Gary Neville: Premier League case may be affecting Manchester City's results

Gary Neville has said that Manchester City being found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules is hanging over the club like a dark cloud, and suggested it may be showing in the team's recent performances on the pitch.

In late September, the Premier League announced that City had been found guilty of all charges brought against them for having "seriously breached" the league's financial rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018. The club were also found guilty on a number of counts of failing to cooperate with the investigation.

Although Manchester City have said they will fight the ruling, speculation over the possible sanctions has not let up. Pundits and supporters are debating scenarios such as record points deductions, outright relegation or being stripped of past titles.

Having started the season with a seven-match winning run, the team initially appeared unaffected by the noise off the pitch. Since then, however, they have suffered three defeats in a row, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa, 1-0 to Brighton and 3-1 to Nottingham Forest.

That made them the first side in the history of England's top flight to win their opening seven games of a season and then lose three in a row since Sheffield Wednesday in 1904-05.

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville questioned whether the players were starting to be affected by the speculation:

"Something isn't right at the moment, and that is concerning. Everything points to the obvious dark cloud hanging over the club. Is the mental fatigue that comes with all the negativity, and its effect on the players, finally starting to show? Are they worn down physically and mentally because of it, or are they just going through a bad spell? Either way, the coaching staff need to sort this out very quickly over the international break, because losses like these are not tolerated. Losing games like this at this level is not something that happens often."

Neville also stressed that the prospect of City being relegated, and the knock-on effect of possible sanctions on the players, would be a distraction:

"These players will constantly be asked questions like 'What do you think will happen? What will you do if the team goes down? Will you stay?' Now imagine your family having to deal with that, your agent thinking about all of this... You cannot rule out that it is a factor that starts to creep into the mind. When you lose a game or two you can see it as an excuse, but they have to play better, fight harder and do better on the pitch tactically and physically. Even so, because of the weight of public pressure, I definitely believe it is having an effect."

Manchester City go into the international break six points behind leaders Arsenal and will face Fulham after the break.