Simon Jordan reveals Arsenal hope amid Man City FFP charges fear
Former Crystal Palace chairman and talkSPORT host Simon Jordan has expressed his hope that Arsenal will be victorious over Manchester City on Sunday but not due to the club's current Financial Fair Play (FFP) hearing.
In February 2023, the Premier League charged City with 115 breaches of FFP rules. This has since been expanded to 130 charges after some confusion.
City have always insisted they are innocent of the charges being levelled at them by the Premier League and that they have irrefutable evidence which shall clear their name. Since the charges became public knowledge, Arsenal and the remainder of the Premier League have been waiting for the verdict to be released.
Finally, on Monday, this process took a step in the right direction as the Premier League hearing began in London. It is expected to last a couple of months with a verdict revealed in 2025.
Ahead of the game on Sunday, Jordan wrote in his Daily Mail column that a victory for the Gunners on Sunday and in the title race would be beneficial for the top flight. "My hope is that Arsenal end up as champions and not because of City's financial charges, more of which later, though no doubt sections of their overly sensitive fanbase will leap to that conclusion," he explained.
"When I tipped the Gunners at the start of the season, it may have been a Hail Mary in the hope that one club would not continue to dominate the Premier League. But I do think they are in with a shout.
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"I want Arsenal to lift the trophy because I want a change of the guard and for everyone to see that you can raise the bar, even competing against the best. Under Mikel Arteta, they are becoming a more sophisticated football outfit, able to win by a variety of methodologies.
"I don't fear for the commercial future of the Premier League if City win a fifth consecutive crown but it is just a bit uninteresting. Change is good, not for its own sake but if earned.
"Should Arsenal prove the best team over nine months, it's up to City to come again and everyone is dragged up a level." Addressing City's charges, Jordan argued that there should be a rethink regarding the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
He suggested that the game is now being run 'by accountants' and tight regulations on Premier League clubs are stunting growth. "Let's hope, on Sunday, the likes of Erling Haaland and Bukayo Saka can remind us what the game is," Jordan concluded.
"And if Arsenal win a fair contest, I'm sure myself and the rest of England will be happy."