The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Manchester

  • EPL: Crises at City, United overshadow Manchester derby

    EPL: Crises at City, United overshadow Manchester derby

    It would have seemed inconceivable at the start of the Premier League season that by the time the Manchester derby rolled around it would be Pep Guardiola’s City enduring a crisis so serious it has distracted attention from United’s malaise.

    That has really taken some doing. After all, United sacked manager Erik ten Hag in October, parted ways with sporting director Dan Ashworth this week after just five months and sit 13th in the table under new manager Ruben Amorim.

    United’s 3-2 home defeat by Nottingham Forest last weekend underlined the size of the task Amorim faces at Old Trafford.

    Yet it is City’s meltdown which is the main talking point ahead of Sunday’s clash at The Etihad Stadium.

    Guardiola’s side have won once in their last 10 matches in all competitions, sit fourth in the Premier League, eight points behind leaders Liverpool, and are in danger of a humiliating exit from the Champions League.

    Beset with injuries to key players and drained of confidence, City’s 2-0 defeat by Juventus on Wednesday had some pundits declaring the end of Guardiola’s golden era.

    “We just have not seen a Pep Guardiola side in general ever be this bad. He has to find a way of galvanising this team and reinstalling some form and confidence,” former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said. “They are under real pressure now.”

    All things are relative though. Since United’s last Premier League title in 2013, City have won it seven times, six under Guardiola including the last four.

    City still possess a squad full of serial winners and Guardiola, having signed a two-year contract extension, is hardly likely to walk away or be shown the door any time soon.

    Read Also: PSG to cough  N131.8 billion for Osimhen next month

    The Spaniard is not immune to criticism though and City fans will demand a return to business as usual, starting with the visit of United on Sunday.

    “Of course, I question myself in the good moments and the bad moments. I was stable in the good moments and I’m stable in the bad moments,” Guardiola said after defeat in Turin left his side in 22nd place in the 36-team Champions League group.

    United have conceded a total of 13 goals in their last three Premier League visits to their local rivals and will be wary of being on the receiving end of a city backlash.

    But they did beat them in last year’s FA Cup final and will believe they can feed off City’s sudden fragility which has seen them concede 21 goals in all competitions since the start of November, more than any other club in Europe’s big five leagues.

    Before City and United battle to restore lost pride on Sunday, Liverpool will return to Premier League action with a home game against Fulham on Saturday.

    Last week’s postponement of the Merseyside derby because of stormy weather allowed second-placed Chelsea to reduce the Reds’ advantage to four points, albeit having played a game more.

    Arne Slot’s Liverpool side maintained their 100% Champions League record on Tuesday by beating Girona 1-0, albeit with a display not to the Dutch coach’s liking.

    Slot has set very high standards already and Fulham are likely to be in for a long afternoon at Anfield.

    Chelsea, who face a 16-hour round trip to Kazakhstan in the Conference League this week, albeit without most of their first team, host Brentford on Sunday in a game that promises goals with the pair already having scored a combined 66 this term.

    Third-placed Arsenal, who are six points behind Liverpool, host Everton tomorrow before Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa — sitting fifth and sixth respectively — meet.

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  • Manchester City splash out on Wolves’ Nunes

    Manchester City splash out on Wolves’ Nunes

    Manchester City signed Portugal midfielder Matheus Nunes from Wolves in a £53 million ($67 million) deal ahead of the transfer deadline.

    Nunes did not train with Wolves earlier this week in a bid to convince the Molineux club to sell him to City after the transfer appeared in danger of collapsing.

    Read Also: Chelsea interested in signing Man City forward Palmer

    The 25-year-old finally got his wish to join City after the treble winners improved their offer.

    He agreed a five-year contract with City and admitted he can’t wait to work with boss Pep Guardiola.

     “I’m so happy to be joining Manchester City, the champions of Europe and a club I’ve admired for a long time,” Nunes said. “The opportunity to work under Pep Guardiola, one of the greatest managers ever, and alongside some of the best players in the world was something I couldn’t turn down.

     “I’ve learned so much during my season at Wolves and I’m excited to continue improving in the Premier League, a division which brings the best out of me.

  • Man City held at Burnley after late Gudmundsson equaliser

    Man City held at Burnley after late Gudmundsson equaliser

    Premier League leaders Manchester City paid the price for missed chances as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Burnley on Saturday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s 82nd minute equaliser ensured that the hosts earned a share of the spoil at Turf Moor.

    City had dominated possession throughout most of the game, which they strolled through for large spells.

    But after taking the lead with a beautiful strike from Brazilian Danilo in the 22nd minute, they failed to press home their advantage.

    Raheem Sterling produced one of the misses of the season – somehow putting the ball wide just one metre out from the empty goal and Burnley made the most of that let-off.

    City extended their lead to 16 points over second-placed rivals Manchester United, who were hosting Huddesfield Town later on Saturday. City now have 69 points from 26 games.

    City manager Pep Guardiola, without the injured David Silva, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus, named only six substitutes including club record signing Aymeric Laporte, signed for a club record 57 million pounds last week.

    In an attacking line-up, Burnley boss Sean Dyche gave winger Aaron Lennon his first start since joining from Everton.

    City went ahead when a short corner was worked to Danilo and, enjoying plenty of space, the Brazilian unleashed an unstoppable drive from outside the area.

    The Clarets were struggling to create openings but when Jack Cork looped the ball into the area, it fell to defender Ben Mee whose volley forced a good save from Ederson.

    Former City youth team player Mee had another half-chance minutes later but his header from a corner flashed just wide.

    City showcased their quality in the 39th minute with a flowing move from the back, ending with a powerful drive from Kevin De Bruyne which keeper Nick Pope did well to keep out.

    After the break, there was almost a repeat of the opening goal when City again found Danilo from a corner but this time the full back’s shot was tipped over by Pole.

    Somehow Burnley was still in the game and they came close to leveling when a fine Lennon strike was pushed against the woodwork by Ederson.

    That brought the game to life and City pushed forward with increased urgency and should have doubled their leads when Kyle Walker played the ball across the face of goal and somehow Sterling put it wide from point-blank range.

    City was made to pay when Burnley substitute Matt Lowton floated in a cross from the right and Gudmundsson met it on the half-volley to fire home.

    The hard-fought draw gave the hosts one of the more memorable results of a season that has defied expectations.

    Man City boss Guardiola, expressed disappointment after the match, saying that even though his side’s performance was outstanding, they missed a lot of chances at goal.

    “Of course we are frustrated in terms of the result but the performance is outstanding against a Burnley side who are the most British of teams in terms of long balls and the way they play.

    “But football is about goals. We need to score the second, third and fourth when we have the chance.

    “When you arrive in the last 15 minutes at Burnley 1-0, this is what can happen. I’m sad for the players because we played so well.

    “What they have done this season, Burnley, is amazing. We controlled the game, but when we arrived in the last minutes at 1-0, there was danger,’’ he said.

    Burnley manager Dyche in his post-match reaction, hailed his team for putting up a good performance against the premier league leaders, adding that they had to dig in to get a result.

    “I was really pleased. City is a top class side. We’ve been beaten 3-0 and 4-1 by them in our two previous games. We have to change something.

    “We didn’t really play with the quality needed in the first half.

    “In the second half, City started really well and we had to dig in and did the ugly stuff. Then the confidence started to build.

    “We started putting quality into their box, and in the end it was a fantastic ball and a fantastic goal.

    “We don’t dominate too many games with the ball so we’ve got to keep our shape. You can’t all be glory. Not when you’re us.

    “You have to do the ugly stuff. But we still have some fine quality and we show that with goal.

    “We are not saying we’re the real deal but we’re working hard to be better than last season and we’re doing that.” (NAN)

  • Manchester City get chance for revenge at Wigan in FA Cup

    Manchester City get chance for revenge at Wigan in FA Cup

    Manchester City have a chance to get revenge over Wigan Athletic for their 2013 FA Cup final defeat after being drawn against the third-tier leaders in the fifth round of the competition.

    Wigan snatched the only goal in the final against City with Ben Watson’s late header to lift the famous old trophy, though they were relegated from the Premier League that season.

    Manchester United visit Huddersfield Town or second-tier Birmingham City while Chelsea, who lost to Arsenal in the 2017 final, host Championship side Hull City after Monday’s draw.

    Read Also: Manchester City to boost Nigerian fan-base with Premier Cool

    West Bromwich Albion and Southampton meet in an all-Premier League clash, second-tier Sheffield United are at Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion welcome 1987 winners Coventry City.

    If Tottenham Hotspur beat Newport County, the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, in a fourth-round replay they will travel to second-tier Millwall or Rochdale of League One.

    Spurs beat Millwall 6-0 in last season’s quarterfinals.

    Championship side Sheffield Wednesday will meet League Two Notts County or Premier League strugglers Swansea City.

    The ties will be played from Feb. 16-19.

    Reuters/NAN

  • Martial helps United sink Spurs 1-0

    Substitute Anthony Martial’s 81st minute strike gave Manchester United a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday to keep them in touch with Premier League leaders Manchester City.

    After last week’s surprise defeat at Huddersfield Town, Jose Mourinho’s team could not still afford another slip-up, but they found it hard to break down a resilient Spurs’ defence.

    Tottenham, without their top scorer Harry Kane, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury, could have gone in front in the 76th minute when Christian Eriksen threaded a superb ball towards Dele Alli.

    But, the England midfielder’s effort went the wrong side of the post.

    Romelu Lukaku headed a Jesse Lingard cross against the post, United finally broke through and it was in direct fashion.

    A long ball from goalkeeper David De Gea was flicked on by Lukaku into the path of the on-running Martial and the Frenchman confidently slotted past Hugo Lloris.

    United moves on to 23 points, two points behind leaders, City, who also defeated West Bromwich Albion by three goals to two on Saturday, while third-placed Spurs are on 20. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Manchester City make it 3 out of 3 with win over Napoli

    Manchester City make it 3 out of 3 with win over Napoli

    Manchester City beat Napoli 2-1 in their UEFA Champions League Group F match on Tuesday, maintaining their 100 percent record after three games.

    Pep Guardiola’s side were however forced to hang on in spite of going 2-0 up inside 13 minutes.

    Manchester City started as they left off in their 7-2 crushing of Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday.

    They attacked with a speed and fluency which the Serie A leaders struggled to cope with.

    Raheem Sterling put the home side ahead in the ninth minute, finishing with his left foot after Kyle Walker’s attempt to convert a David Silva pull-back was blocked.

    Four minutes later, the in-form Kevin De Bruyne created the second, powering down the right flank and delivering a pinpoint low cross to Gabriel Jesus who made no mistake.

    The Premier League leaders were producing wave after wave of attacks and the appreciative crowd sensed that this could be another massacre.

    De Bruyne fired a long-range shot against the bar in the 25th minute after a swift City counter-attack, and then Jesus had a goalbound effort cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly.

    But then Manchester City began to lose focus, sloppily giving the ball away in dangerous positions, slowing down their breaks, and Napoli sensed that the game might not be just about damage limitation.

    The Italians had an opportunity to narrow the deficit in the 38th minute after Kyle Walker gave away a penalty kick.

    But City’s Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson produced a fine save to keep out Dries Mertens’ spot-kick.

    After the break, Napoli grew into the game, with some clever touches and smart movement troubling the City defence.

    John Stones needed to use his midriff to stop a Marek Hamsik shot that was heading for an open goal.

    Napoli’s reward came when they got a second chance from the spot in the 73rd minute, this time Amadou Diawara firing home after Faouzi Ghoujlam was tripped by Fernandinho.

    Despite some late pressure from Maurizio Sarri’s side, City showed some grit as they held on to secure their third straight win which leaves them on top of the group with nine points.

    “We knew they played patient football and had attacking threat. We knew it would be tough but we wanted to play our football,” said City defender John Stones.

    “At times it was great to watch. I am upset to concede the goal we did, but overall … a great team performance.

    “We have put ourselves in a good position (in the group). There are a lot of games to play still. This was a good test to see where we are at,” he added.

    Napoli are third on three points, trailing second-placed Shakhtar Donetsk who are on six.(Reuters/NAN)

  • Manchester City ahead of United with win over Chelsea

    Manchester City ahead of United with win over Chelsea

    Manchester City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the English Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chelsea.

     Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United romped to a 4-0 victory over bottom club Crystal Palace, Manchester City had much the better of the late game at Stamford Bridge.

    “We are so happy,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “The way we played, especially in the second half, was pleasing.”

    A second-half goal by former Chelsea forward Kevin de Bruyne won it and left City just ahead of United on goal difference.

    Chelsea, starting the day three points behind the Manchester pair in third place, dropped to fourth.

    This was after two more goals from Harry Kane helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comfortable 4-0 win away to Huddersfield Town.

    Manager Antonio Conte blamed UEFA Champions League exertions from midweek for his team’s subdued performance.

    “It is logical when you play three games in seven (sic) days you risk something,” he said.

    United’s win left Palace rooted to the bottom of the table after a record seventh successive defeat without a goal to start the season.

    Beaten 5-0 away by City in their last game, Palace avoided a repetition but became only the second team since the Premier League began to lose their first seven games.

    Unlike Portsmouth in 2009-10, though, they have not scored a single goal.

    Romelu Lukaku’s late strike meant that free-scoring United have hit four goals in a game six times this season.

    Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scored before halftime and when Fellaini headed in his second just after the interval, the points were made even more secure.

    “We started strong and we finished strong,” said Mourinho.

    England striker Kane continued his astonishing run by following up a Champions League hat-trick in midweek with two more goals as Spurs went 3-0 up by halftime at promoted Huddersfield.

    Ben Davies scored the other first-half goal and Moussa Sissoko added a fourth just before the final whistle.

    Kane, having failed to score at all in August once again, made it 13 for club and country during September.

    “Goals to games it is probably the best month I have had, especially after August,” he said.

    Watford recovered from two goals down at West Bromwich Albion to go fifth after the home team scored twice in three minutes in the first half.

    They scored through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans.

    Abdoulaye Doucoure kept Watford in contention and Brazilian Richarlison headed an equaliser in the final minute of added time.

    Substitute Peter Crouch earned Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Southampton after Maya Yoshida had equalised Mame Biram Diouf’s opener.

    Earlier Saido Berahino, who has not scored for 30 games, missed a penalty kick conceded by Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk, playing his first game of the season.

    In two key games at the wrong end of the table, West Ham United had a late 1-0 win over Swansea City to move above them.

    Bournemouth were held at home by Leicester City.

    West Ham relieved some of the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic when two of his substitutes combined for a dramatic winning goal.

    Arthur Masuaku crossed for Diafra Sakho to score, taking the London side out of the bottom three and putting Swansea there instead.

    “It was a difficult atmosphere in some ways,” West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart said of a home crowd who grew increasingly restless.

    “I‘m never going to criticise the fans, they pay their money and have a right to their opinion.”

    Bournemouth stay bottom but one after dominating against Leicester but failing to score as Jermaine Defoe came closest in the second minute, hitting the bar.

    In Sunday’s three matches, sixth-placed Liverpool meet up with their former manager Rafa Benitez, now in charge of Newcastle United, while  Arsenal host Brighton and Everton are at home to Burnley.(Reuters/NAN)

  • Arsenal reject £50m from Manchester City for Sanchez

    Arsenal reject £50m from Manchester City for Sanchez

    English Premier League side Arsenal have rejected a £50 million bid from rivals Manchester City for Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez.

    Sanchez, who scored 24 Premier League goals for the Gunners last season, is out of contract next summer and has reportedly said he wants to play for City manager Pep Guardiola.

    Arsenal have rebuffed all approaches for the 28-year-old, and would like City’s Raheem Sterling as part of any deal before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

    But Guardiola, who was in charge at Sanchez’s former club FC Barcelona, is understood to want the Chilean as a straight purchase.

    England forward Sterling has featured in all three of City’s games so far this season.

    However, the 22-year-old is not guaranteed a starting role at Etihad Stadium following the summer arrival of Bernardo Silva from Monaco.

    Sanchez had joined Arsenal from FC Barcelona in 2014 for a fee of about £35 million and won the FA Cup for the second time last season.

    Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had said few weeks ago that Sanchez would “respect” his decision and stay.

    The Chilean made his first appearance of the season in the Gunners’ 0-4 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday, coming off for Alexandre Lacazette after 62 minutes.(NAN)

  • British student jailed 15 years for planting bomb on train

    British student jailed 15 years for planting bomb on train

    A British student, who left a homemade bomb packed with ball bearings and shrapnel on a London underground train on its way to the Canary Wharf financial district last October, was jailed for 15 years on Friday.

    Damon Smith, 20, set the timer and left the train but the bomb failed to explode and was later reported by passengers.

    It was made safe by police at North Greenwich station on the Jubilee line, one stop away from Canary Wharf.

    During a search of his home, police found a blank firing pistol, a knife and a knuckleduster while on social media he had “liked” a number of videos relating to explosions.

    A forensic scientist was also able to reconstruct a shredded document to reveal it was pages from an al Qaeda-published magazine that gave instructions on bomb-making.

    A list of materials needed for making a bomb were found on his iPad and components needed to make a device were discovered at his home.

    Smith claimed the device was just a smoke bomb and that whole incident had been a prank but was convicted at London’s Old Bailey court earlier this month of planning to cause an explosion.

    “We have seen this week the horrifying impact a bomb can have. And whilst there is no connection between Manchester and Greenwich it brings into stark reality just how devastating it could have been,” Cdr. Dean Haydon said.

    “The bomb Smith made was a viable device, but it failed to detonate, which was our good fortune.”

  • Authorities believe they know identity of Manchester attacker

    Authorities believe they know identity of Manchester attacker

    British authorities believe they know the identity of the Manchester suicide bomber who killed 22 people including children at a pop concert, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday.

    May added that the “cowardice of the attacker was met by the bravery of the emergency services and the people of Manchester” in remarks given at Downing Street, as cited by the Press Association.

    “This was among the worst terrorist incidents we have ever experienced in the United Kingdom,” she said.

    “And although it is not the first time Manchester has suffered in this way, it is the worst attack the city has experienced and the worst-ever to hit the north of England.”

    NAN reports that 22 people, including some children, were killed and 59 were wounded when a suicide bomber struck as thousands of fans streamed out of a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in the English city of Manchester on Monday.

    May called an emergency meeting with intelligence chiefs on the deadliest militant assault in Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London’s transport system in July 2005.

    Witnesses related the horror of the blast which prompted a stampede just as the concert ended at Europe’s largest indoor arena