The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Manchester City

  • UCL: Son’s late winner gives Tottenham edge over Manchester City

    Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min’s late goal sealed a 1-0 home victory against Manchester City in an absorbing Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

    With Spurs talisman Harry Kane having hobbled off injured and favourites City beginning to turn the screw, Son sent the home fans inside the London club’s majestic new stadium into delirium.

    The South Koreasn fired past Ederson in the 78th minute.

    Quadruple-chasing City, beaten at the same stage last year by Liverpool, were not at their slick best.
    To make matters worse, Sergio Aguero’s first-half penalty miss proved costly.

    The Argentine’s spot kick was superbly saved by Hugo Lloris after VAR adjudged defender Danny Rose to have handled.

    Tottenham showed great discipline to preserve their lead and will now go to The Etihad next Wednesday with their hopes of a first Champions League semi-final appearance intact. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Early Jesus goal sends Man City into FA Cup final

    Gabriel Jesus’s early headed goal was enough for quadruple-chasing Manchester City to beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 on Saturday and reach the FA Cup final.

    Back at the scene of their League Cup triumph over Chelsea, Pep Guardiola’s side were not at their rampant best against a Brighton side with their minds still on top-flight survival.

    It took City three minutes to go ahead at a less-than-full Wembley, Jesus diving full length to connect with Kevin De Bruyne’s superb whipped cross.

    Whatever game-plan Brighton boss Chris Hughton had devised to stop a relentless City side was presumably now in tatters, but the expected onslaught did not materialise.

    Read also: Benzema brace gives Real Madrid victory over Eibar

    City had a let-off when Kyle Walker was perhaps fortunate not to get a red card in the first half following a clash with Alireza Jahanbakhsh and they never looked totally secure as Brighton caused problems.

    There were not too many major alarms, however, as City claimed their 21st win from their last 23 matches in all competitions.

    They will play the winners of Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers who meet in the second semi-final on Sunday.

    City lost the Premier League top spot to Liverpool on Friday, although they are only two points adrift with a game in hand. They face Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League quarter-finals. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Man City Goalie Ederson dazzles with more tattoo collection

     

    Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has added to his extensive tattoo collection with a lion, eagle and gloved hands inked onto his back.

    After the work was completed, the artist Adao Rosa posted a picture of the end product on Instagram.

    At the top of the back is some biblical imagery with a Christ-like figure and angel wings.

    Below is an eagle to the left, dragon on the right and then some goalkeeper hands catching a football above a very detailed image of a lion’s head

    Inch by inch, the 25-year-old seems to be covering his whole body.

    He already has a skull around his Adam’s apple and a rose beneath his ear. There are three female faces on his right arm above a sleeve.

    On the left arm there is a name on his bicep and a crown on top. On his chest is another nod to his religious beliefs with the words: ‘I belong to Jesus’, inked onto him.’

    Ederson shows no sign of slowing down before long could have the majority of his body covered in tattoos.

    The City goalkeeper has again impressed on the pitch this season and been a key part of the team’s march towards a historic quadruple.

    He kept his 31st clean sheet in all competitions on Saturday in the 2-0 win over Fulham and is now preparing to take on Cardiff this Wednesday.

     

     

     

     

  • Man City to play pre-season games in China

    Manchester City will play their pre-season matches in the Chinese cities of Nanjing and Shanghai in July as part of the Premier League Asia Trophy, the English champions said on Tuesday.

    City is part of a four-strong contingent at the tournament, along with Newcastle United, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

    City’s first match is a semi-final at Nanjing’s Olympic Sports Centre on July 17, which will determine whether they take part in the third-place playoff or final at Shanghai’s Hongkou Stadium on July 20.

    “We’re delighted to return to China and take part in the Premier League Asia Trophy,” City’s chief operating officer Omar Berrada said in a statement.

    READ ALSO: Man City faces two-window transfer ban

    “China is a special place for City – it’s where (manager) Pep Guardiola began his City tenure in 2016 and we have a huge number of passionate followers across the country.”

    Last month, City Football Group (CFG) announced it had jointly purchased China League Two side Sichuan Jiuniu FC.

    CFG is a holding company in which Abu Dhabi United Group own an 87 per cent stake with the remaining 13 per cent held by the China Media Capital consortium.

    City announced last month that they would play a pre-season match in Japan for the first time as part of their Asian Tour, and are set to take on J League side Yokohama F. Marinos, in which CFG owns a minority stake, on July 27.

    Guardiola’s team are currently second in the Premier League table, two points behind Liverpool who have played one game more.

  • Man City faces two-window transfer ban

    Manchester City will be banned from making signings in the next two transfer windows by FIFA for breaking rules related to the protection of youth players and third-party ownership, according to reports.

    The club is already being investigated by the Football Association and Premier League for allegations related to youth transfers and financial fair play rules, with the latter also being looked at by European football’s governing body UEFA. That investigation could result in City being banned from the Champions League.

    A transfer ban for the Premier League champions would come less than a month after Chelsea was also hit with the same sanction for 29 breaches of article 19 of FIFA’s regulations on the transfer and status of players.

    The west London club has already lodged an appeal against that punishment but were told by FIFA last week that the sanction would not be frozen while the case is being reviewed, as Chelsea had hoped.

    FIFA has been investigating City’s international transfers for several years, although the club was cleared of breaking the rules when it signed Benjamin Garre from Velez Sarsfield in 2016 just after the Argentine midfielder’s 16th birthday.

    According to The Sun, FIFA believes City has crossed the line, though, in regards to their relationship with FC Nordsjaelland and the Right To Dream football academy in Ghana that is also owned by the Danish side’s president Tom Vernon.

    Last year, two players from the academy, Sierra Leone’s George Davies and Ghanaian Dominic Oduro, told Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that they signed for City and played in youth matches before they turned 18.

    Both have since left City – Davies now plays in Latvia and Oduro in the United States – but FIFA has been investigating their time with the English club.

    And that investigation was broadened later in 2018 when a second Danish newspaper, Politiken, published a story that claimed City had a secret deal with Vernon to have first refusal on the best prospects from Right to Dream.

    If true, that would be a breach of the rules preventing the third-party ownership of players, as City could be argued to have undue influence over another club’s players.

    In regards to international transfers of players aged under 18, they are only allowed in three circumstances: the players’ parents have moved to the new country for non-footballing reasons, they and the club are based close to the relevant national border or the transfer takes place within the European Economic Area and the player is at least 16.

    As well as Chelsea, Spanish trio Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all been punished for signing under-age players from abroad in the past.

    Real were able to get their ban reduced on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport – an avenue Chelsea and now perhaps City will also explore.

    Neither Manchester City nor FIFA were available for comment on Thursday night.

  • UCL: Man. Utd draw Barcelona as Tottenham face Man. City in Quarter-Finals

    Manchester United will slug it out with FC Barcelona for a place in the last four of the 2018/2019 UEFA Champions League.

    According to the draws by UEFA on Friday, last year’s finalist, Liverpool, will book a date with FC Porto while Tottenham will play Manchester City.

    Juventus will travel to Holland to face AFC Ajax for a place in the last four.

    The quarter-final first legs take place on 9 April and 10 April.

    Read Also: Messi hat-trick saves Barcelona

    The semi-finals start on 30 April and 1 May.

    The draw continued with the winner between Tottenham and Manchester City billed to face whoever overcomes between AFC Ajax and Juventus in the semi-finals and the the winner between Manchester United and FC Barcelona booking a last-four date with the winner between Liverpool and FC Porto.

    The 2019 final will takes place on 1 June in Madrid.

     

  • Gundogan hints on end of season Man City Exit

     

    Ilkay Gundogan revealed talks over a new contract will resume at the end of the season, with his Manchester City future in doubt.

    The midfielder’s deal only runs until 2020 and Pep Guardiola has urged him to pen fresh terms.

    Gundogan is keeping his options open and could leave the Etihad Stadium. City may have a decision on whether or not to cash in on him this summer

    ‘There is no decision yet otherwise I would’ve signed,’ Gundogan said. ‘I’d say we are still in talks but I don’t feel much pressure.

    ‘After the season we’ll talk again. My main target at the moment is going for all four competitions.

    ‘Playing under Pep is the main thing now. One day we’ll need to make a decision.’

    The 28-year-old has suggested he may look for a new challenge in another country ahead. Gundogan had only played in Germany until joining City in 2016.

    ‘This is something you decide for yourself,’ he added. ‘My next contract will decide where I’ll maybe finish my career.

    ‘Everyone feels different; maybe they have an inner feeling to go for a new challenge. I’m always open-minded for challenges.

    ‘It’s a personal situation. It’s not obvious, you have to make their own decision and I try to play as well as possible.

    ‘In modern football, especially if you have ambitions, you have to prove that you have to play under these demands, this number of games and the intensity. ‘There is not a huge difference between here and somewhere else.’

  • Liverpool go top of EPL with draw at Manchester United

    Liverpool took over at the top of the English Premier League (EPL) table in spite of being held to a 0-0 draw by Manchester United on Sunday.

    Juergen Klopp’s side now have 66 points from 27 games.

    Second-placed Manchester City, who play Chelsea in the League Cup final later on Sunday, have 65 points from the same number of games.

    The lone point gained means that Liverpool have the destiny of the title in their own hands now — with 11 games remaining.

    But they will also be disappointed not to have taken advantage of an injury-ravaged Manchester United.

    The hosts lost holding midfielder Nemanja Matic to injury before the game.

    Read Also: Manchester City end Liverpool’s unbeaten run, cut EPL lead to 4 points

    Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera went off in the 20th minute and Juan Mata was replaced by Jesse Lingard five minutes later.

    But Lingard didn’t even last until the break as he suffered what appeared to be a recurrence of his hamstring strain and limped off to be replaced by Alexis Sanchez.

    Amid those three Manchester United injuries, Liverpool also lost their Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino to a muscle strain.

    After such a messy first half, neither side were able to truly get into their stride in a disappointing game.

    NAN

     

  • Manchester City crush Chelsea 6-0 as Aguero scores another hat-trick

    Manchester City’s on-fire striker Sergio Aguero struck his second hat-trick in a week as the champions ruthlessly destroyed woeful Chelsea in a 6-0 win at The Etihad on Sunday.

    The title-holders return to the top of the English Premier League (EPL) with the victory, level on 65 points with Liverpool but ahead on goals difference.

    They have however played one more game than their rivals.

    Third-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Leicester City 3-1 earlier on Sunday, are five points behind.

    Aguero, who scored a hat-trick seven days ago against Arsenal, has now equalled Alan Shearer’s record of 11 Premier League hat-tricks.

    Raheem Sterling fired Manchester City ahead in the fourth minute with a side-foot finish after a quick free-kick from Kevin De Bruyne had caught the Chelsea defence napping.

    After Aguero had somehow missed an open goal from two metres, the Argentine promptly beat goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with a blistering strike from 25 metres.

    A poor header towards his own goal from Chelsea’s Ross Barkley gifted Aguero with City’s third goal and then a low drive from Ilkay Gundogan made it 4-0 after 25 minutes.

    Following the break, Aguero, who also became City’s top scorer in league games, headed against the bar.

    He then completed his hat-trick from the penalty kick spot after Sterling had been brought down by Cesar Azpilicueta.

    Sterling completed the rout, turning in a low cross from Oleksandr Zinchenko in the 80th.

    The defeat was Chelsea’s worst since their 7-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in 1991. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Manchester City back on top as Jesus double sinks Everton

    Gabriel Jesus scored twice as Manchester City beat Everton 3-1 on Saturday to pile the pressure on English Premier League title rivals Liverpool, who host Manchester United on Sunday.

    The win takes Pep Guardiola’s side, who lost for the first time in the league this season with a 2-0 loss at Chelsea last week, back to the top.

    They now have a two-point advantage over Liverpool.

    It was not a vintage performance but Manchester City avoided a second straight slip-up, silencing any suggestion that they may be about to stutter in their title defence.

    “The players responded in a marvellous way. Everton have top players and today (Saturday) was tricky, a dangerous, dangerous game,” Guardiola said at The Etihad Stadium.

    It is two years since Manchester City lost consecutive league games, and they have never gone successive league matches without scoring under the Spaniard.

    A midweek win over Hoffenheim in the UEFA Champions League should have dealt with any lingering hangover from the Stamford Bridge defeat but Manchester City started poorly on Saturday.

    Their passing was unusually imprecise, the movement a little disjointed and Everton, set up for a counter-attacking game, should have taken the lead in the 15th minute.

    That was when Lucas Digne skinned Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker and curled in a cross from the left, but Richarlison’s attempted volley was off target.

    Seven minutes later and Manchester City showed that even when they are off-rhythm they can still punish any sloppiness.

    A poor clearance from Yerry Mina, Everton’s Colombia defender, gifted Manchester City possession and Leroy Sane, chosen ahead of Raheem Sterling, slipped in Jesus who confidently slotted past Jordan Pickford.

    As so often at the Etihad the opening goal changed the match with Everton on the back foot from then on.

    “Until the moment they scored, the game was what we expected. We were blocking them and they didn’t create one chance,” said Everton manager Marco Silva.

    “The biggest chance was our chance with Richarlison. Against these teams we have to be effective when we create opportunities to score.

    “We made a mistake with the first goal. They scored and after that they were more comfortable,” he said.

    Sane was the creator again when Jesus doubled Manchester City’s lead five minutes after the break, with a header from a pinpoint cross by the Germany winger.

    Silva was clearly disappointed that, in spite of playing with three central defenders, Jesus was left unchallenged to convert a goal that put Manchester City in firm control.

    Everton showed some resilience though, fighting back with a fine header from Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the 65th minute.

    But the hosts restored a two-goal cushion when substitute Sterling was left unmarked to head in a Fernandinho cross with his first touch.

    Manchester City have won their last 10 home league matches scoring a total of 36 goals.

    Guardiola, while aware of his team’s slow start, was pleased with the reaction to the Chelsea defeat.

    “It was a tricky game with less than three days recovery after a UEFA Champions League game and it was in our minds we were going to suffer today and we did,” added Guardiola. “The game was not over until the end.

    “But we have fantastic players, human beings, and they made a fantastic effort to win the game,” he said.