FOOTBALL UPDATE

It was a physical encounter with the home side’s players being on the receiving end, in comparison to previous matches involving Man City, of some hefty challenges. Ashley Barnes, Sam Vokes, Nick Pope and Phil Bardsley all had to receive treatment in the first-half for various niggles but thankfully were all okay to continue. Manchester City continued their theme of dominancewhich was visible against Cardiff and West Brom, seeing the vast majority of possession and chances in the first 45 minutes but unusually lacked the final product to take advantage. Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan couldn’t connect well with balls from Bernardo Silva as the 'Sky Blues' would go on to rue these missed chances. As Sean Dyche’s team has one of the best defences in the Premier League,  it appeared as if only a sensational goal would break the deadlock this time around. Pep Guardiola's side did ...

  Kevin De Bruyne slammed James McClean for a crude attempted tackle in Wednesday's feisty clash between Manchester City and West Brom, saying the "ball wasn't in the neighbourhood". City ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, but much of the attention after the match was on West Brom's tackling. Substitute Brahim Diaz was on the end of a strong Matt Phillips challenge five minutes from time which left Pep Guardiola angry. Phillips only received a booking for his tackle, the same punishment dished out to McClean 22 minutes from time, when he made a callous attempt to bring De Bruyne down on the break with a studs-first lunge, but luckily for the Belgian, the contact was minimal. De Bruyne was not aware quite how ugly McClean's challenge was until seeing a replay after the game and he was not particularly impressed with the winger's conduct. "I didn't know the tackle was like that," De Bruyne told reporters.  "I've just see...

Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has signed a two-year contract extension to keep him with the Premier League leaders until June 2020. The Brazil international has been a mainstay of Pep Guardiola's side as City have established a 12-point advantage in England's top flight this term. Former Barcelona boss Guardiola has labelled the 32-year-old as "one of the best three holding midfielders in the world" and insisted he would not have got into this City team during his playing days due to Fernandinho's quality. With Pep in charge, I feel sure we can win significant silverware and, importantly, we will try to do it playing attractive, attacking football. As Yaya Toure moves towards an expected exit when his deal expires in June, City have been linked with moves for Shakhtar Donetsk's Fred and Nice's Jean Michael Seri to bolster an area of Guardiola's squad where Fernandinho reigns supreme. "This is a club with a fantastic future and ...

Pep Guardiola's side saw their unbeaten start to the league season come to an end as Liverpool's 4-3 victory inflicted City's first top-flight loss in 30 matches dating back to April. Manchester City had arrived on Merseyside with pundits predicting they would go through the entire season without defeat, but instead they were blown away by Liverpool, who raced into a 4-1 lead before conceding twice in the final moments. Otamendi was part of City's defensive meltdown as they failed to deal with Liverpool's pace and movement. But the Argentina centre-back is confident City, who hold a 12-point lead over second placed Manchester United, will put that behind them and get back on track when Newcastle visit Eastlands on Saturday. "The season is going really well and we want to keep going in that way," Otamendi said. "We are very focused on every single game, and afterwards we try to recover in the best way we can and be focused for the next. ...

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain credited a second-half "rampage" from Liverpool with ending Manchester City's unbeaten run in the Premier League. The former Arsenal midfielder set in motion a thrilling 4-3 win for Jurgen Klopp's men, who responded to Leroy Sane's equaliser five minutes before half-time by putting City to the sword after the break. Roberto Firmino caught out John Stones to get on the end of Oxlade-Chamberlain's throughball and dink a finish past Ederson, the first of three goals in a dizzying nine-minute spell, with Sadio Mane and the excellent Mohamed Salah also getting in on the act. It meant a first loss in 23 Premier League outings for Pep Guardiola's side this term, whose heads cleared in the closing stages as substitute Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan set up a grandstand finish. "It's a nice statement for us. They've been brilliant all year, they’re a fantastic side," said Oxlade-Chamberlain, who felt Liverpool t...

Alexis Sanchez will earn up to £60,000-a-week more if he opts for Manchester United over rivals City, claims the Sun.  Pep Guardiola is a big admirer of his former Barcelona charge, but is willing to go as high as a  £20 million fee and £290,000-a-week for his services. Not only will United gazump their neighbours by some £10m, but they are also prepared to offer as much as £350,000-a-week to land the Arsenal star in January.

Guardiola is pleased to see the high-possession, high-pressing and high-intensity approach he espouses has found popularity elsewhere in the Premier League, complimenting both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur on the way they play. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss saw his style questioned as he struggled to make an early impact at the Etihad Stadium, suffering the first trophyless season of his coaching career last term as City finished third in the table. The transformation this season has been remarkable, with City having dropped just four points in 22 league matches as they remain in contention for an unprecedented trophy quadruple. Having faced suggestions his style could not work in England, Guardiola is delighted to have proved his critics wrong, adding he loves to see other teams playing his way. "I like that, because more than a manager, I'm a fan. When I have to choose, those are the type of teams I like to watch," he said. "Barcelona, ...

A commendable performance from the visitors saw them heartbroken as Sergio Aguero nodded home in stoppage time to give City a slender advantage for the return fixture. Bristol had worked very hard to get a draw and the result still leaves the tie very much open.  With such displays it is certainly within the realm of possibility that Bristol City will be visiting this stadium as a Premier League equal next season, and a record-breaking 8,000 travelling fans made the trip up north for the clash, making it the largest away following at the Etihad since it opened. In the Carabao Cup, the Robins are looking to reach their first major final since 1909 and City stood in their way in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, with the side managed by Lee Johnson looking to go back to Ashton Gate with something to cling onto. An away goal and a feeling that they tested the runaway Premier League leaders will spur them on as they try to replicate...

Manchester City kept alive their chances of winning four trophies this season, coming back from a goal down to beat Burnley 4-1 in the FA Cup third round on Saturday with two goals from Sergio Aguero.  The Argentine striker helped rescue the tie for Pep Guardiola's team after they trailed to Ashley Barnes's first-half opener for their Premier League rivals. But the equaliser, in the 56th minute, was not without controversy as Ilkay Gundogan's quickly taken free-kick caught Burnley unprepared and played Aguero clean in on goal for City's all-time leading scorer to complete a routine finish.  That led to a furious reaction from Burnley players, who clearly felt the free-kick had been taken too quickly and Guardiola and his opposite number Sean Dyche became embroiled in an angry argument with the fourth official and each other. That row was still ongoing when Aguero claimed a brilliant second, playing a pass to Gundogan, who back-heeled the ball cleverly back to ...

Manchester City are lining up a £35m bid for Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez. The Chile international looks set to join City on a free transfer this summer, when his contract with the Gunners expires. But the Premier League leaders are now ready to splash the cash this month in response to their injury problem and amid interest in Sanchez from French giants Paris Saint-Germain. City have lost Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus for around two months with a knee ligament injury. That leaves Sergio Aguero as Pep Guardiola’s only out-and-out striker as City compete on four fronts. PSG’s interest is another concern. With Sanchez now into the final six months of his Arsenal contract, he can already sign a pre-contract agreement with the big-spending Ligue 1 leaders. City are set to respond with a bid worth more than half the £60m they agreed with Arsenal last summer. That deal fell through when the Gunners failed to land Monaco’s Thomas Lemar as a replacement.

Pep Guardiola will be talking to the press ahead of FA Cup action. All  eyes are on the cup for Manchester City. The Blues begin their FA Cupadventure as they welcome Burnley to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. City are unbeaten in domestic competition this season and will look to continue the remarkable run against the Clarets. Guardiola will be speaking to the press later today where he is expected to be asked about any potential transfer additions in the January window. Speaking last month the Blues boss had confirmed strengthening his defence would be a priority for January. "We are thinking about it," he said. "In that department we have few, few, few players, and of course to handle all competitions we are in trouble, real trouble, but I can’t assure you anything. “With Txiki we’re going to see what will happen in January."

Gabriel Jesus will not require surgery on what the Manchester City star has said is a "small" and "not very bad" medial collateral ligament injury.  The Brazilian youngster overstretched during the first half of City's 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday, accidentally doing the splits. Although he did not need to be taken off on a stretcher, Jesus did limp off the pitch in tears and coach Pep Guardiola said after the match that he could face up to two months out. City confirmed on Monday that Jesus had suffered MCL damage, but the player took to his official Instagram account soon after to allay fears of a lengthy lay-off. He wrote:  "Today I went through an image exam on my left knee that diagnosed a small medial collateral ligament injury!  "Today I went through an image exam on my left knee that diagnosed a small medial colateral ligament injury! Thanks god it is not very bad and I won’t have to go through any surgery procedure.  ...

Manchester City were finally stopped from winning thanks to an admirable performance from Crystal Palace who certainly did more than their bit to make it a great contest.Crystal Palace, the team who lost their seven opening matches of the campaign before stunning Chelsea in October, looked did just that at Selhurst Park against none other than unbeaten Premier League leaders Manchester City.  The battling hosts came away with a point, which could have just as easily been three had it not been for Ederson's heroics. Despite starting on the front foot, Pep Guardiola's men struggled to dismantle the organised defensive scheme laid out by Roy Hodgson. The Eagles threatened City in equal measure, defending deep in their own half but proving a menace on the break and bringing the game to life with relentless tempo. Clear openings came at a premium at either end even though Sergio Aguero's deflected shot bounced off the post midway through the first half. The Argentine ...

Kevin De Bruyne was carried off on a stretcher late in Manchester City's 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday, with Gabriel Jesus also leaving the pitch injured and in tears, Pep Guardiola later confirming the Brazilian would be out for one or two months. Belgium international De Bruyne, who has been instrumental to City's success this season, suffered the injury after a collision with Palace's Jason Puncheon in stoppage time at Selhurst Park.Earlier in the match, Jesus landed awkwardly, and had to be withdrawn.    He made his way to the dressing room in tears, consoled by City's medical staff."Jesus will be out for one or two months," Guardiola said to reporters in his post-match press conference."The second half was a little better than the first, but we had some small problems and in the end, Ederson helped us get a point."

Manchester City may be on a record-breaking 18-game winning streak in the Premier League but winger Raheem Sterling says the runaway leader’s main focus is to continue collecting points from their upcoming matches. The 23-year-old scored his 13th league goal to help City record a 1-0 win at Newcastle United on Wednesday as Pep Guardiola’s side maintained their blistering run to extend their lead to 15 points. ”I don’t think anyone is really thinking about records,“ Sterling told the club’s website. "They’re nice to have on your CV but we have to keep winning and getting three points. “Records only stand for a certain amount of time. Three points add to the table.” The England international is now the league’s third leading scorer, behind Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and has already eclipsed his 10-goal haul across all competitions last season. “Most definitely, in terms of goals,” Sterling added when asked if he was performing at...