Where would Man City be if they didn’t cheat? 🤷🏻♂️ We’ve taken the...
Midnite@midnite
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Oct 07, 2026
~5 min read
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1
Where would Man City be if they didn’t cheat? 🤷🏻♂️
We’ve taken the money pumped into the club by their owners, worked out which signings it funded each season and removed every Premier League goal those players scored.
Here’s what the leagues would look like…
A Thread 🧵👇🏼
We’ve taken the money pumped into the club by their owners, worked out which signings it funded each season and removed every Premier League goal those players scored.
Here’s what the leagues would look like…
A Thread 🧵👇🏼
2
2009/10
Owner-funded money: £22.5m
Signings removed:
Adam Johnson - £7m
Joleon Lescott - £22m
These players scored 2 Premier League goals for Man City that season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 5th - 67 points
Revised: 5th - 65 points
Chelsea remain Premier League champions. 🏆
Owner-funded money: £22.5m
Signings removed:
Adam Johnson - £7m
Joleon Lescott - £22m
These players scored 2 Premier League goals for Man City that season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 5th - 67 points
Revised: 5th - 65 points
Chelsea remain Premier League champions. 🏆
3
2010/11
Owner-funded money: £28.5m
New signings removed:
Edin Džeko — £27m
James Milner — £18m
Alongside the previously removed players, they account for 9 Man City goals this season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 3rd — 71 points
Revised: 4th — 63 points
Manchester United remain Premier League champions. 🏆
Owner-funded money: £28.5m
New signings removed:
Edin Džeko — £27m
James Milner — £18m
Alongside the previously removed players, they account for 9 Man City goals this season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 3rd — 71 points
Revised: 4th — 63 points
Manchester United remain Premier League champions. 🏆
4
2011/12
Owner-funded money: £70.75m
New signings removed:
Sergio Agüero - £36m
Samir Nasri - £24m
Stefan Savić - £15m
Costel Pantilimon - £5m
These players, alongside those removed in previous seasons, scored 54 Premier League goals for Man City that season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 1st - 89 points
Revised: 6th - 60 points
Agüero and Džeko’s goals against QPR on the final day are both removed.
Manchester United win the Premier League with 89 points. 🏆
Owner-funded money: £70.75m
New signings removed:
Sergio Agüero - £36m
Samir Nasri - £24m
Stefan Savić - £15m
Costel Pantilimon - £5m
These players, alongside those removed in previous seasons, scored 54 Premier League goals for Man City that season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 1st - 89 points
Revised: 6th - 60 points
Agüero and Džeko’s goals against QPR on the final day are both removed.
Manchester United win the Premier League with 89 points. 🏆
5
2012/13
Owner-funded money: £105.75m
New signings removed:
Javi García - £17m
Matija Nastasić - £12m
Maicon - £5m
Scott Sinclair - £6.2m
Jack Rodwell - £12m
The owner-funded amount exceeds the cost of all of these signings.
Alongside previously removed players, 37 Man City goals are removed.
Actual: 2nd - 78 points
Revised: 8th - 47 points
Manchester United remain Premier League champions. 🏆
Owner-funded money: £105.75m
New signings removed:
Javi García - £17m
Matija Nastasić - £12m
Maicon - £5m
Scott Sinclair - £6.2m
Jack Rodwell - £12m
The owner-funded amount exceeds the cost of all of these signings.
Alongside previously removed players, 37 Man City goals are removed.
Actual: 2nd - 78 points
Revised: 8th - 47 points
Manchester United remain Premier League champions. 🏆
6
2013/14
Owner-funded money: £111.5m
New signings removed:
Martín Demichelis - £4m
Stevan Jovetić - £22m
Álvaro Negredo - £20m
Jesús Navas - £14.9m
Fernandinho - £30m
The owner-funded amount exceeds the cost of all of these signings.
64 Man City goals are removed in total.
Actual: 1st - 86 points
Revised: 8th - 51 points
Liverpool win the Premier League with 85 points. 🏆
Owner-funded money: £111.5m
New signings removed:
Martín Demichelis - £4m
Stevan Jovetić - £22m
Álvaro Negredo - £20m
Jesús Navas - £14.9m
Fernandinho - £30m
The owner-funded amount exceeds the cost of all of these signings.
64 Man City goals are removed in total.
Actual: 1st - 86 points
Revised: 8th - 51 points
Liverpool win the Premier League with 85 points. 🏆
7
2014/15
Owner-funded money: £107.2m
New signings removed:
Wilfried Bony - £25m
Eliaquim Mangala - £41.9m
Bruno Zuculini - £1.5m
Willy Caballero - £4.4m
Fernando - £12m
The owner-funded amount exceeds the cost of all of these signings.
50 Man City goals are removed in total.
Actual: 2nd - 79 points
Revised: 12th - 47 points
Chelsea remain Premier League champions. 🏆
Owner-funded money: £107.2m
New signings removed:
Wilfried Bony - £25m
Eliaquim Mangala - £41.9m
Bruno Zuculini - £1.5m
Willy Caballero - £4.4m
Fernando - £12m
The owner-funded amount exceeds the cost of all of these signings.
50 Man City goals are removed in total.
Actual: 2nd - 79 points
Revised: 12th - 47 points
Chelsea remain Premier League champions. 🏆
8
2015/16
Owner-funded money: £120.17m
New signings removed:
Kevin De Bruyne - £55m
Nicolás Otamendi - £28.4m
Patrick Roberts - £12m
Fabian Delph - £8m
Raheem Sterling - £44m
50 Man City goals are removed in total.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 4th - 66 points
Revised: 18th - 38 points
Man City are relegated 😳
Leicester City remain Premier League champions. 🏆
Owner-funded money: £120.17m
New signings removed:
Kevin De Bruyne - £55m
Nicolás Otamendi - £28.4m
Patrick Roberts - £12m
Fabian Delph - £8m
Raheem Sterling - £44m
50 Man City goals are removed in total.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 4th - 66 points
Revised: 18th - 38 points
Man City are relegated 😳
Leicester City remain Premier League champions. 🏆
9
2016/17
Owner-funded money: £129.59m
New signings removed:
Gabriel Jesus - £27m
Claudio Bravo - £15.4m
John Stones - £47.5m
Marlos Moreno - £4.75m
Leroy Sané - £37m
49 Man City goals are removed in total.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 3rd - 78 points
Revised: 13th - 44 points
Chelsea remain Premier League champions. 🏆
Owner-funded money: £129.59m
New signings removed:
Gabriel Jesus - £27m
Claudio Bravo - £15.4m
John Stones - £47.5m
Marlos Moreno - £4.75m
Leroy Sané - £37m
49 Man City goals are removed in total.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 3rd - 78 points
Revised: 13th - 44 points
Chelsea remain Premier League champions. 🏆
10
2017/18
Owner-funded money: £134.73m
New signings removed:
Aymeric Laporte - £57m
Benjamin Mendy - £49.3m
Danilo -£26.5m
Kyle Walker - £45m
83 Man City goals are removed once the goals from all previously removed players are included.
Actual: 1st - 100 points
Revised: 17th - 38 points
Manchester United win the Premier League with 82 points. 🏆
Owner-funded money: £134.73m
New signings removed:
Aymeric Laporte - £57m
Benjamin Mendy - £49.3m
Danilo -£26.5m
Kyle Walker - £45m
83 Man City goals are removed once the goals from all previously removed players are included.
Actual: 1st - 100 points
Revised: 17th - 38 points
Manchester United win the Premier League with 82 points. 🏆
11
2018/19
There are no new signings to remove from this point, but the players already removed from our model are still at Man City.
That includes Agüero, Sterling, De Bruyne, Sané, Jesus, Stones, Fernandinho and others.
Their 63 Premier League goals are removed.
Actual: 1st - 98 points
Revised: 6th - 65 points
Liverpool win the Premier League with 100 points.
There are no new signings to remove from this point, but the players already removed from our model are still at Man City.
That includes Agüero, Sterling, De Bruyne, Sané, Jesus, Stones, Fernandinho and others.
Their 63 Premier League goals are removed.
Actual: 1st - 98 points
Revised: 6th - 65 points
Liverpool win the Premier League with 100 points.
12
2019/20
Previously removed Man City players account for 67 Premier League goals this season.
Those goals are removed from every result they affected.
Actual: 2nd - 81 points
Revised: 11th - 53 points
Liverpool remain Premier League champions with 99 points.
Previously removed Man City players account for 67 Premier League goals this season.
Those goals are removed from every result they affected.
Actual: 2nd - 81 points
Revised: 11th - 53 points
Liverpool remain Premier League champions with 99 points.
13
2020/21
Previously removed Man City players account for 36 Premier League goals this season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 1st - 86 points
Revised: 8th - 62 points
Manchester United win the Premier League with 74 points. 🏆
Previously removed Man City players account for 36 Premier League goals this season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 1st - 86 points
Revised: 8th - 62 points
Manchester United win the Premier League with 74 points. 🏆
14
2021/22
Previously removed Man City players account for 43 Premier League goals this season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 1st — 93 points
Revised: 3rd — 74 points
Liverpool win the Premier League with 96 points. 🏆
Previously removed Man City players account for 43 Premier League goals this season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 1st — 93 points
Revised: 3rd — 74 points
Liverpool win the Premier League with 96 points. 🏆
15
2022/23
By now, most of the players removed from our model have left Man City.
The remaining players account for 9 Premier League goals this season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 1st — 89 points
Revised: 1st — 85 points
Arsenal also finish on 85 points, but Man City retain the title on goal difference. 🏆
By now, most of the players removed from our model have left Man City.
The remaining players account for 9 Premier League goals this season.
After removing those goals:
Actual: 1st — 89 points
Revised: 1st — 85 points
Arsenal also finish on 85 points, but Man City retain the title on goal difference. 🏆
16
2023/24
The remaining players from our list account for just 5 Man City goals this season.
Those five goals are enough to change the title race.
Actual: 1st - 91 points
Revised: 2nd - 86 points
Arsenal win the Premier League with 89 points. 🏆
The remaining players from our list account for just 5 Man City goals this season.
Those five goals are enough to change the title race.
Actual: 1st - 91 points
Revised: 2nd - 86 points
Arsenal win the Premier League with 89 points. 🏆
17
2024/25
Only 6 Premier League goals are removed from Man City this season.
After recalculating every affected result:
Actual: 3rd — 71 points
Revised: 4th — 66 points
Liverpool remain Premier League champions with 84 points. 🏆
Only 6 Premier League goals are removed from Man City this season.
After recalculating every affected result:
Actual: 3rd — 71 points
Revised: 4th — 66 points
Liverpool remain Premier League champions with 84 points. 🏆
18
2025/26
John Stones is the final player from our original list still at Man City.
He scores no Premier League goals this season, meaning there is nothing left to remove from City’s results.
Actual: 2nd - 78 points
Revised: 2nd - 78 points
Arsenal remain Premier League champions with 85 points. 🏆
John Stones is the final player from our original list still at Man City.
He scores no Premier League goals this season, meaning there is nothing left to remove from City’s results.
Actual: 2nd - 78 points
Revised: 2nd - 78 points
Arsenal remain Premier League champions with 85 points. 🏆
19
And that brings the experiment to an end.
Across 17 Premier League seasons, we removed 627 Man City goals.
Seven titles changed hands 🏆:
Manchester United: +3
Liverpool: +3
Arsenal: +1
Obviously, removing these players would have changed far more than just the goals they scored.
But it shows just how different the Premier League could have looked without them.
Across 17 Premier League seasons, we removed 627 Man City goals.
Seven titles changed hands 🏆:
Manchester United: +3
Liverpool: +3
Arsenal: +1
Obviously, removing these players would have changed far more than just the goals they scored.
But it shows just how different the Premier League could have looked without them.
