Manchester City

Freddie Pye
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

With every final goal contribution, you cannot blame many fans for wondering whether Manchester City are making a monumental error in letting go of arguably the club's greatest-ever player at the wrong time.

After almost 10 years of service in the finest period in the club's history, Kevin de Bruyne will end his Manchester City career this summer following a decision not to offer renewed contractual terms beyond a difficult campaign for the club.

But at a time when Pep Guardiola needs his players most, it is the Belgian who is stepping up, showing little sign of slowing down when it comes to his impact in the final third.

It was the 33-year-old who carried the team on his shoulders last month, inspiring City to come back from 0-2 behind at home to Crystal Palace to win 5-2 in the Premier League just days after his emotional announcement concerning his exit on social media.

Then on Friday, his match-winner against Wolves put City within touching distance of the much-needed Champions League qualification this season.

Hoisting the FA Cup on May 17 could be the sweetest icing on top of a remarkable cake for De Bruyne at City and the task of replacing a true behemoth of English football will be enormous.

Yet there is far more to do for Hugo Viana, Txiki Begiristain and co than merely replacing one of the game's greatest creative footballers. This summer will decide whether the 2024-25 season was just a blip or whether Manchester City's time at the very top of the game is over.

With that task comes finances, a reshuffling of personnel, and the toughest of emotionless decisions to be taken within the club. That is where the weight of De Bruyne's monumental and deserved salary comes into play, with the Belgian believed to be earning north of £400,000 per week.

For an organisation aiming to move into a new era through reviving its squad, freeing up the finances is important, particularly when you considering the names linked with joining in the summer.

Diogo Costa, Andrea Cambiaso, Morgan Gibbs-White, Florian Wirtz... the list goes on. And the cost? Well, De Bruyne has one final part to play in making it possible.

Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external

Do you agree with Freddie and the club?

Or should City be doing everything they can to keep De Bruyne?

Let us know

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City's under-18s side missed out on winning the FA Youth Cup for a second successive season after being beaten 3-1 by Aston Villa in Monday's final.

City have already won the league title this season and made the perfect start as Matty Warhurst converted in the second minute, but Villa provided a fine response.

TJ Carroll levelled just two minutes later, before goals from Cole Brannigan and Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba gave Villa a fifth triumph in the competition.

City play their final game of the regular Premier League Under-18 North campaign with a trip to Newcastle on Saturday (kick-off 10:30 BST).

Villa, meanwhile, host Leicester on Thursday and then Arsenal on Sunday in their section.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City are looking to get their hands on more silverware on Monday afternoon (15:00 BST) as they compete in their second consecutive FA Youth Cup final with the aim of winning the trophy back-to-back for the first time in the club's history.

City academy striker Matty Warhurst spoke about what it means to reach this stage again: "It's recognised as one of the most prestigious competitions in youth football so to win that and be classed as the best team your age in the country is obviously an unbelievable achievement and feeling if we were to win it. Everyone is preparing right and looking forward to it.

"As a team we are recognised as a special team. Obviously the statistics speak for themselves but when we play football, we play together and we play some really good football on the eye. I feel like we have enough quality to beat Aston Villa on Monday."

The final is being played at Villa Park, something that Warhurst says the squad are looking forward to: "As a squad, everyone is excited to play there, it's a really big stadium and it's got a lot of history and that will only make it special. We're expecting a big crowd there with a lot of atmosphere so that's always good."

• Listen to Warhurst speak to BBC Radio Manchester

Fellow academy defender Kaden Braithwaite also gave his thoughts ahead of the final: "Very excited. The whole season we have been working towards this so it will be good to get out there and play against Villa."

Braithwaite was asked about the prospect of lifting the FA Youth Cup as captain and said: "Madness. At the start of the season if you said we would be in these tournaments and I'd be leading them, I wouldn't have believed it. I wouldn't be where I am now without my team-mates, they have a big part to play in it.

"We just need to stay level-headed, understand what we have to do and as long as we stick together, I think we can go all the way."

• Listen to Braithwaite in full

Arsenal have enquired about signing Brazil forward Rodrygo from Real Madrid, while Manchester City are also interested in the 24-year-old. (Relevo - in Spanish), external

Meanwhile, City also plan to advance their interest in Morgan Gibbs-White by agreeing a deal with Nottingham Forest for the 25-year-old midfielder. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's Four Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Manchester City and Wolves.

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

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Everton 2-2 Ipswich

• Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Manchester City's Premier League match against Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Man City fans

Mu: At this stage of the season results is the main thing - get over the line and that's it. But what a terrible performance -lacklustre and lethargic. We were easy to play through but were fortunate that Wolves couldn't convert those chances into goals. A lot of work needed in the summer that's for sure.

Ian: Some signs of the old City, but still showing real issues in the defensive third. However, still getting the results.

Gene: Another win albeit saved by the woodwork and several saves by Ederson. De Bruyne has been playing with a chip on his shoulder, showing his ability to find holes for others and himself. Defensively there's still too many sloppy mistakes. Although the play has been better there's room for improvement. Overall there were more scoring opportunities which need to be capitalised upon against the weaker teams.

Wolves:

Kieran: Not a bad performance but we need to better in front of goal in games like this. Strand Larsen being out didn't help as him being there would have got us a draw probably, but not a bad performance.

Tim: It was a reasonable performance - we hit a post twice, and if we'd taken our first-half chances there would have been a different outcome. The big thing I did not like was the amount of space Doku was given on our right. His assist for the goal made all the difference.

Nigel: I agree with Vitor. I was immensely proud of Wolves. We went toe to toe with a fine team and showed we have both the spirit and ability to match them or beat them.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on City's performance

What did you make of Wolves' display?

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

Kyle Walker and Michael Brown recall the time Riyad Mahrez jokingly reminded his Manchester City team-mates about the Premier League title he won with Leicester City.

Listen to the full episode of The Kyle Walker Podcast on BBC Sounds

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

A demonstration by some Manchester City fan over matchday ticket pricing and season ticket availability has been scheduled to take place during Friday's game against Wolves at Etihad Stadium.

Fan organisation 1894 Group is urging supporters to remain in the concourse of the stadium until the sixth minute - a minute for every season it claims the club has not issued new season tickets.

Following a meeting with official fan group City Matters, the club published an updated on Thursday after "positive dialogue".

City will be issuing 500 new season tickets for eligible Cityzens matchday and junior members before the start of the 2025-26 campaign and though the subscription joining fees will remain, the club says it will pay back a percentage every time a ticket is bought.

City are also undergoing a revamp of the North Stand, taking the Etihad's capacity to over 60,000 and the club says the "majority of the additional general admission seat capacity resulting from the expansion" will be dedicated to season ticket members.

Image source, Getty Images

According to Opta, Jeremy Doku has completed 98 of his 157 dribbles in the Premier League this season.

That gives him a dribble success rate of 62.4%, the best of anyone in the division with more than 50 dribbles.

A constant threat for City.

This should be a great game, because Wolves are so powerful and they will have no fear at all after winning six games in a row.

But Manchester City have looked much more solid in the past few weeks and they are on a bit of a roll themselves, with four successive wins in all competitions.

Pep Guardiola's side will look to control this game, the same way they did in the first half of their FA Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest, but I do not think they will find it easy to keep Wolves quiet.

Still, I went against City in their last home game, against Aston Villa, and I was wrong. I am not going to make the same mistake again.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Bayer Leverkusen want to prevent their Germany attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz from joining Bayern Munich this summer, with Manchester City and Real Madrid also interested in the 21-year-old. (Sky Germany - in German), external

Aston Villa are considering a move for Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, 33, who will leave Manchester City at the end of the season. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City will host Bournemouth on Tuesday, 20 May in a re-arranged date for the Premier League fixture.

The match has been moved because of City's participation in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, which takes place three days before.

The 20:00 BST game at Etihad Stadium against the Cherries is City's penultimate league game of the season, and they will round off their campaign with a trip to Fulham the following Sunday.

City then have four weeks off before beginning their Club World Cup campaign against Moroccan side Wydad AC in the USA on Wednesday, 18 June.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Pep Guardiola has been boosted by the return of star striker Erling Haaland and Ballon d'Or holder Rodri to full training this week.

But the Manchester City boss needed to be pushed in order to get an answer on the match involvement of the two players.

"He [Haaland] is getting better," Guardiola told me on Thursday. When I asked if he was ready to be involved, the City boss replied: "I don't think so."

The Sky Sports reporter then tried pushing him even further and Guardiola replied: "The doctor will tell me. I'm not a doctor."

That got a few giggles in the room.

The messaging was similar with regards to Rodri's involvement, saying: "The most important thing is Wolves. I have to select the best players to play against Wolves. This is the only concern I have.

"When the doctor tells me he can do it, I will start to think about it."

Sources told me on Wednesday that the Club World Cup in June is a realistic timeframe for his return to action, rather than the remaining four games of the Premier League campaign or the FA Cup final.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Friday's Premier League game against Wolves (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Guardiola said Erling Haaland "is getting better" but doesn't expect him to be fit enough to play a part in Friday's game.

• He said he is "really pleased" that Halaand and Rodri have been able to return to training this week, but he has no time frame for when Rodri can return.

• More on Rodri: "He feels really good. Everyday he is doing sessions but we have to wait and be careful. When the doctor says 'Rodri you are stable,' he can't start to play again. I don't know [when that will be] as I am not a doctor."

• His message to fans that are planning a demonstration before the game over ticket prices: "Come to help us. We need them. The fans want the Champions League and we want to be able to try to do what we have done for many years so we need them desperately. We need them from the first minute until the end."

• In response to whether he had spoken to City's CEO Ferran Soriano about their frustrations: "If I can help I will help. I am part of this club from the bottom and the top, but I am the manager and I do what I have to do to try and get the team to play as well as possible."

• On the race for Champions League qualification: "It's what we want. We have four finals. We will go for the first one [on Friday]."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Pep Guardiola will face the media this lunchtime as Manchester City prepare to face Wolves on Friday.

There's plenty to get stuck into with the Spaniard, including their opponents' excellent form, the return to fitness of striker Erling Haaland and the planned protests by some fans before the game.

Meanwhile, one man - well boy - everyone is talking about is the magnificent Lamine Yamal after his sensational Champions League performance against Inter Milan on Wednesday.

Does Guardiola see the comparisons with a 17-year-old Lionel Messi?