The latest episode of the You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast has landed.
Walker joins former City midfielder Michael Brown and former Love Island star Chris Hughes to discuss the derby with Manchester United and the time Pep Guardiola met Neil Warnock.
Listen to the full episode here on BBC Sounds
Image source, PA MediaJoe Hart told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast why he is loving watching Erling Haaland's brilliant start to the season:
"The frustrating thing for a defender or a goalkeeper is you can probably feel like you can handle him during a game, because he's not necessarily getting hold of the ball and you can mark him out of the game for certain amounts of the game. Then he walks off with two or three [goals]. It's just exceptional.
"I just love watching him; the power, the pace and the energy. I love his attitude. He's great to watch, there's a smile on his face, there's hunger in his eyes and he's competitive but he doesn't overstep the boundary.
"I think we've just got to enjoy him at the moment."
More from Joe Hart from 02'22'00 on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Manchester City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart has been previewing City's opening Champions League fixture against Inter Milan on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
"They [City] go into nearly every tournament at the moment expecting to win it, but with that, because everything's new and they've only won it once [the Champions League], they've still got that hunger there.
"It's not an arrogant expectancy that some teams fully deserve to have. Real Madrid last night were probably thinking: 'Matchday one - we'll take care of it and win, lose or draw, we'll be in the final.'
"Inter were very successful last year and strong defensively, but away from home they've not been too good this year. [They've conceded] a few goals that are very uncharacteristic for them and City have got Erling Haaland, who is absolutely boiling hot right now."
Mike Minay
BBC Radio Manchester reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesIt seems the Manchester City camp is as divided on the new Champions League format as we are as the media and public.
More teams, more challenges, more fixtures but something new at the same time. Manuel Akanji was quick to criticise the revamp but Kyle Walker relishes it, even though there was some reticence towards an increased number of games.
"It's football these days - they'll play extra games whenever they can," he told BBC Radio Manchester.
But then came the shift.
"Do I see it as an excuse? Definitely not. I want to be playing in every game possible," he said. "It's the sport that I love - it's the sport I choose. Pay me nothing and I'd continue to play.
"I feel young, I feel good and hopefully this club can go and achieve something special with all the fixtures and we can say we've knocked down another door."
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.
Manchester City are well placed to sign Bayern Munich's 21-year-old Germany midfielder Jamal Musiala. (Football Insider), external
Real Madrid are targeting Manchester City's Spain midfielder Rodri. (Independent), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
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
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
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.
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester 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."
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
Mike Minay
BBC Radio Manchester reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesHe 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.
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
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesPep 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
Image source, Getty ImagesPep 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%.
Mike Minay
BBC Radio Manchester reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesUp 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.
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
Image source, Getty ImagesAccording to the Opta predictor, Manchester City are the favourites to win this season’s Champions League with a 24.9 per cent chance of doing so.
Real Madrid, the reigning and 15-time champions, have the second-best chance at 17.8 per cent and Inter Milan third with 10.7 per cent.
Of the 10 teams with the highest probability of winning the competition, England are the nation with the most different sides making up that group. In addition to Manchester City, Arsenal rank fourth (6.3 per cent) and Liverpool rank seventh (4.6 per cent).
Freddie Pye
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesI can’t take it any longer. As much as I’d like to hold back my thoughts on Erling Haaland for later down the line this season, especially given we’re seeing star performance after star performance, I’ve decided to offer my take now. It’s a risk, I know...
Four Premier League games. Nine goals. Two hat-tricks. This is a new form of Erling Haaland you’re now witnessing in a Manchester City shirt, and we’re not just talking about an improvement in scoring form and efficiency in front of goal - though yes, it was possible.
You’re watching a 24-year-old seasoned professional in the art of goalscoring becoming more of a key component in City’s general build-up play. We’re talking about the dropping deep, holding up the ball, feeding in creative midfielders and wide players, before driving towards the opponent’s penalty area. Haaland is improving as an all-round footballer, both technically and in terms of his overall education in the game.
Despite breaking almost every record in sight during his debut season with the club back in 2022-23, much of the criticism that was still managing to come his way centred around his involvement away from putting the ball in the net.
‘Why should a goalscorer do more than goalscoring?’ you may ask. Well, Pep Guardiola believes there should be more to his game, too.
This is any defender’s worst nightmare: focusing too much on a man who could possibly put a triple hat-trick past you in 90 minutes (yes, he's done it before); losing sight of that man, then seeing him build up the play; before he’s past you in a flash in and around the 18-yard box and striking beyond your goalkeeper.
There is far more to think about when it comes to the latest version of Erling Braut Haaland. And it is only going to become an even scarier proposition for defenders all over the globe the longer he works on his own technical abilities and reading of the game alongside Guardiola.
And while you're thinking about that, you’re also forgetting about Kevin de Bruyne, Savinho, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, Rodri...
Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external
