BBC Sport's Simon Stone
City were not given advance warning of the Premier League statement. They were called at the same time the statement was published.
They also note the timing of the statement given the white paper on football governance is about to be published. It is felt that bringing this case it likely to be used by the Premier League as evidence of them being able to deal with governance issues itself.
City are confident in their position and that includes the charges that were time-barred in their Uefa case. The club are understood to have provided the relevant evidence around those charges to the Premier League some time ago.
On the basis it has taken the Premier League four years to get to this point, do not expect a resolution to this case any time soon.
Manchester City have always denied financial wrongdoing. They always said the detail published by Der Spiegel when it was passed information by Football Leaks was incomplete.
When Uefa launched its case, City said they had no faith in that investigation and, when it went against them, they went straight to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where they were cleared of what they regarded as the substantive allegations, even though some were timed out.
They will be armed with the very best lawyers, looking line by line at every element of the Premier League's case.
The charge sheet includes five years of allegations that City have not assisted with their inquiry - which is all of it.
The whole thing will be expensive and it will drag on.
City manager Pep Guardiola has always said he was assured by his employers that they have done nothing wrong. Others - La Liga president Javier Tebas is one of the loudest voices - argue vehemently the other way.
Should City win, legally, they will be clear, even if the sniping will continue.
Should they lose, all manner of punishments can be handed down. The Premier League's scope in that sense is completely open-ended and we are in uncharted territory.
We are now beginning a very long end game. City's reputation - and the reputation of those who own it - is on the line. The outcome, whenever it comes, will be fascinating.