Manchester City

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  1. Juventus 2-0 Man City - send us your thoughtspublished at 21:51 11 December 2024

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    Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

    Send us your thoughts on Manchester City's performance

    Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

  2. 'It always smells really nice'published at 18:24 11 December 2024

    Manchester City's captain gives an insight into what it is really like inside manager Pep Guardiola's office on the latest episode of You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker.

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    Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

  3. How have injuries impacted your team's season?published at 13:05 11 December 2024

    A league table -style graphic showing the amount of injuries, and days lost to injury of all Premier League clubs

    BBC Sport, with the help of data from website Premier Injuries, external, has taken a look at which side has suffered most from injuries this season.

    Fabian Hurzeler has had a tough start in English football from an injury perspective - although his side sitting seventh in the Premier League table suggests he is more than capable of coping with it.

    West Ham fans may be even more frustrated about their season when they learn that they have had the least amount of injury setbacks in the top flight.

    Comparing the injury situation now with the same stage last season, the overall numbers are actually down, according to Ben Dinnery of Premier Injuries Ltd.

    "Year on year, there has been about a 20% reduction in the number of injury incidents and about a 30% reduction in the 'burden' on clubs - the amount of days missed by injured players," he said.

    His data is calculated from the opening day of the season, so players who were already injured going into the campaign - such as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries to Brentford's Rico Henry, Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings and Brighton's Solly March - do not count.

    "Perhaps the narrative [of an increase in injuries] is driven by some high-profile managers and the prominence of major injuries to higher-status players, such as Manchester City's Rodri," Dinnery added.

    "The injury narrative is not being pushed by Kieran McKenna at Ipswich or Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler.

    "They are not using their sidelined players as excuses, even though Ipswich have lost some huge players as they try to adapt to the intensity and rigours of Premier League football.

    "Brighton didn't have a great record last year, but had European football to contend with. The headline numbers are one thing, but football is a contact sport. Perhaps it is testament to their recruitment of a squad with strength and depth that they are still doing well despite the number of injuries."

  4. Yellow ruins Lewis' golden daypublished at 10:50 11 December 2024

    Pat Nevin
    Former footballer and presenter

    Rico Lewis of Manchester City argues with referee Rob Jones over his second yellow and subsequent red card during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Manchester City FC at Selhurst ParkImage source, Getty Images

    I am not sure there is a more frustrating moment in football than when you get a foul given against you, after someone has actually kicked you.

    ‌This happened to Manchester City's Rico Lewis at the weekend. That was a second yellow card and off he went because VAR is not allowed to challenge a yellow card. He was daft getting a first yellow for dissent, but that mitigates the referee's error only slightly.

    ‌We know why every yellow cannot be checked. That way lies madness and two-hour-long matches, but surely a second yellow so wrongly flashed should elicit a quiet word in the referee's ear from the goggle-box watchers back at Stockley Park?

    ‌Without the first yellow, Lewis' day would have been remembered for his fabulous equalizer and, with 11 men on the pitch, maybe even a famous victory.

    ‌Young though he is, the wider cost of Lewis' initial outburst will not have been lost on his manager.

    Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

  5. 'We talk about legacy - this is our legacy' published at 08:53 11 December 2024

    Ruben Dias looks on for Manchester City during matchImage source, Getty Images

    Manchester City defender Ruben Dias believes the side's current difficult period will go some way towards defining their "legacy".

    Pep Guardiola's team have been the dominant force in English football since the Spaniard arrived in 2016.

    Under the former Barcelona boss, the club have broken numerous records and won 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles - the past four consecutively.

    They also won their first Champions League trophy as part of a Treble-winning season in 2022-23.

    However, they have struggled to maintain their imperious form this campaign, winning just one of their past nine matches across all competitions, and now face a key match against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday.

    "Isn't that the beauty of all of it? The fact that people are wondering about it [being the end of this team]?" Dias said.

    "Football is just that. It doesn't really matter how much you have accomplished in the past, how much you are going to accomplish, you are always going to be demanded more of. You are always going to demand more of yourself and always going to want more as well.

    "The fact that people doubt is the one thing that brings you strength, the one thing that inspires you to be greater and greater.

    "This is our legacy. More than the Treble or the four Premier Leagues in a row. All of it is spectacular but I do believe that the one thing that defines a legacy is how you reacted in the most difficult moment of your career.

    "I am a true believer in those moments being the ones that define you. We embrace the difficult moments because those are the ones I personally will remember."

    Full commentary of Juventus v Manchester City on BBC Radio 5 Live from 20:00 GMT on Wednesday

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  6. Guardiola on injuries, making mistakes and 'tempo'published at 19:44 10 December 2024

    Nicola Pearson
    BBC Sport journalist

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League game against Juventus (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • Guardiola does not believe Phil Foden will be back for this match, while Mateo Kovacic may get a "few minutes". Guardiola added: "Nice to have them back in team training sessions and to have them here with us."

    • He also does not know how long it will be before Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji return, with Ake set to be out "longer than Manuel".

    • On if he is happy with the players' attitudes at the moment: "Yeah, I love them. We can do better in terms of results. We have to find something inside of all of us to get results, but I am not the right person to say any wrong words about the team. We have to perform well and the next few weeks is very important."

    • On whether a change in fortunes is coming: "The team is good. We can't rotate the team to give rest, that is a problem. The problem is especially because we had most important injuries in the same department, the same position in central defenders. So sometimes that is difficult, but the team are good."

    • He added: "In the end we punish ourselves in many games, we make mistakes and we have to avoid it. So, I don't blame the situation, that is the situation. Life is like this. We have to do better with the players we have in terms of results."

    • Guardiola added: "Our strength is the ball. Our strength in the success of the past eight or nine years is we run like desperate things when we don't have the ball. With the ball we are incredibly patient. Let them run and run. Now, we are in a moment where we attack so quick and we do a lot of things where we are not in the right tempo."

    • He says the current issues are "not a mental thing" because his players are "professionals".

    • Guardiola said he is "trying to find a solution" and added: "I have full confidence. If the results from now on in future will be even worse, the confidence of my team is undeniable. Confidence of my team is always there."

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  7. 'A genius in the Messi mode' - send your questions for Kinkladzepublished at 13:09 10 December 2024

    Marc Higginson
    BBC Sport Senior Journalist

    Georgi Kinkladze of Man City in April 1996Image source, Getty Images

    Georgi Kinkladze – or Kinky as he was known to Manchester City fans – was, quite simply, a genius in the Lionel Messi mode.

    I know what you're thinking – how on earth can I put a player who won no significant honours on the same pedestal as the Goat (Greatest Of All Time, not Shaun!).

    Well, what he did not win in honours he made up for in moments of magic which will forever remain in the hearts of City’s fans.

    Graced with insane dribbling skills – he was a ballet dancer in his early days – he could run rings around the opposition, then slalom back and do it all again.

    He would sit down the hardest of midfield hatchet men - and he did the same with so many goalkeepers as they tried in vain to stop that deft finish with which he so often decorated his jinking run through the heart of an opposition defence.

    The finish against Southampton, which won Goal of the Month in March 1996, was the best of the lot. He glided over turf and tackles before dinking the ball over a flailing Dave Beasant.

    Unfortunately those moments of magic were few and far between, and in a struggling team he was a luxury - a Ferrari in a team of Fiats.

    He was not perfect but he was ours. It is hard not to think how good he would have been in a Pep Guardiola team. He would have relished the possession game, the tight spaces and six-yard tap-ins.

    But despite being my favourite player of the 1990s, and one of the most talented players I have ever seen, he would not have been a better fit for the current team than Ali Benarbia. Now, he was a player…

    Got a question you'd like to ask Kinkladze? We’re chatting with him on Friday and we want to hear from you.

    Send them in here

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  8. Juventus v Man City: Did you know?published at 10:44 10 December 2024

    Rico Lewis Image source, Getty Images

    Manchester City's Rico Lewis, 20, is the youngest player to have played every minute for his team in the Champions League this season. Across the first five matches, he has led all players aged under-21 for both chances created (13) and expected assists (two).

    This will be the seventh European game between Juventus and Manchester City. After losing their first meeting in September 1976 (1-0 in the Uefa Cup), Juve are unbeaten the past five.

  9. 'The glimmer of hope'published at 09:36 10 December 2024

    Freddie Pye
    Fan writer

    Manchester City fan's voice banner
    Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias talk during matchImage source, Getty Images

    Rodri this, Rodri that. Yes, it goes without saying that the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner is absolutely integral to the way Manchester City operate and just how successful they are on the pitch. But without him, there are two elements keeping Pep Guardiola's side alive.

    Had it not been for two players at the weekend, and in many games already this season, who knows how much lower we would be in the Premier League table.

    No, it is not Kevin de Bruyne. It is not Josko Gvardiol. It is not Ederson or Stefan Ortega Moreno.

    We are talking about Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland, and should City's injury list get even worse through problems to either of those two, you can almost certainly write the entire campaign off.

    In the Portuguese defender, you have a natural leader. The true captain in City's defensive line. One who commits his entire life to his profession and, at the moment, is keeping the club from shipping three goals a game - or at least that was the case at Selhurst Park.

    There is a calmness and an assured presence to his game. No erratic lapses of judgement, but a seamless transition into various strategies deployed by Guardiola and, at times, Dias is having to pass that on to other members of the squad.

    Perhaps if sentimental value was not at the heart of leadership votes in previous seasons, we would be looking at Dias as the Manchester City captain, and one for years to come at that.

    And then we turn to Haaland. Fifteen goals separate the Norwegian from a six-man cohort of City players tied on three goals in the top-scorer rankings this season. Has he been perfect? Absolutely not, and I'm sure he would be the first to admit that himself.

    But can you imagine a scenario where the 24-year-old sustains an injury and Guardiola is forced to turn to the rest of his squad to deliver the goals? It is possible, and one we would rather not imagine.

    For now, while Guardiola awaits the returns of his injured stars, Haaland and Dias remain the glimmer of hope for a successful season.

    Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external

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  10. 'Imagine how much Palmer is worth now'published at 18:36 9 December 2024

    Chief football writer Phil McNulty byline banner
    Cole Palmer celebrates following scoring for Chelsea versus TottenhamImage source, Getty Images

    BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.

    Allan asked: Having watched Cole Palmer deliver yet another fine performance yesterday, and what a superb footballer he is, I just wondered if it is known whether Manchester City inserted a 'buy-back clause' when he was sold to Chelsea?

    Phil answered: Hi Allan, there is no "buy-back clause" in the deal, but at the time it was reported by the BBC that Manchester City could get a further £2.5m in add-ons on top of the £40m fee.

    Just imagine how much Palmer is worth now?

    What is becoming clear is that Manchester City have done Chelsea a huge favour by selling them a young player who has taken the Premier League by storm.

    Pep Guardiola will be criticised, of course, for parting with such a talent, but in his defence he said of the deal at the time that he asked Palmer to stay after Riyad Mahrez left, but he still wanted to leave.

    With the benefit of hindsight, and City's need to refresh their squad, Guardiola may now wish he had stood firm and told Palmer to bide his time for regular first-team football.

  11. Crystal Palace 2-2 Man City - the fans' verdictpublished at 11:30 9 December 2024

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    Tyrick Mitchell and and Kyle Walker compete for the ballImage source, Getty Images

    We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Crystal Palace and Manchester City.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Crystal Palace fans

    Keith: Keith: The only reason Palace are near the bottom of the league are the injuries to key players. Now players are coming back to full fitness they will climb the table. This performance was very good but there's far more to come. I thought we could have won it, but a draw is a fair result.

    Christopher: Palace should play like that each week - pressing hard, great counter-attack and passing. Shame the chances Palace had didn't end up in the net. Some missed opportunities that I thought could have come back and punished us… Palace could have won comfortably - Well played Eagles!

    Bob: I've said it week in week out that both Will Hughes and Daniel Munoz are our best and consistent players in the team. They fight tirelessly on and off the ball in every game. We talk about losing Michael Olise, Joachim Andersen and possibly Marc Guehi, but losing both Will and Daniel would be a far greater loss.

    Neil: Last season, the Eagles had a strong finish, but have lost key players and it has taken time to produce some form this season. Given the league is so competitive, this is exacerbated by injuries; Palace don't have the depth of other London sides and it has taken a worryingly long time to find form. But a draw against City is a good result.

    Man City fans

    Brian: City are short of defensive pace and man-marking awareness. Palace again proved that City fear the direct ball and too often fail to pick up their man in the box. The lack of confidence in defence is leading to frustration in attack. It is Christmas and City are handing out gifts.

    Mark: We're miles off it this season, injuries or not. Even when we had a near fit squad and winning matches we weren't playing great, and now the injuries are piling up we've gone into freefall. Not sure Pep has any answers as to how we get out of it as well and it might be a top six fight the way it's going.

    Rich: City keep leaking early goals. Pep's rematch preparation must be at fault. That said the sending off of Rico Lewis when he was fouled was bad refereeing.

    Pat: Not for the first time this season, the starting line-up baffled me. Other than Kevin de Bruyne and Ruben Dias, our two best players mid-week were Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku, so to me were dead certs to start this game.Jack brings control, creativity and virtually never gives the ball away. Jeremy terrorises defenders on the left. The issue was a lack of control in midfield and Jack (along with KDB and Ilkay Gundogan) would have brought this today.

    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.
  12. Are Man City out of the title race? published at 08:01 9 December 2024

    Chris Collinson
    BBC Sport statistician

    A graphic showing Manchester City's stats after 15 Premier League in every season under Pep Guardiola. 
2017-18- Goal difference: +36, Points: 43, Final position: 1st. 
2018-19- Goal difference: +38, Points: 41, Final position: 1st. 
20223-23- Goal difference: +28, Points: 35, Final position: 1st.
2021-22- Goal difference: +23, Points 35, Final position: 1st.
2019-20- Goal difference: +26, Points: 32, Final position: 2nd.
2023-24- Goal difference: +19, Points: 30, Final position: 1st.
2016-17- Goal difference: +13, Points: 30, Final position: 3rd.
2020-21: Goal difference: +11, Points: 29, Final position: 1st.
2024-25: Goal difference: +6, Points, 27, Final position: ?

    This is the fewest points that Manchester City have had after 15 Premier League games under Pep Guardiola.

    However, they have just two points fewer than in 2020-21 when they won the title and three points fewer than last season when they also won the title - although their goal difference is down this season.

    They were six points behind leaders Arsenal at this stage last season. They are currently eight behind Liverpool having played a game extra than the Reds.

  13. Did you know?published at 17:47 7 December 2024

    Rico Lewis scores for Manchester CityImage source, Getty Images

    Manchester City have recovered 14 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other side.

  14. Crystal Palace 2-2 Manchester City: Magic not back yet published at 17:27 7 December 2024

    Emlyn Begley
    BBC Sport journalist

    Pep GuardiolaImage source, Getty Images

    Manchester City's iffy spell of form has extended to one win, the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, in nine matches - a run going back to the end of October.

    That Forest win clearly has failed to herald the start of them rediscovering their form.

    There was plenty to be concerned about here.

    Kyle Walker was found wanting for both Palace goals. He kept Munoz onside for the first and was beaten far too easily in the air by Lacroix for the second.

    Stefan Ortega, preferred in goal to Ederson for the third game in a row, might have done better with the opener too as he let it go through his body.

    And they will now be without Rico Lewis for next weekend's Manchester derby after his red card for two bookings.

    Two more big games are coming up for City as they visit Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday and host rivals Manchester United next Sunday.

    Can Guardiola get his team to rediscover their swagger?

    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.