Since breaking into the spotlight with RB Salzburg and scoring a hat-trick on his UEFA Champions League debut,Erling Haaland has been the most sought-after striker.
He was expected to sign with a premier European team, but he chose Borussia Dortmund in Germany, where he made a proper introduction.
He replaced Sergio Aguero, who left a year earlier, and Gabriel Jesus, who had gone after a year and a half, in a £51 million move to Manchester City.
The Argentina striker played for City for 10 years and made himself a fan favourite with his prowess in front of goal, scoring 184 league goals, as recorded on Premier League’s official website.
Adebayor differentiates Aguero and Haaland
The Norwegian striker, in his first season, has scored 48 goals in all competitions so far, breaking many records with more still to come.
Former City striker Emmanuel Adebayor looked beyond the goals and pointed out what the 22-year- old offers more that differentiates him from the legendary Sergio Aguero.
”I see Haaland as more robust, tougher in tackles and more assertive, while Aguero was a bit colder in one-on-one situations with the opposing keeper,” the Togolese told Sportskeeda.
The formerBorussia Dortmund striker has already surpassed Aguero’s highest single-season tally and has six hat-tricks, including four in the league, also scoring three consecutive home hat-tricks against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.
Fans slam Guardiola for lying Pep Guardiola, during the final game of the 2020/21 season, which crowned City as champions and was Aguero’s last league game, claimed the club could not replace the departing striker.
As Sports Brief reported, fans hit back at Guardiola after the heroics of Erling Haaland this season, branding him a pathological liar for shedding tears while making the statement.
The Spanish manager failed in his pursuit of Harry Kane and opted for false 9s in place of Gabriel Jesus before landing Haaland.
The Football Association (FA) has fined Liverpool £37,500 for an incident in which their players surrounded the referee during a recent 4-1 Premier League loss at Manchester City.
At the Etihad Stadium, the incident happened in the 34th minute of play with the score tied at one when City midfielder Rodri intentionally fouled Cody Gakpo.
Minutes earlier, the Spaniard had been cautioned for a comparable offense, but referee Simon Hooper decided against issuing a second caution, which would have resulted in a red card.
The decision was challenged by Diogo Jota, Fabinho, Virgil van Dijk, and captain Jordan Henderson, and the FA fined the team as a result.
According to a statement from the FA, Liverpool admitted it had “failed to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or do not behave in a way which is improper”.
The FA announced on Thursday it would be taking “no further action” against assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis after he appeared to aim an elbow at Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson in last Sunday’s draw with Arsenal.
Liverpool’s next game sees them travel to Leeds United on Monday.
Frank Lampard’s return to Chelsea’s coaching staff, even if just as caretaker manager through the remainder of the season, surprised many.
It is hardly shocking to those in the know.
He provided a clue by watching the Liverpool game from the director’s box at Stamford Bridge.
When the team needs a manager, a club legend and former manager who is currently unemployed appears out of nowhere at the stadium.
He is back, maybe not for long, maybe not. He would pick up where he left off in his first spell.
Chelsea were due to face Wolves on Tuesday, January 26, 2021, and Frank was sacked a day before.
The club’s all-time top scorer has been receiving messages welcoming him back to management, but he received a special one from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, as reported by Metro UK.
Guardiola sends message to Lampard
Pep is an admirer of the Chelsea legend, probably from his playing days, and he does not hide it.
He revealed he has been in touch with the 44-year-old even during his time at Everton. ‘‘We were in touch when he was at Everton.
After a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa, which dropped Chelsea to 11th place in the Premier League, Potter was fired less than seven months into his job at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues’ next match is at home against Liverpool, who are still licking their wounds from Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Manchester City.
According to their high standards, Liverpool is having a terrible season. The Reds have lost nine league games, are currently in eighth place, are eliminated from the FA Cup and the Champions League, and are eight points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.
And Klopp is aware it is the success of previous campaigns that is keeping him in a job.
“The elephant in the room is why I’m still sitting here, in this crazy world. Last man standing,” Klopp told reporters.
“I’m aware of the fact that I’m sitting here because of the past, not because of what we did this season.
“If it was my first season, that would be slightly different. Yes, we have smart owners, they know about the situation, but you better ask them yourselves.”
-7.4 – Chelsea underperformed their xG by 7.4 during Graham Potter's Premier League reign, the worst differential of any side since his first game in charge (21 goals from 28.4 xG).
-7.4 | Chelsea -6.7 | West Ham -6.1 | Everton -5.8 | Southampton -5.3 | Forest
“There’s no need to be afraid, I’m here to deliver. I’m not here as a talisman or whatever, or for murals on walls. I’m here to deliver, nothing else in my mind. But I know I’m here because of the last few years.
“I don’t like the fact that I have to pretty much rely on that. Is it right or not? We will see in the future. I am fully in, there’s no doubt, but we have to sort it.
“We cannot just continue playing like we do from time to time. Not always, thank God, but from time to time – it’s really not allowed. I’m really disappointed by us, that we do these kind of things, but they happen. We have to find a way out, that’s what we’re working on.”
Potter’s dismissal followed on from Brendan Rodgers losing his job at Leicester City, with the Foxes in 19th place.
The pair of departures came a week on from Tottenham cutting ties with Antonio Conte.
“I think both clubs [Chelsea and Leicester] are not where they expect to be,” Klopp said. “I cannot say a lot more about it. I respect them a lot. I like them both. When I met them, really good people, fantastic managers, both of them, but still, things can go the wrong way.
“When decision-makers at a club think they have to change, then they change. I think we all accept that’s part of the business.
“That’s it, a strange week. Conte was the last week, [Julian] Nagelsmann [sacked by Bayern Munich], and now these two.
The season gets into a decisive part and people are afraid of maybe not reaching their targets.
“You would have to ask the decisive people what they will say about it. For all four I mentioned, the managing future is still bright. It’s not a disaster.”
Klopp was unsure how much Potter’s dismissalwould impact Chelsea, noting he expects the Blues to set up in a similar system.
One thing he was sure about was the reaction that is required from Liverpool.
“As badly [needed] as possible,” Klopp said, before calling the defeat to City a “super strange game”.
“It’s unacceptable, but it happened anyway. Now we have to make sure we are ready, that’s it,” he added.
The highest-paid football manager in the world is Diego Simeone ofAtletico Madrid.
On a list of some of the best coaches in the world, the Argentine manager places ahead of notable coaches like Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti.
Two La Liga managers, two Bundesliga managers, three Serie A managers, and three English Premier League managers are represented on the list.
Simeone is currently making £573,966 per week at Atletico, or an annual salary of £29,846,244 according to Fan Nation, which obtained information from a 2023 list.
Pep Guardiola of Manchester City is the highest-paid manager in England, while Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and recently sacked Chelsea’s Graham Potter also earn eight-figure salaries.
Juventus manager Max Allegri is the highest-paid manager in Italy, while Thomas Tuchel is the highest-paid manager in Germany after recently signing a contract with Bayern Munich.
Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid is seventh on the list and reportedly earns nearly three times more than Barcelona counterpart Xavi Hernandez who failed to make the list of the top 10 earners.
Top 10 highest-paid managers Asides from Diego Simeone, other top managers on the top 10 highest-paid coaches according to Football Espana include:
1. Diego Simeone (Atetico Madrid) €29m
2. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) €22.4m
3. Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool) €17.8m
4. Graham Potter (Chelsea) €13.5m
5. Max Allegri (Juventus) €12.8m
6. Thomas Tuchel (Bayern Munich) €12m
7. Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid) €11m
8. Simone Inzaghi (Inter) €10m
9. Jose Mourinho (Roma) €9.2m
10. Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen) €5m
PSG urged to hire Simeone or Mourinho
It was earlier reported Paris Saint-Germain have been urged to appoint either Jose Mourinho or Diego Simeone, if they truly nurse any ambition of one day winning the UEFA Champions League.
PSG once again suffered heartbreak in Europe’s most prestigious club competition after they were knocked out in the round of 16 by Bayern Munich.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Danny Mills believes only a managerial change that involves the hiring of Mourinho or Simeone could make the Parisians become champions of Europe.
Manchester City overcame Erling Haaland’s absence to thrash rivals Liverpool 4-1, maintaining pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal.
In the start of the second half, City took a commanding lead thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan. Jack Grealish then sealed the victory in Saturday’s thrilling match at the Etihad Stadium.
Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool an early lead; they are accustomed to being City’s main rivals for the championship. Nevertheless, Julian Alvarez, who replaced Haaland, promptly equalized, and the visitors were fatigued after the half.
With champions City now 22 points ahead of the team who pushed them to the wire last season, the final score highlighted the distance that has grown between the clubs this season.
The prolific Haaland, who has scored 42 goals for City this season in all competitions, had received a lot of attention in the run-up to the game regarding his physical condition.
The Norwegian struggled to heal from a groin issue in time, but he undoubtedly watched from a private box with joy as his teammates succeeded in his absence.
Early on, the hosts made their intentions clear. Gundogan got into a fantastic position but mishandled a volley, Rodri shot at Alisson Becker, and Riyad Mahrez curled a free-kick just wide.
Yet Liverpool showed fight at first and, although Darwin Nunez was only deemed fit enough for a substitute role, were a danger on the break.
Salah served warning when he had a shot blocked and then made no mistake after another quick counter-attack in the 17th minute.
Trent Alexander-Arnold launched a ball to Diogo Jota from deep and the Portuguese held it up in the area for Salah to race onto and thump a shot into the top corner.
It could have quickly got worse for City but they survived another scare and then levelled after a brilliant, and game-changing, couple of minutes from Grealish.
irstly he was the only City player to get back as Salah broke clear again and he made a timely interception as the Egyptian looked to play in Jota.
Moments later Grealish was involved at the other end, this time laying off a neat first-time cross for World Cup-winner Alvarez to turn home at close range.
Tensions threatened to boil over in the closing stages of the first half after Rodri was booked for pulling back Jota but not for repeating the offence on Cody Gakpo. Manuel Akanji and Jordan Henderson also got involved in a running battle.
The interval brought a refocusing on the football and City were quickly into their stride as Mahrez found space on the right and centred for the inrushing De Bruyne to turn in.
Gakpo was brilliantly denied by Ederson at the other end but City were relentless and took a firm grip on the game by grabbing their third after 53 minutes.
Alexander-Arnold stretched to block Alvarez’s initial shot but the ball rolled to Gundogan and the German could hardly miss from close range.
The double blow took the wind out of Liverpool’s challenge and a dominant City eventually grabbed a fourth when Grealish combined with De Bruyne to slide home and cap a fine individual display.
It was a thoroughly professional performance by City from a potentially difficult fixture but they will hope the wounded Reds can rally against Arsenal next week.
The second leg of their matchup will take place at the Etihad Stadium on April 26.
The Gunners are eight points ahead of City, who have a game in hand.
At the Emirates Stadium, City prevailed 3-1 in the first leg.
Since Mikel Arteta served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant in Manchester for three years before leaving to take over at his old club, there is a unique connection between this year’s title race and Arteta.
Arteta received some assistance from his former coaching staff when he signed Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus and Ukrainian star Oleksandr Zinchenko for a combined £82 million in the summer, as reported by Caught Offside.
Arteta is copying Guardiola’s tactics
Jesus and Zinchenko have been pivotal for Arsenal.
While many fans have slammed Guardiola for selling them to a rival, Arteta revealed he has taken more from his former boss than two important players.
Zinchenko is a versatile player who can play as a full-back, midfielder, or winger.
Arteta has exploited this advantage at Arsenal by using him as a floating full-back in a move traced back to his compatriot.
“It started when I was in Barcelona; we used to play a 3-4-3 diamond and one of the full-backs used to play there.
But Pep did it at Bayern for the first time with Phillip Lahm and then that was developed at City with many different ways of doing it with different players,” Arteta told Mirror UK.
”So that is the great thing, that you can take all the time things from other sports, other coaches to make yourself better and that curiosity is necessary to evolve and be better,” he added.
De Bruyne’s message to Guardiola
Speaking of Guardiola, there are reports of dressing room rifts between him and some players including João Cancelo, who departed to Bayern on loan in January.
Sports Brief reported on Kevin De Bruyne sending a message to Guardiola to express his dissatisfaction over the reduced playing time given to him this season.
While KDB said he will do his best when called on, his manager believes the Belgium captain must return to the basics to regain his position on the first team.
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are aware of the images and are looking into them afterErling Haaland, a Manchester City striker, was spotted using his phone while driving.
Erling Haaland appears to be using a mobile phone in pictures posted online, and Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are aware of the images and are looking into the alleged incident.
On Wednesday, the Sun newspaper published pictures of the Manchester City striker.
The incident involving City’s striker, who has scored 42 goals in 37 games this season, has not been addressed by the team.
The 22-year-old withdrew from his country’s squad after being picked up by the national team of Norway last week picking up a groin injury.
Haaland is now “touch and go” for Manchester City’s game against Liverpool after the international break, according to his father Alf-Inge.
City have offered no update on Haaland’s fitness but the striker’s father said last week he is receiving treatment in Spain.
“Manchester City has a partnership with a hospital in Barcelona so he has been there for further checks and treatment,” Alfie Haaland told Norway’s TV 2 Sport on Saturday.
“Now he has been in [Marbella] for a couple of days with the physio from the club.
Firstly, I’m not a doctor and secondly, I think it’s ‘touch and go’, yes. You can’t just go two weeks without training and then jump right into a fight. There must be a progression there.
“They can gamble on it, but if he doesn’t get proper training with the team, then he won’t play. It is about how he responds to treatment in the next few days. He needs a lot of care.”
Spanish and Man City midfielder Rodri said: “Although I think it’s rubbish, it’s the way [Scotland] plays; they always waste time, make you angry, and lose. David Garcia of Spain said, “For me, this is not football. The grass was too long, and that cost us.”
After his team suffered a Hampden defeat in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Spain’s captain Rodri criticised Scotland’s “rubbish” football strategy.
After Scott McTominay of Manchester United scored twice to give Scotland a 2-0 victory and their first victory over Spain in 39 years, a Manchester City player accused Scotland of provocation and time-wasting.
Spain had not been beaten in Euro qualifying since 2014, when they were beaten 2-1 by Slovakia ahead of the 2016 tournament in France.
1 – Scotland earned their first win over Spain since November 1984 (3-1 in a World Cup qualifier), while this was just their third ever competitive victory against them (1957, 1984 and 2023). Spirited. pic.twitter.com/jxdaYqFoAa
They had won 34 of their last 38 European qualifying matches, with three draws, but at Hampden Park they looked unsettled.
Rodri skippered a side featuring eight changes from their previous game, and he criticised the way Scotland went about their work.
“We did many good things to win,” he said on Viaplay. “We conceded easy goals – this is football, if you concede easy goals you are penalised.
“It’s the way they play, but for me it’s rubbish, always wasting time, provoking you, always they fall. For me, this is not football.
The referee has to take on this, but he says nothing.
“We will learn for the next time. We want to go for duels, for battles – we always fight, but this is not about fighting. It’s about wasting time – four, five players on the floor, but this depends on the referee, not on us.
“Today we did many good things, but what’s important is the goal, and we didn’t score.”
David Garcia, who was making his Spain debut, also blamed the results on the length of the pitch at Hampden.
We can’t make excuses for that, we have to look at ourselves and fix what we did wrong today.”
Ronald Koeman admitted that the Netherlands’ “level has to go up” following their paltry 3-0 victory over Gibraltar in the Euro 2024 qualifying match.
At De Kuip, Nathan Ake scored twice and Memphis Depay also scored, giving Koeman the first victory of his second coaching tenure, which he began with a humiliating 4-0 loss to France three days earlier.
The Oranje managed to score three goals despite taking 50 shots and touching the ball 101 times inside the opposition’s penalty area, which is more than they have done in any other game since Opta started tracking this information in August 2013.
They also registered a remarkable 5.04 expected goals (xG), and Koeman was disappointed by his side’s general lacking of a clinical edge.
“I didn’t see enough goals tonight,” he told NOS. “The opponent obviously didn’t co-operate, but we were way too sloppy at times.
“From the beginning, we were inaccurate, and we didn’t have the form to create big, good chances. Okay, there was a lot of blocking, but with more sharpness, we score much more often.
“The game and result against France was not good. Now we win, but that makes sense. But overall, it was far too little.
“Aspects such as positional play, ball circulation, taking the right positions – as a winger or defender – really needs to be improved. The football and level has to go up.”
50 – @OnsOranje recorded 50 shots and 101 touches in the opposition box against Gibraltar tonight, more than in any other match since Opta collects this data in full (Augustus 2013). Ineffective. pic.twitter.com/dxPbpOlwDk
Ake’s double was the undoubted highlight for the hosts, the defender recording more shot involvements than any other player (nine shots, seven chances created), with only Depay registering more in a single Netherlands match since Opta began collecting the data.
And the Manchester City man drew positives from the fact he and his team-mates were able to conjure as many opportunities as they did.
“Of course, the main aim was to win the match and, besides that, we wanted to score as many goals as possible. Obviously, that didn’t work out,” Ake added.
“That we created so many chances was good, but maybe we should have been calmer in how we tried to convert them.
“It doesn’t happen very often that I score twice in one game. But it was very crowded where our forwards were, so maybe that created a little more space for the rest of us. At some point, I was even considering the possibility of a hat-trick, but it wasn’t to be.”
Jamaican striker Shaw has 26 goals in 23 games for City this season in all competitions, including 15 in 15 in the Women’s Super League.
The 26-year-old has scored once every 86 minutes in the Premier League, which is not quite on par with men’s star Haaland, who has scored once every 76 minutes, but close enough for observers to notice the similarities.
City manager Gareth Taylor did not shy away from comparisons between the “pretty remarkable” pair last week, explaining how both are “so mentally strong”.
“I’m not surprised she’s doing what she is doing, and she still has so many levels to go to, which is quite frightening to be honest,” Greenwood told BBC Sport.
“I think she can be the best in the world if she wants to be. She has all the attributes to be the best in the world.
“I know how hard she works in training. It’s the reason she’s flourishing right now.
“She’s been really strong for us, so we just need to keep feeding her, keep giving her the ball, and the rest she’ll take care of.”
Manchester United players had a difficult night in Naples as England scraped a 2-1 win over Italy to kick off their Euro 2024 campaign in high gear.
Mateo Retegui’s first goal for his country was rendered technically ineffective by goals from Harry Kane and Declan Rice in the Three Lions’ first win over Gli Azzurri since 2012.
Despite the win, both Manchester City and Manchester United players could have done better. From Luke Shaw’s red card to Jack Grealish’s open goal miss to Phil Foden’s 10-minute cameo to Harry Maguire’s role in Retegui’s goal, the Manchester stars had a bad night.
Nothing, however, was more bizarre than Kyle Walker receiving two yellow cards and remaining on the pitch.
He was then shown another yellow card in the 71st minute for time-wasting but surprisingly, referee Srdjan Jovanovic did not produce a red card, much to the bewilderment of fans.
The first yellow card wasn’t shown in real time on television, with broadcasters and live sites confirming the full-back had been booked.
The second yellow card was visible to everyone following the game on TV.
Why did Walker avoid red?
So, did Walker receive a card in the 53rd minute or not? When he got his second booking, Italy players did not seem to remind the referee that he was on a yellow card already, which means the players knew the first card was not his – despite the confusion among fans.
As the confusion and debate raged online, fans claimed it was instead Jack Grealish who was booked in the 53rd minute and not his Man City teammate.
However, according to UEFA’s official website, neither Grealish nor Walker received a card in the 53rd minute and thus, Walker rightfully deserved to remain on the pitch. Bizarrely, the player recorded to have been booked around that time was Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
The contested incident happened during a confrontation between both sets of players, with Jovanovic brandishing a yellow card.
The Napoli captain must have said something to the referee, with broadcasters thinking itwas Walker’s fault.
Chelsea seem to have resigned themselves to making a major loss on Romelu Lukaku, who has only netted five times on loan at Inter this term.
According to a Football Insider report, the Blues are ready to move him on in at the end of the season, with Inter unlikely to try to extend his stay in Milan.
Chelsea spent £97.5milion to bring Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge in August 2021, but they are unlikely to get anywhere near that now.
TOP STORY – GERMAN CHAMPIONS LINE UP SHOCK LUKAKU MOVE
Bayern Munich are lining up a shock move for Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku to bolster their attacking options, claims Fichajes.
The report claims Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann is an admirer of the Belgium striker, who he believes is one of the world’s best forwards if injury free.
Bayern will not commence negotiations with Chelsea until the end of the season. The German champions had been linked with Harry Kane as they look for someone to replace Robert Lewandowski, who left for Barcelona last year.
Calciomercato reports that Chelsea may try to land a deal with Roma with a swap deal involving Tammy Abraham.
ROUND-UP
– 90min claims Manchester City have reignited their interest in signing 19-year-old Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz following a long-term knee injury which forced him to miss the 2022 World Cup. Fabrizio Romano claims Real Madrid will compete for the German’s services too.
– Tottenham are interested in Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson, reports ESPN. Henderson is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest from United, who could use Spurs’ interest as leverage in a deal for Harry Kane, per the report
– Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto is drawing interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, while 90min claims Juventus and Napoli are among a list of Italian clubs tracking him too.
– Fabrizio Romano claims Barcelona on the cusp of agreeing to a deal with Athletic Bilbao centre-back Inigo Martinez to join the Blaugrana on a free transfer in the off-season.
– Paris Saint-Germain are prepared to let Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches exit amid interest from Milan along with Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Tottenham and Wolves, reports 90min.
– Football London reports Arsenal are ready to ramp up their interest in Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi with a bid to come in the coming months, although he has a €60m release clause in his contract.
The Norwegian forward has been in devastating form in his inaugural campaign in the Premier League, leading the scoring charts with 28 goals in 26 matches.
Haaland’s heroics have not just been limited to the push for the title, in which they trail Arsenal by eight points but hold a game in hand, having entered the international break with eight goals in his last two matches.
In the FA Cup against Burnley, Haaland secured his hat-trick by tucking home a rebound after Foden had struck the post, leaving the England international puzzled by his excellent positioning.
“It’s a pleasure, I don’t know how he does it. The one that I hit off the post, he always seems to be in the right place, expecting things, little ricochets, and things like that,” he told Talksport.
6 – Erling Haaland has scored more hat-tricks in all competitions this season (6) than every other Premier League player combined (5).
6 – Erling Haaland 1 – Mohamed Salah 1 – Ivan Toney 1 – Son Heung-min 1 – Phil Foden 1 – Leandro Trossard
“The way his brain works, he always seems to be in the right place to finish the ball, and to play with a player like that it’s always a massive boost for us because when it’s a tight game and it’s 0-0, there’s not a lot of chances, we’ve been relying on him to get us a goal and it’s a real pleasure to play with him.”
Despite Haaland’s stellar record in front of goal, some have queried whether City’s number nine limits the style of play that Pep Guardiola’s side have become accustomed to, but Foden does not see it that way.
“He’s helped us in a way of finding a different way to play,” he explained.
“In previous years we didn’t really have a striker, and now he’s here we’ve adapted a little bit, and we’re even still getting used to him now, so it’s good for the team, and it’s only going to help us in the future.
“It makes my job easier being an attacking player and looking at someone that wants to score goals and is always ready and in the box it makes it a lot easier.”
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has requested that Pep Guardiola refrain from promoting him as the next manager of Manchester City.
This is because he is still in the beginning phases of his coaching career.
In Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal match, City legend Kompany—who spent 11 years at the Etihad Stadium and earned 10 major awards during that time—will take on his former team.
In what is sure to be a touching reunion, Kompany will make his first trip back to the stadium, where a statue honoring his tenure at the club was unveiled in August 2021.
Kompany has enjoyed great success in his first season as manager of Burnley, who are cruising toward promotion from the Championship after two seasons as coach of Anderlecht.
Guardiola reiterated on the eve of the game that he fully expects the 36-year-old to manage City one day, but Kompany says that is an unrealistic view at this point.
“He has got to stop saying it,” Kompany said. “I’m a Championship manager. I don’t know what you want from me.
“I think [Guardiola] should stay for another 10 years at Manchester City first and foremost.
“City are competing to win the Champions League; we are competing to win the Championship – I don’t think these kinds of conversations make sense.
“They need to have the best manager in the world. I want to be extremely respectful to the club I manage as well. This club to me means everything. I want this club to get better.”
Among other compliments, Guardiola praised Kompany – whom he worked with for three seasons – for instilling an “exceptional” style of play at Burnley so quickly.
Asked if Guardiola’s comments are putting added pressure on his own managerial career, Kompany said: “Pressure is a thing of your own mind.
“I think if you play in big finals you are okay with pressure, but I try to be as rational as I can.
“I am in an environment where the people I work with are rational enough to not make my job dependent on whether we beat Manchester City.
“I came to Burnley because I chose it for the people. It is an environment where I have a chance to learn and get better.”
Burnley have not won away at City since the 1973 Charity Shield, drawing four and losing 12 of their 16 visits since then.
Goalkeeper Thibault Courtois of Real Madrid claims he wants to avoid playing any of the remaining English teams in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
On Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, the Belgian keeper was in net as Los Blancos defeated Liverpool 1-0.
In their quest to retain their European championship, Carlo Ancelotti’s team easily advanced to the round of eight after defeating the Reds 6-2 overall.
After crushing RB Leipzig 7-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, Manchester City advanced to the next round. Chelsea also advanced after defeating Dortmund 2-0 at Stamford Bridge last week.
Napoli, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Benfica, and Bayern Munich are among the other teams that are still in the running.
Real Madrid could therefore be paired together with any of the teams in the quarter-finals but their safest pair of hands, Courtois is hoping his side will avoid Chelsea and Manchester City. “I would like to change a bit,” he said, via Daily Mail. “Last year we already faced City and Chelsea, let’s see if we play other teams this year.”
He added: “Last year we made it clear what character we have in the team, with comebacks, we earn respect, we show that Real Madrid is always there.” Real Madrid eliminated both Chelsea and Manchester City from the Champions League last term, before beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final to win their 14th European title.
Ancelotti doesn’t want AC Milan
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti is seeking to win back-to-back Champions League titles with Real Madrid, but the veteran manager is afraid of meeting one team in the quarter-finals.
The 63-year-old manager guided the Spanish giants into the last eight with ease after Los Blancos swept aside Liverpool 6-2 on aggregate, as they push to defend their European title. According to Sempremilan, Ancelotti revealed he would prefer to avoid playing his former club, AC Milan when the draws for the UCL quarter-finals are conducted on March 17.
Real Madrid respect Liverpool
A familiar tune rang out at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium after Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Liverpool on Wednesday night, Sports Brief previously reported.
On Wednesday night, Real Madridand Napoli easily advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, completing the field of eight teams.
Real defeated Liverpool 1-0 on the night to finish with a 6-3 overall triumph over the Reds, while Napoli defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 to win with a 5-0 overall victory.
Real Madrid and Napoli join Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Manchester City and Benfica for Friday’s draw.
The Reds, who lost the first leg 5-2, lined up with four forwards at the Bernabeu as they looked to add another famous comeback to their fabled European history.
But that rarely looked on the cards and legendary Real striker Karim Benzemaput the tie beyond doubt when he tucked in from Vinicius Jr’s cutback late on.
In Naples, Victor Osimhen scored twice as Napoli cruised into the last 8 for the first time with a comfortable win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
With Luciano Spalletti’s side two goals up from the first leg, the Nigeria striker’s thumping header in first-half stoppage time dispelled any lingering nerves at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Osimhen doubled the Italians’ lead on the night with a close-range finish from Giovanni di Lorenzo’s cross eight minutes after the break and, having been brought down in the box, Piotr Zielinski converted the penalty himself to make it 3-0.
The draw for the quarter finals and semi finals of the Champions League will be held at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon.
Chelsea are prepared to put its interest inParis Saint-Germain star Neymar on hold in order to concentrate on signing Josko Gvardiol to the team in the summer.
The Premier League team has been linked with the Brazilian in recent months, but Sky Sports Germany reports that no talks have taken place and that a deal is currently unlikely.
Instead, Graham Potter has focused on Gvardiol, who was a member of the RB Leipzig team that conceded seven goals to Manchester City this past week in the Champions League.
The 21-year-old made an impression for Croatia during the World Cup in Qatar, and Thomas Tuchel reportedly tried to sign him to Stamford Bridge last summer but the German club reportedly blocked the move.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the West Londoners are well in the hunt when it comes to signing the defensive powerhouse but will face a battle with other top clubs including Manchester City and Liverpool.
Croatia’s 19-cap international is contracted to Leipzig until 2027, meaning there is a possibility of a bidding war that could exceed the £80million offer reportedly tabled by Chelsea last summer.
With Thiago Silva and Kalidou Koulibaly both over 30, Potter is keen to invest in a long-term solution for his backline.
According to Marco Rose, Erling Haaland’s hunger proved too much for RB Leipzig in their crushing Champions League last-16 exit to Manchester City.
The Norwegian international ran rampant at the Etihad Stadium, condemning the Bundesliga side to a 7-0 defeat and an 8-1 aggregate exit.
Haaland’s five-goal haul saw him tear through the Leipzig defense with a series of close-range finishes, sending the hosts to the quarter-finals.
Rose, who oversaw the striker’s arrival at Salzburg four years ago, is well-acquainted with the attacker and agreed that his team simply lacked the answers to stop him in the end.
“I know Erling very well,” he said. “I know his qualities. When he is close to the goal, he wants to grab one. He scored five [and] we never managed to get into the game.
“He has had a great [game]. He scored goals with his foot and head, won second balls, [made] deep runs. It looked really simple. He took the ball from the referee. That tells you it was special for him.”
Leipzig had managed to hold City to a draw in the first leg, eking out a 1-1 result that gave them a potential foothold for an upset in this return fixture.
Rose acknowledged his side never got off the ground against their far superior hosts in the end, and took full responsibility for their dismal performance.
“We conceded the goals in a manner that makes this [a] very bitter [result],” he added. “City more than deserved their win.
“We were especially bad when it came to defending inside the penalty area. [That] we did so in a last-16 game in the Champions League [is appalling].
“They changed a few things in their pressing compared to the second half in Leipzig and this is something we had not expected.”
Manchester City advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals thanks to Erling Haaland’s five-goal masterclass against RB Leipzig on Tuesday.
The striker scored a hat-trick in the first half, including two goals in two minutes, before adding two more after the break in an 8-1 aggregate victory at the Etihad Stadium.
With 39 goals for the season, Haaland broke Tommy Johnson’s single-season City record set in 1928-29, among a slew of new high marks as Pep Guardiola’s hosts tied their European record margin of victory.
Also the youngest and fastest player to pass 30 Champions League goals, Haaland‘s historic numbers befitted a majestic display up front, with his latest turn destined to go down in European folklore no matter what happens next.
Haaland was handed a stroke of luck for his first, with City awarded a dubious penalty by referee Slavko Vincic for a handball strongly protested by Benjamin Henrichs.
He ruthlessly converted from the spot, however, and then doubled his tally just moments later when he nodded home a rebound after Kevin De Bruyne hit the crossbar.
A first-half hat-trick followed with an air of inevitability when Haaland pounced on a parried Ruben Dias header before the break to bundle in the third from close range.
Ilkay Gundogan ensured another name at least got on the scoresheet when he added City’s fourth with a sweeping low finish four minutes after the restart.
Yet the game belonged to Haaland, who added another two with close-range strikes before the hour, both times pouncing after Manuel Akanji was denied.
Haaland’s exit in the 63rd minute was greeted with a standing ovation, denying him an unprecedented double hat-trick but saving the City striker ahead of a quarter-final in which further records could fall.
The scoring was not quite over, though, as De Bruyne would not be denied and added a sublime seventh in stoppage time for a final touch of gloss.
Gameweek 27 of the Premier League saw goals, red cards, and excitement as league leaders Arsenal kept a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top.
Away from the Champions League, Manchester United and Liverpool lost ground on Tottenham and Newcastle while Manchester United and Liverpool gained ground in the race for fourth.
Since Everton, Leeds, Southampton, Bournemouth, and West Ham all added to their total, Crystal Palace in 12th place and bottom-place Southampton are only separated by five points.
We select five standout players who shone the brightest for their clubs after a weekend filled with drama both on and off the pitch.
Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
Arsenal showcased their title credentials once again in the 3-0 win over Fulham and Leandro Trossard is proving to be a smart purchase for Mikel Arteta.
The former Brighton winger recorded three first-half assists at Craven Cottage as the rampant Gunners maintained their gap over the current champions.
Belgium’s 24-cap international is the first player to have a hat-trick of goals and assists in the same season since Santi Cazorla in 2012-13 and the speedster has already tallied six goal contributions in an Arsenal shirt.
Gabriel, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli were the grateful recipients as Trossard became the first player to provide three goals for team-mates in the first half of a Premier League game.
The England skipper notched twice in the 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday to take his league tally to 20 — eight behind the Norwegian.
His first was an excellent looping header from a Pedro Porro cross that sailed over Keylor Navas early on and the No10 later tapped home from the penalty spot to double Spurs’ lead.
Kane could have had a third but for a smart save from the Forest stopper, who kept the North London outfit from scoring five or six on the day.
It was a good response from Antonio Conte’s men, who were dumped out of the FA Cup and Champions League in the space of a week and will now turn their attention to a strong finish in the remaining 11 games.
Neto (Bournemouth)
Bournemouth’s win over Liverpool was a huge step forward for the Cherries, who are looking to retain their Premier League status.
Although Neto did not get a hand on Mohamed Salah’s shocking penalty, the goalkeeper played his part in putting off the Egyptian finisher and was delighted when he watched the winger’s effort sail into the crowd behind him.
The 33-year-old made five saves and kept his fourth clean sheet of the season as Gary O’Neil’s side moved to within a point of safety.
Chloe Kelly wants women and girls to feel they are able to “just be themselves” — something the England star did when she celebrated her Euro 2022 winner in memorable style.
After poking home the extra-time finish that secured a historic 2-1 win over Germany at Wembley last July, sub Kelly took off her shirt and whirled it around her head as she wheeled away in her sports bra.
While it has been seen as an image of female empowerment, Kelly says it was a spontaneous reaction, celebrating the same as she would as a child — the way she felt in general on the field that day.
The Ealing-born Manchester City winger, 25, said: “I think it was just off the cuff and just showed my emotion in that moment.
“All I thought was, ‘We’ve done it’. It was nothing more than that. In that moment I just celebrated and went absolutely crazy!
“It’s something I love talking about because it brings back so many great memories. I think it’s one that will stick with me forever and one I will definitely be telling grandchildren and things like that. It’s memories you dream of when you’re a young girl.
Klopp ‘happy for Rashford’ but not for Man Utd’s rise
“For me growing up just round the corner from Wembley, you dream of those moments, to play there.
I was playing ‘Wembley doubles’ as a kid, where you score and go through to the next round, and that is just like playing at Wembley.
England star Chloe Kelly wants women and girls to express themselves freely
“I felt like a young kid on the pitch there and I just celebrated the goal like I would celebrating in cage football.”
Comparisons were drawn with the famous celebration of former United States international Brandi Chastain after she scored the winning penalty in the 1999 World Cup final.
Kelly, who received a message on Twitter from the “inspirational” Chastain on the day and has kept in touch with her, said: “Just to see how many women were so touched by that and how powerful it was — I probably didn’t realise in that moment just how powerful that celebration was.
“I think it’s brilliant and I think as women we are so powerful. So let’s be ourselves.
“Not just me in that celebration, I think the whole tournament really empowered women in this country. And for sport in England I think that’s massive, so long may that continue. We have to keep our foot on the gas now.
“Those that came before us paved the way for us to be in this moment now. I think we have to create a legacy now going forward and an environment where the younger generations are able to just be themselves.
“Be comfortable in an environment where you can be yourself — and I think that’s what we’re setting out to do with the PE lessons in schools and having football accessible to females. I think that’s massive.”
Coinciding with International Women’s Day, it has been announced that UK government is to make it clear to schools that they are expected to deliver a minimum of two hours of PE per week and ensure girls have equal access to all school sport, including football.
The Lionesses changed football in England by winning Euro 2022
That comes after the Lionesses called for change in an open letter published just after their Euros success, the first major tournament triumph in the team’s history.
Towards the end of last year, the FA published a number of positive statistics regarding the growth of the women’s game, which included the number of registered female players rising by 12.5 per cent from September to December.
The 2022-23 Women’s Super League season has also seen attendance records broken, as was the case at the Euros.
Kelly, who is hoping to achieve more success with England at this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, is “very proud” of the role she has had in the transformation that has taken place so far.
She added: “I think as people and players we can carry that on. I feel sometimes having difficult conversations is very important.
“I think what we did in the summer was amazing but there’s still so far to go with women in sport — not just football, in sport as a whole — and I think it’s very important we do keep our foot on the gas.
“I’m very proud to be part of a team that did change mindsets and it is so much better now — I think we can make it even better for the generations that come after us.”
After a recent slump by his own standards, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants Kevin De Bruyne to get back to the basics in order to find his best form again.
Due to recent illness, the two-time Premier League Player of the Season missed two games and has not played as vivaciously and actively as usual.
The Belgian struggled to make an impression against Newcastle United in Saturday’s 2-0 victory, occasionally turning the ball, and was eventually substituted by Bernardo Silva just before the hour.
De Bruyne had a spectacular goal in City’s 3-0 FA Cup victory over Bristol City last week, showing some form, but Guardiola claimed the first half was “passive” from him.
“Kevin, always the standards of Kevin are the sky,” Guardiola said.
“Everyone knows his level. In one week he has an opportunity to show his quality, delighted for the victory we had, this is what we have to do. Come back to principles, work hard.
“Everything will come back without any effort. Just do it your usual quality, your best.”
De Bruyne has scored four goals and provided 12 assists in the Premier League this season, with City sitting second, five points behind Arsenal.
City have a rare midweek break with no games scheduled, allowing Guardiola’s players an opportunity to rest and recover prior to Saturday’s league trip to Crystal Palace, before hosting RB Leipzig in their Champions League last-16 second leg.
Guardiola underlined the importance of both games to their season.
“We prepare good for the game against Crystal Palace, always was really difficult for us,” Guardiola said.
“And, of course, Leipzig, I have the same opinion that I had when we played them and after Burnley with Vinnie will come back here before the international break.
“If we are able to win the games, we are still alive in three competitions and that last part we will be there. If we lose, we will be out. Simple as that.
“Arrive in a stage when you are there that you know exactly when you lose games you lose competitions. Now is the moment that is going to happen.”
Manchester City defeated tenacious Bristol City 3-0 at Ashton Gate to go to the FA Cup quarterfinals.
In front of a large crowd in the West Country, Phil Foden scored twice, and Kevin De Bruyne added a late flourish as the six-time FA Cup champions halted Bristol City’s 12-game winning streak.
The final score was unfair to the hosts because they trailed after Foden’s goal in the seventh minute and remained competitive deep into the fourth quarter.
Yet 16 minutes from time, Foden’s deflected goal and a beautiful De Bruyne finish guaranteed the visitors’ spot in the round of eight.
De Bruyne, who had missed two games due to illness, made five changes to the Manchester City lineup from the team that defeated Bournemouth on Saturday.
England midfielder Kalvin Phillips made only his second start since leaving Leeds last summer as Ederson, Erling Haaland, Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish and Rodri began the night on the bench.
Phillips was clearly determined to impress after his injury troubles and only 63 seconds had elapsed when he struck the crossbar from 25 yards.
In a frantic opening Manuel Akanji’s slip gave Sam Bell a shooting opportunity that ended up being deflected wide and the visitors were ahead soon after.
Riyad Mahrez worked a clever one-two with De Bruyne and the Algerian’s cross to the far post was swept high into the net by Foden, who scored for the second successive game.
Bristol City’s response was a loud penalty shout after Mark Sykes tangled with Rico Lewis. It appeared a legitimate appeal but referee Andre Marriner was unmoved and, with no VAR in operation, home fans were left frustrated.
Julian Alvarez miskicked in front of the home goal from Foden’s cross, but Bristol City were acquitting themselves well and getting a fair amount of joy down their left flank.
Alex Scott shot straight at Stefan Ortega and Bell fired over after Tomas Kalas caught De Bruyne in possession.
Manchester City’s threat was also evident as Mahrez saw his volley headed off the line by Kalas and Ruben Dias tested Max O’Leary with a header.
Mahrez was making his 400th appearance in English football and Robins boss Nigel Pearson, who signed him for Leicester in 2014 from French club Le Havre, could not resist having a word with the Algerian when he went to ground following a touchline challenge from Cameron Pring.
Ederson replaced Ortega at half-time and Manchester City took charge of the contest without working O’Leary until Alvarez forced him into a save low to his right.
Foden was caught late and took instant retribution on Sykes to earn a yellow card and a word from his manager Pep Guardiola to stay focused.
The temperature was rising both on and off the pitch as the contest became more balanced and Bristol City fans urged their players to seize the moment.
It almost arrived when Scott dispossessed Dias for Andreas Weimann to send over a cross which Bell headed just wide.
But it was all over when De Bruyne played a wonderful through ball to Nathan Ake before Alvarez helped it on to Foden, and the Belgium midfielder ensured he would have the last word from 20 yards.
In thePremier League title race, according to Pep Guardiola, “everyone is going to drop points” between now and the end of the season.
When they recently defeated rival Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Manchester City appeared to be taking the lead. However, after drawing with Nottingham Forest to give the Gunners the opportunity to reclaim first place, both teams won again the following weekend.
The race is expected to be close because third-place Manchester United is also closing in, but Guardiola is unconcerned by the ups and downs.
He made a sarcastic remark during a press conference prior to his team’s trip to Bristol City in the FA Cup fifth round: “After Nottingham we were not consistent, but now we are consistent because we won one game [against Bournemouth on Saturday].”
“In our game we are playing it is good, the results could be better in terms of winning at Spurs [1-0 away defeat] and Nottingham, but it is football, sometimes that happens. Of course, it is not exceptional, it is okay, it is good. No complaints for the way we are playing and fighting.
“After the last game I said the mood is exceptional and the guys are doing everything, that is enough for me.
“We are closing right to the last 10 games of the season, and that will define it.. I have the feeling in the Premier League many things are going to happen; everyone is going to drop points, but we cannot drop any; we want to fight until the end.”
27 – Erling Haaland's 27 Premier League goals this season is the most by a Manchester City player in a single top-flight campaign since Francis Lee's 33 in 1971-72. Bountiful. #BOUMCI
Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte were all absent from the 4-1 win at Bournemouth, though the Belgium midfielder was an unused substitute, and Guardiola updated to say: “[We] have training this afternoon. Kevin still has a little bit of illness but is much better.”
City’s trip to Bristol City on Tuesday will see them come up against a side who have not lost in 12 games (W6 D6) and sit 13th in the Championship.
“From my experience in this country when you go away from home in theFA Cup against a Championship side, always, always it is tough,” Guardiola said. “At home it would be a little bit different. Away, always it is tough in the FA Cup.
“That is why we are flying there tomorrow to do a good game and go through. It is a nice competition and we will do what we have to do.”
At the Vitality Stadium, Manchester City easily defeated Bournemouth thanks to a sharp offensive performance, pulling back to within two points of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League standings.
After the Gunners’ victory earlier on Saturday, the champions were under pressure, but it did not show as Pep Guardiola’s team cruised to a 4-1 victory on the south coast with a performance full of style and vigour.
After City had taken a commanding lead earlier in the half thanks to goals from Julian Alvarezand Erling Haaland, Bournemouth contributed to their own demise by handing Phil Foden a goal just before halftime.
Chris Mepham’s own-goal added insult to injury for the Cherries who – for all their efforts – were outrun and outclassed.
Jerfferson Lerma’s late strike gave home supporters some momentary cheer, but this had been the champions’ day.
City opened the scoring after 15 minutes, the move beginning with a fine challenge by Rico Lewis, who started on the right of City’s midfield for his 11th appearance in the league, to win the ball out near the touchline.
From there, Ilkay Gundogan played it up to Foden, who was thwarted as he shaped to shoot but instead worked the ball to Haaland. After the striker’s effort smacked the underside of the crossbar, there was Alvarez, first onto the rebound to fire home from a yard out.
His ball into the middle again found Foden, who was knocked off it by Jordan Zemura. The defender’s intervention was in vain though, Haaland stealing in to tap home the loose ball to double City’s lead.
The visitors were cruising and had wrapped the game up before the break. The third goal was a calamity all of Bournemouth’s own doing.
Dominik Solanke failed to properly look up and played a lazy, aimless pass, square across the pitch from the touchline. That was pounced upon by Foden, alert to the opportunity, leaving him with the simple task of advancing on Neto’s goal and rolling the ball beyond the goalkeeper.
The Cherries were falling apart and their hopes of keeping the score respectable received a blow five minutes into the second half.
Lewis put in a good cross from the right which was cleared, but only as far as Foden, whose whipped ball in was blasted against Mepham by Alvarez for an own goal.
The hosts, for their troubles, fought gamely to pull a goal back, a goalmouth scramble midway through the second half leading to a VAR check for handball which ultimately did not yield a penalty.
Manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, offered a novel solution to RB Leipzig’s struggles to score more after watching his team hold them to a second consecutive 1-1 draw, this time in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 match.
“Maybe in the second leg I will be crazy and play with nine strikers,” he joked.
Even though Guardiola seemed upbeat following the match in Germany, and a draw on the road in a European knockout match is certainly not a result to be sniffed at, he will likely still be frustrated that his team has not converted their recent dominance into more goals.
The same thing happened at RB Leipzig as it did at the weekend, costing them two points in the Premier League title race after Manchester City’s first-half goal was cancelled out by Nottingham Forest’s equaliser.
Riyad Mahrez’s goal was the only result of City’s complete dominance in the first half.
“You expect us to come here and win 0-5? That is not a reality,” Guardiola told BT Sport after the game.
“This is a competition where, in the group stage, many important teams are out. It is difficult. We are a good team, and we do many, many good things. We continued to do this.
“People expect us to come here and win 4-0; I am sorry we are not able to do this.”
A quiet night for Haaland
City’s hopes of scoring more than one goal were not helped by a quiet display from Erling Haaland.
The striker, who missed a number of chances at Forest, had just seven touches of the ball in the first half and none of those were in the opposition penalty box.
Haaland, usually so deadly with the few chances he gets, had a real opportunity to add a second for City after the break but dragged his shot well wide.
The Norway international has five goals in five Champions League games for Guardiola’s side this season and has 32 overall, so of course the odd quiet game is allowed, but this was a particularly anonymous one.
By the end he had had 20 touches of the ball and just one shot on goal.
Mahrez, who scored his 20th goal in the Champions League, defended the work of his team-mate.
“He is a fast, powerful attacker and we know his qualities,” he said.
“It’s not up to him to win, to go get the ball. He’s not there to have 70 touches every game.”
Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson, who was watching the game for BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “You can’t say he doesn’t do his job when you look at the numbers. I know he didn’t score tonight, but that’s his role; that’s how they play.
“His manager seems happy with it and he seems happy that he’s scoring loads of goals and going to be breaking records in terms of that.”
‘Trust the process’ as Guardiola opts not to turn to his bench
As the game wore on and a winner for City – who were unfortunate not to have been awarded a late penalty for handball – looked increasingly unlikely, it seemed unusual that Guardiola did not turn to his bench.
With a number of attacking options available to him including Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez, Guardiola had players who could make a difference, but he didn’t see the need to mix things up.
“I saw the team was good, especially in the middle,” he added. “In the end I decided to continue with what I had.”
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said on BT Sport: “You want to get on the pitch and play football, especially when you think you are the person who can affect this game, unlock this team.
“But at the same time you have to respect Pep. All of the players, especially in the attacking areas of the pitch, have these moments – so you have to be patient, trust the process.”
‘We will adjust some things to try and go through’
Pep Guardiola debriefed his players on the pitch at full time
Given City’s formidable record on home soil — they have won 17 of 19 games at the Etihad Stadium this season — they will rightly feel confident of getting the job done in the return leg on Tuesday, March 14.
At full-time on Wednesday, Guardiola gathered his players in a huddle to remind them they had plenty to be positive about.
“I said ‘why you have your heads down? Heads up, it was good’,” Guardiola said of that moment.
“Hopefully, in three weeks, we will arrive in good condition. We can do better. We have to adjust some things and find a way to go through.”
Josko Gvardiol, a sought-after player across Europe, increased his profile on Wednesday by scoring the equaliser in RB Leipzig’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
The 21-year-old centre back is under contract with Leipzig until 2027, but his contract reportedly includes a €110 million exit clause.
Following Wednesday’s game, Leipzig head coach Marco Rose was adamant that Gvardiol would play for the team again the following year.
Fabrizio Romano claims that Liverpool will try to improve their defensive options by bringing in Gvardiol.
The Croatian international has been targetted byChelsea, and he only enhanced his reputation during the 2022 World Cup. He has also been linked with City and Real Madrid.
Gvardiol has previously indicated he would love to join the Reds, potentially offering Jurgen Klopp’s side an edge in the race to sign him.
ROUND-UP
– Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United are all keeping tabs on Kylian Mbappe’s situation at Paris Saint-Germain, claims Football Insider. Speculation continues to swirl that Mbappe, who is contracted through the end of the 2024–25 season, is unhappy at PSG.
–Chelsea are interested in a move for Dinamo Moscow’s 19-year-old midfielder Arsen Zakharyan, according to CaughtOffside.
– According to Fichajes, Juventus is considering a move for Real Betis forward Borja Iglesias, amid concerns that Dusan Vlahovic may leave at the end of the season.
– Napoliwill challenge PSG in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani, according to CalcioMercato.
–Manchester Unitedare plotting a double swoop for Leicester City midfield duo James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, according to Football Transfers.
On February 15, when Manchester City was in town, Arsenal had a difficult night at home as they lost convincingly.
Following a 3–1 loss to Pep Guardiola’s team, Mikel Arteta watched as his team slid to second in the Premier League standings.
Thomas Partey, a player for Ghana, got injured and was replaced by new signing Jorginho in the midfield.
De Bruyne’s opener came from an awful Tomiyasu back-pass, whiles Bukayo Saka restored parity from the penalty spot after Eddie Nketiah was fouled in the City box.
City restored their lead through Jack Grealish before Erling Haaland sealed the three points that took City back to the summit of the league, the first time since November 2022.
The impact of Partey’s absence has divided opinions among social media users. Whiles some insisted Jorginho discharged himself creditably, others disagreed insisting Partey was missed.
Speaking in the post-match interview, the Arsenal coach rued missed chances by his charges. “It’s exceptionally difficult to play at the level they require you to play to have a chance to win.
“I thought in many moments we did and we had them, but if you give three goals the way we did and don’t put away the big chances we had, then the margin for error is almost zero. It’s a shame because we really had them.
“I don’t know if it’s experience or bad luck. I’ve never seen Tomiyasu make that pass back in seven years and he did it today. It’s part of it and they have the quality to punish you.”
When asked how difficult it will be to pick his players up after such a morale-sapping defeat, Arteta added: “We have to pick [up] the points, because the performances are there for sure. Games are decided in the boxes and we have given too much away today and weren’t ruthless enough to convert our chances. That’s what we have to improve.
“Psychologically there is a marathon still out there. I said it three months ago and I said it today, it’s about tomorrow. The most important thing is how we are tomorrow and focus on that because the rest, we don’t know what is going to happen.”
The Gunners travel to Villa Park in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off as they look to get back to winning ways.
Following Arsenal’s 3-1 loss to Manchester City in the top-of-the-table matchup on Wednesday night, Mikel Arteta was left to lament his team’s costly mistakes.
Against the champions, the Gunners were forced to pay for a run of individual blunders, with Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish each scoring important goals as a result of mistakes made by Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Magalhaes.
De Bruyne’s opener came from an awful Tomiyasu back-pass, while Gabriel was robbed of possession high up the pitch before City broke to restore their lead through Grealish in the second half after Bukayo Saka had equalised from the penalty spot.
Speaking after the defeat, which saw Arsenal knocked off top spot in the Premier League for the first time since August, Arteta said: “It’s exceptionally difficult to play at the level they require you to play to have a chance to win. I thought in many moments we did and we had them, but if you give three goals the way we did and don’t put away the big chances we had, then the margin for error is almost zero. It’s a shame because we really had them.
“I don’t know if it’s experience or bad luck. I’ve never seen Tomiyasu make that pass back in seven years and he did it today. It’s part of it and they have the quality to punish you.”
When asked how difficult it will be to pick his players up after such a morale-sapping defeat, Arteta added: “We have to pick [up] the points, because the performances are there for sure. Games are decided in the boxes and we have given too much away today and weren’t ruthless enough to convert our chances. That’s what we have to improve.
“Psychologically there is a marathon still out there. I said it three months ago and I said it today, it’s about tomorrow. The most important thing is how we are tomorrow and focus on that because the rest, we don’t know what is going to happen.”
The Gunners travel to Villa Park in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off as they look to get back to winning ways.
Pep Guardiola was defiant in Friday’s press conference when asked about the financial charges handed to Manchester City earlier this week.
WHAT HAPPENED? City were charged with 101 breaches of financial regulations since the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, with the punishment a long way from being decided.
When Guardiola was inevitably questioned on the situation by reporters, he insisted that the club were “innocent until proven guilty”.
WHAT THEY SAID: “My thought is that we have already been condemned,” the City manager argued. “Since Monday it is like what happened with UEFA. The club proved that they were completely innocent, why should I think right now, with just charges of suggestions… You have to understand that the 19 teams of the Premier League are accusing us without opportunity to defend ourselves. You know exactly on what side I am.
“We are lucky we live in a society where everybody is innocent until proven guilty. We didn’t have this opportunity. (People say) we are already guilty. I think we have good lawyers but the Premier League – supported by 19 teams – are going to take good lawyers too.”
“If we are not innocent we will accept what the judge or Premier League decide, but what happens if it’s the same as UEFA and we are innocent? What happens to restore our damage?”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: After Guardiola had previously claimed he would walk if he found out the club had lied to him about their expenses, speculation had already begun regarding his successor.
However, the Catalan tactician committed his future to the club in the same press conference, while also blaming City’s charges on the actions of the other 19 Premier League clubs.
Manchester City’s chances of defending their Premier League championship may depend on Nathan Ake.
The defender frequently goes unnoticed but has emerged as a crucial cog in the Citizens’ lineup this year.
Ake was a key player in the FA Cup triumph over Arsenal last Saturday, and his game-winning goal neatly encapsulated the unexpectedly significant season he is having in the North West.
We examine the underappreciated Dutchman’s skills in more detail in front of City’s matchup with Tottenham this afternoon.
Pep’s praise
City manager Pep Guardiola was effusive in his praise of Ake following the 1-0 triumph against Arsenal, highlighting how well his No6 marshalled Bukayo Saka.
He said: “What a season [Ake] is playing. He controlled one of the toughest opponents in the Premier League because Saka is in an incredible moment.
“He is really good in the duels in the box, defending the far post and set pieces is an extra bonus.
“He is an exceptional guy. There was a period where he didn’t play and he never complained once.”
Breaking into the team
Nathan Ake is exceptionally accomplished on the ball
Since Ake arrived at the Etihad Stadium from Bournemouth, he has largely been a bit-part player.
He failed to break the 1,000-minute mark in the Premier League during each of his first two seasons at the club.
This term, however, he appears to have cemented himself in Guardiola’s first-choice XI.
The 27-year-old started just seven of City’s first 14 league games but has since been included from the first whistle in five of their last six, establishing himself as a dependable figure for his Spanish boss.
Left-sided versatility
Ake was primarily bought to offer cover and competition for the only naturally left-footed centre-back in City’s squad — Aymeric Laporte.
However, the Hague native’s versatility means he is also an option at left-back, which has quickly become a problem area for Guardiola in recent weeks.
The Catalan tactician’s falling out with star full-back Joao Cancelo has resulted in the Portuguese’s departure to Bayern Munich, leaving Sergio Gomez as the only remaining natural left-back at the club with Oleksandr Zinchenko having moved to Arsenal last summer.
However, the Spaniard has not been seen in the Premier League since a 20-minute cameo against Southampton in October and is clearly not yet trusted.
As a result, Ake will likely be the man asked to step up and fill the void going forward.
Influence from deep
Nathan Ake is heavily involved in possession for Manchester City
Ake is not among the eye-catching star names in City’s illustrious ranks — not even in their defensive stable.
However, there is no denying his influence on games when he is on the pitch, whether that be at left-back or in the centre of defence.
The 34-cap Oranje international averages 101.9 touches per 90 minutes in the Premier League — the third-highest total in the division.
As City work the ball from back to front and around opponents, Ake dutifully plays his part and does so with a quality that has earned Guardiola’s trust.
Pass-master
Nathan Ake plays a high volume of passes from deep
As is expected from any defender who wishes to feature regularly under Guardiola, Ake is accomplished at playing the ball to his team-mates.
Per 90 minutes in the Premier League, he ranks fourth for passes attempted (89.16) and completed (82.32).
The versatile defender also boasts the fourth-best pass accuracy in the league — an astonishingly high 92.33%, given the volume of passes he plays.
Guardiola has shown a penchant for utilising inverted full-backs and Ake possesses all the qualities to perform that role perfectly, tucking in from the left to assist with build-up play in more central areas.
His steady presence could be pivotal in helping City rediscover the ruthless consistency they need to claim yet another league title.
Just four days after having his gallbladder removed, Antonio Conte might sit on the Tottenham bench for their Premier League match against Manchester City on Sunday.
His assistant coach, Cristian Stellini, who would take over if Conte had to wait until he got back to work, hinted to that possibility.
Stellini held down the fort during the pre-game news conference on Friday, and there is a good likelihood that he will continue to do so for the title-contending City visit on Sunday.
However, Conte claimed to be “already feeling better” just hours after the operation, and his second-in-command claims that this improvement has persisted.
Stellini said: “We don’t know yet when Antonio is coming back. Everything is possible. The surgery was good and he’s recovering well.
“At the moment he’s at home. We have two days before the game and everything can happen.”
Asked whether Conte could therefore be involved on Sunday, Stellini said: “We don’t know yet. The decision will be made tomorrow. We are ready to do everything.
“Probably a doctor that did the surgery, they have to decide for him. We have 48 hours from today to decide, so we have time.”
Conte needed surgery because of his significant pain, and patients typically need more time to recover from such operations than four days.
A patient should typically take two weeks off to heal before going back to a desk job, and longer for physical labor, according to the UK’s National Health Service.
Stellini advised his fellow Italian to exercise caution whenever Conte returns because he frequently makes animated gestures on the Tottenham sidelines, suggesting that his function appears to fall into the latter category.
“I think no one here can keep Antonio calm. He knows that to have a surgery and a surprise like he had, it’s not easy,” Stellini said.
“He’s an intelligent man, so he knows what’s happened to him. It’s not the worst surgery you can have, but it’s a surgery. You have to be careful and Antonio has to do it.”
Stellini said Conte’s staff, including first-team coach Ryan Mason, were ready to carry out his usual duties.
“Antonio sends me a message and he trusts us completely, one hundred per cent trust in the staff,” Stellini said. “We are focused more than normal because we have to do what Antonio normally does, and Antonio is happy about our job.”
He said Conte had been “so sad” about the prospect of having to have surgery, and it comes at a time when fifth-placed Tottenham do not want to risk becoming cut off from the top four.
They trail Newcastle United and Manchester United by three points, having played one game more than both, raising the stakes for a rematch with City, a fortnight after Spurs squandered a 2-0 half-time lead and lost 4-2 to the same opposition at the Etihad Stadium.
Stellini said Tottenham are “scared, in the right way” about the game, expressing optimism the outcome can be different this time, with Richarlison fit to play and new recruit Pedro Porro in line for a possible debut.
“This is the game you are waiting for, and you want to play every time this type of game,” Stellini said.
“The players are excited. I feel the players are so focused on this match. For sure, we have to be worried in the right way, speaking about not only [Erling] Haaland but all the team they have.
“It’s a great team, maybe it’s the greatest team in the world, and they fight every time to win a trophy.
“So we are scared, in the right way. We respect them, but we think we can repeat the same first half we had in the last game and we can do it for 90 minutes.”
Gabriel Martinelli has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, the Premier League leaders have confirmed.
The 21-year-old is into his fourth season at Emirates Stadium after joining from Ituano in July 2019.
Brazil international Martinelli has made 111 appearances for Arsenal and has started all 19 of their league matches this campaign, making him one of seven ever-presents.
He was due to be out of contract at the end of next season, but terms have now been agreed on a deal that will reportedly run through until the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
Arsenal announced the news on their official website on Friday, with manager Mikel Arteta confident there is still more to come from the youngster.
“We’re delighted Gabi has signed a new long-term contract,” said Arteta, whose side are five points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League with a game in hand.
“Our supporters see his quality and energy every single time he puts on the shirt and he’s the same every day in training, with his hard work and positive values.
“Gabi is still very young, so we know there’s still much more to come from him and it’s great that we’ll be on this journey together.
“We’re now excited to continue to develop his huge talent and look forward to seeing him perform with Arsenal in the years to come.”
Martinelli has seven goals in 27 appearances for Arsenal this season – only Eddie Nketiah (nine), Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka (both eight) have more – while assisting a further three.
The former Corinthians youth player is one of several young players Arsenal are looking to tie down, with talks also under way with William Saliba and Saka.
“It’s great that Gabi has signed a new contract with us,” sporting director Edu added.
“The foundations of our squad continue to be built on young talent, so it’s great that Gabi has signed a new contract.
“Gabi is still just 21, and a player with big ability and personality. He is an important part of our future and we’re delighted that we have agreed a new contract.”
This was in support of a football & water education event in Cape Coast to announce two water projects.
The retired footballer joined young leaders and trainees of ‘Play Soccer Ghana”, a football NGO, for the unveiling of the two water facilities, at Essikafoanbatem & Dehia.
The event formed part of Xylem Water Heroes Academy, a unique collaboration between Xylem and Manchester City’s global foundation, empowering young leaders in 10 cities around the world to solve local water challenges using the power of football.
About 100 children were given football and water education at the Football for Hope Centre, supported by Manchester City community coaches and Joleon Lescott.
Speaking at the event, Joleon Lescott who doubles as a Manchester City ambassador professed his joy in seeing the projects being undertaken in Cape Coast.
“I was honoured to join this visit to Cape Coast in Ghana alongside our partner, Xylem, and our amazing fan volunteers. To see first-hand the impact young leaders are making in their communities through the power of football, and to be able to contribute to the building of the water towers, was an incredible experience,” he said.
Joleon Patrick Lescott is a former English footballer who played as a centre-back and currently works as a coach with the England U21s.
Lescott began his career with Wolves before joining Everton and went on to play for Man City where he achieved a lot.
The ex-footballer won two Premier League titles and a FA Cup. He was once Everton and Wolves player of the year.
He also played at the 2010 World Cup, 2008, and 2010 UEFA Euros with England.
Thomas Partey will get an MRI after being forced to leave the Manchester City game due to injury, according to Mikel Arteta.
On Friday, the midfielder started the FA Cup match between the Etihad Stadium and was replaced in the middle of the field by Albert Sambi Lokonga at halftime.
Nathan Ake scored the only goal of the game as Manchester City edged past Arsenal 1-0 in a closely-fought FA Cup fourth-round battle at the Etihad Stadium.
Partey has been an integral part of an Arsenal team that leads the Premier League standings by five points, but he has a history of injury problems, and his most recent setback may mean doom for the Gunners. Ahead of the game against City Ray Parlour suggested Arteta rest Partey.
“He had some discomfort and it was getting worse and worse,” Arteta said after the game.
“He was uncomfortable to continue. (Saturday) or the day after he will have an MRI scan and see what he has,”
“We have at the moment the injury of Mo (Elneny). It is not possible to get him fit. Sambi has come in and has done well. It is true Thomas is a big influence and a big personality and in the second half we didn’t have him,”
Maximo Perrone, a talented young international from Argentina, has officially joined Manchester City from Velez Sarsfield.
The 20-year-old reportedly cost City £8 million when signing and has a contract that expires in June 2028.
Perrone just made his debut at Velez in March of last year, but the central midfielder rapidly cemented himself as an important member of the senior squad, occasionally donning the captain’s armband.
Although City are reportedly paying more than his rumored £7 million release clause, it was expected to be much greater if Velez did manage to ensure his future through 2024. His contract had entered its last year.
Perrone is the latest in a string of exports to fetch Velez a considerable fee in the past six years, with Thiago Almada, Matias Vargas, Santiago Caseres, Maxi Romero and Nicolas Dominguez bringing in roughly £47m between them.
We’re delighted to have completed the signing of Máximo Perrone from Vélez Sarsfield. The midfielder will join us after the U-20 South American Championship.
For the second consecutive year, Manchester City has won the Deloitte Football Money League, with 11 of the world’s 20 highest-earning clubs hailing from the Premier League.
The ranking, which evaluates the top-performing football clubs in terms of revenue every year, saw reigning English champions City become just the fourth club to ever come in first place last year.
In the 2021–22 season, the first one in which coronavirus restrictions were relaxed and supporters started to return to stadiums, City continued to be the team with the highest income generation in the world.
They earned £619.1 million (€731 million) over that time period to finish ahead of LaLiga’s Real Madrid (€713.8 million), while Liverpool advanced from seventh to third after earning £594.3 million (€701.7 million).
Fellow English clubs Manchester United (fourth), Chelsea (eighth), Tottenham (ninth) and Arsenal (10th) also make the top 10, with West Ham (15th), Leicester City (17th), Leeds United (18th), Everton (19th) and Newcastle United (20th) in the top 20.
It marks the first time in the report’s 26 years that a single country has provided more than half of the rich list.
“The Premier League was the only one of the big five European leagues to experience an increase in its media rights value during its most recent rights sale process,” said Tim Bridge, the lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.
“It continues to appeal to millions of global followers and its member clubs have a greater revenue advantage over international rivals.”
Paris Saint-Germain (fifth), Bayern Munich (sixth), Barcelona (seventh), Juventus (11th), Atletico Madrid (12th), Borussia Dortmund (13th), Inter (14th) and Milan (16th) make up the rest of the top 20.
In the women’s game, Barcelona generated the highest revenue (€7.7m) after winning the Champions League in 2021 and reaching the final last year.
With a spectacular comeback and a 4-2 victory over Tottenham, Riyad Mahrez scored twice to give Manchester City new life.
Spurs scored twice through Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal in the final seconds of the first half as a result of blunders by Ederson at the Etihad Stadium, shocking the Premier League winners.
Pep Guardiola’s team rallied after the break despite the fact that they were eight points behind league leaders Arsenal and had played one more game.
Erling Haaland scored his first goal in four games to put the score even before the decisive Mahrez scored again to seal the victory. Julian Alvarez had previously pulled one goal back.
The comeback kept City from suffering their third straight loss across all competitions, and Arsenal will likely regret their opponents’ failure to inflict further damage on the champions as a result.
In response to recent issues with City, particularly Saturday’s derby loss to Manchester United, manager Guardiola changed his lineup.
Kevin De Bruyne was unexpectedly added to the roster of substitutes, and World Cup champion Alvarez was given the opportunity to start with Haaland.
Without De Bruyne, City did lack dynamism but such was the control they exerted in the first half that it was remarkable they ended it 2-0 down.
Mahrez fired a free-kick into the wall, Ilkay Gundogan curled a shot just wide and Alvarez had an effort blocked. Rodri was also shut down on the edge of the area and Hugo Lloris saved well from a deflected shot from impressive youngster Rico Lewis.
City hardly had time to regroup before they conceded again, Ederson again culpable as he palmed a Kane cross towards Emerson, who simply headed back into the goal.
City were booed by a small section of fans as they headed for the dressing room but their response was remarkable.
Mahrez took control of affairs and, after his cross into the box resulted in a goalmouth scramble, Alvarez lifted the ball into the roof of the net to reduce the deficit six minutes after the restart.
Mahrez was again involved as City equalised two minutes later. This time the Algeria winger headed across goal to tee up Haaland’s 28th goal of the season from close range.
Spurs tried to respond and were unlucky when an Ivan Perisic shot was deflected onto the post by Lewis but they generally struggled to contain City.
They were undone by Mahrez again when he turned Perisic and raced into the area to drive a low shot through the legs of Lloris and put City ahead.
Spurs pushed but could not get back into the game and Mahrez wrapped up the points late on after seizing on an error by Clement Lenglet and clipping home.
Despite their stunning Premier League loss to Manchester City, Tottenham is “going in the right direction,” but Antonio Conte admits they are “not ready” yet.
Spurs led the champions by two goals at the break of their match on Thursday, only to suddenly surrender in a dismal second half performance and lose 4-2.
They have only managed one victory in their last five league contests, which has caused the team to fall outside of the top four and the title race.
Conte believes Tottenham’s deficiencies are highlighted by their loss to City, but the Italian is adamant that improvement is also being shown despite the setbacks.
“In this moment, we are not ready to fight for important achievements,” he said. “There are other teams more ready than us.
“We are working hard and going in the right direction. In one or two years, we will win this type of games. If I have to compare this game with last season, we played much better today.
“The performance was good. We played with personality, we created problems for City. Today, we were really brave, but compared to last season, we are conceding too many goals.
“You have to try to justify the goals that we are conceding. This is a period we are not so lucky in. [But] you don’t buy experience. We have to build [it] year by year.”
Ahead of his side’s game with Chelsea, Conte acknowledged he was taking stock of his career following the deaths of several close friends and colleagues in recent months.
The passing of Gian Piero Ventrone, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli has affected the Italian, but speaking after the full-time whistle, he insisted he remains focused on the task at hand with Spurs.
“I think that we have to try to understand that we are talking about two different situations,” he added. “This situation is my personal situation.
Erling Haaland’s recent scoring slump has been acknowledged by Pep Guardiola, who is eager to tackle the issue of putting both the striker and his Manchester City team back on track.
Haaland has gone three games without scoring, which is the longest scoring drought he has experienced since moving to City from Borussia Dortmund before the 2022–23 season.
He broke numerous records while scoring 27 goals in his first 21 games, but he was unable to register a shot against Chelsea, Southampton, or Manchester United.
Guardiola claims it is his responsibility to make sure the talented striker is being supported by his teammates rather than focusing on what Haaland is doing incorrectly all of a sudden.
“We have our game, we have our principles but the way we played in last two games didn’t help Erling to score,” Guardiola said.
“In the build-up you can be wider, but in the final third you have to have players in the middle. If Erling is not there, we are not going to score goals.
“In the past we have always had incredible movements in the final third, in the small spaces. Now, in the last two games, we haven’t had it.
“I would say it was my fault. I didn’t make them understand the way we have to attack. We need runners, not just Erling.
“If we had just Erling he would be controlled by two or three central defenders. We need more players in those positions, definitely. We have done it. We have to do it more often.”
In three years with Dortmund and City, Haaland has only ever gone more than three league games without scoring—a stretch of five games in March and April of last season.
The 22-year-small old’s decline in form has occurred at the same time as City has had a difficult stretch, losing two straight games before playing Tottenham in the Premier League on Thursday.
Arsenal is eight points ahead of City, who must win to avoid going three home league games without a victory for the first time since December 2016.
“I prefer to be eight points in front but I like to handle this situation, I love it,” Guardiola added. “I have to find something to make the team better. I’m the man responsible.
“When the players don’t play good, if they don’t have the desire to do it, it is because something is wrong in my decisions. We have to find it.
“People don’t think about the memories, how good we were. When I die, people will talk about how good Pep was. That’s for sure.
“But since we are here, people expect us to perform well, win the games and try to find the way. Otherwise – Pep out.
“This is how our jobs work – and I want Pep in! I want to stay here, this is what I want, and for that we have to win games and be there in all the competitions.”
Despite exiting the EFL Cup to Southampton last week before letting a lead slip in their league loss at United, Guardiola insists his players are not struggling for motivation.
“The situation is that, by our standards, people believe and believe and oh… what’s happened? Why are City not on the top of league? But it can happen,” Guardiola said.
“The mentality – it’s not about that. You see the game against United or Chelsea, we play really well. The quality of the dressing room is exceptional. I don’t have doubts.”
Manchester United struck twice in the space of four minutes late on to snatch a dramatic and controversial 2-1 derby win over Manchester City on Saturday.
Jack Grealish looked to have headed City to a crucial victory in their pursuit of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League when he came off the bench to head home on the hour at Old Trafford.
But United responded to claim a hotly-contested equaliser through Bruno Fernandes after Marcus Rashford was deemed by VAR not to be interfering with play despite racing towards the ball from an offside position.
City reacted furiously and failed to regroup after play restarted, allowing Rashford to poke home a winner from an Alejandro Garnacho cross eight minutes from time.
It was Rashford’s eighth goal in his last seven appearances and lifted United to within a point of title-chasing City, whose recent indifferent spell after their midweek Carabao Cup exit continued.
The result means Arsenal can now move eight points clear at the summit if they win their own derby contest against Tottenham on Sunday.
The drama of the closing minutes was a far cry from the pedestrian nature of the first half, when City were sloppy in possession and unable to stamp their usual authority on the game.
That encouraged United and it was they who had the game’s chance when Bernardo Silva lost possession and Fernandes shot wide from a Christian Eriksen pass.
United threatened again as Anthony Martial broke clear but his ball into the box took a ricochet and Joao Cancelo prevented the in-form Rashford from shooting.
City struggled to get their key forwards, notably Erling Haaland, into the game but the Norwegian but did get an opening as United failed to clear one attack, only for Casemiro to block his powerful strike.
That was a rare opportunity for City. As the first half wore on, United began to look the stronger but were unable to make the most of their attacks.
Rashford beat the outrushing Ederson on one break but was forced wide and Manuel Akanji blocked his shot. On another occasion Rashford was let down by a heavy touch and Ederson gathered.
United looked concerned when Rashford went down with what appeared a hip injury just before the interval but he was able to continue.
The half ended with Kyle Walker curling a speculative effort wide from distance.
City began to show more urgency after the break and the game opened up.
It still took a change from City to make the difference after Grealish replaced the ineffective Phil Foden after 57 minutes.
Moments later Grealish found himself in the right place as Kevin De Bruyne reached the byline and pulled back a cross for the England midfielder to head home from close range.
The real drama was still to come and United levelled on 78 minutes in controversial circumstances.
Rashford was clearly offside as he raced onto a long ball from Casemiro but he opted not to take a touch and Fernandes swept home.
City surrounded the officials in response but, after a delay for a VAR check, the goal was given.
United sensed their opportunity and Rashford did the damage after Garnacho delivered a low ball across goal at the second attempt.
French defender Benjamin Mendy on Friday, January 14, 2022 chalked a significant feat in his battle with the UK’s law enforcement after being cleared of seven charges of rape and sexual assault.
The embattled Manchester City left-back still has two cases left as the jury could not reach a decision on them and they will go to retrial but his victory in the other seven cases has excited social media users.
Mendy has since August 2020 been engaged in a legal battle after multiple accusations were leveled against him by some women.
Some social media users welcomed the decision by the Chester Crown Court and expressed excitement that the footballer is close to having a normal life restored.
There is also the belief that his experience in the past three years will teach him valuable life lessons when it comes to dealing with persons of the opposite sex.
With Mendy being black, some are playing the racism card with the argument that he was targeted by the supposed victims because of his race.
Though Mendy is not out of the woods yet, his supporters on social media remain confident that he will come out unscathed and return to the football pitch.
Shortly after the news of his clearance came out, his club Manchester City issued a statement that it has taken notice of the verdict.
“Manchester City FC notes the verdict from Chester Crown Court today, where a jury has found Benjamin Mendy not guilty of seven charges.”
“The jury is hung on two charges and the trial is now over. Given there are open matters related to this case, the Club is not in a position to comment further at this time.”
I genuinely feel sorry for Benjamin Mendy. Those women seem to have lied that he raped them and tarnished his name and reputation. They have completely destroyed him and I really hope they will be jailed for wrongly accusing him. What a sad world we are living in. pic.twitter.com/n06TsOD9De— Aadoo Ozzo (@Aadozo) January 13, 2023
So they all lied on Benjamin Mendy to destroy his Life smh…fear these abrokyire women— Don (@Opresii) January 13, 2023
Benjamin Mendy. Hired one of the top lawyers in uk @MissLawsQC who has a wealth of experience in Sexual crime.. Whether he’s truthfully guilty or not. working with a top professional will always bring out something positive. Kudos to Eleanor chambers pic.twitter.com/oyXEwfD1IF— Judy Mayanja ???????? (@mayanja_judy) January 13, 2023
Benjamin Mendy has been found NOT GUILTY on 6 counts of rape and 1 count of sexual assault.
However, the Jury could not reach majority verdicts on one count of rape and one of attempted rape.
Feel so sorry for Benjamin Mendy… had 18 months of his career ruined over false allegations… those women deserve to rot in jail— matt ???????????????????????????????????? (@thfcmxtt) January 13, 2023
Benjamin Mendy 28, has been found NOT GUILTY on six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault but will face retrial on two outstanding charges. He can’t wait to clear his name of the other two charges so he can start rebuilding his life.” pic.twitter.com/rT8rOUbL7R— Ahmed Bogere Masembe (@Bogeremasembe) January 13, 2023
It took a few words on internet to find Mendy guilty and sentenced.. Gentlemen #fearwomen…The guys career is in limbo because of all that nonsense…stay up Mendy u will go thru all this pic.twitter.com/n54RQDQgl6— ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ????????????????™???????? (@IamPrinceSanya) January 14, 2023
I remember how the internet already found him guilty…it takes just a few words from a few women or even one woman to ruin a man’s life. #fearwomenpic.twitter.com/yjH5C6Qsw3— Kimutai Aluda???????? (@AludaKimutai) January 13, 2023
On Saturday at Old Trafford, Manchester City will want to register a significant victory for Pep Guardiola by defeating Manchester United for the fourth time in a row.
In a remarkable career filled with trophies, Guardiola will manage his 500th match in the highly anticipated derby.
For the City manager, it will be more crucial that his team wins because it would reduce the gap between them and Premier League leaders Arsenal, who play in their own derby against Tottenham on Sunday, to only two points.
When the two teams played at the Etihad Stadium in October, the Red Devils were trounced 6-3 despite Guardiola’s team having defeated their arch rivals twice the season before.
Fourth-placed United are flying under Erik ten Hag, though, and a win over City – who suffered a shock EFL Cup defeat to Southampton on Wednesday – would leave them only a point behind their neighbours.
Stats Perform has used Opta data to preview a huge derby showdown.
Another huge milestone for Pep
Guardiola has long since established himself as one of the best managers in the world, achieving great success with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.
He took charge of 152 LaLiga games during his Barca tenure, 102 in the Bundesliga with dominant Bayern and this will be his 246th Premier League match as City boss.
Guardiola has won 379 of the 499 top-flight encounters he has overseen, suffered 52 defeats and drawn 68 games.
With a win percentage rate of 76, he has the most victories and highest win rate – for managers who have taken charge of at least 100 games – of any boss in Europe’s big-five leagues since his first top-flight season in 2008-09.
Ten Hag has lifted the gloom and there is more of an air of optimism at Old Trafford, with United having won eight consecutive games in all competitions.
Since and including their win over Liverpool on August 22, no team has earned more Premier League points than United’s tally of 35, winning 11 of their 15 games during that time.
The Red Devils have won all three Premier League games since the World Cup without conceding a goal and reached the EFL Cup semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic on Tuesday.
City to add insult to injury by breaking scoring record?
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat-tricks as City put United to the sword just over three months ago.
Guardiola’s men could break their record for the number of goals scored against United in a season, which stands at eight established by 5-0 and 3-2 victories way back in the 1954-55 campaign.
The most goals the Red Devils have conceded against an opponent in a Premier League season is nine against Liverpool in 2021-22.
Rashford can do no wrong
Marcus Rashford can do no wrong at the minute, scoring in every game since the World Cup.
He came off the bench to help himself to a late double in the win over Charlton, making it seven goals in six matches since returning from England duty in Qatar.
Rashford, who found the back of the net twice for the Three Lions in the World Cup, has scored 15 times this season for United – who are certainly not missing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Benjamin Mendy, a defender for Manchester City, was cleared on six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
After a six-month trial, the judgement was announced at Chester Crown Court on Friday.
European fullback Six counts of rape against four women and a sixth case of sexual assault against a fifth woman were dropped against Mendy, who was found not guilty of both charges.
On one further case of rape and one more count of attempted rape, the jury was unable to come to a verdict.
Assaults allegedly committed against five women between October 2020 and August 2021 led to Mendy’s arrest and subsequent charges.
Three counts of rape against co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie were dismissed. Three allegations of rape and three counts of sexual assault against him were the subject of inconclusive jury decisions.
On the counts where the jury was deadlocked, the prosecution will request a new trial.
Premier League City champions suspended Mendy in August 2021 after he was placed on remand. In January of last year, the 28-year-old was let out of jail.
City said in a statement on Friday: “Manchester City FC notes the verdict from Chester Crown Court today, where a jury has found Benjamin Mendy not guilty of seven charges.
“The jury is hung on two charges and the trial is now over.
“Given there are open matters related to this case, the Club is not in a position to comment further at this time.”
When Pep Guardiola, the manager of City, held a press conference shortly after the results, he was questioned about Mendy.
Former Black Stars captain, Asamoah Gyan says he always prioritized the national team over everything else.
Gyan, who is the country’s all-time leading goal scorer was a key figure for the national team during his playing days.
Opening up on his love for his country, the former Sunderland and Stade Rennais striker said he chose to play for Ghana over signing for Manchester City in 2008.
He explained that the Premier League side wanted to sign him that year but moved on to sign Emmanuel Adebayor when he told them he wanted to play for Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which was hosted in Ghana.
“I always say I’m very patriotic. At the time Sheik Mansour had freshly bought Man City and they wanted to sign me,” Gyan told Dan Kwaku Yeboah on YouTube.
“But I had the national team at heart. I chose the national team over everything. That’s why some things pain me.
“People didn’t understand. But I’m sure after this interview they’ll understand why things panned out that way,” he added.
Gyan insists he hasn’t retired yet but has also not been involved in active football since parting ways with Ghana Premier League side Legon Cities in 2021.
The 37-year-old featured in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups in Germany, South Africa and Brazil respectively with the Black Stars.
If Manchester City exhibits the same level of play that saw them knocked from the Carabao Cup, Pep Guardiola claims they “don’t have a chance” to defeat rival Manchester United this weekend.
For Wednesday’s quarterfinal match at Southampton, City started with players like Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Ederson among their replacements, and they paid the price with a 2-0 loss.
Sekou Mara gave the Saints the lead by beating Kyle Walker to a cross, and Moussa Djenepo added a second goal just before halftime by taking advantage of Stefan Ortega’s poor positioning.
De Bruyne and Haaland were substituted in during the break as part of a triple substitution, but City went the whole second half without a shot on goal for the first time this season.
Next up for City is a trip to in-form United in the league on Saturday, and Guardiola accepts a big improvement is needed from his side at Old Trafford.
“It’s a different competition, but of course if we perform in this way we don’t have a chance,” he said in his post-match press conference. “I know the momentum they have.
“For many years they’re looking forward to being in this position. We know exactly what to do to play better and we’re going to try to do it.”
Asked about his decision to leave out Haaland and De Bruyne for a second game running, Guardiola said: “Who knows if with Erling and Kevin it would have been different?
“But when you play for four competitions it’s important to use every player in the squad.”
For the third time in 30 games under Guardiola, who has won the EFL Cup four times in seven seasons, City was defeated before the end of the 90-minute mark.
The defeat, City’s fourth in 28 games this season, came just three days after an outstanding display that saw off Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup third round.
Guardiola acknowledges that his team’s two-goal loss at St. Mary’s Stadium could not be criticized.
“It was a bad night. I know them quite well. We didn’t get close to what we are,” he said. “Three days after facing Chelsea… I’ve nothing to say.
“They were better, we congratulate them and accept it. We have to be prepared every single game when you play for Manchester City. Today we were not.”
City defeated United 6-3 when the sides last met in October and are seeking a Premier League double over the Red Devils in a single season for the sixth time ever.
Ilkay Gundogan, who played the full 90 minutes against Southampton, is hoping the cup setback can spark some life into City heading into the derby.
“There’s no room for any mistakes [against United], or for any poor performances like today,” he told the club’s official website.
“Hopefully, if there is something good we can take out of this game today, it was something like a wake-up call at the right time.
“Even though it is sad and disappointing to be out of this cup, hopefully, at the end, in a few weeks we can at least look back and take something good out of this game.”
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, is certain that Phil Foden is capable of playing at the center of midfield.
Foden has frequently been compared to a future center midfielder despite playing primarily on the wing for both club and country.
He has occasionally filled the position for City, most recently in the 4-0 FA Cup thrashing of Chelsea on Sunday.
Foden looked crisp in a central role and completed an exquisite team move to give City a 3-0 lead. Three days previously, Foden struggled to get into the game while playing on the flank in City’s 1-0 Premier League victory at Stamford Bridge.
Guardiola believes Foden is learning the role, as he compared the 22-year-old’s ability to City great David Silva, who moved from the wing to midfield during his 10-year stint at the club.
“He can play inside, but inside you have more attributes to do more things and pay attention more because there are more people, it is not just ‘I am going to press and run’, it is when and where,” said Guardiola ahead of City’s EFL Cup tie with Southampton.
“The spaces are minor. Wider you have time but what is important is Phil has the quality to play in these small, small spaces, it is not easy to find.
“Bernardo [Silva] and David Silva can do it and Gundo goes close to the pockets of the central defenders – Phil has the quality and ability to do it.
“He is really good in small spaces, the goal he scored [against Chelsea], he is there. The action is good, the overlap from Kyle [Walker] and the right moment, the right tempo, the pass from Riyad [Mahrez], but in that moment he is there and to score a goal you have to be there.
“In that position, especially when they play five at the back it is important to have an extra player there. We maybe missed it a bit [in the draw] against Everton.
“Phil has these attributes. Of course he can play wider on both sides, he played top class in the last years playing wider but he can play in the middle.”
Foden had 45 touches against Chelsea, with 41 coming in open play.
That was the most he had managed in a City match since November 12, when he had 80 in a defeat to Brentford. Indeed, bar that game, the last time Foden had more touches was against Sevilla in the Champions League on November 2; he had 64 on that occasion, playing in central midfield.
Guardiola will want more creativity from the England international should he play in the role. Against Sevilla, Foden crafted three chances and had 10 touches in the opposition box – he only managed four in Sunday’s game, albeit one of those was that fine finish to put the game to bed, and did not create a goalscoring opportunity.
Foden attempted 34 passes, more than only Julian Alvarez (18) of City’s starters, completing 29 of those, while he won three of his six duels.
A thrilling FA Cup third round saw eight Premier League sides dumped out — the most at this stage for 15 years.
League Two Stevenage toppled Aston Villa, Newcastle were sent packing by Sheffield Wednesday of League One, while Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth lost to Championship opposition.
National League Wrexham also handed an upset to second-tier Coventry as Manchester City piled more misery on Chelsea by beating them 4-0.
With Premier League leaders Arsenal hoping to avoid slipping up against third-tier Oxford tonight, we pick out the stars of the FA Cup third round so far.
Anass Zaroury (Burnley)
Perhaps the least surprising upset of the weekend saw Championship high-flyers Burnley knock out Bournemouth, who are struggling badly in the top fight.
Vincent Kompany’s men were the better team throughout the clash at the Vitality Stadium, with Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury’s display a real standout.
After Ryan Christie cancelled out Manuel Benson’s opener, Zaroury was on hand to finish off a fine team move and put the Clarets 2-1 up in the first half.
His second of the afternoon was all his own making as he cleverly combined with Josh Brownhill inside the box before lashing in the finish before the break.
The highly-rated 22-year-old could easily have completed his hat-trick in the second half but for a fine stop from Mark Travers, but Benson netted his second moments later to complete an impressive 4-2 victory.
Anass Zaroury was in sensational form as Burnley dispatched Bournemouth 4-2
Ian Poveda (Blackpool)
Blackpool were the next to deal out a humbling for the top flight as they dismantled a much-changed Nottingham Forest 4-1 at Bloomfield Road.
In a Tangerines display with plenty of positives, it is Ian Poveda who earns a place in this list for his influential showing.
The Leeds loanee thrived in a No10 role against Steve Coooper’s men, firing home his side’s second of the afternoon — and his first since arriving at the Seasiders.
Later teeing up Jerry Yates to score Blackpool’s fourth, pundit Stephen Warnock was left purring at the 22-year-old’s performance.
Warnock said on Match of the Day: “His footwork for the goal, the calmness, outstanding. The speed with which he attacks, weight of pass, hungry to win the ball back.
“He is that type of player where he can frustrate you one game, and the next — everything can go right.”
Josh Windass (Sheffield Wednesday)
An inspired display by League One promotion contenders Sheffield Wednesday saw them claim the scalp of high-flying Premier League side Newcastle.
A Magpies XI boasting the likes of Alexander Isak, Sven Botman and Joelinton were turned over by the Owls thanks to two strikes from Josh Windass.
After a goalless but eventful first half, Windass got the final touch of a lovely move early in the second half before clinically finishing past Martin Dubravka for the second time 13 minutes later.
Substitute Bruno Guimaraes halved the deficit to set up a nervy finish but Darren Moore’s men held on for a memorable victory.
Struggling to hear the question during his post-match interview inside a raucous Hillsborough, Windass remarked: “I honestly don’t know what you just said.
“It was enjoyable. We’ve been on a good run of form so, yeah, tonight was no different. It’s always nice to score, I’ve been in good form, so it’s nice to score.”
Thomas O’Connor (Wrexham)
The Saturday thrills continued as Wrexham came out on top of a Hollywood-worthy seven-goal thriller at Coventry.
Efforts from Sam Dalby, Elliot Lee, Thomas O’Connor and Paul Mullin saw the National League’s second-placed side extraordinarily race into a 4-1 lead.
Viktor Gyokeres and Kasey Palmer scored for the Sky Blues to set up a nervy finish despite Jonathan Panzo’s red card, but the North Wales outfit held on for a superb win in front of owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny.
Again, it seems harsh to single out just one individual display but it was Irish midfielder O’Connor who takes a place on this list.
The ex-Southampton youngster ensured the Red Dragons went into the break with a two-goal advantage, leaping to put his side 3-1 up in the sixth minute of stoppage time during a lively display in the West Midlands.
Dean Campbell (Stevenage)
Perhaps the biggest shock of the round was saved until late in the weekend as Stevenage scored two goals in the final three minutes to stun a side 59 places above them in the English football pyramid in Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s side looked to be cruising at Villa Park despite enjoying a slender advantage through Morgan Sanson’s effort, but substitute Dean Campbell’s crucial contribution off the bench stunned the home crowd.
Introduced with less than half an hour to play, the 21-year-old stole the ball from Leander Dendoncker before forcing a foul inside the box — allowing fellow subsitute Jamie Reid to equalise in the 88th minute.
Boro’s tails were up from that point and some quick thinking from a corner caught Villa out again, allowing Campbell the opportunity to find the winner which he took in emphatic style with a fierce strike past Robin Olsen.
Sparking bedlam among the 3,000-strong travelling support, Campbell’s first ever goal for the Hertfordshire side was one that wrote his name into the club’s history.
League Two Stevenage enjoyed a memorable FA Cup night at Villa Park
Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
It is a more established player who rounds things off as Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez put Chelsea to the sword for the second time within a week.
The Algerian had already scored the winner off the bench at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League last Thursday, before doing the damage from the start this time with two goals.
His stunning free-kick to put City 1-0 up was undoubtedly one of the goals of the round and he also netted his side’s fourth from the spot late on to pile the pressure on Blues boss Graham Potter.
Citizens manager Pep Guardiola said: “The quality of Riyad is everything. He loves to play football, he helped us to play the game.
“It was really good. It was a fantastic free-kick. He played an outstanding game.”
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal should have been awarded two penalties in the goalless draw against Newcastle, describing the decisions not to point to the spot as “scandalous”.
The Gunners dropped points at Emirates Stadium for the first time in the Premier League this season, missing the opportunity to open up a 10-point advantage over Manchester City, who play Chelsea on Thursday.
Arsenal were not short of openings against Eddie Howe’s third-placed side, firing 17 attempts at goal, but just four were on target and the leaders were not at their best in the final third.
Gunners boss bemoaned two decisions that did not go the way of his side, with his view that referee Andy Madley should have punished Dan Burn for a shirt pull on Gabriel Magalhaes and given a handball against Jacob Murphy right at the end.
“I’m extremely proud of my players, the way we played, the way we dominated the game, the way we tried and continued [to try], how we dominated the game,” he told Sky Sports.
“We were missing in the final third, that is the final part, we had so many situations to finish those better, and then we had two scandalous penalties.
“They’re two penalties, it’s very simple. I’m talking about what I’ve seen and it’s two scandalous penalties.
“When you cannot win, you do not lose. We kept a clean sheet, we had a really good performance, and we go again.
“I wanted to win the game but we drew it and we should have done certain things better, especially in the final third, and we should have had two penalties to win the game.”
Arsenal are likely to shuffle their squad for Monday’s FA Cup third round clash against Oxford United, before what could be a north London derby against Tottenham on January 15.
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