Zohran Mamdani is the Mayor of New York City. He is also, apparently, an Arsenal fan. And on Friday, he had a one-word response to the news that Manchester City had been found guilty on 114 of 115 charges for breaking the Premier League's financial rules.
He posted '114' on X. That was it. The post, from @ZohranKMamdani on September 25, 2026, needed no further explanation for anyone who has been following the saga. For those who haven't, the number refers to the charges City were found guilty of — all but one of the 115 levelled against them.
Mamdani is a massive sports fan. His celebrations when the New York Knicks won the NBA championship were, by all accounts, something to behold. He is also a longtime follower of Arsenal, the reigning champions. So when their rivals were found guilty on nearly every charge, he couldn't resist highlighting the verdict.
Arsenal have lost out on league titles against City in the recent past. That context explains the glee from that particular corner of north London. It also explains why the 34-year-old's message confused some Americans who don't know much about the sport. To them, '114' probably looked like a typo. To everyone else, it was a punchline.
The Athletic's David Ornstein reported on Friday that City had been found guilty on all but one of the charges. The club have vowed to appeal the decisions. Rival fans, as you might expect, started celebrating immediately.
The sanctions for City's breaches are yet to be announced. That is the part that matters most, and the part nobody outside the Premier League's corridors knows anything about yet. Until that becomes clear, the '114' posts will keep coming.
Mamdani's post is a small thing. A single number, sent into the void. But it captures the mood of the week better than most of the coverage. City fans have spent years insisting the charges were a witch hunt. Now they are waiting to find out what the punishment looks like. The rest of football, meanwhile, is enjoying the moment.