Manchester City's allegations of a "Red Cartel" involving Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United have been challenged in a new analysis that examines the Premier League's competitive and financial landscape. The club's supporters and executives, including chief executive Ferran Soriano, have framed the Premier League's 114 alleged rule breaches over nine seasons as a conspiracy by traditional powers to keep City from the top table. However, the article argues that the historical record does not support the idea that City alone prevented a LaLiga-style dominance by the three clubs.
Data shows that the last season all three finished in the top four was 2008-09, the same year City were bought by Sheikh Mansour. Since then, periods of simultaneous success have been rare. Meanwhile, the Premier League's revenue distribution has become more equitable: in 2008 the seventh-richest English club earned less than a third of the richest; by 2024-25 the richest (Liverpool, €836.1m) earned less than double the seventh (Aston Villa, €450.2m). Nine of the world's 20 richest clubs are now English, and mid-table sides like Bournemouth, Brighton and Newcastle have broken into the top six recently.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire describes the Premier League as "the Super League" and notes that while Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal have attempted to reshape the competition through Project Big Picture and the European Super League, they lack the votes to impose changes unilaterally. Brand Finance valuations confirm the trio's outsized global appeal, driven by history, location and sustained success. Proposals for harder financial caps have been rejected, with clubs voting against measures that would increase competitive balance.
The piece concludes that while no formal cartel exists, the three clubs' brand power and historical resonance give them enduring advantages that financial regulations alone cannot erase.
