The breaches relate to the period between 2009 and 2018, during which City won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three League Cups. Any sanction is expected to be subject to appeal, and stripping titles remains the most extreme outcome on the table, but it raises an obvious question: what would the all-time honours list look like without them?

The rankings below assume all seven of those trophies are forfeited and handed to the runner-up in each case.

Seven competitions count as major trophies:

• First Division/Premier League
• FA Cup
• League Cup
• European Cup/Champions League
• UEFA Cup/Europa League
• Cup Winners’ Cup and Conference League.

The Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, Intercontinental Cup and Inter-Cities Fairs Cup are not included. With those parameters set out, here’s how an updated English clubs trophy list looks.

15 West Bromwich Albion

Trophies: 7

Five FA Cups account for most of West Brom‘s major honours. Their only league title came in 1919/20. The Baggies haven’t lifted major silverware since 1968.

14 Sheffield Wednesday

Trophies: 8

Four league titles, the last in 1930, and the 1991 League Cup keep Sheffield Wednesday in the top 15. The Owls were extremely successful once upon a time, but it’s a completely different story in the modern day.

13 Wolves

Trophies: 9

Three league titles in the 1950s made Wolves one of the dominant sides of the era. The 1980 League Cup is their most recent major honour.

12 Nottingham Forest

Trophies: 9

Action Images / Michael Regan via REUTERS

Brian Clough’s back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980 remain the defining achievement of Nottingham Forest‘s history. Only Liverpool have won the competition more times among English clubs.

11 Sunderland

Trophies: 9

Sunderland are the surprise beneficiaries of the reallocation. City beat Gus Poyet’s side 3-1 in the 2014 League Cup final, so the Black Cats would claim a first triumph in that competition and move level with Forest and Wolves.

10 Blackburn Rovers

Trophies: 10

The 1994/95 Premier League title is Blackburn Rovers‘ standout modern achievement. Their 2002 League Cup is the only major trophy they have won since. Currently in the Championship, it could be a while before Rovers add to their tally.

9 Newcastle United

Trophies: 11

Newcastle United‘s 2025 League Cup win over Liverpool ended a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy and moved them clear of Blackburn.

8 Everton

Trophies: 15

Everton‘s last major honour remains the 1995 FA Cup. Nine league titles, the last in 1987, make up the majority of their total. The Toffees are still among the country’s most successful outfits despite a 31-year trophy drought, which is rather impressive.

7 Tottenham Hotspur

Trophies: 18

Tottenham ended a 17-year wait for silverware by beating Manchester United in the 2025 Europa League final in Bilbao. That was their third UEFA Cup/Europa League title, while eight FA Cups remain the bulk of their haul.

6 Aston Villa

Trophies: 21

via Reuters

Aston Villa‘s 2026 Europa League triumph, a 3-0 win over Freiburg in Istanbul, gave the club a first major trophy since 1996 and a second European title to sit alongside the 1982 European Cup. They sit one behind City in this reshuffled list.