Manchester City might decry the 'Red Cartel' of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United, but is it real?

Analysis of whether Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United form a genuine 'Red Cartel' blocking other clubs, examining City's record-breaking dominance and the reality of Premier League competition over two decades.

Manchester City supporters argue their club has been a bulwark against the Premier League's traditional powers, framing themselves as standing against a 'Red Cartel' of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. However, the article examines whether this narrative holds up to scrutiny.

The piece notes that all three of these clubs have not simultaneously finished in the top four since 2008-09, the very season Sheikh Mansour took over Manchester City. Over the past 17 years, at least one of the trio has typically struggled, with Arsenal and Liverpool each finishing eighth twice, and Manchester United reaching 15th place. The only period when all three regularly competed at the top was between 1996 and 2009, before City's transformation.

While City's achievements under Pep Guardiola were unprecedented—including four consecutive titles, all three domestic trophies, and a 100-point season—the article argues that attributing this solely to blocking a 'Red Cartel' requires accepting historical counterfactuals. It also notes that City was found to have systematically breached Premier League rules for nearly a decade, inflating revenue by over $1 billion through 'sham' contracts, complicating any assessment of a level playing field.