As Pep Guardiola signs a two-year contract extension at Manchester City, The Football News Show asks if the main reason for staying at Etihad Stadium is the lack of suitable replacements.
City fan Amos Murphy tells host Ben Croucher why there may be a modicum of truth in that - but also why the Spaniard is still the best manager in the Premier League.
Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician
Image source, Getty ImagesAs Manchester City look to bounce back against Tottenham following four successive defeats, we have done a statistics deep dive into the defensive problems contributing to the losses...
City are currently conceding 1.2 goals per game - their worst rate in a Premier League season under Pep Guardiola (previous worst was one per game in the Spaniard's first season in charge).
However, they are actually conceding around the same number of shots as they have in the past two seasons (7.8 per game this campaign vs 7.7 in both 2022-23 and 2023-24) – the quantity of shots they are conceding is not the problem.
In fact, only two sides - Bayern Munich and Getafe - are giving up fewer shots per-game in Europe's big five leagues this term.
The reason why they are conceding so many goals is down to the quality of chances they are giving up being excellent.
Guardiola's side are, in fact, giving up the highest quality of chances in Europe's top five leagues this season - in terms of expected goals (xG) per shot faced.
The shots they have given up so far are worth 0.155 xG on average. This is to say that, historically, teams score those chances 15.5% of the time and that is exactly what they are doing - City's opponents have a 15.1% conversion rate so far.
They have conceded one penalty, which in turn bumps up the xG per shot faced number, but they have still given up the best chances in Europe excluding penalties - 0.148 xG per shot faced.
So this is not a tale of the opponents being especially ruthless in front of goal and City just being a little unlucky. The defending Premier League champions are giving up excellent chances to sides - who have been very happy to take them.
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesIt was something of a surprise on Thursday night to learn Pep Guardiola had signed a two-year contract extension at Manchester City.
Along with many other journalists, I was under the impression Guardiola had agreed a single-year deal, with the option for another season if he still fancied it in 2026.
It seemed a reasonable enough question to ask for clarification at Guardiola's news conference this lunchtime.
And the answer was interesting.
Effectively, Guardiola said he had done it because he did not want to be in the same situation next season that he has been in this one - answering questions about his future virtually from the moment he returned for the start of pre-season.
That does not scream longevity.
Guardiola has never broken a contract but can it be completely ruled out that the second year is a convenient way of dealing with a issue the former Barcelona boss did not want to be bothered with and he will exit City in 18 months' time?
Image source, Getty ImagesPep Guardiola says his two-year extension was very easy to thrash out.
Image source, Getty ImagesIt is that time of the season where domestic and European games come thick and fast, but who is best equipped to deal with those demands?
"Manchester City are probably in the worst position but it depends who they can get back fit," said former Premier League goalkeeper David James on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.
"They have already had academy players starting Premier League and Champions League games in the past month.
"City are stretched and will be on the edge if they are bringing in freshly recovered players back in for so many games.
"Liverpool can afford to rest players because of their position in the Champions League and Mikel Arteta seems to be picking the same fit players to be playing all the games so far this season.
"He does start to rotate further into the competitions, and that works for them for now, but that is also when they will start to pick up injuries later on in the season.
"So Liverpool are probably in the best position as things stand."
Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesBen Collins
BBC Sport Journalist
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Tottenham (kick-off 17:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On his two-year contract extension: "I felt I should stay here. Of course, because they want me. For obvious reasons, for the results and because we've known each other for a long time. All my decisions have been like that, what I feel in the moment, I wait. I decided to stay here and in just two hours we did it [agreed the contract]. I don't want next season in September, October, November, for it to be 'is this the last year of Pep? Will he extend again?' That was the main reason."
On staying until after the decision is announced on the 115 charges the club is facing: "I said that six months ago. If we get relegated, I will be here and next year we're going to come up to the Premier League. I knew it then - I feel it now."
On bouncing back from four straight defeats for the first time in his managerial career: "When you are here for nine years, with a long time at one club, you live all the scenarios, all the situations. You're able to lose four games in a row, but at the same time you're able to win four Premier Leagues in a row. The difference is that most of the teams are able to lose four games in a row in different competitions but just one team won four Premier Leagues in a row. So it's happened."
On playing against Tottenham, who inflicted the first defeat of City's losing run last month in the EFL Cup: "We have to break the situation. We have to start winning games. Tomorrow we are coming back at home so hopefully we can perform well and start to take our rhythm."
Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic has come back from international duty with an injury that will keep him out for "a few weeks or a month".
"Some" of his other injured players will return: John Stones and Manuel Akanji have "trained good" and Nathan Ake is set to come back to training. Phil Foden and Jack Grealish have been pictured training this week.
On Rodri being at Saturday's game: "It's nice to see Rodri back. Since [he won] the Ballon d'Or, we could not see him and congratulate him. His mood is good. It's unique in our club - a player to come here and get this amazing award and it will be nice to share it with our people."
Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Manchester City captain Kyle Walker says it "is great news" that Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year deal.
"Hopefully we can now get back to winning ways and go and make sure we can put a stamp on this Premier League again," added the defender.
Listen to the latest episode of You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Athletic's Manchester City writer, Sam Lee, says Pep Guardiola's two-year extension is not the length of contract that he believed the Spaniard would sign.
It was reported by The Athletic on Tuesday that Guardiola was going to extend his deal by a year but has instead committed his future until 2027.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast on Friday, Lee said: "We said a year plus the option for another year. It was a bit of confusion on my end with that, to be honest. The original tip-off had been two years. The more concrete information I got said one plus one.
"When I heard the tip on Monday night, two years, like everyone else I thought 'surely not'. So when I heard the solid information that it's one plus one, I thought 'yeah, that makes more sense'.
"It was more than expected, even people at the club didn't have any hopes for him. Some people didn't think he'd stay for one year let alone two. It's great news for them - it's great news for all the fans. It's obviously a surprise for everyone else.
"There's obviously fans of other clubs thinking he's just got to go away and then it gets announced that he's staying and that it's two years. It's big news for City and the Premier League."
Image source, Getty ImagesBBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha gives us his insight and opinion every fortnight on your Premier League club but this week he has been in the hotseat for your questions.
Joe asked: Who would you say was the most influential person in football for you in your career?
Nedum replied: Lots of coaches have helped me in different ways, but the one who helped me the most was Mark Hughes when he came to Manchester City.
He was into sports science and structure. He created a culture where you got yourself ready way in advance of a training session and you did things after training as well
You were not just a footballer, you were an athlete. That made a difference for me because I actually played more games in the second half of my career than I did in the first because of some of the things he brought in.
It was all to do with recovery and preparation for games. When I was younger, I used to have a lot of niggling injuries so I missed out on some good times. But with Mark we'd be doing hydration tests, wellness questionnaires and yoga and palates after training. That became the norm and part of the culture of the club.
I carried that with me for the rest of my career, so it was vitally important.
A discussion in football is that your best ability is your availability. The culture Mark had at the time helped me to play as much as I could.
Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for you to tell us what it means for Pep Guardiola's contract to be extended for a further two years at Manchester City.
Here are some of your comments:
Brian: When I look back at where City have been in the past to where we are now as one of the biggest teams in the world, 99% is credited to maestro Pep Guardiola. He gets the best out of every player. He is the Mozart and Da Vinci of managers. Long may he reign.
Johnny: Every Christmas rolled into one big turkey-tinsel-present pie. Fantastic news for all City fans.
Phil: It’s Great news. I think it will be good to see Pep rebuild a team as we need to replace Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Kyle Walker and also have a plan to replace Bernardo Silva, Nathan Ake, John Stones and Mateo Kovacic within the next two years.
Maarten: He’s been an outstanding manager and now has the challenge of replacing ageing (and injury prone) players hopefully with a fair share of homegrown talent. If he can do this in the next two seasons while staying in the top three of the Premier League, his legacy will be forever secure.
Chessie (Portsmouth fan): I have been watching football for more than 50 years with some great football during those times: Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, Manchester United period in the 1990s, Liverpool's great attacking style and more. However, never have I seen a manager change the entire face of football so much that many other teams across Europe try to copy his fabulous style.
Pep Guardiola’s new contract with Manchester City does not contain a break clause should they be relegated from the Premier League in the event they are found guilty of financing wrongdoing. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
City could have to wait until the end of March to find out the verdict of the disciplinary commission over the 115 charges against them. (Football Insider), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
Former England striker Michael Owen says Pep Guardiola's new deal is "the worst possible news", external for any team with aspirations of winning the Premier League.
And it is for two extra years rather than the one additional year reported earlier in the week.
So how much does this news mean to you? How are you celebrating?
And what do you expect City to achieve between now and the summer of 2027?
Let us know, external - and come back on Friday for a selection of your replies
