Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton at Goodison park (15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Goalkeeper Ederson is "not ready for tomorrow" after being substituted in last weekend's comeback win over Crystal Palace, while Erling Haaland remains sidelined with an ankle injury with no date for his return.

• Manuel Akanji and Phil Foden will be assessed on Friday: "They came back. Phil just on Thursday, and today with his second session since Old Trafford. And Manu, he made two or three sessions with us and I see him moving really well."

• On John Stones and Nathan Ake's fitness: "Not yet [back]. They're getting better, but not yet."

• On City's position in the Premier League: "I don't think it's a bad thing to be fighting to qualify for the Champions League. You could be in a much lower position in the Premier League if you had done fewer good things than we have done in these four, five months. It's in our hands and, of course, Goodison Park and Villa is massively important. We don't have much time."

• He paid tribute to Goodison Park on City's final visit: "Goodison Park is so special, like all traditional stadiums in England. When you go to stadiums like these, you feel the atmosphere is special. But, clubs grow and I'm pretty sure their new stadium will be nicer in terms of being maybe more comfortable."

• On David Moyes' impact at the Toffees: "Sean Dyche did an incredible job. I don't forget how Sean took over in that moment, a difficult position, and avoided relegation. But the impact of David, for his experience, an incredible job - at West Ham too, all his career. He's done an unbelievable job in terms of results - and the patterns are so clear, so difficult to handle."

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Real Madrid president Florentino Perez wants to sign Manchester's City striker Erling Haaland. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

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Kevin de Bruyne showed he can still control the outcome of games at the highest level by inspiring Manchester City's comeback against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

After the game he said it was the club's decision that he will leave at the end of the season, and he showed what they will miss when he is gone.

It must have been very difficult for Pep Guardiola to allow him to leave, but I think pushing to keep De Bruyne would have been a selfish move.

The Belgian still has the quality but can't now stay fit and provide performances at the levels of relentless consistency required to start regularly for Manchester City, who will demand to return to the top of English football as soon as possible.

Keeping him would be as a squad player, and if De Bruyne wants to stay it would surely to be as a starter. It feels like the hierarchy making clear they want to give him a new deal would be a selfish move rather than looking for the best solution for both him and the club.

Having a player of his quality as a squad player and helping to facilitate a rebuild is not what he will want at this stage of his career.

I would love to see De Bruyne stay in the Premier League and I really think he could, especially considering he has not ruled out staying in England in any interviews since announcing his departure.

He would just need to accept a lower wage and potentially reduced playing time.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

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Everton are winless in their past 15 Premier League games against Manchester City (D3 L12) since a 4-0 victory in January 2017 under Ronald Koeman.

Kevin de Bruyne has had a hand in six goals in his past six Premier League starts (one goal, five assists).

Everton have drawn their past four home league matches, their longest such run since February 2015. They have never drawn five home league games in a row.

Tottenham will rebuff summer offers for Italy left-back Destiny Udogie, 22, despite links with several clubs, including Manchester City. (Florian Plettenberg), external

MLS club Chicago Fire have made an approach to sign outgoing midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who will leave when his contract expires in the summerore transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Manchester City striker Erling Haaland appears to be making progress following an ankle injury suffered at the the end of last month.

The 24-year-old was substituted after the hour mark during the 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth on 30 March.

The following day, boss Pep Guardiola said Haaland would be out of action "between five to seven weeks", meaning he could miss six matches.

On Wednesday, the Norwegian uploaded a video on his official Snapchat account jogging in the club's gym before saying to the camera with a smile, "getting there".

In a separate snap, Haaland uploaded a photo undergoing work with Mario Pafundi, with the player captioning the image saying "best physio".

In Haaland's absence, City have climbed into the top five of the Premier League and travel to Everton on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Freddie Pye
Fan writer

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With Kevin de Bruyne's exit at the end of the season now confirmed, Manchester City's anticipated squad rebuild is firmly under way.

But should the club be wary of just how many of their ageing or more experienced players they should be actively looking to release over the course of the coming months? The answer is a simple "yes".

The upcoming summer transfer window is widely believed to be the club's busiest since the second such market after Pep Guardiola's arrival at Etihad Stadium in 2016, when he looked to bring in the necessary number of players to execute his vision to perfection, having navigated a debut season with veterans post-Manuel Pellegrini.

A period of such transition is likely to be overseen once again this time around, but given City's position at the summit of European football in comparison to their status in 2017, the nature of the rebuild will likely need to be more meticulous in order to preserve their style of play and beliefs instilled over the past few seasons at the very highest level.

As part of that transition will need to be careful alterations in the market; bringing in new energy, talents for the future, ready-made superstars, but perhaps most importantly, retaining experience within the squad.

That brings us to Ilkay Gundogan; a player who knows Manchester City better than most and an experienced professional who certainly knows exactly what Guardiola wants from his side.

After a season of mixed performances from the returning 34-year-old, some were left disgruntled by the automatic extension of his contract by a further 12 months in recent weeks, confirmed by Guardiola on Sunday.

But it could be the experience of the German midfielder that smoothens out the transitional phase from one of the greatest footballing sides in the history of the game, into a new era looking to replicate and maintain some of that success into the next two seasons of Guardiola's contract.

Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Manchester City played with pace on Saturday and had the style of old with Kevin de Bruyne delivering a masterclass that rolled back the years.

He will be leaving at the end of the season as City rebuild, but it was impossible not to ask the question. What if he is able to produce this form regularly again, is he worth another year's contract?

‌He will have turned 34 at the start of the next campaign so it would be a risk. Then again Real Madrid have managed their veteran playmaker Luka Modric and he is on the cusp of his 40th birthday. Modric has been superb for them these past five years since he was De Bruyne's current age.

‌Having one world class veteran in the squad who you can turn to for something special isn't unheard of at the top level, as long as everyone else around him has the legs to cover him.

‌The problem is obviously that the Belgian has had too many injuries over the past few years for City to feel he is worth the risk, but remember young players get injured to. His contract would be huge but here's a thought, does it have to be?

De Bruyne will not be struggling for cash so an agreement that was largely based on games played or that he is physically available for, is not impossible.

‌He would make far less money than a lucrative deal in the middle east or the United States, but those options will still be there in a year's time. Mohamed Salah isn't chasing those dollars or riyals yet having signed on again at Liverpool.

Maybe, I am being a romantic, but those glimpses at the weekend made me wonder if it might work, but those hard-headed businessmen in the City boardroom might not see it that way.

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Manchester City will trigger a one-year contract extension for 34-year-old German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and keep him at the club until 2026. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Real Madrid will move for Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland if their forward Vinicius Jr makes a rumoured move to Saudi Arabia. (Sky Sports), external

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Kevin De Bruyne might have inspired Manchester City's comeback against Crystal Palace but it was his post-match comments that have got people talking.

"They took a decision and now I am okay with it," said the playmaker on him leaving City at the end of the season.

His words heavily implying that it was the club's decision to part ways this summer than his own.

"It's crazy to me, but it is the business we are in," said Nigel Reo-Coker on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "The beast of the business.

"If you have a player with the quality of Kevin de Bruyne, then to me you give him a year's contract.

"Even if he is not at the physical level needed, he doesn't have to play every single game. The experience that he brings there and the way he can set the culture for the next generation at City is priceless.

"It's a hard pill to swallow for De Bruyne when the club make that decision."

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Rico Lewis says that everything will be "different" without Kevin De Bruyne next year when the midfielder leaves after his contract runs out.

De Bruyne has won 16 trophies since joining Manchester City from Wolfsburg in 2015, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.

And Lewis, who praised his captain's performance, in the 5-2 win over Crystal Palace at the Etihad said: "I's going to be different without him.

"With Kevin, it's such a big story and again he showed his quality. Everyone will miss him when he's gone."

De Bruyne scored the a goal and contributed two assists to help City fight back from 2-0 down.

The result keeps City's Champions League hopes alive during what has been a disappointing season for the title holders with six games remaining,

Lewis, 20, said the result against the London-based side was "massive for the confidence" and "sends a message out to everyone else as well that we're focused - we've got our goal and we're going to achieve it."

There is also still speculation over German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan's future even though a one-year extension has been triggered.

Gundogan rejoined City after leaving for a free in 2023 to play for Barcelona in La Liga.

Guardiola said: "The Gundo here and the Gundo at Bournemouth, Leicester - that's the Gundo I remember, the one that helped us win the treble and the 'quadruple' and was such an important player.

"What will happen (this summer) I don't know, but he has one more year on his contract here now."

It has been reported that Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson will be assessed due to picking up a recurring muscle injury in the second half.

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We asked for your views on Manchester City's Premier League win against Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Man City fans

Kevin: Great turn around after being two goals down, brilliant determination from every single player involved today but De Bruyne was outstanding. Brilliant result without key players and our youngsters stepped up today, it's reassuring to know we have them for the future.

Derek: The best I have seen them play for many a week. Back to their old selves.

Monksie: Never in doubt once City scored their first. Despite the continuing plague of injuries to key players that has maimed our season this was a reminder of how good City can still be when they really get the bit between their teeth. Five different scorers, too - and so good to see Nico O'Reilly amongst them.

Crystal Palace fans

Bob: Fantastic start, could have been three up if Eze had timed his run better. There was no reason for Kamada to dive in and give away a silly free-kick. Do not understand why Glasner continues to start him, he is just not good enough.

James: After pressing hard in the first 30 minutes, Palace let City take the upper hand and allowed them too much time on the ball. City free kick shouldn't have found a way through and Henderson made a dog's breakfast of his efforts to stop City's fourth. The bright bits were good and let's hope the result doesn't dwell with the boys.

John: Hollow performance having started well the loss of Guehi for this match highlighted how important he is to the team letting in five goals is a reality check. Hope it is a one off.

Match of the Day pundits Micah Richards and Alan Shearer look at Kevin de Bruyne's exceptional performance against Crystal Palace.

De Bruyne, 33, scored a goal and assisted another at the Etihad stadium against Palace as the home side aim to secure a Champions League spot for next season.

Speaking about the Belgium midfielder's display, Micah Richards said: "He's remarkable. His football intelligence is amazing. His spatial awareness, his weight of pass everything that he has and has been doing for Manchester City for these 10 years is brilliant."

"There is no doubt about it, Alan Shearer added.

"He has been a Premier League giant and if there is one player I wish I could have played with it would have been him. He's a centre-forward's dream."

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Pep Guardiola offered no guarantees over the future of veteran midfielder Ilkay Gundogan when stating that he only wants fit players in his squad next season, casting further doubt over the futures of defensive duo John Stones and Nathan Ake.

Gundogan made his 43rd appearance of the season in Saturday's 5-2 victory against Crystal Palace, which will be far more than he expected when he returned to the club last summer following a year at Barcelona.

It has also been enough to trigger a clause in his contract to commit to an extra year at Manchester City.

But amid interest from Turkey, where his parents come from, Guardiola says he cannot be sure whether Gundogan will remain at City next season.

"He definitely has one more year on his contract," Guardiola said. "What's going to happen, I don't know.

"The Gundo from Leicester City, the Gundo from Bournemouth and the Gundo from Crystal Palace is the Gundo I remember. When we won the Treble, he was so important.

"It is about his activity and defensive intelligence when he arrives. He has helped us massively but, as a team, we cannot help him individually because it's not about you, you, you."

John Stones has only featured 10 times since the end of October 2024 and hasn't featured at all since lasting just eight minutes in Manchester City's Champions League defeat to Real Madrid on 19 February due to a thigh injury.

Nathan Ake has made just 17 appearances this season and is currently out after fracturing his foot last month.

"Nathan, like John Stones, has been injured all season," Guardiola added. "The most important thing from my point of view, as I said to the club, is which players are reliable for the future.

"You cannot perform if you aren't reliable and you are injured. The players we have, they can either play every three days or they cannot.

"We need to build a squad for next season."

Stones' current contract runs out in June 2026, while Ake's runs until June 2027.

Inter Miami are very interested in signing 33-year-old midfielder Kevin de Bruyne on a free transfer when he leaves Manchester City at the end of the season, although talks are not believed to be advanced at this stage. (Florian Plettenberg), external

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Highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton

• Arsenal 1-1 Brentford

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola spoke to BBC Match of the Day after victory against Crystal Palace: "I would say we played really good all game. We were 2-0 down and we created a lot and I said at half time we were playing good.

"Our momentum was sparked with a free-kick from Kevin and after that we played a really good game considering we were 2-0 down and considering how Crystal Palace have been in the past games."

On Kevin de Bruyne's performance: "The Kevin we have known for many years. I know he's struggled the last year and a half. He's free without pain and completely different. The way we played helped him a lot with incredible runners, the young lads, the full-backs."

On Ederson coming off: "I don't know. He made the pass and said he felt something and couldn't continue."

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Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Saturday's victory against Crystal Palace: "I think we started well, had a couple of chances and out of nowhere we're 2-0 behind and it could have been three. The response was good. I thought overall we played pretty much a good game but we gave chances away and they pounced on it. The reaction was really good and in the end I think we deserved to win.

"I want to go away with a Champions League for this team because they deserve it. We've been in the Champions League for the nine, ten years that I've been here so I hope we can do that for the team next year and I'll just try to play good football like I've always done."

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Manchester City have scored 5+ goals in a single Premier League match on 63 different occasions, five more than any other team in the competition, with 39 of those coming under Pep Guardiola.