Manchester City

On how he's feeling ahead of tomorrow's game against Red Diamonds, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said: "We know how hard it is to win this competition and you have to have done something special in the past to be here.

"It’s difficult to win here and the players know this. That's why we want to play well tomorrow."

Manchester City

On being in Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup semi-final, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said: "It is a pleasure to be here - an honour - and it's Manchester City’s first time here. We take it as a privilege, it’s an honour to be here."

We were hoping to hear from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola at 14:30 GMT ahead of Tuesday's Club World Cup semi-final against Urawa Red Diamonds.

That time slot has passed but... we will have Pep Guardiola's top lines with you shortly!

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Manchester City threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.

That draw leaves them fourth in the standings and five points adrift of leaders Arsenal after 17 games.

Finding consistency has been an issue for City this term, winning just three of their last eight across all competitions, although they have lost just once during that sequence.

Under Pep Guardiola, City have shown a tendency to pull a performance out of the bag at just the right time, though, and the Spaniard will be hoping the opportunity to win the Fifa Club World Cup can spark his side into action.

They have been without talisman Erling Haaland for the last three games due to a foot injury and, prior to the draw with Palace, Guardiola said they are assessing the Norwegian "day by day".

"I'm not worried. It's not a fracture, just stress," Guardiola said.

"Hopefully, he can travel to Saudi, whether he can play the first game or the second, I don't know."

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Sunderland have announced the appointment of manager Michael Beale on a deal until the summer of 2026.

Beale, 43, returns to coaching just two months after leaving his role with Rangers.

The Black Cats sit seventh in the Championship, three points adrift of the play-off places, and he is the successor to Tony Mowbray at the Stadium of Light.

After leading the first team on an interim basis, Mike Dodds has been promoted to the role of assistant head coach.

Beale's first game in charge comes on Saturday when Sunderland host Coventry.

“It’s a huge honour to be joining the Sunderland family," Beale said.

"I would like to thank Kyril [Louis-Dreyfus], Kristjaan [Speakman] and the rest of the executive team for the faith and responsibility they have placed in me.

"The existing coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they navigated the interim period and like all of the staff at the club, they will continue to be vitally important moving forward alongside the incredible fans that make SAFC such an historic and unique club.

"It’s clear there is some excellent work being done at senior and academy level and I’m excited to support those efforts and implement my own ideas, as we build on the strong identity already established within the club."

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Manchester City have won every trophy available, at least once, since Pep Guardiola took charge of the club in 2016.

In 2022-23, City secured an historic Treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

Last season's Champions League triumph has secured a spot in the Fifa Club World Cup for the first time.

City are seeking to become just the fourth English side to win the Club World Cup after Manchester United (2008), Liverpool (2019) and Chelsea (2021).

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

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Metropolitan Police officers will speak to Aston Villa to establish the details behind Ollie Watkins outburst at Brentford yesterday.

Watkins, who spent three years at Brentford from 2017, said after Villa’s 2-1 win that he had received personal abuse from one supporter in particular, which is why he singled him out in his celebrations after scoring an 85th-minute winner.

Brentford are yet to make a statement around the incident and there has been no word yet on whether the Football Association will launch any charges in connection with the game.

Watkins did not explain the precise nature of the abuse.

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The seeded tournament saw Al-Ittihad take on the winners of the 2023 OFC Champions League, Auckland, in the only game in the first round - with Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad winning 3-0.

Al-Ittihad joined CAF champions Al Ahly, 2022 AFC champions Urawa Red Diamonds and Concacaf winners Leon in round two on Friday.

The winners of those matches - Al Ahly and Urawa Red Diamonds - advanced to the semi-finals, at which stage Manchester City and Fluminese entered the tournament.

The semi-finals will be played on Monday and Tuesday, with the final and a third-place play-off scheduled for Friday, 22 December.

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Manchester City will face Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-finals of the Fifa Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

The Japanese side beat Mexico's Leon in Friday's second-round game to set up a last-four tie against City.

Brazilian club Fluminense will play Al Ahly in the other semi-final today at 18:00 GMT after their 3-1 win over Al-Ittihad.

European champions City and Copa Libertadores winners Fluminense both qualified for the last four of the competition automatically.

It is the final edition of the competition in its current format after Fifa confirmed an expanded tournament featuring 32 teams will take place in 2025.

Pep Guardiola is set to speak to the media shortly, we'll bring you all the top lines from his news conference.

Before we move on from Chelsea, though, we just wanted to flag some interesting points raised by former Blues boss Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese manager has defended the decision to sell Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne during his time at Stamford Bridge, saying they pushed to leave the club.

Salah and De Bruyne made just a handful of appearances for the club before being sold to Roma and Wolfsburg respectively.

Salah then went on to star at Liverpool, while De Bruyne has been a mainstay of the Manchester City team under Pep Guardiola, winning 21 honours between them.

"They left because they wanted to leave. They didn’t want to wait," Mourinho told the Obi One podcast., external

"Sometimes kids do decisions like that because they cannot wait, they don’t have the patience and sometimes their careers go in the wrong direction. For them it went in the right direction.

"When people say ‘you sold Salah’ I say exactly the opposite. I bought Salah. I told Chelsea to buy him. He was going for Basel to Liverpool and I made a fight, a war, to make him come to Chelsea.

"But you need to perform or you have to wait. He didn’t want to wait.

"Probably other guys I have pushed out, but not them."

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So we have heard from Marco Silva, Eddie Howe and Mauricio Pochettino before their side's Carabao Cup ties.

Coming up, we have Pep Guardiola on the Club World Cup.

Manchester City take on Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds in the semi-finals in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday from 18:00 GMT.

Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino closed his news conference with a final word of warning not to expect too much from summer signing Christopher Nkunku: "That is my worry, to put too much pressure on him.

"To say now he’s arrived and then people expect us to win every game and change everything. He needs recovery time.

"I hope that starts tomorrow, he might play and score three goals but the most important thing is not to create too much pressure as he needs to find himself and then adapt in the team that’s been competing without him.

"We need to be careful as he has not made his debut in the Premier League and everyone knows how difficult the Premier League is for players outside of England."

Chelsea

More from Mauricio Pochettino on Christopher Nkunku: "He wasn’t a player to be involved after 2-0 [against Sheffield United], I didn't want to take a risk with him.

"How I see him today? I tell you maybe he can play 20 minutes. Before Sheffield United, I was 1% or 2% of doubt, I did not want to take a risk. I need to be 100%. If I have 1% doubt then no.

"It was good for him to feel the warm up and be with the team."

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Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino was asked whether the new format for the Club World Cup, which Chelsea qualify for as recent winners of the Champions League, was too demanding.

It will involve 32 teams and is scheduled to be played in the United States across June and July in 2025.

The Chelsea manager said: "What can we do? It’s not going to change so if it happens then we have to arrive in the best form and be competitive. Then you have to try and avoid injuries.

"It's too many competitions yes, but maybe we need to change our mindset to rotate players, to use more of the squad. But fans, even you, people ask why you don't play [certain players]?

"We maybe need to accept we need to rotate, space to use the whole squad. The players need to accept it too but they want to play. They want to play but if they don't perform, it's 'I was tired'. Even the players need to change their mindset.

"The balance is the most important."

Chelsea

More from Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino on whether he thinks there are more injures across all clubs this season because of increased workload: "It’s difficult to know why as there are many factors to influence the injuries. Different clubs address things in different ways but today the competition is very busy.

"Sometimes it's difficult because coaches or clubs are under pressure and sometimes you need to play players that are not in the best condition. Like tomorrow, if you don’t put a strong side out then it's 'Aw Pochettino doesn't want to win the Carabao Cup!'

"How do I convince you that players were tired? Sometimes you can lose and it is said the coach is wrong. Sometimes you cannot afford to play in a different way. We try to be conscious if a player is a risk, maybe not to risk. After, you need to confirm you were right because if you were wrong, people ask why you don't play this guy?"

Chelsea

On the pressure to win a trophy, Mauricio Pochettino said: "You need to be at the right club in the right moment with the elements to win. To be an elite manager you don't necessarily have to win titles.

"It’s important to analyse every project you’re involved in. It's important for the club because it's going to be a boost of energy and I really believe in the project."

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Chelsea

On what it would mean to lift a trophy at Chelsea, Mauricio Pochettino said: "It means more for the people than us. It means a lot because we want to deliver for the club and for the fans. To lift a trophy is important.

"It’s a priority when you’re at Chelsea to win a title, it’s important so it’s in our mind and objectives. Tomorrow we have to be ready to fight, to be ready to be closer to winning a title. We need to fight, we need to be aggressive, to follow our last game in the way we behave and improve in the way we play and to have the capacity to fight for every single ball."

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James Taylor, whose cricket career was cut short because of a heart condition, told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast that it was important to continue improving heart screenings in sport in the wake of Tom Lockyer's on-pitch cardiac arrest.

Luton captain Lockyer is in hospital after collapsing during Saturday's Premier League game with Bournemouth.

Taylor was forced to retire from cricket in 2016 at the age of 26.

"Screening processes do a fantastic job but we can always be better," he said.

"It is a really sad case and thankfully Tom has got great care where he is now.

"Screening protocols in whatever sport clearly need to be worked on and improved always."

Lockyer collapsed during the second half at the Vitality Stadium and both sets of players were taken off the pitch while he received treatment.

The game was eventually abandoned.

Read more here.

Chelsea

On Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer, Mauricio Pochettino said: "We feel really sorry and sad about the situation. It’s always difficult to see a player when these things happen in football. All we can say is we hope he recovers as soon as possible. We wish for him and the best feelings for Luton.

"It is always a worry that things like that happen. During the games, it is on TV and everyone can see. It is a thing that has happened in the past and it is difficult to anticipate. The science is working trying to anticipate it and tests to see, but unpredictable things can happen. It's part of the sport, but sadly it's part of life."