BLUES CHARGES Another question is what happens if City are not guilty?

IT seems a long nine months since it was interpreted by many that City were being made an example of by a Premier League looking to show it had the teeth to effectively regulate itself and its members.

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

The timing of the unprecedented charges against the champions raised many an eyebrow - including at the Etihad yet fast-forward to now and City have seemingly become the establishment, 'escaping punishment' (or, more accurately, still awaiting verdict in a more complex case) while Everton are the ones publicly humiliated to send a message to the rest of the league and the corridors of government. The unexpected severity of the 10-point penalty has ramped up talk of the huge ramifications City could face if the most serious charges against them are proven.

However, to quote Pep Guardiola from his first press conference after the news back in February, happens if we are innocent?' The allegations against the Blues are so grave that they will need to be backed up to a high degree of proof, and the last governing body that believed they had City bang to rights got a rude awakening when the evidence was presented before an independent panel.