TheNewsGuru

Tag: Man City

  • Klopp Defends Allison After Disastrous Performance Against Man City

    Klopp Defends Allison After Disastrous Performance Against Man City

    Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has come to the defence of goalkeeper Alisson Becker after two crucial mistakes gifted the Manchester City side victory at Anfield.

    Alisson was guilty of two misplaced passes in a space of three minutes which allowed Gundogan to grab a second goal after Mohammed Salah had restored parity from the penalty spot and then Raheem Sterling to make it 3-1.

    ”We made two massive mistakes, everyone saw them 3-1 down in a game that we were even for a long time and you’re really down, it’s tough to take and then there’s a genius situation where they scored the fourth goal,” Klopp said in a post-match interview.

    The German though reluctant to speak on the Brazilian’s errors that cost his side the game blamed it on the shot-stopper having cold feet

    ”We can’t hide them (the Alisson mistakes), we don’t have to talk around it. It’s true as well. We didn’t give a lot of options, especially in the first goal. In the second goal he just mishit the ball,” he said

    “There’s no real reason, maybe he had cold feet. It sounds funny but could be.”

    While saddened by the match outcome, he insisted there were a lot of positives to take from the Reds’ performance.

    ”Really good football, I see in your eyes, you see it differently. I really liked it, we were playing really good football against City,” he said.

    City’s 4-1 victory moves them to 50 points from 22 games played, five more than second-placed Manchester United who have played a game more.

    The win ended a seventeen-year winless record at Anfield which saw Nicholas Anelka net a brace against the then Gérard Houllier’s side.

    Liverpool are now 10 points behind City in fourth spot and next face Leicester City as they hope to get back to winning ways.

  • Algeria coach: Riyad Mahrez unhappy at Man City

    Algeria coach: Riyad Mahrez unhappy at Man City

    Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi says Riyad Mahrez is unsettled at Manchester City.

    Belmadi insists Mahrez is frustrated by the lack of regular action he’s seen at City this season.

    He said, “Mahrez is not happy in Manchester because he doesn’t play often and he is a fighter who wants to play every game for his team.

    “I cannot ask him to leave his club to play more in another, because I am not his agent, but the most important thing is that he stay in shape and be prepared for the next matches of the national team.”

    Mundo Deportivo says among clubs watching developments are Real Madrid.

  • EPL: Guardiola reveals tactical change for Man City

    EPL: Guardiola reveals tactical change for Man City

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been explaining how he changed the team’s tactics to guide the Blues to the top of the table.

    “I didn’t like the way we were playing,” he said. “In previous seasons, the wingers were wider and higher, so we came back to our principles. For many reasons, we had to adapt to the quality we had and the players we had in that moment.

    “That is the reason I tried to find the way. In the end, I felt having the wingers wide and high helped us to be more stable and the quality of the players do the rest. When we have the ball, we run less.

    “When things don’t go well, managers have the feeling we don’t fight or have the spirit. The reason we didn’t play well was because when we had the ball we ran too much. When we have the ball we need to walk. When we don’t have the ball you have to run with your life.

    “Now I think we are calmer. To play Sheffield [United] is always uncomfortable for us. That system – the 5-3-2 – is difficult to attack. I am a little bit concerned about the game tomorrow (Saturday).”

  • Guardiola hints Fernandinho set to leave Man City

    Guardiola hints Fernandinho set to leave Man City

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has hinted Fernandinho will be leaving this summer.

    The veteran comes off contract in June.

    Guardiola said today, “With the players in this part of the season, everything is open, like if we don’t get results we will be sacked. We have to win our positions every day but I am more than impressed and surprised about the role of the first captain Fernandinho.

    “He is leading us in an exceptional way, in the good moments but especially in the bad moments and I think what everyone can take an example from what he has done so far the team will be stronger.

    “I am more than delighted with what Fernandinho has done through all our time together but especially this season.”

  • Man City buy the FA Cup trophy at auction

    Man City buy the FA Cup trophy at auction

    Manchester City owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed has purchased the FA Cup trophy which was used in the competition from 1896 to1910 and donated it to the National Football Museum

    The trophy was awarded to the winners of the world’s oldest domestic cup competition between 1896 and 1910.

    The trophy is of historic significance to Manchester City, as it is the first piece of major silverware the club ever won after they triumphed in the 1904 FA Cup final, beating Bolton Wanderers 1-0.

    Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak told the club website: “This cup is a visible reminder of the rich and long history of English football to which Manchester City is inextricably entwined.

    “Winning this actual trophy in 1904 was a turning point for the club and for the city of Manchester in that it firmly cemented football in the heart of its community.

    “Sheikh Mansour’s view is that a trophy of such cultural significance must be shared with the people of Manchester, the English football family, and all of those who love the English game. The National Football Museum is in a unique position to do that.”

  • Carabao Cup: Man City outclass Man Utd to reach final

    Carabao Cup: Man City outclass Man Utd to reach final

    Manchester City reached their fourth straight League Cup final after a 2-0 win over Manchester United in Wednesday’s semi-final at Old Trafford.

    Two second half goals from John Stones and Fernandinho gave Pep Guardiola’s side victory in the match.

    Manchester City will now meet Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in the April 25 final as they seek their fourth League Cup triumph in a row.

    In a frantic opening to the game, both teams had efforts ruled out for offside.

    Stones turned the ball into his own net but he was saved by the flag.

    Also, Ilkay Gundogan converted a low ball in from Phil Foden but, again, the attempt was rightly ruled out.

    Kevin De Bruyne struck the post with a thundering drive from outside the penalty box.

    Later on, Foden also put the ball in the net for Manchester City but the visitors were foiled by offside once again.

    It was an open and entertaining game, with Manchester City looking sharper.

    But Manchester United were competitive as they sought revenge for last year’s defeat by their neighbours at the same stage of the competition.

    Manchester City then went ahead five minutes after the break when Foden whipped in a free-kick from the left through a crowded box.

    Defender Stones bundled a cross home at the back post, the ball going in off his thigh.

    Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced a brilliant save to tip over a strike from Riyad Mahrez, after the Algerian had burst forward from the halfway line.

    Fernandinho made sure of the win seven minutes from time with a stunning volley as he pounced on a headed clearance from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

    Manchester United have now lost at the semi-final stage in their last four Cup campaigns, leaving manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still searching for his first final since taking over at the club.

    “We’re getting closer. This is a much better version of Manchester United than a year ago in those semis,” said the Norwegian.

    “It’s not psychological, sometimes you meet good teams in the semis. Manchester City are probably the best team in England at the moment,” he added.

    Manchester City entered the field in number eight shirts in tribute to former player Colin Bell who died on Tuesday and Guardiola said they had honoured his memory.

    “It’s for Colin Bell and his family. He helped to build something special for this club. It’s an incredible victory for us to beat Manchester United away and it was for him absolutely,” he said.

    “The team is ready and it was an outstanding performance. We dipped a little bit in the second half, we were tired… But when the team has this mentality they can do something incredible. It’s not the Champions League but four times in a row to reach the final —– I’m so impressed,” he said.

  • Carabao Cup: Man Utd keeper fires warning at Man City

    Carabao Cup: Man Utd keeper fires warning at Man City

    Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson hopes to start tonight’s Carabao Cup semifinal against Manchester United.

    The two Manchester giants face each other at Old Trafford with a trip to Wembley on the line and United looking to avenge their defeat to City at the same stage last season.

    Henderson looks set to keep his starting spot after his assured showing against Everton in the quarter-finals and is eager to secure a crucial derby victory.

    “This one will mean a lot,” he told Manchester United’s official website. “Obviously the vibe will be massive throughout the city.

    “The city is mostly red, and we need to paint it red. But we’re getting better all the time, so hopefully we can get a good result.

    “One team has got to win it, so I think both teams will go for it. We’ll probably take the game to them and have a go, and see what comes off.”

    The 23-year-old has kept clean sheets in all of United’s games in the Carabao Cup and was solid against Everton, making a save at full-stretch to keep out Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick in the 2-0 victory.

    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping for a similarly confident performance from his keeper in the Manchester derby tonight as United look to make their first major final in three years.

    “It’d be fantastic,” Henderson said. “I know a few Man City fans from when I was growing up, and obviously there was rivalry between us, even at school and things like that.

    “To beat them and to be involved in it would be a dream come true.

    “They’re the sort of things you think about as a young kid. It’d be amazing, and something I’m really looking forward to.

    “The club’s built on silverware. We need to win trophies and obviously we’re improving and evolving on the pitch, but no one cares unless we win trophies. So we need to put that to the forefront of our minds, and we need to find a way to do that.

    “Whether it’s the Carabao Cup, the Premier League or the Europa League or the FA Cup, we need to turn these good performances into silverware.”

  • Man City record 3 more COVID-19 positive tests

    Man City record 3 more COVID-19 positive tests

    Manchester City reserve goalkeeper Scott Carson, midfielder Cole Palmer and a member of staff have tested positive for COVID-19, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

    The result came in hours before their League Cup semi-final at Manchester United.

    The trio join a growing list of individuals who have contracted the disease at the club.

    Manchester City missed six players due to positive tests in their 3-1 league victory against Chelsea last weekend.

    The club said in a statement that they would observe a period of self-isolation in accordance with league and UK Government protocols on quarantine.

    Manchester City’s game at Everton last week was also postponed due to several positive cases in their camp.

    The Manchester club have joined Newcastle United, Sheffield United and Fulham among those who have suffered virus outbreaks.

    The Premier League returned 40 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the highest in a week this season, after two rounds of testing last week.

  • Kevin De Bruyne to reject Man City contract offer

    Kevin De Bruyne to reject Man City contract offer

    Kevin de Bruyne will reject a new contract offer from Manchester City.

    De Bruyne’s current contract still has two-and-a-half years remaining on it, but City opened talks with him last year as they wanted to reward him with an improved, long-term extension.

    However, no agreement has been reached yet and according to The Times, De Bruyne has been left disappointed by City’s first offer and is likely to turn it down.

    The Belgian midfielder, who played a starring role in City’s 3-1 victory over title rivals Chelsea on Sunday, is understood to earn in the region of £280,000-a-week on his present deal.

    But there are a number of other Premier League stars on more lucrative deals, such as Manchester United’s David de Gea and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil, who pocket an eye-watering £375,000 and £350,000 a week respectively.

    City’s vice-captain is the second highest-paid player at the club but believes his status as the best player in the Premier League should be reflected in his pay packet.

  • ‘I am not concerned’, Lampard speaks on City defeat

    ‘I am not concerned’, Lampard speaks on City defeat

    Chelsea manager Frank Lampard insisted he is not worried about being sacked after his side lost 3-1 at home to Manchester City on Sunday.

    The Blues have won just one of their last seven Premier League matches and sit eighth in the table, seven points behind Liverpool having played a game more than the reigning champions.

    Pressure is building on the former Chelsea and England midfielder, but he does not fear losing his job at this point.

    “I am not going to speak for the people above or the board,” he said at a press conference after the match.

    “I can’t answer about my contract, the run and the difficult results, I can only speak as the manager of the club.”

    He added: “I am not concerned on that. I just spoke to the team after the game about how I expected periods of difficulty. I know it doesn’t come easy.

    “A month ago, people were discussing when was I going to get a new contract. Pressure remains constant. My job is to keep working and pick up the players.

    “I had tough periods last year. Maybe I had some mitigating circumstances so people didn’t view them the same but I had a really good run in November and we lost three home games in December that we controlled.

    “We lost 1-0, 2-0, 1-0 and to me they felt tough and rough. I am a perfectionist who wants the best for this club.

    “The first person who puts on the pressure is me. At times, last year, I wanted to push and be even better than fourth, even though I felt it was an achievement considering the ban and the youth in the squad.

    “This season the 16-game unbeaten run was something I was always trying to temper as it went on. We breezed through our Champions League group.

    “I didn’t take much notice of that because I felt that with the players and the way they were playing that we should get through and we showed some really good form.”