It must seem a lifetime ago for Southampton fans, when 25 days ago their team came within eight minutes of knocking Manchester City out of the FA Cup.
An inspired performance saw the Championship team score on 79 minutes at Wembley and look to be heading for a shock FA Cup final appearance, only for two goals in the final eight minutes of regulation time to deny them.
It wouldn’t be the last time when Manchester City would prove themselves to be winners, nor Southampton losers.
Pep Guardiola’s side going on to win their latest trophy (FA Cup) last weekend, whilst the Saints have been denied (pending an appeal) another Wembley appearance this coming weekend.
What about the bigger picture though with these two clubs and ‘justice’ off the pitch?
Spygate
On 8 May 2026, Southampton were charged by the EFL with spying on an opposition training session. Eleven days later they were kicked out of the Championship play-offs and Middlesbrough given their place in the final against Hull City, despite beating Boro 2-0 on aggregate over the two semi-final legs.
I have sympathy for Southampton fans but not their club. Southampton have appealed against the level of punishment.
The thing for me though is that they deserve their punishment for stupidity in terms of deciding to do the amateurish spying and then getting caught, rather than any supposed advantage gained.
In total, Southampton have admitted to spying on opposition training sessions three times.
On Boxing Day 2025, they did it before playing second bottom of the table Oxford. Southampton conceded first, then equalised, before losing the match late on.
Then they did it again before playing at home to Ipswich on 28 April 2026. Southampton conceded first just after the break, the match eventually a 2-2 draw.
Then before playing away at Middlesbrough on 9 May 2026 in the first leg of the semi-final play-off it was an attempt to be third time lucky. However, the spying still didn’t produce a win. Southampton did get a goalless draw away from home but when you look at the stats it was clearly down to massive luck rather than exploiting any spying advantage. Boro had 21 shots in total (including five on target) and 11 corners. Southampton had one corner and no shots on target whatsoever.
You might want to believe Southampton gained some serious advantage from their spying antics but the results and performances suggest the opposite.
Indeed, the most impressive performance this season for Southampton was arguably the one against Manchester City at Wembley, although no claims of spying ahead of that one.
Manchester City
Back in February 2023, the Premier League announced it had charged City with 115 breaches of its financial rules.
A length hearing took place in 2024 but as yet, three and a half seasons later, there is still no verdict announced nor obviously any punishment (if found guilty…).
This is how The Athletic described the charges Manchester City faced:
According to the Premier League, Manchester City both artificially inserted money into the club by disguising payments from ownership as sponsorship money, and hid outgoings, by providing undeclared salaries or bonuses to players and managers.
Fifty-four charges of failure to provide accurate financial information
Fourteen charges of failure to provide accurate details for player and manager payments
Seven charges of breaching profitability and sustainability rules
Five charges of failing to comply with UEFA’s FFP regulations
Thirty-five charges of failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations
In these last three and a half seasons since Manchester City were first charged with the 115 breaches, they have won a further nine trophies. Man City lifting the Champions League, two more Premier League titles, two FA Cups, one League Cup, a Community Shield, one Super Cup, plus a Club World Cup.
Quite clearly the Manchester City (potentially) cheating case is a lot more complicated than the Southampton one.
The Manchester City owners and senior staff haven’t been caught out hiding behind a tree with an i-phone, or at least I assume that isn’t the case…
At the same time though, justice has been served on Southampton (and those who potentially lost out due to their cheating) by the EFL within eleven days of the charges having been made against them, before they even got the chance to play at Wembley. Whilst at the same time, three and a half seasons (and nine trophies and counting) later, no outcome at all announced by the Premier League on Manchester City, never mind punishment (if found guilty).
What about all the rival clubs that will have been affected by the unfair advantages Manchester City have gained over so many years, if they are found guilty? Not least recent months when for example Newcastle United lost out to Man City in both domestic cup competitions.
To not have any end result to the Manchester City 115 charges over such a long period of time, it surely threatens to bring football and the Premier League into disrepute. Every day it continues with no outcome is another day that is a stain on the sport and especially the Premier League.