A shopping centre in Manchester, England, was evacuated and witnesses said they heard a “big bang” on Tuesday, just hours after a suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured 59 in the same area of the city.
Scores of people ran away from the center, a Reuters witness said.
“There are people coming out holding hands,” a Reuters photographer said.
Great Manchester Police would not comment when contacted for Reuters.
Marouane Fellaini was sent off for headbutting Sergio Aguero as Manchester City and Manchester United fought out an attritional goalless draw at Etihad Stadium to leave their hopes of a place in the Premier League’s top four still in the balance.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will be the happier after they extended their unbeaten league run to 24 games, a feat achieved without Fellaini in the closing stages after he was dismissed for a senseless headbutt on Aguero.
Argentine Aguero came closest for City when he hit the post early on and manager Pep Guardiola was left with an injury concern when keeper Claudio Bravo was taken off on a stretcher after injuring his calf catching a cross in the second half.
City substitute Gabriel Jesus had a later header correctly ruled out for offside as they remain in fourth place, with United a point behind in fifth as both sides have five games remaining.
United had 30.8 percent possession – their lowest figure in a Premier League game since Opta started recording possession in 2003-04.
But Mourinho’s side showed all the qualities that have ensured they have remained unbeaten in the Premier League since October to battle their way to a point here.
United spent much of the game on the back foot and almost the entire second half camped in their own territory, but showed the reserves of resilience, organisation and defiance that compensates for their current lack of stardust.
Michael Carrick provided the solid platform and for the most part City were frustrated, with too many efforts off target or lacking the power to trouble United keeper David de Gea.
United carried real threat in the pace of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial but their midfield lacked the guile to provide the right service.
This result keeps United right in the hunt for the top four as they stand in fifth place, one point behind City and two points behind third-placed Liverpool with a game in hand.
The biggest minus on their night was the crass stupidity of Fellaini, needlessly involved in the incident that saw him thrust his head into the face of Aguero.
This was deja vu for City and Guardiola – so much possession and territory, too little end result.
City created the best chances and effectively spent the second 45 minutes camped in United territory but as on so many occasions this season, including the FA Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal, possession and territory was not turned into scoreline supremacy.
Manchester City have confirmed that Gabriel Jesus has broken a bone in his foot after he limped off in the first-half of the side’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth.
A statement on the club’s website on Tuesday explained the 19-year-old has a fractured metatarsal and the extent of his lay-off will be revealed after examination from the club’s medical staff in the coming days.
The forward has scored three goals and made two assists in his first five appearances for the club since transferring from Brazilian champions Palmeiras.
Such had been the early impression he made that Jesus had ousted the established Sergio Aguero from City’s first-team.
Aguero came off the bench to replace Jesus at the Vitality stadium on Monday night and doubled City’s lead after Raheem Sterling had opened the scoring.
Manchester City star Raheem Sterling has stumped up £3.1million for a new family home in Cheshire.
The luxury five-acre pad, complete with its own wildlife pond, is in a leafy village that will provide a rural base for the England star, long-term girlfriend Paige Milian and their newborn son Thiago.
The 22-year-old purchased the five-bedroom, 7,500 square-foot property before Christmas after previously renting a £3million mansion in the same county.
The £180,000-a-week City winger’s new mansion neighbours several farms, with the stunning property boasting its own paddock and an additional one bedroom guest apartment over a triple garage.
Paige, a 22-year-old model, had childhood sweetheart Sterling by her side as she gave birth to Thiago in a Manchester hospital last week.
Sterling, who joined City for £49million from rivals Liverpool in 2015, also has a four-year-old daughter called Melody Rose from a previous relationship.
The new purchase comes after Sterling took his former home in Birkdale off the market before Christmas after failing to find a buyer.
The 22-year-old star put the four-bedroom mansion up for sale after moving from Liverpool to City last summer.
The four-bedroom property, in Birkdale, Merseyside, went on the market for £1.5m in August 2015 but the price was slashed to £1.2m – £50k less than he paid – in March of the same year.
Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has been fined £40,000 and warned about his future conduct by the Football Association for an Instagram post about referee Lee Mason.
The Manchester City defender suggested Mason’s officiating was like facing a 12th man in the immediate aftermath of Monday’s 2-1 victory over Burnley.
The Manchester City defender was also warned as to his future conduct, following the Independent Regulatory Commission hearing/
The player was charged in that his comment questioned the integrity of the match official and/or alleged and/or implied bias on the part of the match official, and/or brought the game into disrepute contrary to Rule E3 (1).
Sagna posted a photo with with the caption ’10 against 12.. but still fighting and winning as a team’ on the social network following City’s 2-1 win against Burnley on January 2.
The 33-year-old later amended the post to read ‘still fighting and winning as a team.’
A statement from the governing body said: ‘Bacary Sagna has been fined £40,000 for misconduct in relation to a comment posted on social media.
Manchester United boss, Jose Mourinho said it was a “human and professional decision” to allow midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger to rejoin first-team training this week.
The former Germany captain, 32, has trained alone or with the under-23 side since Mourinho took charge this summer.
Schweinsteiger last played for United in March, under Mourinho’s predecessor Louis van Gaal. “Schweinsteiger is back,” said Mourinho.
The Portuguese, whose side face Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, suggested fewer players taking part in training influenced his decision.
He said Schweinsteiger may play for United again despite recent reports suggesting he will leave in the January transfer window.
“If he stays with us he becomes one more option,” said Mourinho. “In this moment we have no problems in midfield like we do in defence.”
Schweinsteiger, a 2014 World Cup winner, was named in United’s Premier League squad for this season, but left out of their Europa League squad.
He has made 31 appearances for the club since his £14.4m move from Bayern Munich in July 2015.
Manchester United host Manchester City in a huge derby game at Old Trafford on Sunday. With just a point separating the sides, small margins could decide this one and that means winning personal battles…
Can Wayne Rooney get the better of Manchester City defenders? Could Sergio Aguero have too much for Marcos Rojo? And will it be Michael Carrick or David Silva pulling the strings in midfield?
Sky Sports pick out three key battles that could decide the Manchester derby…
The respective captains have enjoyed and endured a long-running battle for supremacy in this fixture that dates back years. It’s not always been friendly either with Rooney criticised for brandishing an imaginary card when angling for Kompany’s dismissal in 2012.
Rooney has certainly had his moments of glory too. Kompany could do nothing to prevent the Manchester United forward’s stunning overhead winner in 2011 and Rooney also scored braces away to Manchester City in each of the following two seasons – games in which the defender was sent off after 12 minutes in the first then substituted due to injury after 21 minutes in the second.
Kompany has had his highs as well. Plenty of them, in fact. He scored the only goal of the game in what turned out to be a decisive win in the title race in April 2012 and has played every single minute of City’s victories at Old Trafford in each of the past three seasons. The concern, however, is that the Belgian’s form is not what it was.
“Vincent Kompany has turned into Mr Rash,” said Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville last month. “I don’t know what’s happened to him. He needs to settle his game down.” Rooney does not appear in the mood to let his opponent off the hook either. He’s scored six goals in his last eight appearances for United and is revelling in his forward role.
“He’s proving now that he is Manchester United’s best striker, enjoying the role and scoring goals,” said Neville on Monday Night Football. Although Robin van Persie has confirmed his fitness ahead of the derby, it seems unlikely that United boss Louis van Gaal will want to change too much with Rooney in this form. How this battle shapes up could go a long way to deciding the outcome.
Rojo v Aguero
At the other end of the field, an Argentine duel could be critical for both teams and it seems that there might be a little animosity between these international team-mates. The pair reportedly fell out during last summer’s World Cup and when Aguero pulled out of a community event in the build-up to the November derby between the teams, Rojo jokingly suggested that the City striker might be scared of him.
Events at the Etihad Stadium proved that to be nonsense. Aguero had the better of it even before Rojo went off with a shoulder injury in the early stages of the second half, having run away from his marker once only to be hacked down and eluded him a second time before being denied by David de Gea. Aguero scored the winner – and only goal of the game – just seven minutes after Rojo departed.
United are better organised now and Rojo knows he’ll need to be vigilant. “In the penalty area he is a very quick mover and gets into position very quickly,” said the United defender. “He can be controlled, but it is up to us to keep an eye on where he at all times and get into him with a degree of firmness. You have to stick close to him, that’s for sure. Be very attentive.” Easier said than done.
Carrick v Silva
Silva excelled in the No.10 role the last time that City played at Old Trafford. Operating behind Edin Dzeko, the Spaniard had a role to play in the striker’s first-minute goal when he burst through the centre and might have doubled the lead inside 10 minutes when he found vast space between Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones. The little magician controlled the play for much of the first half with Marouane Fellaini summing up United’s frustration in a 3-0 defeat when taking a sly kick at him.
The question on Sunday will be whether Manuel Pellegrini keeps that performance in mind and opts to utilise Silva in the same position. City’s penchant for playing with two forwards has meant Silva has had to drift in from the flanks and the playmaker was out with a knee injury when the teams met in November so Pellegrini’s thinking on the matter is unclear. Given that City were not entirely convincing that day, even once United were down to 10 men, it could see Silva return as a No.10.
Not least because the make-up of the Manchester United midfield will be ostensibly similar to how it looked a little over 12 months ago. Van Gaal has made fundamental changes to the team since replacing David Moyes, but the Scot’s midfield that day featured a trio of Carrick, Fellaini and Tom Cleverley. Two of those seem certain to feature in a midfield trio with Ander Herrera asked to knit the play instead of Cleverley.
Of course, Van Gaal has worked hard to bring more cohesion to United than Moyes ever achieved and he’s unlikely to spend too much time thinking about a game that happened before he’d even arrived at the club. But Carrick struggled to get to grips with Silva that afternoon and the job of tracking the City star when he moves into those pockets of space will be a crucial one. Indeed, it’s just one of a host of battles that could decide which team finishes on top in Manchester this season.
GIWA FC head coach has said that his side lost to a better side in yesterday Federation Cup semi-final clash against Enyimba FC at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta.
The God’s Elephants hope of reaching their first final were dashed when they lost 1-0 to People’s Elephants on Thursday.
Rapheal Boumsong scored the only goal that decided the match.
The ex international in a chat with SportingLife admitted that he was not disappointed with the outcome of the match as he described Enyimba as the Manchester United of Nigeria.
“We are still learning and I’m not disappointed with the result. I praised my boys for their efforts so far in this competition. Enyimba are big team and losing to a club like that is not a disappointment rather than learn from it. Enyimba is a Manchester United of Nigeria,” Udi told SportingLife.
Udi also admitted that it was a different scenario when you are a player and a coach.
“It was not the same thing when you are a player and now as a coach. When you played as a player their is no tension but as a coach their are lot of pressures to deliver,” he added.
Tyson Fury will fight Belarus heavyweight Alexander Ustinov in Manchester on Saturday after original opponent Dereck Chisora pulled out with a fractured hand.
Ustinov, who has won 29 of his 30 professional fights, was one of Chisora’s sparring partners during preparations for the bout and was the British boxer’s opponent when the injury was sustained.
Fury said on Twitter that he “can’t wait” for the clash to take place, describing it as a “better fight” than the planned match-up with Chisora.
The 6ft 7in Ustinov, 37, represents a significant challenge for Fury, whose preparations were for a fighter who stands several inches shorter.
Ustinov has beaten Britain’s Michael Sprott, David Tua, Monte Barrett and Paolo Vidoz during his pro career, with his sole defeat coming against Kubrat Pulev – Wladimir Klitschko’s next opponent in September – in 2012.
“The first thing is I’m happy to still be fighting this Saturday and that the fans will get what they paid for and see a good fight,” Fury said.
“We’ve had a hard training camp and I’m in the shape of my life, expecting to knock out Chisora, but now I’m going to have to take it out on Ustinov and make sure he takes the full force of my anger.
“Strangely, I’m going to break the man who broke Chisora’s hand.”
Fury has had a difficult 18 months, with the cancellation of two fights with David Haye preceding this latest setback.
Nike is ending a 13-year deal to manufacture Manchester United’s football kit.
In a statement, the American sportswear company said “the terms that were on offer for a renewed contract did not represent good value for Nike’s shareholders”.
It is thought that either Germany’s Adidas or Warrior will replace them.
Manchester United did not qualify for this season’s Champions League for the first time in 19 years.
The club suffered its worst ever Premier League finish last season after manager Sir Alex Ferguson left following 26 years in the job.
His successor, David Moyes, lasted just 10 months and Dutch manager Louis van Gaal takes over following the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign.
Nike first signed the deal with the club in 2002 and on Monday unveiled a new kit for the 2014-15 season. It will be the last one bearing the Nike logo.
Nike said: “Manchester United is a great club with passionate fans.”