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The key performers in Manchester City’s trophy treble
The key performers in Manchester City’s trophy treble
Manchester City have won the Champions League to add to their Premier League and FA Cup triumphs. Here, the PA news agency looks at the key players in their stunning treble. Erling Haaland The Norwegian has been an absolute sensation, scoring a record 36 goals in City’s Premier League campaign and 52 in all competitions. People doubted whether he would be able to maintain the phenomenal scoring rate of his early career once he arrived in the Premier League following his £51million move from Borussia Dortmund but he quickly dispelled their reservations. He formed a potent partnership with Kevin De Bruyne and bagged six hat-tricks in all competitions including a stunning five-goal Champions League haul against RB Leipzig. City had to adjust their playing style to accommodate him but things had truly clicked by the run-in as City reeled in Arsenal and tasted glory on three fronts. Kevin De Bruyne It may not have been a vintage De Bruyne season, and some of Guardiola’s comments about him at times suggested the manager was not entirely satisfied with the Belgian, but he still produced another highly-effective campaign. He truly got going and delivered when it really mattered as City entered the run-in, with his statistics again impressive. He led the Premier League with 16 assists, and while that figure is also testament to the brilliance of Haaland’s finishing, it was four more than anyone else in the competition. He also weighed in with seven goals, with a further two goals and seven assists in Europe, though his final ended before half-time due to injury for the second time in three years. Jack Grealish It has taken time for Grealish to live up to his £100million billing but his second season at the club has been a considerable improvement on his first. There were some impressive performances in the early part of the campaign and since the World Cup he has reached that level on a consistent basis. He now seems more confident on the ball and has been harder for defenders to knock off it, while also showing a greater ability to pick out his team-mates. His progress has been good and City will hope there is more to come. John Stones The second half of the season saw Stones successfully combine all facets of his game. The England centre-back’s defending has improved considerably in recent years and, now comfortable in that role, he is confident enough to step into midfield when City are in possession. With his ball-playing ability, this defence-midfield hybrid role has added an extra dimension to the team’s play. Rodri The Spaniard’s influence in the City midfield has grown steadily since his arrival in 2019 and this season has seen him come of age. Physically strong and highly energetic, Rodri has been City’s driving force. He reads the game superbly, breaks up opposition attacks and powers forward. His passing ability and vision have been excellent with the likes of Haaland, De Bruyne and Grealish all benefiting enormously. His four goals included the key strike against Inter Milan in the Champions League final. Ilkay Gundogan Pep Guardiola’s first signing in 2016, Gundogan has gained a larger share of the limelight this season than ever before. The Germany international has the versatility to play anywhere in midfield and his quiet leadership has been backed up by vital goals – never more so than his two in the FA Cup final to echo last season’s title-winning league brace against Aston Villa. Guardiola, no stranger to world-class talent, last month labelled him “one of the best players I ever trained in my career”. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live The key games that brought Manchester City a treble I’ll never doubt my strength again – French Open champion Iga Swiatek Cameron Green defiant as Shubman Gill puts catch under the magnifying glass
2023-06-11 05:26
Embattled LaLiga president repeats racist slur in press conference when discussing racist abuse of Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr.
Embattled LaLiga president repeats racist slur in press conference when discussing racist abuse of Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr.
Embattled LaLiga president Javier Tebas repeated a racist slur used by fans towards Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr. when discussing the incident at a press conference on Thursday.
2023-05-26 02:29
Manchester City ‘not used’ to artificial pitch but must adapt – Pep Guardiola
Manchester City ‘not used’ to artificial pitch but must adapt – Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola accepts Manchester City must adapt to the artificial surface they face in Switzerland this week – but claims “common sense” dictates grass is better. The holders will play on unfamiliar terrain in their latest Champions League outing on Wednesday when they take on Young Boys on their synthetic pitch at the Wankdorf Stadium. Guardiola insists there are no complaints on his part, and he has changed his team’s routine to ensure they are prepared. Normally City do not take up the option available to them of training at the stadium when they play away games in Europe, instead preferring to work in Manchester before travelling. However, on this occasion City flew to Bern on Tuesday morning and had a run out on the pitch in the evening. Yet the City manager could not hide the feeling that he would prefer to be playing on a natural surface. Speaking at a press conference, the Spaniard said: “It is what it is. If UEFA allows games to be played here it’s because it’s in good conditions. “That’s one of the reasons we never train away but this is an exception. This is why we travel in the morning for the players to feel how the ball runs, how to move left, right, backwards, forwards. That’s why. “We’ll try it and the players will know it immediately.” Asked if he was concerned about injuries, Guardiola said: “I don’t know – hopefully not, for both sides, but I don’t know. “We are not used to it. Any team that plays here is not used to it. It suits the Swiss league and, in the Champions League, the teams that come here have to adapt. “We will not be the first in this situation. We have to use it as a benefit but the grass is better.” Asked why, Guardiola said: “Because 99.9 per cent of the teams who play in a high level play on grass, otherwise UEFA and FIFA would decide to play on artificial pitches. It’s common sense, I would say.” City go into their third match in Group G looking to maintain their 100 per cent record after victories over Red Star Belgrade and RB Leipzig. Victory in their back-to-back games against Young Boys, who travel to the Etihad Stadium next month, could see City qualify for the knockout stages with two matches to spare. City have no fresh injury concerns, with long-term casualty Kevin De Bruyne their only notable absentee. Guardiola also played down concerns about the form of Jack Grealish, who is taking time to get back to his best after a month out with a dead leg. The City boss said: “I don’t have one doubt about Jack and his quality and what he has done for us since he arrived, especially last season. I’m calm and confident. He is an incredibly important player for us.” Read More Manchester United remember Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of Champions League clash Sean Longstaff pinching himself after change in fortunes at Newcastle World Rugby to launch new international competition from 2026 Simona Halep files appeal with CAS against four-year doping ban Just Stop Oil protesters sentenced for aggravated trespass over Lord’s stunt It helps a lot – Dejan Kulusevski says Spurs must make absence from Europe count
2023-10-25 03:55
Burnley counting cost of Carabao Cup win over Nottingham Forest
Burnley counting cost of Carabao Cup win over Nottingham Forest
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany felt his side paid a price for their 1-0 Carabao Cup win at Nottingham Forest after Hjalmar Ekdal sustained a serious-looking knee injury. Substitute Zeki Amdouni volleyed home a last-minute winner to settle a largely forgettable tie and clinch Burnley a third-round clash at Salford. But Vitinho, Aaron Ramsey and Ekdal were all forced off through injury, with the latter carried off on a stretcher following a second-half goalmouth scramble. When asked about his players’ injuries, Kompany said: “One I think will be bad. It looked like it. I’ll take anything positive on that of course. “In terms of Viti (Vitinho), we hope he’s not too bad. Certainly, it cost us a little bit this game. “From what I’ve seen and watching the images, it looks knee for both (Vinho and Ekdal). There’s different degrees, it could just be a strain, but for Ekdal – we hope it’s not too bad. He was in a lot of pain. “I really hope he’s not too bad, but there was a cost to this game for sure.” Switzerland forward Amdouni, signed from Basel in July, was a 78th-minute replacement for Jay Rodriguez and fired home his first goal in English football in his third appearance for the Clarets. “He’s got a real goal threat,” Kompany added. “I hope that’s one of many for him. That’s one exciting thing about our squad. I’m not saying in year one you’re going to be bursting the net every week. “But in the future, potentially in our squad there’s a real goal threat. How long it will take I don’t know. Some guys are always dangerous on the pitch.” Neither side created a scoring chance worthy of note before Amdouni’s late intervention and Forest boss Steve Cooper said his side “got what they deserved”. He said: “We feel really short with our performance levels, both collectively and individually and certainly with the ball. “I didn’t think we were going to concede a goal. The game had 0-0 written all over it. It wasn’t a great game obviously. Technically we were miles off it today.” The introduction of Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White midway through the second half failed to spark Forest in to life. Johnson has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham but Cooper insisted that was not why the Wales forward started on the bench. “I know there’s a lot of speculation about him, but it’s not really affecting us at the moment and until we get told different we’ll deal with it and it’s business as usual,” he added. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘We were just boring’ says Blades’ assistant boss Stuart McCall after cup exit Brydon Carse targets red-ball cricket with England after impressing in T20 win Beto and Arnaut Danjuma spare Everton’s blushes in late cup win at Doncaster
2023-08-31 06:19
MLB Rumors: Phillies court Juan Soto with tampering-adjacent gesture
MLB Rumors: Phillies court Juan Soto with tampering-adjacent gesture
Juan Soto trade rumors are starting to swirl, and the Phillies flirted with some tampering rules with a potential look to court him.As the San Diego Padres entered the All-Star break four games under .500 and in fourth place in the NL West, what the club full of stars is going to do at the MLB T...
2023-07-13 09:49
No. 17 Miami's rolling offense facing a Georgia Tech defense coming off coordinator shakeup
No. 17 Miami's rolling offense facing a Georgia Tech defense coming off coordinator shakeup
Miami’s offense is rolling
2023-10-06 00:52
Oh boy! Men to compete in artistic swimming -- formerly called synchro -- at Paris Olympics
Oh boy! Men to compete in artistic swimming -- formerly called synchro -- at Paris Olympics
Men will compete in artistic swimming at next year's Paris Olympics
2023-07-17 13:15
Patrick Mahomes injury: Chiefs quarterback hurt his ankle in Week 3
Patrick Mahomes injury: Chiefs quarterback hurt his ankle in Week 3
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes appeared to sustain an injury before halftime of Week 3's matchup against the Bears.
2023-09-25 06:26
Goldman Earmarks Extra $690 Million for Pay in Bid to Stem Staff Angst
Goldman Earmarks Extra $690 Million for Pay in Bid to Stem Staff Angst
A year ago, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. wanted to make its staff share in the pain of slumping
2023-10-18 00:57
It was great – Donny van de Beek returns from injury to score winner for Man Utd
It was great – Donny van de Beek returns from injury to score winner for Man Utd
Donny van de Beek celebrated a “big moment” after the Manchester United midfielder returned from a long-term knee injury to score the winner in a 1-0 pre-season victory over Lyon at Murrayfield. The Netherlands international had not played since suffering a knee problem in United’s win at Bournemouth on January 3. He has struggled to establish himself since arriving at Old Trafford from Ajax, where he played under United boss Erik ten Hag, in the summer of 2020 and has been linked with a move away from the Red Devils this summer. “It was great. My first game after six months. I don’t have to tell you after such an injury, such a mentally difficult period for me and my family, to be back on the pitch was great and it is nice if you score a goal,” Van de Beek told MUTV. “It is amazing because I have been looking forward to this moment for months. I know it is just a friendly game but for me it is a big moment.” United started brightly with three big chances inside five minutes, with Antony denied by Anthony Lopes before Amad Diallo dragged a shot wide and had another parried away by the Lyon goalkeeper. Van de Beek was one of 11 changes made at half-time and his goal came just four minutes later as he latched on to youngster Dan Gore’s chipped cross from the right to volley first time into the top corner. Jonny Evans played the second half for United having returned to the club on a short-term deal. The 35-year-old academy graduate, who won three Premier League titles and the Champions League at Old Trafford before leaving in 2015, will join the squad on their pre-season tour of the USA. “He came to train with us, to work on his fitness and not all the players are in – internationals are out, still having their break – so I thought it was a good idea to help each other out,” Ten Hag said. “Jonny can work on his fitness and he can help us out. “The level, we know he is a really experienced player but also a very good person, a big personality and I think he has big authority as well. He will help the young players especially. It is a benefit for both sides.” After the match, Ten Hag added: “You can see he is a fine character, he is a leader. He understands football. He really contributed to the good performance of the team in the second half.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-07-20 00:50
Cincinnati Reds: 3 familiar faces to trade for not named Aroldis Chapman
Cincinnati Reds: 3 familiar faces to trade for not named Aroldis Chapman
Former Red, Aroldis Chapman has been the center of trade rumors recently. But these three former Reds provide more realistic trade options for them.Former Reds closer Aroldis Chapman has been at the center of a ton of trade rumors regarding a potential reunion with the Cincinnati Reds. This rumo...
2023-06-28 21:17
Glad's late goal helps Real Salt Lake tie Minnesota United 2-2
Glad's late goal helps Real Salt Lake tie Minnesota United 2-2
Defender Justen Glad scored in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time and Real Salt Lake rallied to tie Minnesota United 2-2
2023-06-25 13:26