Tag: Manchester City

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admits the legal cases facing Manchester City and other top-flight teams have created “uncertainty and frustration” ahead of the new season.

An independent commission is set to rule on the 115 charges against Premier League champions City for alleged financial breaches during the season.

There are also cases to be resolved involving Leicester and Everton, related to alleged breaches of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

Asked if the unresolved financial issues would cast a shadow over the 2024/25 season, Masters told Sky Sports: “It does matter, and I understand it creates uncertainty and some frustration but there is no happy alternative to enforcing the rules, which everyone has agreed at the beginning of each season.

“They have looked each other in the eye and shaken each other’s hand and said ‘we will abide by these rules’. So the Premier League has to enforce rules.

“Whatever difficulty or frustration that creates is part of maintaining and protecting the Premier League’s competition, its core values, competitive competition. And that’s really my role, and that’s what I want to continue doing.”

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Manchester City, who are bidding for an unprecedented fifth successive Premier League title, have won the top-flight crown twice since the charges, which they vehemently deny, were laid in February last year.

Reports have suggested the hearing into City’s case could start in September, but Masters refused to be drawn on a timescale.

“I think it does need to be resolved,” he said. “It’s not in our hands. It’s in the hands of an independent panel.

“They are in charge of the timing and the running of the process, and we must let them get on with it.”

City’s alleged breaches relate to rules requiring the reporting of accurate financial information and the submission of details of manager and player pay information within the relevant contracts.

They also refer to a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s financial regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability regulations.

City are alleged to have breached rules requiring them to co-operate and assist with the Premier League’s investigation into those breaches, which the league said began in December 2018.

Everton and Nottingham Forest were docked points for PSR breaches last season, and those rules remain in force for the campaign ahead, requiring clubs to limit losses to a maximum of £105 million ($134 million) over three seasons.

“I can’t speculate on (whether there will be charges related to the 2023-24 PSR assessment period),” Masters said.

“You can only really adjudicate on it when you have audited accounts and that process doesn’t start until towards the end of the year.”

READ: Erling Haaland nominated for PFA Player of the Year award

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is in the hunt to win a second successive PFA Player of the Year award after being nominated alongside team-mates Phil Foden and Rodri.

Haaland enjoyed another prolific campaign with 38 goals in all competitions as Manchester City lifted an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.

The Norway star won the PFA award after Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign in 2022-23.

Rodri was a key figure in the midfield for Manchester City during their latest Premier League triumph and also helped Spain win Euro 2024.

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England playmaker Foden scored 27 goals last season for Pep Guardiola’s men.

Chelsea forward Cole Palmer, Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins have also been shortlisted for the prize.

The women’s award will go to either a Chelsea player or a City player.

Chelsea’s Niamh Charles, Erin Cuthbert and Lauren James are shortlisted along with Yui Hasegawa, Lauren Hemp and Khadija Shaw.

The winners will be announced at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester on August 20.

For the unversed, Erling Haaland recently scored a powering hat trick, including two goals in the first five minutes, and led Manchester City over Chelsea 4-2 in an English club football friendly at Columbus, Ohio.

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Erling Haaland scored a powering hat trick, including two goals in the first five minutes, and led Manchester City over Chelsea 4-2 on Saturday in an English club football friendly at Columbus, Ohio.

Reigning Premier League champion City scored goals 54 seconds apart in the first half and 71 seconds apart in the second half to dominate the fixture, part of a US pre-season tour for both clubs.

Haaland wore the captain’s armband and showed a crowd of 71,280 why he is considered among the world’s best players.

The 24-year-old Norwegian striker scored on a penalty kick in the fourth minute and, after a Moises Caicedo giveaway in the Chelsea half, smashed a right-footed shot into the right corner for a 2-0 City lead in the fifth minute — only 17 seconds after the restart.

Oscar Bobb boosted the lead to three in the 55th minute, taking the ball down the right wing and cutting inside to fire a left-footed shot past a defender and just inside the near post.

Haaland then completed his hat trick in the 56th minute after City forced a turnover in Chelsea territory.

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Erling Haaland took a pass at the top of the box between two defenders and flicked in a left-footed shot for a 4-0 City edge only 25 seconds after the restart.

Raheem Sterling answered for Chelsea in the 59th minute and Noni Madueke added a final goal in the 89th but it was too little and too late.

The game was a preview of the start of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign for both clubs. Manchester City will open the season against Chelsea on August 18.

In another pre-season US showdown of English giants, Liverpool blanked Manchester United 3-0 before 77,559 spectators at Columbia, South Carolina.

Fabio Carvalho, a 21-year-old Portuguese striker, opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 10th minute.

In the 36th minute, Egyptian striker Mo Saleh got to the backline and fired a perfect centring pass to onrushing Curtis Jones, who tapped in with his left foot for a 2-0 Liverpool lead.

Greek standout Kostas Tsimikas gave the Merseysiders a 3-0 edge in the 61st minute, knocking in a rebound off the left post.

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New Barcelona manager Hansi Flick made a triumphant start to his tenure on Tuesday as the Spanish giants beat Manchester City on penalties after their pre-season friendly at Orlando finished 2-2 at full-time.

Toni Fernandez, who signed with Barca earlier this month after turning 16, flicked in a left-footed shot past reserve City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to give the German manager’s side a 4-1 win on penalties.

Barcelona kicked off their US tour in the pre-season contest against the four-time reigning Premier League champions, guided by former Barcelona player and coach Pep Guardiola.

A sellout crowd of 63,237 spectators were unhappy early as a storm delayed the start by 80 minutes, but were delighted with a strong early pace before both teams gave reserve players abundant time on the pitch.

Barcelona jumped ahead 3-0 on penalty kicks thanks to a left-footed shot by Alejandro Balde before Amar Ahmed kept City in it by beating reserve Barca goalkeeper Ander Astralaga, setting the stage for the teen newcomer’s heroics.

Pau Victor had opened the scoring in open play for Barcelona in the 24th minute, taking a quick through ball pass from Marc Casado and firing a right-footed blast from the right side into the goal.

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Nico O’Riley answered for Manchester City in the 39th minute, firing in a left-footed shot from the left side off a pass from Josko Gvardiol, the Croatian international making his first US tour start.

Pablo Torre’s goal in the second minute of first-half stoppage time gave Barcelona a 2-1 half-time lead.

The 21-year-old Spanish midfielder took a centring pass from Gerard Martin at the left wing, nudged the ball to his right, and then blasted a right-footed shot past Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson and inside the left post.

Jack Grealish equalized for City in the 60th minute off an impressive fast break.

Croatian international Mateo Kovacic, making his first start on City’s US tour, gathered a loose ball just beyond the City box, split two defenders and raced upfield with the ball before passing to English left winger Grealish, who outraced a defender and finished with an outstanding left-footed shot from a steep angle high into the goal.

Barcelona will continue their US tour with pre-season matches against Real Madrid and AC Milan.

City, who lost earlier US matches to Celtic and AC Milan, will close the US tour by facing Chelsea on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

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Nicolas Kuhn scored twice and Luis Palma netted the decider in the 68th minute to give Celtic a 4-3 victory over Manchester City in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday.

Norway’s Erling Haaland, wearing the City captain’s armband for the first time, nodded home an equalizer in the 57th minute only for Honduran international Palma to tap in the winning goal on a breakaway at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Memorial Stadium.

The match was a tuneup for next month’s start of the 2024-25 campaigns for Celtic, winner of the past three Scottish Premiership crowns, and four-time defending English Premier League champion Manchester City, which began a US tour.

With several top stars resting from the European Championships, City manager Pep Guardiola used the opportunity to analyze younger talent.

The match marked a Celtic debut for goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, the 37-year-old Dane who began his career with City in 2006. He played the first half for the Hoops.

German right-wing Kuhn netted a first-half brace for Celtic, playing in a fourth pre-season match.

Down 3-1 at half-time, City answered seconds into the second half on just-inserted 21-year-old Argentine substitute Maximo Perrone’s goal, a left-footed shot from the right side into the far corner on his first touch of the ball.

Haaland headed in a centring pass from countryman Oscar Bobb in the 57th minute to lift the City level.

But Celtic scored the winner in the 68th minute as Palma, who entered three minutes earlier, finished a three-man breakaway as City’s defenders were caught flat-footed near midfield after pressing with the backline.

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Manchester City substitute Ben Knight was denied an equalizer in the 76th minute when second-half Celtic keeper Viljami Sinisalo of Finland knocked the ball over the crossbar.

Kuhn opened the scoring in the 13th minute, taking a pass on the right side and charging in on City starting goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, then firing a left-footed shot just inside the far post.

Schmeichel denied Haaland in the 23rd minute with a right-hand save on a left-footed shot off a feed from James McAtee.

In the 31st, Schmeichel again denied Haaland, from the right side on a left-footed shot that Schmeichel swatted away with his left hand.

But Manchester City equalized in the 33rd minute as Haaland flicked the ball left to onrushing Bobb, who blasted a shot that deflected off Schmeichel and bounced into the goal.

Kuhn answered for Celtic in the 36th minute, rushing in from the right wing then pulling back the ball to evade a defender and curling a left-footed blast high into the goal.

Celtic stretched the edge to 3-1 in the 44th minute when Kuhn delivered a perfect centring pass to Japan’s fast-rushing Kyogo Furuhashi, who split two defenders, evaded Ortega and fired in a left-footed shot from a steep angle.

Manchester City’s US tour continues Saturday against AC Milan at New York’s Yankee Stadium, with other matches next week against Barcelona at Orlando and Chelsea in Columbus, Ohio.

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Pep Guardiola insists Kevin De Bruyne will not leave Manchester City this season after reports the Belgium star could move to Saudi Arabia.

De Bruyne has just one year left on his current City contract and the midfielder revealed recently he has spoken with his wife Michele about his future plans.

“For Michele an exotic adventure is OK,” De Bruyne said in a hint that he could end his successful spell at Premier League champions City.

Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad were believed to be interested in De Bruyne. But UK press reports on Tuesday said City manager Guardiola had rejected any thought of the 33-year-old being allowed to walk away this season.

Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s friendly against Celtic in North Carolina, Pep Guardiola told reporters “Kevin isn’t leaving”.

Kevin De Bruyne returned after missing the first half of last season due to injury and helped City make history with a fourth successive Premier League title.

He has been with City since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015, winning 15 major trophies including six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown.

While Guardiola is adamant, that his influential playmaker will stay at the Etihad Stadium this term, it remains to be seen if he can persuade the Belgian to remain in Manchester longer than that.

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“My eldest (child) is now eight years old and knows nothing but England. He also asks how long I will play at City. Once the time comes, we will have to deal with it in a certain way,” De Bruyne said in a recent interview.

“At my age, you have to be open to everything. You talk about unbelievable amounts in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that.

“If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn an incredible amount of money.”

Meanwhile, Guardiola claimed City would not make major changes to his squad before their Premier League season kicks off against Chelsea on August 18.

Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze has been linked with the champions, while City goalkeeper Ederson has potential offers from Saudi Arabia.

“Of course, until the last day, we have chances (to make transfers), I don’t rule it out the option to have new players but I think there is an 85,90 per cent chance we will have the same squad,” Guardiola said.

“I feel comfortable, because the quality of human beings we have in the squad is difficult to be replaced, and the quality is there.

“But we’ll see, I don’t know in the last moment if someone comes for some players and they leave, we’re going to decide. If someone leaves, we’re going to talk about that.”

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WEMBLEY: Manchester United upset Manchester City to win the FA Cup with a shock 2-1 victory at Wembley Stadium here on Saturday.

City were hot favourites to win a second successive Premier League and FA Cup double.

Yet Eric Ten Hag found a way to neutralise Pep Guardiola’s side as first-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo put United on course to win the FA Cup for the first time in eight years.

Jeremy Doku squeezed an 87th-minute strike past Andre Onana’s weak attempted save but it was too late to rescue City.

Ten Hag celebrated by kissing the Cup as he held it aloft in the Royal box.

Asked if he was worried about his future, he said: “I don’t know. The only thing I’m doing is preparing my team.

“This is a project for me. When I came in I can say it was a mess. Now we are better. We are not where we want to be.”

Guardiola added: “Congratulations to United. It was a tight game. It can happen. At the end they scored two goals and we couldn’t score more.”

Having ended a turbulent season on a high note, if Ten Hag’s two-year reign does end, his exit would provoke memories of fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal’s Old Trafford departure.

Van Gaal was fired just two days after United’s FA Cup final victory against Crystal Palace in 2016.

Ten Hag will hope a more apt comparison is Alex Ferguson’s 1990 FA Cup final win against Palace, which kick-started his remarkable run after calls for his sacking earlier that season.

Ferguson was in attendance as a match labelled Ten Hag’s funeral turned into a triumph for the much-maligned Dutchman.

United shareholder Jim Ratcliffe, who has control of football operations at Old Trafford, was also watching from the stands alongside co-owners Joel and Avie Glazer.

Linked with Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Gareth Southgate, among others, there is still plenty for Ratcliffe to ponder after United finished eighth in the Premier League this season — their lowest final position since 1990 — and crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage.

Ten Hag believes a lengthy injury list was the root of the problems and can point to the two trophies he has won in three cup final appearances with United as proof of what he can do when his team are at full strength.

Ten Hag ended United’s six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup last year and has now avenged their 2-1 loss to City in the FA Cup final 12 months ago despite finishing 31 points behind the champions this term.

United will also qualify for the Europa League, avoiding a first season without European action since 2014-15.

Manchester United benefitted from an unusually tepid Manchester City performance as their double bid fell flat in their first domestic defeat since losing at Aston Villa in the league 171 days ago.

Last weekend, City became the first team to win the Premier League in four consecutive seasons.

But Guardiola’s men looked hungover after the celebrations that followed their sixth title in seven years.

Content to sit deep with all 11 men behind the ball, United stifled City impressively and gleefully accepted their gift-wrapped opener in the 30th minute.

Diogo Dalot’s punt forward should have been dealt with by Josko Gvardiol, but the left-back hesitated as he looked for an offside flag.

Gvardiol headed the ball over City keeper Stefan Ortega, who had rashly rushed off his line, leaving Garnacho with the simple task of tapping into the empty net as Ten Hag clenched his fist in celebration.

Just nine minutes later, Mainoo punished more sloppy City defending.

Garnacho advanced unchecked down the right wing and found Fernandes, whose superb first-time pass reached the unmarked Mainoo for a clinical close-range finish.

Manchester City pushed harder after the interval but although Doku’s shot slipped through Onana’s grasp to set up a tense finale, it wasn’t enough to deny Manchester United.

As the final seconds ticked away, Ten Hag stood in the sunshine nervously waiting to celebrate a dramatic win that could earn an unexpected stay of execution or serve as his final fling.

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England have acquired the services of Manchester City’s psychologist David Young for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, starting from June 1.

Young works as head of psychology with Manchester City, who recently won their fourth consecutive Premier League title.

He previously worked with England’s cricket team from 2016 to 2020 and was instrumental in turning things around for the team that went on to win the ODI World Cup in 2019.

White-ball head coach of England Matthew Mott revealed that he was hired as a consultant for the mega-event to help the team in their T20 World Cup title defence.

“He’s previously been with the team and he’s already been a great ally in messages back to me, making sure my messages are clear,” Mott said.

“It’s always good to have someone who’s a little bit removed from the squad to make sure you’re landing your messages… He’s still doing other roles but we’ve got him for this series, and the start of the World Cup as well.”

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Young joined the team ahead of the ongoing T20I series against Pakistan and will travel with the team to the Caribbean for the early part of the World Cup.

England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler and fast bowler Mark Wood have previously credited Young for helping them during the 2019 World Cup.

However, the English side failed to defend the title in World Cup 2023, as they were knocked out of the competition in the group stage.

“In India, all of us were guilty of being a bit insular and trying to problem solve ourselves,” said Mott. “We’ve made a commitment to open up and be a bit more vulnerable as a group so that we’re helping each other.”

Young was brought back in order to avoid the same fate during their T20 World Cup defence.

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Pep Guardiola cast doubt over his long-term future at Manchester City on Sunday after winning a historic fourth straight Premier League title, admitting it is difficult to find motivation after so much sustained success.

City’s 3-1 victory against West Ham sealed a sixth top-flight title in seven seasons under the Catalan, who has taken the club to extraordinary new levels since he arrived in 2016.

His tally is exceeded only by Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles during his long reign at Manchester United.

In 2019 City became the first club to win the domestic treble of Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup in the same season and last year they emulated Manchester United’s class of 1999 in winning the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, which they lifted for the first time.

Manchester City are now the first side in English top-flight history to win four titles in a row — surpassing the achievements of the great Liverpool and Manchester United teams from previous eras.

And next week they will attempt to become the first English side to win back-to-back domestic doubles when they take on United at Wembley in the FA Cup final.

Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola, 53, has a contract at the Etihad until the end of next season but his future after that is unclear.

“The reality is I’m closer to leaving than to staying,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “It’s eight years, will be nine.

“Right now my feeling is I want to stay next season. We talked with the club, we have time to talk next season because I have to see the players as well (to see) if they follow me, they follow us, for many reasons. I will stay and during the season we will talk when calm.”

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Asked at his post-match press conference whether he felt as though he had “completed English football” and what he felt was left to achieve, Guardiola shrugged his shoulders and said: “I had that feeling last season.

“When we won in Istanbul (in the Champions League final) I said, ‘It’s over, what am I doing here? It’s over, there’s nothing left’.

“But I have a contract, I’m here and still enjoying. Some of the moments I’m a bit tired but some of the moments I love, and after I said ‘OK, we are here’.

“We start winning games, playing good, different players, new players and I start to think about ‘No one has done four in a row, why don’t we try?’ And now I feel ‘It’s done, so what next?’ I don’t know right now.”

He added: “Next season, right now, I’m not able to know exactly what will be the motivation to do it because it’s difficult sometimes to find it when everything is done.”

Pep Guardiola said for now he was enjoying basking in the glow of another Premier League triumph.

“When I moved here if someone had said I would win six leagues in seven seasons I would say you’re insane — no way,” he said.

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Manchester City created English football history on Sunday, beating West Ham 3-1 to win their fourth straight Premier League title and break Arsenal’s hearts as Jurgen Klopp made an emotional Liverpool exit.

Phil Foden scored two early goals — including one after 79 seconds — at an expectant Etihad to lay the foundations for City’s victory.

West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus pulled a goal back with a spectacular overhead kick to give Arsenal renewed hope but Rodri struck just before the hour mark to effectively wrap up the title.

The Gunners, without a Premier League trophy since 2004, came from a goal down to beat Everton 2-1 but had to content themselves with second place for a second straight season after they finished two points behind City’s tally of 91.

The champions’ relentless surge to the finishing line has included 19 wins and four draws since their last defeat in the league, at Aston Villa in early December.

City, who have now won six titles in seven seasons, stand alone as the only English team to have won four straight top-flight titles, eclipsing the achievements of the great Liverpool and Manchester United teams of the past.

“When I moved here, if someone had said I would win six leagues in seven seasons I would say ‘You’re insane — no way’,” said City manager Pep Guardiola.

“All these players for Manchester United and Liverpool and Chelsea, all these teams. Now is our period. We are part of that.”

But while City have set new standards in English football, they remain under a cloud as a result of 115 Premier League charges for alleged financial irregularities, levelled early last year.

Elsewhere on the final day of the Premier League season, Luton’s relegation was confirmed with a 4-2 loss at home to Fulham. They will join Burnley and Sheffield United in the Championship next season.

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Tottenham beat Sheffield United 3-0 to seal the fifth spot and a place in next season’s Europa League while Chelsea guaranteed a sixth-place finish and European football with a 2-1 win against Bournemouth.

Newcastle’s 4-2 win at Brentford condemned Manchester United to an eighth-place finish — their lowest since 1990.

Erik ten Hag’s men, who beat Brighton 2-0 in Roberto De Zerbi’s last game in charge of the south coast club, have a chance to salvage something from a disastrous season in next week’s FA Cup final against City. But if United lose they will miss out on European football.

Foden, 23, has enjoyed his most impressive season yet for City, taking his tally to 27 goals in all competitions on Sunday, together with 11 assists.

The England midfielder opened the scoring on Sunday in the second minute with a vicious left-footed shot from outside the penalty area, settling nerves among the home fans. He then stroked the ball into the net in the 18th minute after an assist from Jeremy Doku.

The title race briefly came alive again when Takehiro Tomiyasu side-footed home to level for Arsenal at the Emirates before Kudus pulled one back for West Ham.

The atmosphere became more subdued at the Etihad but the visitors rarely threatened again in David Moyes’s final game in charge for the visitors and Rodri’s goal in the 59th minute ultimately made the game safe.

Kai Havertz’s late winner for Arsenal proved irrelevant.

Arteta gave a rousing speech to the fans in the immediate aftermath of the match, urging them to crave more.

“All this is happening because you started believing, you started to be patient and started to understand what we tried to do,” he said.

“All the credit has to go to the players and the staff. Don’t be satisfied. We want much more than that and we’re going to get it.”

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