Manchester City

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  1. Monaco 2-2 Man City: What Guardiola and Haaland saidpublished at 22:46 BST 1 October

    Media caption,

    Pep has 'nothing to say' to the ref on late Monaco penalty

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola speaking to TNT Sports: "That was a good game. We made some decisions, we created a lot of chances.

    "Unfortunately at the end we defended an unfair free-kick not perfectly, and we conceded a penalty that Nico [Gonzalez] touched the ball first, no intention.

    "But it is what it is. We have a point and we will take it."

    On Rodri going off after 60 minutes: "It is step by step and 90-minutes was too much for him."

    Striker Erling Haaland, who scored both of City's goals, also spoke to TNT Sports: "I don't feel good - we didn't win. We did something unnecessarily in the second half.

    "We didn't play good enough. We didn't deserve to win.

    "We need more energy. We needed to get at them more like in the first half, they took the lead in the second half and I don't think it's good enough."

    On the penalty incident: "I didn't see it - but if you kick someone in the face it's probably a penalty."

    Did you know?

    • Erling Haaland scored his 51st and 52nd goals on his 50th Uefa Champions League appearance. That is nine more than anyone else has scored in their first 50 games.

    Listen to Guardiola on BBC Sounds

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  2. Analysis: Haaland maintains hot streak but frustrating resultpublished at 22:32 BST 1 October

    Shamoon Hafez
    Football reporter

    Erling Haaland scoresImage source, Getty Images

    Pep Guardiola's side are slowly beginning to right the wrongs of last season and have not been beaten since August, but this was another frustrating result for his side.

    The Spaniard admitted to being disappointed by their performance in this competition last season, when they were knocked out at the play-off stage by Real Madrid, and will likely be left irritated after conceding late again.

    City have won four and drawn two of their last six matches, but those blemishes have come by conceding in the 93rd minute at Arsenal and in the 90th minute here, while they have now failed to win any of their past five Champions League away games.

    It had started well. Haaland had only 17 touches of the ball in the contest but his sensational goalscoring form continued, having blanked only against Tottenham in 10 games this season. In all he has 17 goals for club and country so far.

    His first goal caught ex-Tottenham defender Dier cold, darting in behind the Englishman before lofting a delicate finish into the net, and the second was a towering header that nestled into the bottom corner.

    Haaland could have completed his hat-trick in the second half, but a thumping drive from outside the box was pushed away at full stretch by Kohn, who also kept out O'Reilly's vicious drive.

    Foden has been in fine form for City and was unlucky not to mark another impressive performance with a goal by striking the woodwork, as did Reijnders, and those missed chances came back to bite them.

  3. Monaco 2-2 Man City - send us your thoughtspublished at 21:58 BST 1 October

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    Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

    What did you make of City's display?

    Come back on Thursday for a selection of your replies

  4. Monaco v Man City: Team newspublished at 19:07 BST 1 October

    Monaco XI: Kohn, Vanderson, Kehrer, Dier, Salisu, Diatta, Akliouche, Teze, Coulibaly, Fati, Balogun.

    Monaco make five changes following their Ligue 1 defeat at Lorient on Saturday and there is plenty of ex-Premier League interest in their starting line-up.

    Former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun is up front, with ex-Tottenham and England international Eric Dier part of a defence alongside former West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer and ex-Southampton man Mohammed Salisu.

    On-loan Barcelona forward Ansu Fati, who spent a season at Brighton, is also in, but ex-Liverpool midfielder Takumi Minamino is on the bench.

    Monaco XI: Kohn, Vanderson, Kehrer, Dier, Salisu, Diatta, Akliouche, Teze, Coulibaly, Fati, Balogun.

    Manchester City make three changes to the side that beat Burnley on Saturday.

    The significant news sees the return of midfielder Rodri, who missed the victory over the Clarets because of a knee issue.

    Captain Bernardo Silva comes in, as does John Stones, who looks to be playing at right-back.

    Matheus Nunes, Nico Gonzalez and Savinho all drop to the bench.

    Man City XI: Donnarumma, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Rodri, Silva, Reijnders, Foden, Doku, Haaland.

    Man City XI: Donnarumma, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Rodri, Silva, Reijnders, Foden, Doku, Haaland.
  5. Follow Wednesday's Champions League games livepublished at 17:34 BST 1 October

    A graphic showing Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Mohammed Kudus, Cole Palmer, Bruno Guimaraes, Kylian Mbappe and Declan Rice around the Champions League trophy, with the text:  "Follow the teams you care about. Sign in or create an account for the latest news, insight, expert opinion, fan views and stats, and to get notifications."
    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.

    There are nine games in the Champions League, three of them involving Premier League teams, on Wednesday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

    • Qarabag v Copenhagen (17:45)

    • Union Saint-Gilloise v Newcastle (17:45)

    • Arsenal v Olympiacos

    • Barcelona v Paris St-Germain

    • Bayer Leverkusen v PSV Eindhoven

    • Borussia Dortmund v Athletic Club

    • Monaco v Manchester City - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

    • Napoli v Sporting

    • Villarreal v Juventus

    Kick-off times 20:00 BST unless stated

    Follow all of the action and reaction here

    You can also listen to 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Monaco v Man City" or "ask BBC Sounds to play the Manchester City game".

    Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

    Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

    There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.

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  6. Will Monaco's shaky defence be exploited by in-form Haaland?published at 11:11 BST 1 October

    Erlind Haaland for Manchester CityImage source, Getty Images

    French football expert Luke Entwistle believes Erling Haaland could find "a lot of joy" if he starts against Monaco in the Champions League.

    Monaco have conceded 10 goals from their first six league games this season and were also beaten 4-1 by Club Brugge in their opening Champions League game.

    Entwistle believes that the way Monaco set up could benefit Haaland, and he expects the Norwegian to have a number of chances to continue his impressive start to the season.

    He told BBC Radio Manchester: "Monaco are a team that like to press high but that could fall into the hands of Man City who have a target man to hit.

    "I assume it'll be Eric Dier that's put on Haaland, but I really see Haaland winning any one-on-one duel that he's faced with. He should have a lot of joy.

    "There will be a high line to exploit at times when Monaco press. I see Haaland getting quite a lot of joy. Half the press conference was spent on talking about how many issues there are in the Monaco defence and how they're conceding so much.

    "A player of Haaland's calibre coming up against a defence that has looked shaky against inferior strikers, it'll potentially be a lot of fun for Man City fans."

    You can listen to the full chat here

  7. Silva clear on Man City futurepublished at 20:22 BST 30 September

    Bernardo Silva plays for Man City with the ball at his feetImage source, Getty Images

    Bernardo Silva says he knows what his future holds as he nears the end of his contract.

    The 31-year-old's deal expires at the end of the season.

    Speaking before leading Manchester City out as captain against his former club Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday, Silva said: "I know exactly what I'm going to do but it's not the time to focus on it.

    "It's to do my best, to put the club back to where it belongs. We've had a lot of captains who've left but it's for the guys who have the most experience to pass it on to the young guys.

    "Manchester City was so successful in the last eight years not because one captain was really good but because we have a group of great leaders.

    "As the first captain you have to make sure some things don't happen - to create that environment but what we've seen is a group of great characters.

    "My job now is to try to create that energy, that chemistry as a group of captains - me, Ruben (Dias), Rodri, Erling (Haaland) - so people behave in the right way."

  8. Guardiola on Rodri's fitness, Silva's captaincy and Champions League chancespublished at 18:49 BST 30 September

    Sophie Trifonoff
    BBC Sport journalist

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League game against Monaco at Stade Louis II (kick-off 20:00 BST).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • Rodri "feels much better" and travelled to Monaco with the squad. Guardiola says he may be fit enough to start. He said: "We're taking it day by day to see how he feels. The game against Burnley, he didn't feel good. Today, he feels a bit better. We will see tomorrow."

    • Guardiola added: "Right now he is not able to play three games a week at top level with the intensity and demand of the opponents. He's not ready. He needs time. My feeling right now is he is not ready because he needs time. This type of injury, it is minimum one year and after that you start."

    • On Bernardo Silva's captaincy: "He cannot do better as the captain. He is one of the best players I have ever trained, it's been a luxury for me to have him for these last 10 years. He's an extraordinary player. Intelligent, smart, and can play in so many positions. Really happy to have him and he accepted the role as captain. He's worked really well."

    • On Rayan Cherki's fitness: "He won't be ready for this weekend. There are injuries in the shoulder and hamstring. He's twisted his ankle as well. It's risky to play him."

    • On opponents Monaco: "They have always had admiration for young players. There's lots of history. They've always had a good team, lots of players. They link inside the channels, really aggressive in the game. Hopefully we can read them well."

    • Guardiola "likes what [he] can see" but won't be able to tell if City can compete in the Champions League until "November or December".

    • He said he thinks his side can edge on a level in their development in order to compete in the tournament, stating: "We will have to make a step forward to improve the way we play, but we will do it."

    Follow all of Tuesday's Champions League buildup and news.

  9. 'Doku is fast becoming one of City's most important players'published at 13:01 BST 30 September

    Freddie Pye
    Fan writer

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    Jeremy DokuImage source, Getty Images

    It is fair to surmise that Jeremy Doku has had his share of critics since joining Manchester City. Arguably one of the most frustrating players in the squad for so long, doubts were beginning to grow over the summer around whether the season would be make or break for the Belgian.

    For some, the frustration stemmed from a good place. Many City fans, including myself, could see the ridiculously high-level talent that the club had signed in Doku back in 2023. There is arguably no player in world football capable of beating his opposing defender as comfortably as the former Stade Rennais winger. But for so long, that ability to beat a man came with very little afterwards in terms of end product, or a tendency to u-turn and attack one-vs-one again.

    But now, when you take a look at Doku's ongoing performances in a Manchester City shirt, there is decisiveness about his play and awareness of attacking team-mates. There's a vastly improved ability to both pick out the right pass and time his attacks to perfection in a variety of positions across the forward line.

    It is now three assists in his six appearances for the club so far this season, coupled with a hugely important role in being one of a few players capable of unlocking a deep defensive block with his solo dribbling and lightning pace in the final third. For so long, many would have deemed Kevin De Bruyne as the only player capable of taking on such a role, with his eye for an almost-impossible pass unlocking defensive units over, and over again.

    While much of the talk over the summer was about the need to find that KDB replacement, perhaps the answer in the Manchester City squad was there all along; albeit in a very different form of creative spark.

    Doku is fast becoming one of Manchester City's most important players. He is showcasing the prospect of him becoming one of the game's very rarest talents - an unstoppable one-vs-one dribbler boasting the energy to defend and attack. You can throw in priceless qualities such as an eye for goal and a decisive defence-splitting pass too.

    As is too often the case with Manchester City signings: Trust the club's judgement, be patient, and let Pep Guardiola do what he does best on the training ground.

    Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external

  10. Manchester City 5-1 Burnley - the fans' verdictpublished at 08:21 BST 29 September

    Your opinions graphic
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    We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Manchester City and Burnley.

    Here are some of your comments:

    City fans

    Gene: It's nice to see the crosses continually being sent with positive results. The defence still has some shaky moments but has definitely improved over last season thus far. A nice, hardworking performance which is building confidence.

    Deano: A game of two halves. I felt City were too complacent after the first goal. A talking to with Pep at half time sharpened their focus in the second half and the rest is history.

    Robert: Nice to see rhythm returning to City's game. A nice balance in the team. Haaland, Foden, Doku and the very underestimated Nunes were all excellent.

    Warren: Not getting carried away just yet but promising signs that we are getting back to somewhere near our best with a new system. Doku has been excellent again.

    Burnley fans

    Graham: Burnley showed strength, skill, and determination to, yet again, come back from a poor start to draw level by half time. We missed the chance to get ahead just after the break but, having failed to do so, we should have shut up shop, and not tried to play City at open football. That may have been a commendable and brave tactic but, ultimately, it failed. This was not a 1-5 performance but that's what the score sheet reads!

    Paul: The result doesn't define our season. The two injury time goals and the two own goals, considering the number of both types scored against us this season, are worrisome. But we will have easier matches and we will improve.

    Andrew: How does a decent but small club like Burnley compete with billionaires?! I hope Burnley survive but they don't have the resources.

  11. 'Doku continuing form will be vital as Man City try to return to their best'published at 13:05 BST 28 September

    John Bennett
    BBC Final Score reporter at Etihad Stadium

    Media caption,

    How 'positive' Doku made the difference against Burnley

    He won the 'man of the match' prize against Burnley, was highly praised by manager Pep Guardiola in the post-match interviews and there was a buzz every time he received the ball on the left flank; Jeremy Doku is starting to feel like the key difference-maker for Manchester City this season.

    In his chat with BBC Sport after the match, Guardiola highlighted that Doku is particularly important against teams who set up with a low block and he hinted that Doku's decision-making is getting better and better all the time.

    On another day, Doku would've scored against Burnley and he deserved something to celebrate because his overall contribution was second to none, as he battled against his former captain Kyle Walker.

    Doku continuing this form will be vital as Manchester City try to return to their best.

    In his post match interview, Matheus Nunes admitted that the team are still trying to reach the levels of control they used to have in every game. That control element would be helped by a fully fit Rodri but, when it comes to flair, Doku is the man who can be relied on to get fans off their seats and drive forward the City attack.

    He is a joy to watch and he must strike fear into every Premier League right-back right now.

  12. Analysis: Haaland continues prolific formpublished at 20:26 BST 27 September

    Shamoon Hafez
    Manchester City reporter

    Erling Haaland celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal with teammate Matheus NunesImage source, Getty Images

    When Manchester City face Burnley, they always win.

    For the 14th consecutive meeting in all competitions, City got the better of their opponents, while they have scored 51 goals and conceded only three during that run of results.

    The hosts did not have it all their own way on Saturday afternoon though and the result could have been very different had Maxime Esteve not converted twice into his own net and had Erling Haaland's interventions late on not happened.

    But City had 68% possession and posed a threat for large periods of the 90 minutes, highlighting why they cannot be ruled out of this season's title race after leaders Liverpool were beaten at Crystal Palace.

    City often played some lovely interchanges in the final third and Tijjani Reijnders should have finished off one such move, but instead blazed over from the edge of the area.

    It looked like being a rare off-day for striker Haaland, but the Norway international took his tally to 15 goals in nine games for club and country this season, continuing his blistering form by converting from Jeremy Doku's low cross in the 90th minute and running through to finish again three minutes later.

    Portugal midfielder-turned-right-back Matheus Nunes did score from Haaland's assist and was heavily involved in the third goal, as it was his cross which was turned in by Esteve.

    That goal left the result in no doubt and Haaland took the acclaim, as City picked up their 23rd victory in their past 25 matches against promoted sides.

  13. Man City 5-1 Burnley: What Guardiola and Nunes saidpublished at 18:20 BST 27 September

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    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side hit five goals past Burnley: "We behaved very well, the second half was much better than the first."

    On winger Jeremy Doku: "He is so important when teams play in a low block. His decisions are becoming better and better."

    On Rodri missing out on the squad: "I don't know right now how the pain is in his knee. He said to us that he was not ready to play [this weekend]."

    Goalscorer Matheus Nunes also spoke to Premier League Productions after the match: "We shouldn't have conceded a goal, that's what we take from this game. It was a difficult game, but we controlled it better in the second half. It was a good victory.

    "We are still trying to reach the level we used to be, with control in every game. We want to win every game but sometimes it isn't easy. We will get there."

    Did you know?

    • Jeremy Doku has three assists in his last three Premier League games for Manchester City, more than he had managed in his previous 17 appearances for the club (2).

    • After scoring another two goals, Erling Haaland has scored more than once in 22% of his Premier League appearances (23 times out of 103), the highest share of any player in the competition's history.

    Hear more from Guardiola on BBC Sounds