'Massive pressure moment' - Man City 115 charges verdict has already been given as Arsenal watch on

Manchester City are closing in on the Premier League title after a season-long battle for top spot with Arsenal and Liverpool.

For the second campaign in succession, the Gunners look set to narrowly miss out on top-flight glory due to City hitting form from January onwards.

Making the reality of missing out on silverware all the more difficult to swallow is the fact this period of dominance has occurred amid the backdrop of the 115 financial charges that have been brought against the Sky Blues' name.

An official outcome as to whether or not the reigning champions are guilty is yet to emerge, having first been charged in February of last year.

City strongly deny they have done any wrongdoing throughout this period and Pep Guardiola has made clear he is confident the right outcome will be reached while reiterating his plan to stay at the club even if they are charged.

A number of pundits have weighed in on the debate over City's case in the last year, with many arguing their reputation and legacy will be in tatters if proven guilty.

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Listed below is a selection of quotes from high-profile football figures, offering their views on this complex situation.

Jamie Carragher

"I would love to know how City’s owners, or those advising them, feel about the issue dragging on while the team prepares to win its fourth consecutive Premier League on the back of last year’s Treble. They must appreciate it is a public relations disaster.

"Guardiola should be celebrated for his genius by neutrals as well as City fans. But whether he and his club likes it or not, City will never escape the shadow of those allegations until they are dealt with, the years of legal wrangling still preventing the club from clearing its name.

"That is what baffles me about the whole sordid affair. When accusations are made against any individuals or institutions who have absolute certainty in their innocence, you would usually expect the demand of those involved to arrange a hearing at the earliest opportunity. Where is the statement from City expressing frustration or fury that the process is taking so long?

"Kicking the can down the road means too many insults are being directed at a brilliant manager and his extraordinary team – none of whom will have a clue about how the club was operating in those years under suspicion.

"Guardiola deserves better than lifting his sixth Premier League under such a cloud. As a manager, a coaching and technical staff and a fantastic squad, Manchester City should be acclaimed for being one of the best football teams there has ever been.

"As a club? I’d like to say the jury is out. Unfortunately, we have waited too long for a jury, or Premier League commission, to even begin to consider that verdict."

Jason McAteer

"My team, Liverpool, have taken them to the wire, they've been so close a lot of the time and it does stick in your throat when you think how close we got to them and how many titles we could've won. You look at the circumstances where they can essentially spend whatever they want and they've got fantastic lawyers and even better accountants so it does stick in your throat.

"I asked the question last night - Mikel Arteta is so close to this title, last season they slipped up with a few games to go but this year they could win it on the final day. If they lose it, what is going through his head with Man City and how they do business, and these 115 charges?"

Richard Keys

"He [Arteta] was there for most of it! 54 failures to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009/10 to 2017/18, 14 failures to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation, five failures to comply with UEFA's rules on FFP, seven breaches of the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSRs) and 35 failures to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 onwards. That's the charge sheet.

"If I was a Manchester City fan, I'd want this sorted now. If those charges can be argued to completion and Man City are able to say 'we're not guilty', great. Everything they've won over the last 10 years, they can relax with and enjoy. But if, if they are found guilty, it dilutes everything they've done."

Roy Keane

"I generally think most players I know are quite selfish... they just want to focus on the team performance. Obviously it's their own contract situation. From Man City's point of view, the fans will have been delighted by Pep's response in the media, he did come out fighting.

"If Man City are innocent then everyone should relax. Pep should relax, people getting uptight - Man City have got to get back to trying to win football matches.

"I think from a dressing room point of view, if you were a player there today going into this game against Villa, you're thinking all your focus would be on beating Aston Villa.

"If they are found guilty then you have to be punished, it's pretty straight forward. Pep, like he said in that piece there... he's obviously speaking to people above him - the chairman, the CEO and people that run the club - he said they've told him they're innocent, then just get on with it."

Gary Neville

"If the rules are in place then you have to abide by them. There’s no doubt that for Manchester City, their owners and their executives, if some of the most serious of these charges were to be brought forward and they were to be found guilty of them, then the damage would be long lasting and it would be tainting.

"However, on the other side, I must mention, if the Premier League were not to see through these charges then the damage to their executive would be equally long-lasting. There is a massive pressure moment coming in the next couple of years. It’s something that really isn’t going to go away until it’s dealt with.

"I have to say if they can accelerate it forward – and we need due process and law, you’ve got to let it take its course – but this is a sporting situation, it’s not a criminal situation like in a normal court. Let’s move it forward and try and get it closed as quickly as possible."

Rio Ferdinand

"When is this going to get sorted out? Because everybody else’s cases seem to be getting sorted out mighty, mighty quick. Everton have had two dockings this season already this season. Nottingham Forest, all these teams are getting docked points. Manchester City’s are just… [pretends to thumb through pages].

"If I was those clubs, I’d be like, ‘let’s see what happens with City first’. But if they get nothing or a little slap on the list, I can see them going nuts. When I went to a court case about racism a few months ago, he had one charge. It took two-and-a-half years! They’ve got 115, it’s nuts!"

Graeme Souness

"I personally don’t think they should be stripped of anything. I think it’s a hard one to take, [but] you’ve got to look at the bigger picture and think about what these people have done for that part of Manchester.

"Okay, they’ve created an absolute monster of a football club, but they’ve invested so heavily and changed the lives of people in that particular part of Manchester. I’m not sure how you can punish them though, given they have the deepest pockets of any team out there right now. Would they be the only team who has pushed the boundaries? I’m not sure about that either."

Paul Merson

"I’ve always wondered if this Manchester City side are the greatest in Premier League history. You have to see what the charges bring before delivering a verdict on this, but they are quite simply a phenomenal team.

"They’ve done it year after year and make the other teams look ridiculously average - it’s unbelievable."