THE black comedy of the Premier League has moved on from the farce of referees still getting things wrong after a thousand slow-motion replays, and hurtles speedily on to the next slapstick jamboree: snappy points deductions.

As if bored on a Friday afternoon, some governing body types somewhere have smacked a 10-point punishment on… wait for it… Everton. Now I don’t know if the Toffees have done anything wrong on financial fair play or not, although after they whizzed a combined £70million on Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott from Arsenal anything is technically possible. For legal reasons, I have to point out neither of these deals are related to this case, I’m just still marvelling at Arsenal’s deal monsters.

But whether Everton have done something bad with money or not, it was impossible not to wonder how they got to the top of the star chamber’s in-tray with Manchester City, and the scores of charges laid against them earlier this year, right there. Surely, given City have won five of the past six league titles, this might have been the case warranting resolving first.

Little has changed the landscape of English football more than the grotesque spending which transformed City from amiable drifters with not that many fans to megalomaniac sports washers with not that many fans.

People often say that such bitter feelings come from protectionism of a football elite but, folks, Arsenal haven’t won the league back-to-back since the 1930s and there is a beautiful imperfection to the club’s success. Teams have been scouted and evolved at Arsenal, not assembled like fantasy football teams.

For many fans there has always been an asterisk next to City’s success and there would be no tears if it was one day deemed that their excessive outlay broke the rules.

We have, after all, had to listen for too long to purring pundits talk about City as if it is organic product. Never a whisper about how they get there – just WHAT A GOAL commentary. The hero worship for Pep Guardiola among the media is supernatural, endlessly we are told about his unique tactical brain.

And yet – to reach for the could he do it at Kidderminster Harriers question – has he ever taken control of a club with a meagre budget and pre-existing challenges in need of resolution? No. The answer to that is no.

We can see what happens when the Guardiola mind is applied to a team with less resources by looking to Burnley where one of the City manager’s former lieutenants, Vincent Kompany, dispensed with that club’s kick and rush tactics and tried to play passing football. Worthy enough, but bottom of the league.

Money matters, and that’s why the investigation hanging over City – to which they deny everything – should be fast tracked to a finish.