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  1. Haaland gives City ‘huge edge’published at 17:28 17 September

    Media caption,

    Speaking on The Football News Show, Italian football journalist Nick Bandini looked to Inter's Champions League fixture against Manchester City and said Pep Guardiola's side are the "favourites" for the competition.

    "The squad is exceptional, they're managed by one of, if not the best manager currently working and they have Erling Haaland up front," she said.

    "It's hard not to see players like that and go 'well, that gives them a huge edge'."

    Speaking about Inter before their opener in the tournament against City on Wednesday, Bandini added: "I think this game means a lot to them psychologically. It's proving this point, 'we can dominate domestically, we can stand toe-to-toe with the champions of England'."

    You can watch the full episode of The Football News Show here

    An image detailing how to follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport: "On the app? Tap the bell icon to get news about your club sent to you. Signed in on a browser? Hit 'Follow' to stay up to date.
  2. Rodri's strong wordspublished at 16:02 17 September

    Simon Stone
    Chief football news reporter

    Media caption,

    Manchester City midfielder Rodri has put the cat among the pigeons talking about players taking strike action over the workload they have been presented with.

    Most fans know about the expanded Champions League now, quite a few are aware of the Club World Cup at the end of the season.

    It has largely been overlooked that between the Champions League final and the Club World Cup there are two World Cup qualifying dates.

    World players' union Fifpro is on the case and when I spoke to PFA chief executive Maheta Molango last month he was unrepentant about the potential for a legal threat.

    The key point is who would the action be taken against? The FA, Premier League, EFL, Uefa and Fifa are all competition organisers.

    Most people around the game accept the calendar needs sorting out. But it is not easy.

    The Premier League did not reach a funding package with the EFL last year, so the EFL refused to abandon the established two-legged semi-finals for its competition.

    No-one wants to give their competition or their status up.

  3. 'It would be a dream' - Rodri on Ballon d'Or hopespublished at 14:23 17 September

    Rodri gestures as he speaks during the pre-Inter Milan press conferenceImage source, Getty Images

    Manchester City midfielder Rodri says winning the Ballon d'Or would be "a dream" but it is not something he thinks about.

    City start their Champions League campaign on Wednesday against Inter Milan, the same opponents Rodri scored the winning goal against in the 2023 final to secure the Treble.

    Rodri enjoyed another fine 2023-24 season, securing a fourth consecutive Premier League title with City before winning Euro 2024 with Spain.

    "I'm very, very happy for everything that happened to me in the last years," he said.

    "Winning what Manchester City won and winning the Euros with my country is just a dream. It's a consequence of the hard work, consistency and never giving up.

    "I really feel right now that people are recognising my work and trying to push me to win the Ballon d'Or. It's not something I think about, to be honest..

    "It would be a dream, of course, because I never thought I could arrive at this stage, this moment.

    "I know I play a different role to most players nominated for the Ballon d'Or, but it also shows that football can be beautiful in different views.

    "You can be beautiful as a midfielder, or scoring goals, or being a defender."

  4. Guardiola on Haaland, being 'cold' to 2023 glory and 'best in Italy' Interpublished at 13:12 17 September

    Nat Hayward
    BBC Sport journalist

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League opener at home to Inter Milan (20:00 BST).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • Looking back on City's 2023 Champions League final win over Inter, Guardiola said: "It was nice, a tight game. The first half was much, much better than the second half. After the goal, we had one clear chance from Phil [Foden], they had two clear, clear chances. The coin was on our side - it could have gone the other side."

    • On the challenge posed by Inter and how they have developed since that final: "It was a good team in that moment, it's a really good team now. A good manager - Simone [Inzaghi] knows how to make good moments. In the last years, they have been the best in Italy."

    • However, Guardiola is not relying on that win for reassurance: "About inspiration, about emotion, I'm so cold on that. It's the first game in a group stage of eight games. Tactically, we have to be present in what we have to do."

    • He was not drawn into chat over the competition's new format: "Win our first game, and the second one, and see what happens in the last games to take a look. It's like in the Premier League - it's not necessary to look at the table right now. It will be in the future."

    • Guardiola said Erling Haaland is in better condition this season: "The difference is that after niggles and tiredness in his body, this season he feels better. So far he feels clean, good here [in his head]. But, I don't know what will happen in two or three months' time."

    • More on Haaland's fine form: "I don't expect every game he will score two, three. The moment that doesn't happen, it's not a problem because I know the quality is there. As a football player, I scored 11 goals. This guy, in four games, scored nine."

    • On Kevin de Bruyne: "His mood is good and he's playing at a good level. It's the same with Erling. There are a lot of games. Of course, they have started really well, come back good, helped us in the Premier League games. But we will see."

    Follow all of Tuesday's Champions League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

    An image detailing how to follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport: "On the app? Tap the bell icon to get news about your club sent to you. Signed in on a browser? Hit 'Follow' to stay up to date.
  5. Meet the youngster who wants to be as good as Mbappepublished at 13:05 17 September

    Mike Minay
    BBC Radio Manchester reporter

    Farid Alfa-RuprechtImage source, Getty Images

    He comes across quite shy and timid, but there's a strong talent within those young German legs.

    Farid Alfa-Ruprecht, 18, moved to Manchester City from Hamburg's academy in the summer of 2022 and this season has stepped up from the under-18s to the Elite Development Squad (EDS).

    After scoring two goals in his last game for the academy, he is now preparing to take on Inter Milan in the Uefa Youth Champions League.

    And one day, he wants to be THE name of the Champions League.

    When speaking to BBC Radio Manchester he was keen to point out that he wanted to be "Farid first" but he didn't hide from comparisons to first-team winger Jeremy Doku and ambitions of being as good as Kylian Mbappe.

    "Be my own version," he said. "The best version I can be. Just play my game and learn every day from first-team players.

    "It's definitely a good feeling to bring the defender thinking 'what can I do next', and just humiliate him!"

    And that's what Doku does, right? The burst of pace, the darting inside and out, getting to the byeline and even contributing to the goals.

    "It's just the mindset of when something doesn't go right, go again and go again," he said when talking about what he admires of the Belgian.

    "Eventually you will get in and score or assist - that's why everyone is talking about him."

    Alfa-Ruprecht is now into his third season at the club.

    "The coaches have really helped me, the players have helped me to settle in," he added.

    "I've improved a lot and I'm looking to improve more and get into the first team."

    Listen to Total Sport on BBC Radio Manchester every weeknight at 18:00 and listen to every Manchester City game - home and away - live on BBC Radio Manchester.

  6. 🎧 From 'Theatre of Comedy' to Premier League dominationpublished at 12:45 17 September

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    Join Sally Nugent, BBC economics editor Faisal Islam and BBC Sport chief football news reporter Simon Stone as they discuss what has happened to Manchester City over the past 20 years.

    Listen to the full podcast mini-series on BBC Sounds

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  7. 'In top football, it is about winning trophies'published at 11:09 17 September

    Erik ten Hag, Manager of Manchester United, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Manchester United FC at St Mary's Stadium Image source, Getty Images

    Erik ten Hag says Manchester United will be taking their Carabao Cup tie against Barnsley "very seriously", with the Dutch manager setting his sights on "winning trophies" this season.

    In his pre-match news conference, Ten Hag disagreed with former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's comments that trophies are an 'ego thing' and the league is 'most important'.

    He added: "I think all the leagues are important. In top football, at the end of the day, it is about winning trophies and hitting targets.

    "You set some targets in the season but also longer term ones which you want to grow into, therefore you have a strategy and follow the strategy. You develop and progress the team.

    "When you win one of the five leagues then you hit some targets and you have done your job well."

    Ten Hag added that he believes playing more games this season, and progressing through cup competitions, will be "very important" for his squad.

    "We will see tomorrow what the line-up will be. We take it very seriously," he added.

    "We have to get into the season and to do that you have to work on routines and patterns - it is very important. Many players didn't play together in pre-season, so we have to build those partnerships and we have to build those patterns and routines.

    "That is the only way it is possible - is in games - because training time is also very limited when we have to cover so many games, every third day. Training is almost a recovery."

  8. Pep's new-look Champions League questpublished at 09:37 17 September

    Simon Stone
    Chief football news reporter

    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with the Champions League trophyImage source, Getty Images

    Pep Guardiola is one of the most decorated managers in the game.

    He has won the Champions League on three occasions, twice with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, and with Manchester City in 2023.

    City have reached at least the quarter-finals in seven successive seasons.

    Guardiola tended to go hard early in the old group stage, which would mean there were 'dead' games towards the end of a four-team group.

    The new format is different. City will be looking to secure a top-eight spot, which would mean they avoid a play-off and two extra games in February.

    However, will they push to secure a top-two berth, which would mean they avoid the other side that finishes in the top two until the final?

    Guardiola will get a chance to talk through his strategy when he speaks to the media this lunchtime.

    Come back to this page later on Tuesday for all the key lines from Guardiola

  9. Did you know?published at 09:33 17 September

    Pep Guardiola with the Champions League trophyImage source, Getty Images

    Pep Guardiola has the highest win percentage of any manager who has overseen more than 50 games in the Champions League.

    His record is 109 wins in 171 games, which equates to 63.7%.

  10. De Ligt's goal celebration should come as no surprisepublished at 09:03 17 September

    Alex Turk
    Fan writer

    Manchester United fan's voice banner
    Marcus Rashford and Matthijs De LigtImage source, Getty Images

    Matthijs de Ligt lived the life of a new Manchester United player throughout the international break.

    He could have done with positive headlines after making his first United start in a 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool. What transpired was the opposite.

    Ronald Koeman hooked De Ligt at half-time in the Netherlands' draw against Germany after a misplaced pass led to an equaliser. He then could not prevent the cross that assisted Germany going in front.

    The centre-back partner who lost the scorer for that second goal was happy to shift the blame, which did not soothe the criticism.

    As soon as you don that famous red shirt, you inherit the pressure that has caused many before him to fumble and falter. United's new number four learned that the hard way across a difficult first month.

    But De Ligt's exploits in Saturday’s 3-0 victory at Southampton showcased the character and quality that bodes very well for his chances of succeeding after his £43m switch from Bayern Munich.

    The 25-year-old first came up with a pinpoint header to break the deadlock at St Mary's before playing a pivotal role in United’s second clean sheet of the campaign.

    It was a performance so good it was easy to forget that Erik ten Hag has one of the world’s most exciting young defenders waiting in the wings to recover from a foot injury.

    Once Leny Yoro is back in contention - expected to be by the end of 2024 - he will join De Ligt, Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire among the Premier League's strongest centre-back departments.

    De Ligt is no stranger to adversity, considering he has also represented arguably the biggest clubs in the Netherlands, Italy and Germany.

    Maybe for that reason, his reaction on the south coast should not be much of a surprise at all.

    Find more from Alex Turk at Stretford Paddock, external

    An image detailing how to follow your Premier League team on BBC Sport: "On the app? Tap the bell icon to get news about your club sent to you. Signed in on a browser? Hit 'Follow' to stay up to date.
  11. Leading by example published at 08:32 17 September

    Mike Minay
    BBC Radio Manchester reporter

    Kyle WalkerImage source, Getty Images

    Up until Saturday, Kyle Walker hadn't kicked a ball for Manchester City. In that time, Rico Lewis has excelled in the right-back position, even playing left-back at Brentford.

    His form kept Walker on the bench, something that the City captain said he had no complaints about.

    "When you’re not selected it’s train hard and get on with it," Walker told BBC Radio Manchester.

    The best example of this is how Walker conducted himself during the international break.

    Very few of the first team were not selected. Ilkay Gundogan has since retired from international football. But instead of a break, both trained with City's Elite Development Squad (EDS).

    "It’s important. I’m the captain of the team. If the captain goes to play with, as I know it, the reserves then everyone can do it," Walker said.

    "If you need the minutes in the legs, and can pass on your experience to the youth, then why not? Hopefully they benefited from me playing 45 minutes against Buxton.

    "No-one is bigger than a game. A game of football is putting minutes in your legs, getting your rhythm. If the club captain can do it then hopefully some of the lads in the first-team squad go and ask and can play as well."

    Ben Wilkinson, EDS head coach, said: "They've played 400 to 500 Premier League games and won everything. And they're still training with these 17, 18, 19-year-olds and their attitude is the best in the session.

    "To see the players are still fiercely competitive, the desire to win, the standards.

    "It's one thing us telling them and repeating it to them for years - it's a lot better when you can see the best players doing it every day, every action.

    "The message is a lot more powerful in that moment."

    Listen to Total Sport on BBC Radio Manchester every weeknight at 18:00 and listen to every Manchester City game - home and away - live on BBC Radio Manchester.

  12. Gossip: Man City maintain Musiala interestpublished at 07:43 17 September

    Gossip graphic

    Bayern Munich are having difficulties convincing attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala to renew his contract with the club, which could spark interest in the 21-year-old Germany international from Manchester City and Manchester United. (Mirror), external

    City are monitoring Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, but Forest are keen to offer the England international, 24, a new deal. (HITC), external

    Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column