Man City doesn't deserve the sympathy it craves as Liverpool difference is clear

If Manchester City is hoping for some sympathy from its rivals, it’s going about it completely the wrong way.

Not content with destroying much of the competitive nature of the Premier League after six titles in seven years – a run only Liverpool has managed to break up – City has now set its sights on taking down that very same league, having launched a legal battle after claiming they are the victims of “discrimination against Gulf ownership” from their fellow clubs.

Their gripe lies in the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction rules, which they claim are unlawful. The rules were introduced in December 2021 after the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle, and aim to stop clubs from exaggerating commercial deals with companies linked to their owners.

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You can probably guess what the reaction was like from rival supporters upon hearing the news. There seems to be a notion from City that they’re fighting against the Premier League ‘elite’, without any hint of irony given how the majority of clubs have been unable to compete with them over the past decade.

Just a day after news of the legal battle broke, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak seemed to be playing for the sympathy vote when bemoaning the perceived lack of recognition his side received after winning a fourth straight title this season, with his club still facing those 115 charges.

“Of course, it’s frustrating. I think the referencing is always frustrating,” he said. “Having it being talked about the way it’s being talked about.

“I can feel for our fan base, and everyone associated with the club, to have these charges constantly referenced.

“I think we as a club have to respect that there is a process that we have to go through, and we’re going through it. It’s taking longer than what anyone hoped for, but it is what it is, and I’ve always repeated, let’s be judged by the facts, and not by claims and counterclaims.”

That was followed by something of a dig towards some of City’s rivals, including a reference to Liverpool. “You know, we have to sometimes pause and contextualise,” he added. “Since 1926, five teams have attempted to win four times in a row. Five teams.

“Huddersfield, Arsenal, you had Liverpool in the 80s and then you had Manchester United attempted it twice. None of them succeeded.

“In over 100 years of English football, never has any team been able to achieve four championships in a row. So once that sinks in, you start really appreciating the magnitude of what was achieved - the difficulty, the challenge, the tenacity required.”

Excuse me if I don’t manage to eke out an ounce of sympathy for Al Mubarak and his club. As Liverpool fans, for years now, we have watched City claim title after title, twice at the expense of the Reds by just a single point, and now they claim that the league isn’t being fair.

Inevitably, it has done the trick for many City fans. A quick glance at the reaction on social media shows plenty of the club’s supporters gleefully discussing how they’re going to take down the Premier League, and not once question why their own club is suggesting it might hike up ticket prices, and cut spending on youth development, women’s football and community programmes (as per The Times) – the very things that lie at the heart of a football club.

That’s not to say that every City fan is toeing the party line, and no doubt there will be many bemused by their club’s latest actions. Nevertheless, Liverpool supporters have shown their rivals that being a fan doesn’t mean blindly following everything that your club does.

Already this year, we have seen Reds fans show their frustrations at the club’s owners, despite the healthy standing in which Liverpool finds itself. April saw flags being removed from the Kop for the Europa League quarter-final against Atalanta following the club’s decision to increase ticket prices.

Before that, FSG’s plans to enter a multi-club ownership model was met with pushback from fans eager not to go down the same route as the likes of City and the Red Bull stable. It looks as though Liverpool’s owners will go through with the plan regardless, but supporters have not been afraid to go against the grain when needed.

At the moment, it doesn’t look as though City fans will follow suit with their own club. They shouldn’t expect any sympathy from anyone else until that changes.