The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Manchester City

  • Birthday: Sterling buys ‘small thing’ for big sister

    Birthday: Sterling buys ‘small thing’ for big sister

     

    Premier League star Raheem Sterling has bought his beloved sister a house in London for her 27th birthday.

    The Manchester City forward, who earns £180,000 a week, took to Instagram to film the moment where he surprised his 27-year-old sibling by blindfolding her and leading her up to her new pad.

    Sterling, 23, told his followers about the ‘big day’ and that he had got a ‘small gift’ for his sister, Kima-lee. He was then seen hushing the camera as he helped his sister out of the car before approaching the house.

    The England international, who moved from Liverpool to Manchester City for £49million in 2015, is usually brilliant at helping his team-mates on the pitch but the winger struggled when assisting his sister up her new garden path.

    As they got nearer, phone flashes filled the doorway as loved ones waited silently for the pair and the big reveal. A collective shout of ‘surprise!’ then greeted the duo as the sister took off the blindfold.

    Kima-lee was then mobbed by family as they ushered her in to her new living room where golden balloons spelled out ‘yours’.  She then hugged her baby brother as a thank you before family and friends sang ‘happy birthday’.

    He said on Instagram: ‘My sister @kymiah_mae had an amazing birthday. I thank the Lord for your beautiful soul and personality. Our story, we don’t need to talk too much, but at least we can thank the Lord we past the worst.’

    In June 2016, Sterling showed off a mansion that he bought for his mother just hours after he had arrived back in Britain following England’s disastrous performance at Euro 2016 which saw them knocked out by Iceland.

    He was seen smiling as he took a group of friends on a private tour of the luxury home near London. He later showed off an extravagant bathroom, complete with a matching silver toilet and a glittering jewel-encrusted sink.

    Sterling – who dubbed himself ‘The Hated One’ after a poor performance for England against Russia in 2016 – has scored 41 goals in 105 games for Manchester City, with nearly half of those strikes coming this season.

    Sterling had an absent father, who was later shot dead in the family’s native home in Jamaica, and moved to England aged five. He joined Queen’s Park Rangers as a boy but moved to Liverpool aged 15 for £600,000 in 2010.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Guardiola looks to another Cup after Wigan upset

    Guardiola looks to another Cup after Wigan upset

    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has refused to blame his players after the runaway English Premier League leaders were knocked out of the English FA Cup by third-tier Wigan Athletic.

    Monday’s 1-0 fifth round defeat at the DW Stadium was like a repeat of the 2012-13 final match won by Wigan when the Latics were in the top tier.

    However, it ended Manchester City’s hopes of an unprecedented league and Cup quadruple this season.

    “Congratulations to Wigan for the qualification,” Guardiola, whose team was reduced to 10 men at half-time, said.

    “We did absolutely everything. We made a mistake and this kind of game is like a final. OK, we accept the defeat,” added the Spaniard.

    “Wigan won congratulations to them and now we rest to prepare for the League Cup final.”

    Manchester City is to face Arsenal in the final of that competition at Wembley next Sunday.

    They were overwhelming favourites against opponents fighting for promotion from League One.

    But Manchester City was always wary of Wigan’s proud reputation as a ‘bogey team’ in the world’s oldest and most romantic domestic cup competition.

    Apart from beating them in the 2013 final, Wigan had also dumped them out at the quarter-final stage of the competition at the Etihad Stadium a season later.

    Read Also: Guardiola eager to watch Mahrez against Man City

    That was just as Manchester City was heading for the league title under Manuel Pellegrini.

    They started with their Argentine top scorer Sergio Aguero, and had Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne waiting on the bench.

    But neither was able to make the most of their side’s dominant possession.

    In the end, the match turned on the sending-off of Fabian Delph on the stroke of half-time with the Manchester City midfielder shown a controversial red card for a sliding tackle.

    His team mates crowded around the referee in protest, but it was all in vain.

    Wigan’s prolific goalscorer Will Grigg then fired in a 79th minute winner.

    However, in spite of his obvious anger at the time, Guardiola steered clear of criticism of the official after the final whistle.

    “Red card. It was the decision,” he said.

    “They had one shot on target, I don’t have regrets with the way we played, the performance, the heart,” continued the manager.

    “I judge my players on intentions and not results and the intentions were good.’’

    NAN

  • Aguero claims player of the month for January

    Aguero claims player of the month for January

     

    Sergio Aguero has won his fifth Premier League player of the month award, claiming the prize after scoring five goals in four Manchester City league appearances during January.

    Aguero has thrived in the injury-enforced absence of fellow forward Gabriel Jesus, with his goals ensuring City are on track to romp to the Premier League title.

    The 29-year-old began 2018 with a goal in a 3-1 defeat of Watford, following up with a brace against Burnley in the FA Cup and a late headed winner in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final against Bristol City.

    Aguero was not on target in City’s 4-3 loss at Liverpool – their first domestic defeat of the season but he scored a perfect hat-trick in a 3-1 home win against Newcastle United.

    With five Premier League player of the month awards to his name, Aguero is just one behind the joint-record holders, Spurs striker Harry Kane – the December winner – and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

    Aguero, rapidly closing in on 200 goals for City, has continued his blistering form into February, scoring four goals in Saturday’s rout of Leicester City.

    The Argentina international was also on target in City’s last match, a 4-0 demolition of Swiss side Basel in the Champions League last-16 on Tuesday.

    January’s managerial prize went to Eddie Howe after Bournemouth climbed out of the Premier League’s relegation zone and into the top half during the month, ending Pep Guardiola’s run of four successive victories.

    Willian claimed the goal of the month award for Chelsea’s superb team effort in a Premier League win at Brighton and Hove Albion.

  • Manchester City title wins can help De Bruyne claim Ballon d’Or

    Manchester City title wins can help De Bruyne claim Ballon d’Or

    Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne will be a serious Ballon d‘Or contender if he wins major titles with the English Premier League club, his club manager Pep Guardiola says.

    De Bruyne has been vital to Manchester City’s dominance this campaign with the 26-year-old notching a league-high 14 assists, including three in Saturday’s 5-1 rout of Leicester City.

    “No doubt,’’ Guardiola told reporters when asked if the Belgian could win the prestigious individual award. “He is not (just doing it in) one game. It’s the whole season, every three days playing that way.

    “But he knows and everyone knows, to be there you have to win titles — and titles and titles, especially one. But the way he’s played it’s difficult to find one (better) in Europe.”

    De Bruyne has scored 11 goals and provided 18 assists across all competitions for Manchester City this season, helping them establish a 16-point lead atop the league table.

    Read Also: Manchester City get chance for revenge at Wigan in FA Cup

    But the midfielder is not focused on individual honors.

    “To be fair, when I am busy playing football I don’t care (about that),” De Bruyne said.

    “I do everything to win titles with the team. What happens after is an extra. I am very pleased with the way everything is going for me. I am playing this way because the team is playing this way…

    “At the end, if you get an individual honour, it is beautiful.”

    Manchester City remains in contention to win the quadruple as they prepare for Tuesday’s match against Basel in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.

    This will be followed by an FA Cup fifth round clash against Wigan Athletic and the League Cup final against Arsenal.

    NAN

  • Man City’s Mangala moves to Everton on loan

    Man City’s Mangala moves to Everton on loan

    Everton have signed France centre back Eliaquim Mangala on loan until the end of the season from Manchester City subject to clearance from the Premier League.

    Mangala found himself surplus to requirements at the league leaders, who broke their club record to sign Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte on Tuesday, for a reported 57 million pounds fee.

    “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to play for Everton and I cannot wait to pull on the royal blue jersey for the first time and give my all for the supporters,” Mangala told Everton’s website.

    Read Also: City in talks over Mangala

    The 26-year-old, who joined City from Porto in 2014 and spent most of last season on loan in Valencia, has made nine league appearances this season, including five from the bench.

    He is Everton’s third signing of the January window, following the arrivals of winger Theo Walcott from Arsenal and striker Cenk Tosun from Besiktas.

    NAN

  • Cuckoo Smurfing Ex-footballer bags 5yrs jail

    Cuckoo Smurfing Ex-footballer bags 5yrs jail

     

    A former Manchester City player Ryan Mcdowell, has been jailed for five years for directing  a drug money laundering racket

    McDowell -who was a youth player for Manchester City – and his cronies delivered piles of drugs cash stuffed into suitcases and bin bags to other criminals.

    The technique is known as ‘cuckoo smurfing’, which allows criminals to move cash from one bank to another undetected.

    McDowell, 33, of Rainhill, was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court after being observed channeling at least £550,000 through the ‘professional’ network of money launderers, and an additional £142,000 through his own bank accounts.

    Judge Alan Conrad, QC, sentencing, told him: ‘Yours was the leading role of the defendants before the court, in which you were directing operations and dealing in considerable sums of cash – carrying on over a period of time  undeterred by stops or seizures.

    ‘Your fall from grace has been spectacular. Having had a once promising career with a Premier League football club you now find yourself facing a long prison sentence.’

    Mark Dillon, 55, of East Orchard Lane, Fazakerley, and taxi driver Robert Sloan, 46, of Steeple View, Kirkby, were also jailed for 26 months and 12 months respectively for making and organising huge deliveries of cash under orders from McDowell.

    Receiving the cash were Muhammed Ikram, 46, from High Street North, East Ham, London, and Syed Abbas, 56, of Corporation

    Road in Newport who operated a money laundering ‘nerve centre’ from a tiny flat in Manchester.

    McDowell’s then girlfriend, Ashleigh Garrett, 29, of Martin Close in Rainhill, was spared jail and handed a 26 week prison term, suspended for two years, and 150 hours unpaid work, for allowing him to deposit dirty money in her bank account.

  • Otamendi agrees Man City contract extension

    Otamendi agrees Man City contract extension

     

    Manchester City have secured the long-term future of Nicolas Otamendi after agreeing to extend his contract to 2022.

    The Argentine international has been a key figure under Pep Guardiola this season and has been rewarded with a two-year extension to the deal he originally signed when joining from Valencia in 2015.

    Otamendi’s new contract will take him past his 34th birthday and could therefore see him bring an end to a stellar playing career at the Etihad Stadium.

    Following an unconvincing start to life at Manchester City, Otamendi has thrived under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola, who described the Argentine international as a ‘superman’ earlier this season.

    Guardiola said: ‘We have a superman in the team in Nico.

    ‘Without Nico we wouldn’t have done what we’d done. He’s been amazing. Even with pain, in the ankle and knee, he always fights.

    ‘What I admire the most is the fact that maybe something is not his strength but he tries and he does it.

    ‘It’s not easy to play 40 metres in front. It’s so demanding. These kind of things can only happen if you are brave.

    ‘He’s reading the situations on where to pass amazingly. I’m really impressed. He’s reading it well. The runs in behind, when to jump, when not to.’

    The Spaniard’s claim is backed up by the stats as Otamendi is currently the leading passer in the Premier League this season with 2,033 completed. That is almost 400 ahead of the next nearest defender, Cesar Azpilicueta.

    Otamendi has made 118 appearances for Manchester City and boasts 51 caps for his country.

  • Adarabioyo acquires £2.25million mansion.

    Adarabioyo acquires £2.25million mansion.

     

    Nigeria born Manchester City youngster, Tosin Adarabioyo who is yet to start a Premier League match, has splashed £2.25million on a choice mansion.

    Adarabioyo, who last year negotiated a £25,000-a-week contract after threatening to leave, is the new owner of a six-bedroom home in Knutsford, Cheshire.

    The 20-year-old defender has made just seven appearances for the club in the cup games and the Champions League – but has never featured in the English Premier League.

    The three-strorey detached mansion boasts five bathrooms, a home cinema, gym and spectacular views overlooking a golf course.

    The home is in Cheshire ‘Golden Triangle’, where footballers including Cristiano Ronaldo, Peter Crouch and Phil Jagielka had lived

    Long touted as one of the better prospects in Manchester City’s academy, Adarabioyo stalled slightly last season amid a minor contract dispute with the club.

    He threatened to leave amid interest from Everton and Celtic, but his brother and agent, Gbolahan, negotiated a last minute deal with City of £1.3million a year to keep him at The Etihad.

    After penning fresh terms towards the end of the last campaign, he has been given opportunities by Pep Guardiola.

    He is regarded as the symbol of Man City’s youth academy and is a physical presence at the back comparable with more mature players and a good reader of the game.

    Adarabioyo is of Nigerian descent, but he rejected advances from the African country to play for England’s youth teams even as he has not ruled out the possibility of playing for Nigeria in future.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Sergio Aguero scores twice in Burnley thrashing

    Sergio Aguero scores twice in Burnley thrashing

     

    Sergio Aguero scored a quick fire double as Manchester City opened up the fourth leg of a potential quadruple with a hard-fought comeback victory at the Etihad Stadium.

    Pep Guardiola’s men trailed to an Ashley Barnes strike following a bad error from John Stones before Aguero struck twice — assisted on both occasions by Ilkay Gundogan.

    David Silva then set up a third goal for Leroy Sane before substitute Bernardo Silva wrapped up the scoring.

    Aguero fired home after 56 minutes with City’s first shot on target after Gundogan found him with a quickly-taken free-kick, and then benefited from a backheel by the same player before rounding Nick Pope to score.

    Sane, whose shooting and crossing had been wayward most of the afternoon, then justified Guardiola’s decision to keep him on the pitch by sliding in a third goal from an acute angle. He then set up recently-arrived Bernardo towards the end.

    It kept the Premier League leaders on course to win all four major trophies this season and there was a poignant standing ovation for Silva after 21 minutes – his shirt number – as a show of support following the birth of his premature baby.

    Guardiola named a strong Manchester City XI despite being in the middle of a run of 16 matches in 59 days, with the Champions League to follow after that.

    Despite having most of the possession, they lacked their usual zip and sparkle without Kevin De Bruyne and the only first-half scares for Pope were a free-kick from Gundogan on the edge of the box that hit Burnley’s wall and a shot from Oleksandr Zinchenko that skimmed the roof of the net.

    In contrast, Burnley looked a threat on the rare occasions they broke forward though they should give Stones the assist for taking the lead after 25 minutes.

    City continue to win regardless of the competition. Next is Bristol City in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday.

  • Sterling attacker bags 16 weeks jail term

    Sterling attacker bags 16 weeks jail term

     

    In what could pass for leaning the hard way, a man has been sentenced to 16 weeks in prison for a racist attack on Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling.

    Karl Anderson, 29, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated common assault after Sterling was attacked as he arrived at City’s Etihad complex before Saturday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur.

    Salford Magistrates’ Court heard Anderson had kicked and shouted racial abuse at the 23-year-old England international.

    Anderson has 25 previous convictions for 37 offences, including throwing a flare at a police officer during a football match.

    The court was shown CCTV of Anderson driving his van alongside Sterling’s vehicle as the player waited to enter the training ground on Saturday.

    Both men then got out of their vehicles and Anderson walked towards Sterling.

    Carl Miles, prosecuting, said Anderson, who had been in the vehicle with his partner, began shouting racial abuse at Sterling.

    Miles said: “He sets out kicking Mr Sterling to the legs on four occasions.”

    The court heard Sterling’s left hamstring was sore after the attack but he did not suffer serious injuries.

    In a victim personal statement, which was read to the court, the footballer said he had been “completely shocked” by the incident.

    He said: “I didn’t think this type of behaviour still happened in this country in this day and age.”

    Sentencing, chairman of the bench Diana Webb-Hobson said: “This was an entirely unprovoked attack. You stopped your car and you got out.

    “The personal statement was very moving, we find injury was sustained.”Magistrates also ordered Anderson to pay £100 compensation and £115 victim surcharge.

    Karl Anderson, 29, booted the winger four times and hurled a volley of abuse at the star who plays for United’s rivals City including racial slurs.

    Anderson confronted the 23-year-old before his team’s 4-1 win against Tottenham on Saturday as the star got out of his black car at player’s entrance to the training complex in Manchester.

    High definition CCTV footage of the incident, which lasted around a minute long, was shown in court.

    The court heard Anderson had 25 previous convictions for 37 offences, with a number for football violence.

    In 2009, a judge branded Anderson a “bully and a coward” for racially abusing an Asian motorist. Anderson was jailed for four months after admitting a racially aggravated assault on Shafiqul Islam in August.