Kites flying in protest against the president of Rayo Vallecano club stopping their match with Athletic Bilbao

Manchester United recorded its worst start in the English Premier League in 40 years, after being content with a draw against Tottenham, despite the latter playing a large part of the match with ten players, in a result that increased pressure on coach Michael Carrick, amid mounting fans’ dissatisfaction, and declining confidence in the team’s ability to overcome its crisis.

For the second match in a row at Old Trafford, United failed to exploit their numerical superiority to achieve victory, after they had been unable to resolve their confrontation against Manchester City 4 weeks ago, despite Phil Foden being sent off in the first half.

The hosts seemed on their way to achieving an important victory, after Brian Mboimu opened the scoring, before Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for a violent challenge on Luke Shaw, but Tottenham succeeded in snatching an equalizer during stoppage time through Dominic Solanke.

The equalizing goal came after Solanke physically outmaneuvered defender Lisandro Martinez, before directing the ball with a smart touch towards the far corner, taking advantage of goalkeeper Signe Lammens' misjudgment, in a shot that reflected United's defensive fragility and inability to manage decisive moments.

The atmosphere at Old Trafford gradually turned from sarcastic chants to frustration and booing, after United fans had mocked Manchester City, against the backdrop of its case related to accusations of violating more than a hundred financial rules, chanting chants indicating the possibility of the neighbor’s relegation.

But that atmosphere changed as United's performance declined and their rhythm decreased, before Solanke's late goal dashed the fans' hopes of achieving victory, and revealed once again the problems the team was suffering from on the technical and mental levels.

Carrick has become Manchester United's third coach in three consecutive seasons, facing great pressure at an early stage of the season, in light of continuing disappointing results and increasing questions about the team's future.

Former United captain, Gary Neville, described what happened as “a worrying day for Michael Carrick,” referring to the amount of pressure the coach is facing.

As the points continue to bleed and the fans’ confidence declines, Carrick finds himself required to find quick solutions to restore balance to the team, before the crisis worsens in a season that began in the worst way for the club in 4 decades.

The English Premier League clubs are experiencing a state of division and anxiety about the expected punishment against Manchester City, after it was convicted on 114 out of 115 charges related to violations of the competition’s financial rules, amid demands for its expulsion from the league, and proposals for a deduction of up to 200 points from its score over several seasons, in exchange for fears of economic and legal repercussions that may threaten the future of English football.

According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, the Premier League clubs hired teams of lawyers and legal experts to understand the details of the ruling issued against City, after the independent committee concluded that the club was involved in sham sponsorship agreements and concealed illicit financing exceeding 830 million pounds sterling, over the years that witnessed it winning many local and continental titles.

Despite the issuance of the conviction decision, the final punishment is still pending, awaiting an independent hearing, while Manchester City filed an official appeal, affirming its rejection of the accusations and maintaining its innocence, and considering that the ruling contains fundamental errors in the law, facts, and approved principles.

The positions of English clubs vary regarding the appropriate punishment, as some parties demand that City be permanently excluded from the Premier League, and even not allowed to join the English Football League, while others believe that its exclusion will harm the commercial value of the competition and its global appeal.

In this context, one of the legal experts hired by the clubs proposed a scenario that requires deducting between 160 and 200 points from Manchester City’s balance, based on the criteria used in previous cases that included Everton and Nottingham Forest.

Since the maximum points that can be achieved during one season is 114 points, applying a penalty of this size may require distributing the opponent over several seasons, which puts the club at risk of repeated relegation or a long-term absence from competing for titles.

The potential repercussions are not limited to sports sanctions, as clubs that have been deprived of titles, opportunities to qualify for European championships, or financial revenues are considering the possibility of taking legal measures to claim compensation, at a time when some players and their representatives have consulted lawyers regarding possible financial losses related to the results of previous confrontations against City.

The case also raises questions about the fate of coaches who lost their jobs following defeats against the team, and the possibility of them filing compensation claims, which heralds a long and complex series of judicial disputes.

Concerns also arise regarding Manchester City's financial obligations towards other clubs, as its debts related to transfer deals amounted to 423 million pounds sterling as of June 30 of last year, of which 170 million pounds were due during the following twelve months, compared to 95 million pounds owed to it by other clubs.

Potential sanctions, particularly relegation or exclusion from European competitions, may affect the club's revenues and its ability to meet these obligations, which may affect the financial situation of other clubs.

On the other hand, some clubs fear that expelling Manchester City from the Premier League will lead to the revival of the European Super League project, which the club had previously joined in 2021 before withdrawing from it under pressure from the fans.

The newspaper points out that the expulsion decision, if put to a vote among the clubs, would need the approval of 15 clubs, amid a clear division between those who consider exclusion a necessity to protect the integrity of the competition, and those who fear that it will lead to the weakening of the English Premier League at the global level.

On the legal level, estimates indicate that the appeal procedures may take between three and four months, with the English Premier League seeking to close the file early next year, but the possibility of the dispute moving to the Supreme Court may extend the case for additional years.

Fears are also increasing that legal costs will rise to more than 100 million pounds, amounts that clubs may bear, especially if Manchester City succeeds in overturning the ruling issued against it.

In light of these data, the issue appears to be more than just determining a penalty for one club, as it has become a test of the credibility of the English Premier League, the integrity of the competition, and its commercial value, amid anticipation of a decision that may redraw the balance of power in English football for years to come.

Joshua Kimmich, captain of the German national football team, confirmed that he is not affected by criticism that questions his role with the national team, stressing that he possesses the quality and ambition necessary to continue playing a key role in the team.

Midfielder Kimmich participated in the German national team's first two matches recently in the European Nations League, against the Netherlands and Greece.

But coach Jurgen Klopp made changes to the national team’s roster for the next two matches against Serbia and Greece. Kimmich's teammates at Bayern Munich: Alexander Pavlovic and Tom Bischoff, caught attention with their performance.

This raised questions about Kimmich's future role with the national team. Oliver Kahn, the former German goalkeeper, said that the player was no longer automatically guaranteed a starting place, while Lothar Matthaus, the former captain of the German national team, confirmed that Kimmich was now required to prove his leadership capabilities.

Kimmich said after Bayern Munich tied with Augsburg 2-2 in the German League yesterday (Saturday): “I have been doing this job for 11 years, and I know how things work in this field.”

He added: “I did not follow the matter at all, but I have the impression that a big fuss was raised about it. The only thing I can and should focus on is my performance, and that is what I am doing, what I have done over the past 11 years, and I will continue to do.”

He continued: “In the end, the best players always participate, and over the past ten years I have succeeded in being among the best. This is my goal, and what I work towards every day, and then I make sure to provide the required level every 3 days.”

For his part, Max Eberl, a member of the Bayern Munich Board of Directors for Sports Affairs, defended Kimmich, saying: “I continued to question Joshua Kimmich’s abilities, and I see that as completely absurd. He is a leader who leads the ranks and leads the team with his performance.”

Eberl stressed that Kimmich may not have achieved great success in some of the previous major tournaments, but he stressed that the player represents one of the most prominent German talents, and added: “But for me, Joshua Kimmich is an amazing German player, and we should be happy that we have a player like him in our ranks.”

Klopp had revealed that Kimmich asked him to stay with the national team during the last two matches, but the Bayern Munich player confirmed that he was not bothered by the decision to return him to his club, and he also made clear that he did not ask the coach for additional support in light of the controversy surrounding his role.

“No, not at all,” Kimmich said. He also explained to me how things worked. The coach made his position very clear from the beginning and explained the reasons behind his decision. So, I had no problem with it, and everything was clear.”