The Telegraph has commented on the penalties Manchester City faces, saying that all the exciting matches currently being discussed seem to have become meaningless, like a deliberate deception.

"Deception" is now attached to Manchester City like a scarlet letter. The word appeared eight times in the key findings of the independent commission investigating them, from their sponsorship agreements to the "Fordham agreements." The scheme was exposed as merely a cosmetic exercise, with their offshore financial beneficiaries fronting ownership while maintaining the appearance of legitimacy. If Manchester City's modern dynasty was built on schemes of deception, can they truly be called a football club? Or is the Premier League itself a deceptive competition, compromised by over 900 million pounds in fabricated commercial revenue that allowed City to dominate?

On purely emotional grounds, Manchester City's trip to face Liverpool on Sunday is a match worth watching. Before the ban took effect, it represented the kind of intense rivalry that defines great football away from home. Yet from a purely football perspective, measuring the significance of this match is more difficult. On one hand, Manchester City appears as strong as ever, currently leading the league with five wins in five matches. They are in excellent form and, under Isco's management, can continue to inflict suffering on Liverpool, who struggle under Arne Slot and lack rhythm. Yet all these points seem in need of revision, or perhaps dismissal.

If the latest sanctions are severe enough to undermine these results, what does Manchester City's unbeaten streak from Christmas onwards mean? Given the ongoing discussions about potentially deducting 60, 80, or even 100 points, everything we see on Sunday becomes a match tainted by deception.

Pep Guardiola's first press conference was merely a formality. He spoke only prepared remarks without answering a single question, declaring his belief in the club while confirming his prior certainty. He and his team repeatedly claimed they can "only control the football side." But Guardiola appears oblivious to the fact that Manchester City has engaged in massive deceptions in "controlling the football side," leveraging the endless financial power of an offshore nation with unlimited resources, thereby destroying all possibilities of fair competition. Sport is not something separate from the methods used to deceive him. This is why all of Manchester City's achievements under previous managers are now marked with asterisks, obscured by this latest scandal.

Consider this: Manchester City versus Liverpool matches were once celebrated as the pinnacle of English football aesthetics. The rivalry between Klopp and Guardiola produced matches that had to be watched, showcasing refined skill. After they drew 2-2 in 2022, the two managers naturally embraced.

You will not view their rivalry through that lens anymore. During that period, watching Manchester City climb to the top felt like watching Arsenal struggle up an impossibly steep slope with ease—as if they were defying logic. You did not know what they had done; you were quite certain it was not legitimate. Now that deception has been exposed, you no longer wish to watch.

Liverpool fans are right to believe that deception has destroyed their era of pride. In 2014, their club finished second to Manchester City while City's owners invested an additional £111.5 million that season—nearly seven times normal sponsorship spending. During the period when Manchester City resisted the Premier League's investigation, Klopp led his team to two of the best second-place finishes in history: 97 points in 2018-19 and 92 points in 2021-22. Yet Liverpool finished second both times, denied the title by this blue machine. Such injustice cannot be remedied by simply redistributing trophies; it represents a sense of wrongdoing that must be reframed as lasting grievance, at minimum.

Many managers have held their tongues for fear of criticizing Manchester City or Guardiola. It was refreshing when Swindon manager Holloway, whose club could be relegated soon, spoke his anger over this matter boldly. Recalling his 2010 encounter with Manchester City as Blackpool manager, he said: "I lost. We didn't deserve to. Someone allowed one team to cheat another. For me, it's late now. But I will take everything back from them and start over. It's a shame—they still haven't admitted it. I will remove them. Get out. How do you destroy part of your nation's DNA?"

As a voice of justified anger, it is quite remarkable. If Manchester City retains any soul, this voice should penetrate their very core.

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