Manchester City's guilty Premier League verdict is a "cloud" hanging over the club that may be impacting their recent performances, Gary Neville has hypothesised. 

In late September, the Premier League confirmed City had been found guilty of all charges related to "serious breaches" of the competition's financial rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.

City were also found guilty of the majority of charges relating to the club's failure to comply with the Premier League's investigation. 

While City have pledged to fight that verdict, rumours have swirled regarding the possible punishments that could be handed down, with pundits and supporters suggesting huge points deductions, automatic relegations or the stripping of past titles.

Initially, Enzo Maresca's squad did not appear to be affected by the off-pitch noise, as City won seven straight Premier League games to start the campaign.

However, they have since succumbed to defeats against Aston Villa (2-1), Brighton (1-0) and Nottingham Forest (3-1).

They are just the second team in English top-flight history – after Sheffield Wednesday in 1904-05 – to win their first seven games of a season before losing their next three.

And former Manchester United defender Neville has now questioned whether City's players are starting to be impacted by the speculation.  

"Something's just not right at the moment and it's worrying. Things point towards the obvious cloud hanging over the club," Neville told NBC Sports' Premier League Mornings.

"Is it finally catching up with them, in terms of the mental fatigue of the negative publicity they've had, and the effect it's had on the players? 

"Are they drained physically and mentally through that, or are they just going through a bad patch?

"Either way, Maresca has got to sort it out quite quickly in the international break, because that won't be tolerated. Losing games like that doesn't happen very often."

Club statement.  https://t.co/yrJ8Z0A52Y https://t.co/0NP2k33JT9

— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 29, 2026

And Neville says speculation over City being thrown out of the Premier League – and the knock-on effect such a punishment would have on their players – is bound to be a distraction.

He added: "Those players will constantly be getting asked, 'What do you think is going to happen? What happens if they do get relegated? Will you stay?'

"Now you imagine your family is having to put up with that, your agent's thinking about those things… it can't be ruled out as a factor that's going to start to seep in.

"If you lose a football match or two, you can start to look at that as an excuse, but they've got to play better, they've got to compete in games, they've got to make sure that they do better on the pitch from a tactical and physical perspective.

"But I do believe it will be having some impact, just because of the weight of what's been hitting them, from a publicity point of view."

City will spend the international break third in the Premier League, six points adrift of Arsenal and one behind Brighton, with Fulham being their next opponents on November 21.