The name of their owner, Sheikh Mansour, was sung loud and proud, so too Pep Guardiola‘s, as there was an extra level of defiance among City’s fans who held up anti-UEFA banners, some of which were confiscated, as anti-UEFA chants ruled supreme.
Chants of ‘F*** UEFA, F*** UEFA” and “F*** off UEFA, we will see you in court!” were plentiful, especially after Rodri’s goal gave Man City the lead.
West Ham’s fans responded by signing “cheating b*******, you know what you are!”
City’s 2-0 win against West Ham was secondary. Pretty much everything else is secondary after the seismic news arrived late last week. City’s fans didn’t seem to know what to think or what to say. Guardiola revealed he will not be leaving the club. That was at least some clarity as the Etihad Stadium was shrouded in mist, rain and cloud on Wednesday.
The weather summed up the mystery shrouding Man City’s future in European competitions after being given a two season ban which is due to start in the 2020-21 campaign. City will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but as things stands the reigning Premier League champions will not be in Europe until Sept. 2022 at the earliest.
“It is not finished. The club believes it is unfair so we are going to appeal and we are going to wait,” manager Pep Guardiola said afterwards. “So all we can do on the pitch is all we have done in the last four years and try and win games. We are going to wait. I trust 100 percent my club what they have done, they explained to me what happened. They have explained to me the reasons why and we are going to see.”
Man City’s fans were a little more emphatic.
“I just laughed out loud. I had a laugh. It is UEFA. They are corrupt,” lifelong Man City Chris Hyde said ahead of the game against West Ham.
UEFA delivered its verdict last Friday after an extensive investigation into what they call “serious breaches” of Financial Fair Play rules. City were also fined $32.4 million for the breach as UEFA’s Adjudicatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) found the reigning Premier League champions guilty of serious breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.
The Manchester club were previously charged by UEFA in 2014 as they were fined and had a limited number of players in their squad for UEFA competitions for FFP breaches. This new charge comes after Football Leaks documents published by Der Spiegel in 2018 accused Man City of wrongdoing.
On the day of the West Ham game the CEO of the City Football Group, Ferran Soriano released a lengthy statement via the club media channel in which he said the allegations against the club are “false” and “simply not true” and that he hoped for a quick resolution by the end of the season.
“The most important thing I have to say today is that the allegations are not true,” Sorriano said. “They are simply not true. The owner has not put money in this club that has not been properly declared. We are a sustainable football club, we are profitable, we don’t have debt, our accounts have been scrutinized many times, by auditors, by regulators, by investors and this is perfectly clear.”
He also had this message for fans.
“The fans can be sure of two things. The first one is that the allegations are false. And the second is that we will do everything that can be done to prove so,” Sorriano said. “We know the fans are supporting us. We can feel it. Man City fans have gone through challenges over the decades. This is just another challenge. We will stick together, we will go through it and we will not let the fans down.”
How have the fans reacted? Do they feel let down by the Man City hierarchy?
“No, not at all,” Paul Drew, a well-spoken Mancunian and lifelong Man City said defiantly. “I don’t think there is any antipathy or anger towards the senior leadership. It has been managed pretty well but it is just the way it is.”
City are a club which is used to falling down.
Ask any City fan over the age of 30 and they will tell you all about the heartache, near misses, relegation to the third-tier and the constant hard-luck stories. They revel in those struggles and believe the decades of agony make their recent success even sweeter.
“We take the mick out of ourselves because we have to. I hate to coin the phrase but: ‘Typical City.’ We are the only team that can be one of the most successful and best teams ever and then screw it up ourselves!” Hyde laughed when discussing the allegations.
When you walk around Manchester there are nods to Man City’s past everywhere. Many fans wear retro jerseys from the third-tier days and still talk about Gillingham, Paul Dickov and Shaun Goater (who was on the pitch at half time as a guest) fondly. The fanbase is one which embraces tough times and many don’t regard being kicked out of the UEFA Champions League for two seasons as a big issue.
There is a sense that City are being picked on by UEFA. There is anger and confusion as every club will have fans sticking up for themselves not matter how stacked the evidence is against them.
Are City’s fans angry about their team being banned from European action?
“Very much so. I hope it is articulated in the right way because it just doesn’t feel fair,” Drew said.
“It is a joke, FFP should be to stop clubs borrowing more than they can afford to pay back or gambling on success,” Arnie, a diehard ivy fan who goes home and away said. “Instead it is there to ensure the world’s biggest clubs stay where they are by restricting others competing by investment and stopping those clubs growing to the status that some already have.”
There is a sense this situation could actually make their fanbase more defiant, more supportive and rally behind their team in their time of need as reports have surfaced detailing possible Premier League points deductions and in extreme cases relegation to the fourth-tier of English soccer.
“It would make the fanbase stronger. That is the good thing,” Drew explained. “We are often criticized for not being a big club until the last 10 or so years but the past 120 years we have been something like the top six supported clubs in England. It might dent the international fanbase a little bit, I don’t know, but certainly the domestic fanbase not at all. It might even encourage it.”
Hyde agreed.
“It is just annoying. We are City fans we will just have a laugh at it. We will laugh it off. At the end of the day it is a load of millionaires talking about how they’ve spent their money. We won four league titles, we are in the Champions League, let’s have a bit of fun! It is a bit different than 10 years ago.”
There is a sense of confusion around what is fact and fiction. City’s fans, the club, pundits, UEFA, everyone seems to be saying something slightly different.
“It doesn’t feel fair,” Drew said. “I get the principles of Financial Fair Play but when you’ve got an owner who gifts the club money and might ultimately reap the profits that’s fine, when you are leveraging buyouts of clubs built on debt and paying interest on that debt, have money from the fans which other clubs do as well, how is that even comparable? It is Financial Fair Play but aimed at the wrong people.”
Guardiola has hope City will not be banned and in turn every single Man City fan, and player, will be sharing a similar view.
“We spoke. We made a deal. We are going to fight, like we fought every single day, until the end of the season,” Guardiola said of his talks with the players. “We are optimistic that in the end the truth will prevail, and if next season we qualify for the Champions League that we will be there.”
The result leaves Manchester United (43 points) 3rd in the Premier League table, now just two points back of two-time defending champions Manchester City and seven behind leaders Arsenal. Leeds (19 points), meanwhile, move one point and one place (up to 16th, from 17th) clear of the relegation zone as they begin the post-Jesse Marsch era.
Leeds raced out to a 1-0 with just 56 seconds on the clock, after Tyler Adams and Pascal Struijk combined to win the ball back in Manchester United’s defensive third. The ball was quickly circulated to Wilfried Gnonto, who cut in front the left side and fired low, from the top of the penalty area, and beat David de Gea just inside his right-hand post.
Raphael Varane put the ball in his own net to make it 2-0 in the 48th minute, as Crysencio Summerville walked the end line and crossed the ball off the Frenchman at the near post.
The comeback began shortly after the hour mark, when Marcus Rashford rose highest near the penalty spot to meet Diogo Dalot’s cross, given the red-hot Englishman 12 goals in 14 games (plus four assists – all competitions) since returning from the 2022 World Cup break.
11 minutes after he came off the bench, Jadon Sancho fired past Illan Meslier to make it 2-2, and the big, gloved Frenchman will feel he should have made the save as the ball was hit well within his reach but went off, and under, his hands.
Leeds will host Manchester United at Elland Road in each sides’ next Premier League fixture, in just four days’ time (Watch live, Sunday, 9 am ET, on USA Network and online via NBCSports.com).
How to watch Manchester United vs Leeds live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 3pm ET, Wednesday TV Channel: USA Network Online:Stream via NBCSports.com
Key storylines & star players
Marcus Rashford had scored in six of United’s last seven Premier League matches and he’s zipped up the PL goals list as one of just six players with at least 10 goals this season.
One player Rashford is likely to pass is fellow 10-goal man Rodrigo, who will not play for Leeds. The visitors will be looking to new signings Georginio Rutter and Weston McKennie to help lead the way, while Wilfried Gnonto and Jack Harrison seem likely to keep pestering opponents with pace.
Manchester United team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Antony (lower leg). OUT: Mason Greenwood (suspension), Anthony Martial (undisclosed), Scott McTominay (other), Casemiro (suspension), Christian Eriksen (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee)
The 2022-23 Premier League fixtures are front and center as the new season has delivered so much drama so far and normal service has resumed after the World Cup break.
Remember: you can watch all 380 Premier League games across NBC, USA Network, NBCSports.com and Peacock. We’ve got you covered.
Will Manchester City win yet another Premier League title? Can Chelsea and Liverpool push them all the way? How will Manchester United’s new-look side fare? What about Tottenham and Arsenal? How will the new boys get on? Who will be the surprise package?
Those questions will be answered from August 2022 to May 2023, with the full list of Premier League fixtures.
While below are the answers to all of the questions you have around the Premier League fixtures and everything else you need to know for the upcoming season, with full details on the Premier League TV schedule across the NBC family of channels and more.
The Premier League fixtures for the 2022-23 season were announced on Thursday June 16, 2022 at 4am ET. Below is the full schedule, as you can watch all 380 games across our NBC platforms.
The Premier League fixture computer decides who plays who and when, as teams located close to one another are usually playing at home on opposite weekends to help with policing, crowd control and transport congestion in those areas.
When will the Premier League take a break for the 2022 World Cup?
When will the 2022-23 Premier League season finish?
The final day of the season will be on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Which teams will compete in the 2022-23 Premier League?
These are the 20 teams which will compete in the Premier League for the upcoming season:
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Predictions for 2022-23 Premier League season
We made a few bold predictions ahead of the Premier League campaign, which you can read in full here. And we’ve also predicted how we think the Premier League table will look at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. I’m sure you agree wholeheartedly with these predictions…
2022-23 Premier League TV schedule
Below are the Premier League fixtures in full, with all kick offs listed at 10am ET unless otherwise stated:
9am: Leeds v Man Utd – USA Network – WATCH LIVE
11:30am: Man City v Aston Villa – USA Network – WATCH LIVE
Monday 13 February
3pm: Liverpool v Everton – USA Network – WATCH LIVE
Matchweek 24
Wednesday 15 February
2:30pm: Arsenal vs Manchester City (rearranged)
Saturday 18 February
7:30am: Aston Villa v Arsenal
Brentford v Crystal Palace
Brighton v Fulham
Chelsea v Southampton
Everton v Leeds
Nottingham Forest v Man City
Wolves v AFC Bournemouth
12:30pm: Newcastle v Liverpool
Sunday 19 February
9am: Man Utd v Leicester
11:30am: Spurs v West Ham
Matchweek 25
Friday 24 February
3pm: Fulham v Wolves
Saturday 25 February
7:30am: Newcastle v Brighton
Everton v Aston Villa
Leeds v Southampton
Leicester v Arsenal
West Ham v Nottingham Forest
12:30pm: AFC Bournemouth v Man City *subject to EFL Cup Final
2:45pm: Crystal Palace v Liverpool ^If Liverpool are not in EFL fifth round and if AFC Bournemouth or Man City progress to EFL Cup final, this match will move to 17:30 and remain on Sky Sports
Sunday 26 February
8:30am: Man Utd v Brentford* Due to UEFA Europa League playoff round
8:30am: Spurs v Chelsea
Saturday 4 March
Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
Brentford v Fulham
Brighton v West Ham
Chelsea v Leeds
Liverpool v Man Utd
Man City v Newcastle
Nottingham Forest v Everton
Southampton v Leicester
Wolves v Spurs
Saturday 11 March
AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool
Crystal Palace v Man City
Everton v Brentford
Fulham v Arsenal
Leeds v Brighton
Leicester v Chelsea
Man Utd v Southampton
Newcastle v Wolves
Spurs v Nottingham Forest
West Ham v Aston Villa
Saturday 18 March
Arsenal v Crystal Palace
Aston Villa v AFC Bournemouth
Brentford v Leicester
Brighton v Man Utd
Chelsea v Everton
Liverpool v Fulham
Man City v West Ham
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle
Southampton v Spurs
Wolves v Leeds
Saturday 1 April
AFC Bournemouth v Fulham
Arsenal v Leeds
Brighton v Brentford
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Crystal Palace v Leicester
Everton v Spurs
Man City v Liverpool
Newcastle v Man Utd
Nottingham Forest v Wolves
West Ham v Southampton
Saturday 8 April
Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Brentford v Newcastle
Fulham v West Ham
Leeds v Crystal Palace
Leicester v AFC Bournemouth
Liverpool v Arsenal
Man Utd v Everton
Southampton v Man City
Spurs v Brighton
Wolves v Chelsea
Saturday 15 April
Aston Villa v Newcastle
Chelsea v Brighton
Everton v Fulham
Leeds v Liverpool
Man City v Leicester
Nottingham Forest v Man Utd
Southampton v Crystal Palace
Spurs v AFC Bournemouth
West Ham v Arsenal
Wolves v Brentford
Saturday 22 April
AFC Bournemouth v West Ham
Arsenal v Southampton
Brentford v Aston Villa
Brighton v Man City
Crystal Palace v Everton
Fulham v Leeds
Leicester v Wolves
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest
Man Utd v Chelsea
Newcastle v Spurs
Tuesday 25 April
19:45 Everton v Newcastle
19:45 Leeds v Leicester
19:45 Nottingham Forest v Brighton
19:45 Spurs v Man Utd
19:45 West Ham v Liverpool
19:45 Wolves v Crystal Palace
20:00 Aston Villa v Fulham
Wednesday 26 April
19:45 Chelsea v Brentford
19:45 Southampton v AFC Bournemouth
20:00 Man City v Arsenal
Saturday 29 April
AFC Bournemouth v Leeds
Arsenal v Chelsea
Brentford v Nottingham Forest
Brighton v Wolves
Crystal Palace v West Ham
Fulham v Man City
Leicester v Everton
Liverpool v Spurs
Man Utd v Aston Villa
Newcastle v Southampton
Saturday 6 May
AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea
Brighton v Everton
Fulham v Leicester
Liverpool v Brentford
Man City v Leeds
Newcastle v Arsenal
Nottingham Forest v Southampton
Spurs v Crystal Palace
West Ham v Man Utd
Wolves v Aston Villa
Saturday 13 May
Arsenal v Brighton
Aston Villa v Spurs
Brentford v West Ham
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth
Everton v Man City
Leeds v Newcastle
Leicester v Liverpool
Man Utd v Wolves
Southampton v Fulham
Saturday 20 May
AFC Bournemouth v Man Utd
Brighton v Southampton
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Man City v Chelsea
Newcastle v Leicester
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Spurs v Brentford
West Ham v Leeds
Wolves v Everton
Sunday 28 May
16:00 Arsenal v Wolves
16:00 Aston Villa v Brighton
16:00 Brentford v Man City
16:00 Chelsea v Newcastle
16:00 Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
16:00 Everton v AFC Bournemouth
16:00 Leeds v Spurs
16:00 Leicester v West Ham
16:00 Man Utd v Fulham
16:00 Southampton v Liverpool
The FA Cup always delivers shocks and plenty of Premier League clubs have tricky tests facing them in the last 16.
Only nine PL clubs remain, with fourth-tier Grimsby Town the lowest-ranked team left. There are two all-Premier League ties with Fulham hosting Leeds and West Ham heading to Manchester United.
FA Cup live: How to watch, scores, schedule, dates, how to watch
Dates: Fifth round – Tuesday, Feb. 28 – Wednesday, Mar. 1
Times: Below
Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com
How to watch: ESPN+
FA Cup fifth round draw
Tuesday, February 28
Stoke City vs Brighton & Hove Albion – 2:15pm ET
Leicester City vs Blackburn Rovers – 2:30pm ET
Fulham vs Leeds United – 2:45pm ET
Bristol City vs Manchester City – 3pm ET
Wednesday, March 1
Southampton vs Grimsby Town – 2:15pm ET
Burnley vs Fleetwood Town – 2:30pm ET
Manchester United vs West Ham United – 2:45pm ET
Sheffield United vs Tottenham Hotspur – 2:55pm ET
FA Cup fifth round predictions – By Joe Prince-Wright
Tuesday, February 28
Leicester City 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Stoke City 1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Fulham 2-1 Leeds United
Bristol City 1-3 Manchester City
Wednesday, March 1
Southampton 3-1 Grimsby Town
Manchester United 2-1 West Ham United
Burnley 3-0 Fleetwood Town
Sheffield United 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
FA Cup fourth round replays — Schedule
Tuesday
Grimsby Town 3-0 Luton Town
Fleetwood Town 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Burnley 2-1 Ipswich Town
Sheffield United 3-1 Wrexham AFC
Saturday
Accrington Stanley 1-3 Leeds United
Walsall 0-1 Leicester City
Fulham 1-1 Sunderland
Bristol City 3-0 West Brom
Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Fleetwood Town
Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Birmingham City
Luton Town 2-2 Grimsby Town
Ipswich Town 0-0 Burnley
Southampton 2-1 Blackpool
Preston North End 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United 3-1 Reading
Swansea City 1-2 (AET) Bristol City
Forest Green Rovers 1-2 Birmingham City (original tie postponed due to waterlogged pitch)
Wigan 1-2 Luton
Wolves 0-1 Liverpool West Brom 4-0 Chesterfield
Preston North End 3-1 Huddersfield Town
Reading 2-0 Watford
Tottenham 1-0 Portsmouth
Gillingham 0-1 Leicester City
Forest Green Rovers vs Birmingham City — PPD
Crystal Palace 1-2 Southampton
Hull City 0-2 Fulham
Middlesbrough 1-5 Brighton
Fleetwood Town 2-1 QPR
Ipswich Town 4-1 Rotherham
Bournemouth 2-4 Burnley
Blackpool 4-1 Nottingham Forest
Chesterfield 3-3 West Brom
Millwall 0-2 Sheffield United
Boreham Wood 1-1 Accrington Stanley
Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Sunderland
Brentford 0-1 West Ham
Coventry City 3-4 Wrexham
Luton Town 1-1 Wigan
Grimsby Town 1-0 Burton Albion
Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Newcastle
Liverpool 2-2 Wolves
Bristol City 1-1 Swansea City
Derby County 3-0 Barnsley
Cardiff City 2-2 Leeds
Stockport 1-2 Walsall
Hartlepool 0-3 Stoke City
Norwich 0-1 Blackpool
Aston Villa 1-2 Stevenage
Man City 4-0 Chelsea
Who’s looking like title contenders and/or favorites?
As we head into the second half of the 2022-23 season, Arsenal and Manchester City are looking head and shoulders above the rest though Newcastle is not going away and Manchester United has surged into contention.
The Gunners will have their hands full for the duration of their title challenge, as Erling Haaland continues to take the Premier League by storm with an almost impossible goal-scoring record.
Uneven Tottenham are hanging in the top four battle, while Liverpool is struggling to stay in the Champions League scrap. Chelsea has some work to do while surprising Fulham, Brentford and Brighton are hanging around on the periphery with fine campaigns.
Who are the candidates for relegation?
Everton, Bournemouth, and Southampton currently occupy the relegation places.
But Leicester, West Ham, Wolves, and Leeds all find themselves within a few points of the bottom three after a topsy-turvy season so far.
Below you will find the latest Premier League table.