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Tag: Manchester City

  • “Six Clubs Secure Spots in Champions League Round of 16 Ahead of Decisive Fixtures”

    “Six Clubs Secure Spots in Champions League Round of 16 Ahead of Decisive Fixtures”

    By Milcah Tanimu

    As the Champions League group stage reaches its penultimate round, six prominent clubs have already solidified their places in the Round of 16. Manchester City, Real Sociedad, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich have successfully navigated their respective groups, showcasing their prowess on the European stage.

    Manchester City and RB Leipzig clinched their spots in the knockout stage with convincing victories over Young Boys and Crvena Zvezda in the recent round of matches. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s emphatic 3-0 triumph against Braga has positioned them to top the group with a win or draw in their upcoming fixture against Napoli.

    Bayern Munich secured their progression as Group A winners after a commendable 2-1 victory over Galatasaray. The German giants continue to assert their dominance in European competitions.

    Real Sociedad and Inter Milan have also confirmed their places in the Round of 16. However, the battle for the top spot in their group will unfold in a highly anticipated clash when they face each other in Italy during the final game week.

    As the group stage nears its conclusion, football enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the remaining fixtures to determine the full lineup of teams advancing to the Round of 16. The Champions League continues to deliver thrilling encounters, setting the stage for an intense knockout stage.

  • Man City near €40m deal to acquire Chelsea’s Kovacic

    Man City near €40m deal to acquire Chelsea’s Kovacic

    In the transfer market, Manchester City is edging closer to securing the services of Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic in a deal valued at approximately €40 million. As per ESPN, discussions between the two clubs have advanced significantly, with only a few remaining terms left to be finalized.Kovacic has reportedly reached a general agreement on personal terms, and the transfer is expected to advance once he fulfills his international commitments with Croatia. The Croatian midfielder initially joined Chelsea on loan from Real Madrid in 2018 and later secured a permanent transfer in a £40 million deal the following year.During his time at Chelsea, Kovacic made an impressive total of 221 appearances for the club, contributing six goals. His tenure was highlighted by several significant achievements, including winning the prestigious Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup titles.

  • Rodri’s goal secures a treble for Man City and ends their Champions League title drought

    Rodri’s goal secures a treble for Man City and ends their Champions League title drought

    After a prolonged pursuit, Manchester City’s ambition to win the Champions League was fulfilled with a resounding 1-0 victory against Inter Milan in Istanbul. Pep Guardiola’s team accomplished the remarkable feat, securing the Treble in the process.Following their victories in the Premier League and FA Cup, Manchester City replicated Manchester United’s historic triple trophy achievement in 1999. With Rodri’s decisive 68th-minute goal in a hard-fought final, City became the second English club to accomplish this remarkable feat. Despite facing a brilliantly organized Inter team and the early injury of Kevin de Bruyne, Guardiola’s dominant side didn’t showcase their best performance. Nevertheless, the ecstatic City fans,
    And for Guardiola, it seals his status as one of the managerial greats as he added a third Champions League to the two he won at Barcelona, the last coming in 2011.

    This was never the walkover many predicted and City had to survive a few scares when Federico Dimarco’s header bounced off the bar and Ederson made a stunning late save to deny Romelu Lukaku but ultimately this was all about the victory.

    The Champions League had brought suffering to City and Guardiola – especially when they lost to Premier League rivals Chelsea in the 2021 final – but all the pain disappeared just before midnight on a sultry night in Istanbul. City survived late anxiety, especially when Inter substitute Lukaku headed straight at Ederson with the goal at his mercy, but there was an explosion of joy on the pitch and in the stands at Ataturk Stadium as they finally secured the giant trophy that has remained so elusively beyond their grasp for so long.

    Guardiola said, whether it was fair or not, that his time at Manchester City would be judged on whether he was able to bring the Champions League to the club. Now that judgement can be made.The Catalan, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, will now be an iconic figure at City as well as Barcelona.

  • Manchester City Wins Premier League Title After Arsenal Defeat

    Manchester City Wins Premier League Title After Arsenal Defeat

    Manchester City won the Premier League for the fifth time in six seasons after second-placed Arsenal lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

    A second consecutive defeat for the Gunners left Mikel Arteta’s men still four points adrift of City with one game left for them to play.

    Taiwo Awoniyi’s winning goal also had huge ramifications at the bottom of the table as Forest are now safe from relegation in their first season back in the top flight for 23 years.

    City’s title triumph could be the start of a treble as Pep Guardiola’s men face Manchester United in the FA Cup final and Inter Milan in the Champions League final next month.

  • Ten-man Arsenal were completely outplayed by Manchester City as they slumped to the bottom of the Premier League.

    Ten-man Arsenal were completely outplayed by Manchester City as they slumped to the bottom of the Premier League.

    It is the first time since 1954 that the Gunners have lost their three opening games of the league season and this match was effectively over by half-time.

    City captain Ilkay Gundogan and striker Ferran Torres scored in the first 12 minutes and any hope Arsenal had of an unlikely comeback was ended when midfielder Granit Xhaka was sent off for lunging into a challenge on Joao Cancelo.

    A trademark teasing run from £100m man Jack Grealish set up Gabriel Jesus for an easy third just before the break, then Rodri guided home a fourth from 20 yards just after it.

    Such was his side’s total control that City manager Pep Guardiola had used all three substitutes within 16 minutes of the second half starting. It turned into an extended keep-ball session for the hosts, who finished off the rout with Torres’ second six minutes from time.

    Guardiola’s counterpart and former assistant Mikel Arteta looked shell-shocked in the other technical area as Raheem Sterling – twice – Aymeric Laporte and Riyad Mahrez wasted opportunities to increase the margin of victory still further.

    By the end, Arsenal had managed a single shot – off target – and 19% possession. They are still to score in the Premier League this season and immediately after the international break play Norwich, the team they replaced at the foot of the table.

    After being forced to abandon their hopes of prising Harry Kane out of Tottenham and opting not to pursue a deal for Manchester United-bound Cristiano Ronaldo, it appears Guardiola will attack the new season without an orthodox number nine.

    If his side continue to meet opponents as accommodating as Arsenal, there will be no problem.

    The Gunners defence was so flimsy, it scarcely did justice to their status as a Premier League outfit.

    City’s opener looked good on the eye. But there was no challenge on Bernardo Silva as he strode through the visitors’ midfield, no effective closing down of Jesus as he lined up his cross and barely a challenge on Gundogan – hardly the greatest physical threat – as he rose at the far post. Add in Bernd Leno’s weak attempt to keep the ball out of his goal and it summed up everything that is wrong about the visitors.

    At one point, Ederson stood for fully 10 seconds, not moving, as he decided where to aim his clearance. Eventually Emile Smith-Rowe closed the Brazilian down and forced him to do something.

    Perhaps he was a little bored. Earlier, he had delayed for so long an intended pass from his own goal-line that Smith-Rowe almost nicked the ball but could only watch as it ricocheted off him and narrowly wide of the far post. That was as close as Arsenal came to scoring.

    In his programme notes Guardiola proclaimed this would be a ‘tough game’ for his team. By the end, it was City’s biggest ever win against the Gunners and their third successive 5-0 home win in the league.

  • Fernandinho signs new one-year deal at Manchester City

    Fernandinho signs new one-year deal at Manchester City

     Manchester City captain Fernandinho insists he has unfinished business at the club after signing a one-year contract extension.

    The 36-year-old will stay on at the Etihad Stadium until 2022 and is targeting another shot at the UEFA Champions League.

    His team lost to Chelsea in their first final last month.

    “In my head and my mind, the job is not done yet and so that’s why I decided to stay here another year and try to help the team and the club to achieve the goals they’re looking for,” said the Brazilian.

    “In my point of view, we can do that. There’s still places to improve and to get those targets.

    “Obviously, for me and for my family it’s a pleasure to stay in Manchester for one more year.

    “If I can keep doing the same way, leading them inside the pitch, off the pitch, to help them to improve and get better and to perform better during the games, I will be the happiest person there.”

    Fernandinho joined from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 and has made 350 appearances and won 12 domestic trophies during that time.

    He became the joint-most decorated player in League Cup history last season when he won a sixth Carabao Cup.

    “Fernandinho’s contribution to Manchester City cannot be overstated,” said director of football Txiki Begiristain.

    “He is an outstanding footballer —— one of the best in the world in his position —- and an exemplary professional.”

  • Manchester City Confirm Three More COVID-19 Cases

    Manchester City Confirm Three More COVID-19 Cases

    Manchester City confirmed three more cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, with goalkeeper Scott Carson, teenage midfielder Cole Palmer and a member of staff testing positive.

    City were without six other players for their Premier League victory at Chelsea on Sunday following positive tests.

    “Manchester City FC can confirm that Scott Carson, Cole Palmer and one member of staff have tested positive for Covid-19,” the club said in a statement.

    “Both personnel will now observe a period of self-isolation in accordance with Premier League and UK government protocol on quarantine.”

    With first-choice goalkeeper Ederson one of the other players already isolating, Carson’s positive test leaves City short of options for Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

    Zack Steffen is set to play again after featuring at Chelsea.

    Ferran Torres, Tommy Doyle and Eric Garcia are the other players also currently isolating while Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus, who tested positive on Christmas Day, have now completed their quarantine period.

    The Premier League said on Tuesday that 40 players and staff had tested positive for Covid-19 in the latest rounds of testing — more than double the previous record.

    Despite a number of match postponements, rising case numbers and calls from some within the game for a “circuit breaker” to bring infection rates down, the Premier League said it remained confident the season could proceed as planned.

  • Manchester City’s Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus test positive for COVID-19

    Manchester City’s Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus test positive for COVID-19

    Manchester City duo Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus have tested positive for the coronavirus, the club confirmed on Friday.

    Two members of the club’s staff, whose identities have not been revealed, have also tested positive.

    Defender Walker and striker Jesus now look set to miss City’s Premier League matches against Newcastle, Everton and Chelsea, with a return possible for their Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester United on January 6.

    “All four personnel will now observe a period of self-isolation in accordance with Premier League and UK Government protocol on quarantine,” City said in a statement released on Friday morning.

    “Everyone at the club wishes our colleagues a speedy recovery over the Christmas period ahead of their return to work, training and competition.”

    The positive tests, announced on Christmas Day, come as the UK faces a surge in coronavirus cases, with the 39,036 confirmed on Thursday marking the second highest daily total since the pandemic began.

    The figure brought the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 2,188,587.

  • Ex-Manchester United stopper Johnstone on West Brom heroics against Manchester City

    Ex-Manchester United stopper Johnstone on West Brom heroics against Manchester City

    Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone said he and his team-mates “love” manager Slaven Bilic after his heroics earned West Brom their first point against Manchester City since 2011.

    The 27-year-old put in a man-of-the-match performance in the 1-1 draw at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, including two superb stops with his foot to deny headers from Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling.

    Johnstone spoke about the two saves that effectively secured a crucial point for the Baggies and praised his team-mates for their work-rate in achieving the result.

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    “The boys dug in, we fought for 95 minutes. They had a lot of the ball but we knew that,” Johnstone told Amazon.

    “The lads ran their socks off but I was there to make a few saves when needed. The two headers were close and I just got a leg to them and kept them out. The quality of the balls they put in is unbelievable. The lads are buzzing with that result. It’s a massive game coming here.

    “We love the manager. We knew getting promoted it would be difficult, we’re not hiding away from that.”

    Gundogan put Manchester City ahead on 30 minutes with his first goal in almost a year, but West Brom drew level just before half-time when Ruben Dias diverted Semi Ajayi’s wayward strike into the net.

    Despite being under heavy pressure to City for most of the second half, the Baggies held on, with Johnstone insisting the point they earned was deserved because of their endeavour.

    “We’re buzzing with that. We knew it would be tough. We rode our luck at times but we deserved that result,” he told BBC Sport. “We’ve played well in a few games and not got the result. Today we kept digging in and when that whistle goes the lads are buzzing.

    “We knew the quality they have and it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew they would have a lot of the ball. We thought for the club, for the manager and for ourselves.”

    Despite securing an excellent result on the road, West Brom remain in the relegation with only one win and seven points from their first 12 matches. They are two points adrift from safety with Burnley currently sitting in 17th on nine points.

  • Facing Manchester City is ‘the most difficult game in the world of football’ – Klopp

    Facing Manchester City is ‘the most difficult game in the world of football’ – Klopp

    Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp claims facing Manchester City is “the most difficult game in the world of football”, but does not expect the meeting with the Citizens on Sunday to be a Premier League title decider.

    Two teams that have dominated the domestic scene in English football over recent seasons are set to rekindle their rivalry at the Etihad Stadium. There will be plenty on the line when they lock horns, with Liverpool looking to take another positive step towards defending their top-flight crown while City are eager to wrestle it back.

    READ ALSO: Solskjaer backs himself to be Manchester United success

    Both line-ups will be loaded with world-class talent, which has allowed them to collect an enviable haul of major silverware under their respective bosses.

    Big money has been spent by both ambitious outfits on opposing sides of the North West divide, with City having opened their chequebook again over the summer.

    Klopp is expecting the toughest of tests when he sends his troops into battle, with Liverpool’s impressive recent record against City counting for little against an opponent that has firmly established a standing among the global elite.

    “It is not important whether we play home or away, it is important we are brave, we play football with all we have and then we have a chance,” Klopp told reporters at his pre-match press conference. “This is the most difficult game in the world of football I would say, to play against Manchester City.”

    The outcome of meetings between two title hopefuls has often determined the destination of a top-flight crown down the years, with many suggesting that Sunday’s fixture could have a big say in the 2020-21 race.

    Klopp is not buying that, with the German tactician adding: “It looks like even you think it is not a decider, so come on. It is a very, very difficult game and hopefully for both teams, both will perform on a high level but that is it. So many things are different this year, nothing is comparable to last year. 

    “Everything is different so we just have to make sure we go through very intense periods, line up with the fittest players we have and take on Manchester City, one of the most difficult opponents in the world. 

    “I enjoy these games but it doesn’t make it easier.”