Image source, Getty Images

With a crunch game in the Premier League title race between Manchester City and Liverpool to come at Anfield on Sunday, it was no surprise to see Pep Guardiola rest some key figures in Wednesday's Champions League tie with FC Copenhagen.

Guardiola placed his faith in youth to see the game out at Etihad Stadium with Micah Hamilton and Jacob Wright getting some senior minutes under their belt, while Mahamadou Susoho was included in the squad.

Some of the more experienced academy products in Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis started the tie to further demonstrate their importance to the Treble winners.

Speaking after the game about utilising younger players, Guardiola said: "We've seen it over the past few years, they're really trying to blood-in the younger players from the academy and you can see it coming to fruition really.

"The young lads did very well, I really liked Rico Lewis when he came more central, Oscar Bobb can play central or out wide, so they've got some talent coming through but they also have some talent to push past. When you're the best team in Europe then that is expected."

We asked for your views as City eased into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over FC Copenhagen on Wednesday.

Here are some of your responses:

Phil: Early goals put the tie beyond Copenhagen and settled City who then went about their business in a controlled manner.

Abdul: This City team is nothing short of brilliant. Everyone is playing for the team, unlike Paris St-Germain and Manchester United.

Colin: Delicious. Bring on Liverpool. Erling is almost firing on all cylinders along with Rodri the Rolls Royce. Bring it on!

James: Must be embarrassing for Copenhagen knowing that Man City couldn't care about the second half.

Ian: How boring, always passing backwards, no service to the best striker. Very negative.

Image source, Getty Images

Prior to winning the Champions League last season, Manchester City had come up short in the competition for six successive seasons, reaching the quarter-finals on three occasions and featuring once in the last 16, the semi-finals and final.

They are looking to defend their crown this season with the final scheduled to take place at Wembley on 1 June.

City face an anxious wait to learn who they will face in the quarter-finals with Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid also through, while eight other clubs are battling to advance beyond the last 16 next week.

After last night's game, Pep Guardiola admitted there was a lack of belief at the club about winning European honours when he arrived, but was grateful for the owners for sticking with him to finally get City over the line in 2022-23.

Manchester City boss Guardiola, speaking to TNT Sports: "We're into the next round. Still we are there in this competition. It was difficult to attack them [FC Copenhagen] because they are well organised playing four or five at the back.

"We are well respected for our openness. Before I arrived we didn't believe we could do it. It's a question of time, a process. They [hierarchy] gave me time, gave us time.

"We are a team that believes we can do it. Listen, we're competing with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. We don't know who we are going to face. It's a question of wait and see. The important thing is seven years in a row we are here."

BBC Radio 5 Live

Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown reflects on City's Champions League win on BBC Radio 5 live: "It went really well, didn’t it with the good start early on in the game which made it more comfortable to bring on youngsters, save lots of players for that weekend game.

"All looking over our shoulders towards that Liverpool game but it was still the Champions League, still a dangerous one, wasn’t it? The team, if things didn’t go so well, do make those changes. Obviously, notably, Kevin de Bruyne is the one, I think could be the difference on Sunday against Liverpool.

"Really good week, it started well for City but as I say, that one on Sunday is going to be a wonderful occasion for both sides. Liverpool have still got to play but City came out of it really well."

• Manchester City have won 28 of their past 30 home games in the Champions League. They are only the second side to go 30+ consecutive home matches without defeat in the competition, after Barcelona (38 from September 2013 to November 2020).
• Manchester City are the first side in major European competition history to score 3+ goals in nine consecutive home matches, a run which started with a 5-0 win over FC Copenhagen back in October 2022.
• Manchester City are heading for Anfield on Sunday unbeaten in 20 games in all competitions.
• City have only lost one two-legged Champions League knockout tie in nearly five years.
• They become just the third side to win 10 consecutive Champions League games, joining Real Madrid (2015) and Bayern Munich (2013, 2020).
• Erling Haaland has now scored as many career Champions League goals as Sergio Aguero (41). He has done so in 42 fewer games.
• Haaland has scored 10 goals in four appearances in the home legs of last-16 Champions League ties, netting six in two for Manchester City. Since his debut in the competition in September 2019, he is the outright overall top scorer with 41 goals, one ahead of Robert Lewandowski (40).

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Last night's win is good news for Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola before Sunday's encounter with Liverpool at Anfield.

Guardiola had said in the build-up he would not be spending any time thinking about Liverpool until the FC Copenhagen match was out of the way.

That statement was exposed by the fact he made seven changes to the side that beat Manchester United at the weekend and then replaced key man Rodri at the break.

The changes did not hinder City, who are on the longest current run of successive Champions League quarter-final appearances. The only English club to ever have done better in the competition is Manchester United, who reached the last eight in seven consecutive seasons from 1996-97 to 2002-03.

When 18-year-old local lad Jacob Wright replaced Erling Haaland three minutes from time, all three outfield players who retained their place from the Manchester United game had been subbed.

Of the players omitted, only John Stones came on, taking the captaincy from Ruben Dias.

That in itself says everything about the importance Guardiola is placing on the Liverpool game.

With a home encounter with the other Premier League title challenger Arsenal to come on 31 March, this month is likely to be pivotal in City's quest to become the first club to win the English league title four seasons in a row.

But now, all eyes are on Anfield. It promises to be a cracker.

England goalkeeper Mary Earps was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023.

Earps became the second women's footballer in succession to win the BBC award.

She beat England cricketer Stuart Broad, who came second, to the prize with world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson third.

Jockey Frankie Dettori, wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett and golfer Rory McIlroy were also shortlisted for the award by a panel of experts, with the winner decided by a public vote.

"It feels pretty great off the back of a couple of really big years and 2023 has been wild in ways I couldn't expect," Earps said as she collected the award.

"I'm really, really grateful."

Image source, Getty Images

On the theme of the Lionesses... England and Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps turns 31 today.

She enjoyed a pretty incredible year as a 30-year-old as an individual and also on a team level.

Earps was key to England reaching last year's World Cup final, saving a penalty in the final, although the Lionesses lost 1-0 against Spain.

She did get her hands on some silverware though with England winning the 2023 Women's Finalissima, beating Brazil on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Wembley in April.

The individual awards piled up for Earps, here's a selection of what she won.

• The Best Fifa Women's Goalkeeper
• Fifa Fifpro Women's World 11
• Fifa Women's World Cup Golden Glove
• BBC Women's Footballer of the Year
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year

Image source, Getty Images

The dates of England’s European qualifiers for Uefa Women’s Euro 2025 have been confirmed, with all six games taking place between April and July 2024.

Holders England have been drawn in a tough group with the Republic of Ireland, France and Sweden in Group A3 of Women's Euro 2025 qualifying.

European Qualifiers - UEFA Women's EURO 2025 fixture dates:

• England v Sweden – Friday 5 April
• Republic of Ireland v England – Tuesday 9 April
• England v France – Friday 31 May
• France v England – Tuesday 4 June
• England v Republic of Ireland – Friday 12 July
• Sweden v England – Tuesday 16 July

The away match against the Republic of Ireland will take place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Daily Mirror

Who can stop Manchester City now, asks the Mirror.

Good question.

The paper also reports on Sir Jim Ratcliffe's plans to cut costs, and cut staff, at Manchester United.

Image source, Daily Mirror

The Times

It's often the way that a particular image stands out from the night's football action and Erling Haaland was captured in mid-air during Manchester City's win over FC Copenhagen.

Also in The Times is a piece questioning why the UK has not launched a bid to host the men's World Cup finals.

Image source, The Times

Erling Haland's Champions League goalscoring exploits feature in the Daily Telegraph.

Jason Burt writes that goal number 41 in the competition for Haaland drew him level with the record of Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero, except he has done it in 42 fewer appearances.

Image source, Daily Telegraph

JB Soccer: Pep Guardiola is doing something right. He wins everywhere. You could say he’s been at top clubs with money, but other managers have been at those exact clubs with the money and not done what he has.

Alex Brownlee-Stokes: It’s amazing what you can do with a petrostate providing the financial backing.

The I

Manchester city cruised to victory over FC Copenhagen, reports the i.

And a former City player features, with Cole Palmer saying he can help lead a revival at Chelsea.

BBC Sport has a dedicated Manchester City page packed with news, analysis and fan views - get it here

Image source, The i

The Daily Star

A headline for the early risers in today's Daily Star where Erling Haaland takes centre stage.

Manchester City face Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday and the paper reports Reds boss Jurgen Klopp wants to give Mohamed Salah some playing time in the Europa League match against Sparta Prague tonight to help with his fitness for the weekend game.

Image source, Daily Star