPL accused Manchester City of violating the league’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) and the EPL’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), with some of the allegations dating back to 2009. Since then, the case has proceeded at a very slow pace and shrouded in secrecy, with Manchester City denying any wrongdoing. The case could potentially lead to fines, suspensions and even relegation.
In 2018, City were found guilty of breaking UEFA’s financial fair play (FFP) rules and were banned from the Champions League for two years. The club appealed against the decision, taking it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and it was overturned.
This season, two clubs, Everton and Nottingham Forest, were punished for breaching EPL financial regulations and were deducted points, putting them at risk of relegation, although both teams managed to remain in the top flight for the season.
Sheikh Mansour bought Citi in 2008 for $388.5 million; Sportico Manchester City is now valued at $4.75 billion, making it the sixth most valuable club among the top 50 most valuable football franchises in the world.
