Tag: Manchester City

15Jan By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool held to draw By Forest,Man City Blow Late Lead

Diogo Jota of Liverpool scores a goal to make it 1-1 during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool at the City Ground in Nottingham, United Kingdom, on January 14, 2025. (Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Liverpool’s charge towards the Premier League title was halted by stubborn Nottingham Forest in a 1-1 draw between the top two on Tuesday as Manchester City’s resurgence came undone in a 2-2 draw at Brentford. Chris Wood fired Forest in front early on at a raucous City Ground, but Liverpool dominated almost the entire 97 minutes and got back on level terms thanks to substitute Diogo Jota’s goal with his first touch. Only a brilliant goalkeeping performance from Matz Sels denied the leaders victory, but the point maintained a six-point cushion...

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4Jan By Football Flame1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Haaland scores twice as Man City thrash West Ham

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 04: Erling Haaland of Manchester City scores his side's third goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and West Ham United FC at Etihad Stadium on January 04, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images) Manchester City thrashed West Ham United 4-1 in the Premier League on Saturday to claim their first back-to-back wins since October thanks to two goals from Erling Haaland in one of their best performances in weeks. The champions are sixth in the table on 34 points, 11 behind leaders Liverpool who have two games in hand. "No," City boss Pep Guardiola told the BBC when asked if his team are back in the groove. "It is happier to win but we are still not like we were for different reasons. The result wil...

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26Dec By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Man City’s Walker left out of Everton game

Kyle Walker of Manchester City looks o during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Manchester City FC at Villa Park on December 21, 2024 in Birmingham, England. Manchester City captain Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish have missed out on the matchday squad for today's Premier League clash with Everton. Walker was named on the bench for Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa before replacing the injured John Stones at half time. But this time he is not even in the squad as City look to halt their run of nine defeats in their last 12 matches. He is joined on the absentee list by Grealish, who played the full 90 minutes against his former club as he was booed by Villa fans over the weekend. City have stated that Walker is unwell, while Grealish has been deemed short of match fitnes...

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24Dec By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Guardiola defends Haaland’s dip in form

Pep Guardiola has defended Erling Haaland, who has shouldered the brunt of the blame for Manchester City's dismal run.The Norwegian striker once again failed to score in City's defeat at Aston Villa, meaning he has only netted three goals in his last 12 Premier League games. He has played the full 90 minutes in all but one game during City's dismal run of form in which they have won just one match in 12, losing nine of them.Guardiola stuck up for his striker in the aftermath of their sixth league defeat of the season, stating without Haaland his side would 'be even worse'. And Guardiola doubled down on his comments on Christmas Eve, making a point of not singling out the forward in what has been his worst period in charge of the champions.'It's about us, not just one player,' said Gu...

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13Dec By Football FlameNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Man City could cash in on Phillips in 2025 summer

Kalvin Phillips of Manchester City poses for a portrait during the Manchester City FC Portraits Session at Manchester City Football Academy on August 14, 2024 in Manchester, England. Matheus Nunes and Kalvin Phillips have been linked with moves away from Manchester United, and the defending champions would be willing to sell them in 2025. According to a report by Give Me Sport, Manchester City will consider selling Matheus Nunes and Kalvin Phillips at the end of the 2024/25 season, and it remains to be seen whether they can find a potential suitor for the duo. Matheus Nunes is not been able to live up to the expectations since joining Manchester City, and the Premier League champions need an upgrade on him before they look to part ways with him in the 2025 summer transfer window. On the...

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7Dec By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Guardiola insists fatigue not a factor in City’s dropping points

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 7: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Manchester City FC at Selhurst Park on December 7, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images) Pep Guardiola refused to blame fatigue after his injury-depleted 10-man Manchester City side were held to a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Erling Haaland cancelled out Daniel Munoz’s fourth-minute opener with his 13th goal of the season, drawing him level with Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot race. Maxence Lacroix fired the hosts back in front after the break, but Rico Lewis salvaged a point in the 68th minute before he was sent off for picking up a second yellow late on. With Liverpool’s Merseyside der...

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4Dec By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

De Bruyne back to brilliant form as Man City return to winning ways

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 4: Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City shouting during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Etihad Stadium on December 4, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images) Kevin De Bruyne starred as Manchester City ended their four-game losing streak in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. The Belgium international created the first goal and grabbed the second, and The Citizens’ dominance continued after the break as Jeremy Doku added a third. The result moves Pep Guardiola’s side inro fourth as Forest remain sixth. Manchester City finally ended their seven-game winless run with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Etihad. The result ends P...

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4Dec By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Guardiola responds to rumours of Man City fall out with De Bruyne

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola watches the players from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 1, 2024. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images) Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has rubbished sugg...

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2Dec By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool beat Man City to take commanding EPL lead

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola holds up six fingers to the fans indicating the number of Premier League titles he has won after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Anfield on December 1, 2024 in Liverpool, England. Liverpool have been used to second best during Pep Guardiola's era at Manchester City, but a 2-0 victory over the crisis-hit champions left little doubt over who are the team to beat in this season's Premier League title race. Goals in either half from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah at Anfield on Sunday did not do justice to the scale of the Reds' domination as City succumbed to a sixth defeat in a seven-game winless run. Arsenal and Chelsea are now Liverpool's closest challengers, nine points behind, with City 11 back and almost cer...

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28Nov By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool’s Focus Turns to Man City

Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid runs with the ball under pressure from Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid C.F. at Anfield on November 27, 2024 in Liverpool, England. Following Wednesday night’s demolition of Real Madrid, a game more lopsided than the final 2-0 scoreline, Liverpool are officially through to the knockout rounds of the new look Champions League with three games to spare. There’s still plenty to play for with the top eight getting a pass to the Round of 16 and a second leg at home once they get there, but there’s only one club that can say they’re through after five league phase matchdays and that side is Liverpool. For the players, though, the first thoughts f...

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25Nov By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Pep Guardiola says age not a factor in Manchester City’s loss of form

Pep Guardiola, Head Coach of Manchester City, reacts during the UEFA Champions League match between Sporting CP and Manchester City at Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 5, 2024. Pep Guardiola has denied that a key factor in Manchester City’s run of five consecutive defeats is that nine of his squad are aged 30 or older, with the manager pointing to how the same players were Premier League champions last season. The 4-0 defeat by Tottenham on Saturday was their second loss in the sequence to Ange Postecoglou’s team, the others coming against Brighton, Sporting and Bournemouth. This is City’s poorest run under Guardiola, and the worst of his 15-year coaching career. Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Ederson, Stefan Ortega, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündogan,...

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24Nov By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Kyle Walker backs Manchester City to recapture their ‘mojo’ despite slump

Kyle Walker and Erling Haaland of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Etihad Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Manchester, England. Kyle Walker insists Manchester City have not lost confidence despite Saturday’s fifth consecutive defeat to Tottenham, with the captain insisting beating Feyenoord on Tuesday will recapture the champions “mojo”. City were routed 4-0 by Ange Postecoglou’s side at the Etihad Stadium, a third league reverse of the losing sequence. They remain on 23 points, five behind Liverpool, who can extend their advantage to 11 if Arne Slot’s side win at Southampton on Sunday and beat City at Anfield on Sunday-week. Pep Guardiola’s team next face Feyenoord in the Champions League. Walker said: “We’re going t...

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10Nov By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool go five points clear as Man City lose again

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield on November 9, 2024 in Liverpool, England. Liverpool opened a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 home defeat of Aston Villa after Manchester City slumped to a fourth successive defeat as Brighton & Hove Albion hit back to beat champions 2-1 at home on Saturday. Arne Slot’s side made it nine wins from their opening 11 league games with a Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah scoring the goals in a deadly demonstration of counter-attacking. City took the lead with Erling Haaland scoring his 12th league goal of the campaign but late goals by Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley stunned Pep Guardiola’s side who enter the international break with much to ponder. Liver...

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1Nov By Football FlameNo Comments

LALIGA

Pep Guardiola reveals the reason behind his departure from Barcelona

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 26: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Southampton FC at Etihad Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) FC Barcelona has had the privilege of being able to count on several extraordinary managers throughout the club’s history. This included the likes of Johan Cruyff and now includes German head coach Hansi Flick as well. However, for almost every Barcelona fan and even for neutrals, the most successful coach at the club is a rather obvious name.Pep Guardiola, the current head coach of a dominant Manchester City side over in the Premier League, was formerly the head coach of FC Barcelona. However, while that may have been ...

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31Oct By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Guardiola admits Man City are ‘in difficulty’ as injuries mount up

Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, reacts during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 30, 2024 in London, England. Pep Guardiola claimed Manchester City were in trouble after they suffered further injuries in a 2-1 loss at Tottenham in the Carabao Cup to leave them with only 13 first-team players available. Already without Kyle Walker, Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish for the fourth-round tie, Manuel Akanji was withdrawn ahead of kick-off before Savinho left on a stretcher in the second half. Guardiola was measured after first-half goals by Timo Werner – his first in 18 matches – and Pape Sarr inflicted a first defeat of the campaign on City, but he acknowledged p...

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29Oct By Football FlameNo Comments

NEWS

Manchester City’s Rodri wins Men’s Ballon D’Or award as Real Madrid boycott ceremony

Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Rodri receives the Ballon d'Or award during the 2024 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 28, 2024. Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was awarded the men's Ballon d'Or on Monday after winning a fourth consecutive Premier League title and Euro 2024, but Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony. The decision to award the prize for the world's best player to the deep-lying midfielder came as a surprise, with Real Madrid's Liga and Champions League double winner Vinicius Junior widely seen as the pre-ceremony favorite. Hours before the festivities in Paris, the Spanish club announced its delegation would not attend the ceremony at Chatelet Theatre because of what it perceived as a snub of Vinicius. R...

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28Oct By Football FlameNo Comments

TRANSFERS

Manchester City, PSG plot raid on Barcelona for €30 million-rated star

Inaki Pena of FC Barcelona with the ball during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 26, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly keen on signing 25-year-old Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena. According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are hoping to sign 25-year-old goalkeeper Inaki Pena from La Liga outfit Barcelona, and they would have to pay €30 million for him. There is no doubt that both clubs have the financial muscle to get the deal done, and it will be interesting to see if they follow up on their interest with an official offer to sign the Spanish goalkeeper. Inalki Pena is not a key player for Barcelona, and he won’t be a regular sta...

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27Oct By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Pep Guardiola issues Man City reality check despite Liverpool vs Arsenal title race bonus

Manchester City's Manager Josep Guardiola during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Southampton FC at Etihad Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Manchester, England. Pep Guardiola will settle down on Sunday afternoon to watch Liverpool take on Arsenal knowing his Manchester City side are top of the Premier League. City beat Southampton on Saturday to leapfrog Liverpool at the top of the Premier League ahead of the leaders travelling to third-placed Arsenal on Sunday. Elsewhere on Saturday, Aston Villa and Brighton moved up places in the top five but were both held and Guardiola says the results so far this season prove that nothing can be taken for granted - especially after seeing City given two tough contests against the bottom two sides in the last week. "I will watch...

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25Oct By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Pep Guardiola: Manchester City missing key quartet for Southampton game

  Pep Guardiola has confirmed Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku all remain unavailable for Saturday’s home Premier League game against Southampton. Guardiola, who named only 15 outfield players in his squad for this week’s Champions League win against Sparta Prague, also admitted he had no idea when De Bruyne would return to contention. When asked if De Bruyne and Walker were available, Guardiola said: “No, not yet.” And when pressed on whether De Bruyne’s extended absence due to a thigh injury was a concern, Guardiola added: “Yes of course. I’d prefer to have all the squad (fit) with the amount of games, but it is what it is. “Hopefully he can come back soon. I don’t know (when) yet. I would like to tell you, but I don’t know.” Playmaker De Bruyne has been out si...

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15Oct By Football FlameNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Manchester City target Rúben Amorim as next manager if Pep Guardiola leaves

Manchester City are strongly considering the Sporting Lisbon head coach Rúben Amorim as their next manager if Pep Guardiola leaves when his contract expires at the end of the season. Guardiola said last weekend that “anything can happen” in terms of his future. The importance of City having a succession plan is clear and the link with Amorim, regarded as one of the best young managers in Europe, is understandable. The 39-year-old is a close ally of Hugo Viana, who will take over from Txiki Begiristain as City’s director of football next summer. The desire for a smooth transition means Viana, who has been at Sporting since 2018, will collaborate with Begiristain before the 60-year-old retires at the end of the season. There is the prospect of an immediate recruitment challenge given that G...

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