List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

When Edin Dzeko’s number was up and Romelu Lukaku took the field, the stage was set for the perfect conclusion to Chelsea’s car crash of a season. If Lukaku, the man a team who developed a chronic aversion to scoring, delivered the winning goal in the Champions League, it would be irrefutable proof of Todd Boehly’s anti-Midas touch. Yet there were colliding forces at play and Manchester City duly benefitted. Lukaku’s previous European final for Inter brought an own goal in defeat to Sevilla in the 2020 Europa League. His 2022-23 may forever be defined by his traumatic second half against Croatia, by the four glaring misses that brought Belgium’s golden generation to an end and eliminated his side from the World Cup. But there was a largely luckless sequel. Inadvertently, he blocked Federico Dimarco’s second header after the wing-back struck the bar. When presented with a glorious opportunity, five yards out, he headed against Ederson’s left knee. A player with 351 career goals risks being defined by the ones he didn’t score. But, in fairness to Lukaku, if one man won City their maiden Champions League, it was not him, but Ederson. The Brazilian’s passing can feel more notable than his shot-stopping and he rarely features near the top of the charts for save percentage but he produced three superb stops: first Lautaro Martinez was denied then Lukaku and finally, deep into injury-time, Robin Gosens. There were echoes of a compatriot, Alisson, and the 2019 final: scarcely required in the first three-quarters of the game, he was outstanding at the end. “You have to be lucky. Ederson or they miss it, they could draw,” Pep Guardiola reflected. “This competition is a coin.” Champions League finals can often leave the losers lamenting what might have been. In Inter’s case, there are added reasons to wonder, perhaps for years in the wilderness. “There are no words that can handle the pain but they are the second best team in Europe and that is incredible,” said Guardiola, citing City’s defeat to Chelsea in 2021 to empathise. Yet City may have had that status then; Inter were Champions League runners-up this season but third in Serie A. By some criteria – talent, budget, expectation – they might not be in the continent’s top 10 teams. So this had the feel of a one-off and an emphatic victory in the xG battle showed the quality of their openings, even if pragmatists may care little about such statistics. But if there is never a guarantee teams will return to such occasions, others have been likelier to than this Inter. In 11 previous seasons, they had not even reached the quarter-finals of this competition. An unfancied team overachieved, aided by a favourable draw. Their financial problems mean they will have to continue to beg, borrow and bargain for signings. They may face battles to retain Martinez and Nicolo Barella, two of their most valuable assets. Their starting 111 cost £113 million, less than City paid for Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji alone. Age counts against them: the 35-year-old Francesco Acerbi and the 37-year-old Dzeko offered improbable tales of unexpected progress at points when some of their peers have retired. In all probability, neither will win the Champions League. The old were joined by the old-fashioned. There were points where Inter appeared to be trying to play the 2003 Champions League final in 2023; their seeming passiveness baffled City, their static approach confusing them. Among elderly strikers, manager Simone Inzaghi seemed to cover more ground than Dzeko, the antidote to gegenpressing, standing still rather than hassling City’s defenders. Even when it was walking pace, Dzeko walked less than anyone else. And yet, with their inactivity, Inter exerted a strange kind of control and when Rodri scored, they suddenly started to create: largely from set-pieces and crosses but in a way that showed the merits of Inzaghi’s seemingly antiquated 3-5-2 formation, of having wing-backs who could get forward and twin strikers in the box. Lukaku’s misses notwithstanding, perhaps he should have started. Otherwise, Inter may have been the best version of themselves: organised, tactically astute, confident in their own gameplan. It was an advertisement for Italian strategy, for ignoring the fashions elsewhere in football; Inter looked a team who had plotted a path through the knockout stages with expert nous. Relatively few City players performed anywhere near their best – perhaps only Ederson, John Stones and Nathan Ake, though Kevin de Bruyne created two chances with incisive passes before his early departure – while the majority of those to excel were Nerazzurri. Alessandro Bastoni, Marcelo Brozovic, Dimarco and Barella were all terrific. Andre Onana made a fine first-half save from Erling Haaland. It took a telling deflection to unlock them: not from Rodri’s shot but Bernardo Silva’s cross, which struck Acerbi and fell obligingly for Rodri. For Inter, it might be the hard-luck tale without another chapter. For Inzaghi, reaching the Champions League final on a lesser budget may be a greater feat than Antonio Conte’s unaffordable Scudetto. He has had to be resourceful. He almost reaped the ultimate reward. “I wouldn’t trade these players for anyone and today the whole world saw why,” Inzaghi said. “We conceded little against a very strong team. We have many regrets, but we must be proud.” But pride and regrets could go hand in hand. Inter could have pulled off the greatest shock in a Champions League final since 2005, since it was last in Istanbul. And instead, Lukaku has more harrowing moments to relive. Read More Watch live: Manchester City leave Istanbul after Champions League win Pep Guardiola ended 12 years of hurt thanks to masterful midfield reinvention Manchester City treble-winners can be judged among the greats – Pep Guardiola

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Pep Guardiola did not need to lead his side to an historic treble to put himself in contention for “the greatest” football manager of all time. Rodri’s 68th-minute strike in Saturday’s 1-0 Champions League final victory over Inter Milan was enough to secure the Spanish manager a 12th major trophy with City and anoint him as the first manager to secure two European trebles, having also accomplished the feat with Barcelona in 2009. Champions League winner Ferdinand heaped praise on the City boss using an unlikely artistic analogy to describe what he feels is Guardiola’s unmatched vision. He told BT Sport: “Does he need this game to be recognised as one of the greatest, if not the greatest? We’re all I think in agreeance, he doesn’t even need it because of the way he sees the games. He has his teams painting pictures like we’ve never seen in my lifetime. “(Like Picasso), Michaelangelo, however you want to do it.” Ferdinand was equally certain Guardiola’s men, who needed several spectacular stops from Ederson to secure the European title, would never be forgotten, adding they were now: “Immortal. Statues galore. “Listen, this team have played a brand of football that around the world is looked at, is admired. This has been a project and a process for a long time, for many years now, Pep Guardiola coming in. But these players have produced some football that is out of this world. Individually but as a collective this team will go down in history obviously. A fantastic team and they’ve dug deep when they needed to, and they’ve been able to play both sides of the game. I think that’s been the difference between this Manchester City team to past ones. Rio Ferdinand “They deserve to. A fantastic team and they’ve dug deep when they needed to, and they’ve been able to play both sides of the game. I think that’s been the difference between this Manchester City team to past ones. They can pass, they can play the fairytale football but also when need be they can dig in, roll their sleeves up and fight through games as well. Balance is everything in this team.” Ferdinand’s fellow pundit Joleon Lescott was part of the Manchester City side under Roberto Mancini that secured a club-first Champions League berth in 2011. He observed a change in Guardiola over the course of a Premier League season that saw City looking up at Arsenal in the table before securing a third consecutive title and the FA Cup at the campaign’s close. He told BT Sport: ” I think he’s been the most open and honest this season. I think it was the Spurs game when he came out and said he doesn’t recognise the team. No one’s seeing this outcome in the first half of the season. No one’s seeing a treble. “Then he outed Kevin De Bruyne and wanted more, he did the same thing with Kyle Walker. So the relationship you have with a group of players, you can only do that if you are so close and you are genuine about your connection with a group of players.” Cesc Fabregas, who played under Guardiola at Barcelona, recalled the days the City boss was untested in England, even drawing doubters who wondered if he could recreate his success in the English game. Since joining City in 2016 Guardiola has led the side to five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and a Champions League. Fabregas told the broadcaster: “He’s a very tough manager to play for because he demands the absolute best, but the day-to-day you have fun because he has a philosophy that every player dreams of. “We first thought, not me because I knew the way he worked first-hand, but that when he came to England he would find it difficult. Can he bring this type of play to the country? “And everyone doubted him. But he’s a very special man, a very special person, a very special manager and I am delighted for him.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Pep Guardiola emotional as Manchester City win Champions League to seal treble The key performers in Manchester City’s trophy treble I’ll never doubt my strength again – French Open champion Iga Swiatek

Pep Guardiola insisted it was “written in the stars” during an expletive-ridden reaction to Manchester City securing the Champions League and treble. Rodri’s goal was enough to clinch a 1-0 win in Istanbul over Inter Milan, which also represented the Spanish manager’s second European treble of his career, 14 years after his first with Barcelona. And Guardiola could not hide his relief at edging out the Italians in the final, lauding his team’s “patience” after a tough start. “Tired, calm, satisfied,” Guardiola told BT Sport. “This f***ing trophy, it's so difficult to win it. “It's impossible. It could have gone differently, we knew it, they are really good. Antonio Conte will learn a lot what they do. It's quite similar, They bring you up, they find strikers, link well to feet, then after they run to the other side. The first half we were anxious. “It's a question to be patient. Last time we were 1-0 down in Porto, this time, 0-0, you have to be lucky. Ederson's save, they missed it. This competition is a coin. It was written in the stars. We did it.” Guardiola also bemoaned the length of the season with many players now due to play international matches. “Right now I have no energy to think of the next season, we need a break, the season is too long,” Guardiola added. “Most go to the national team to play games, Uefa, Fifa, think about it, come on. “The Premier League finished two to three weeks ago. These guys will have two to three weeks off and then start again, it’s too much. Next season we’ll start from zero.” Read More Kyle Walker reveals six-word message to Man City teammates ahead of Champions League win Pep Guardiola ended 12 years of hurt thanks to masterful midfield reinvention Man City secure landmark Champions League victory that stretches beyond historic treble

Kyle Walker has revealed the six-word message he delivered to his Manchester City teammates ahead of their Champions League final victory over Inter Milan. City completed a historic treble but were made to work hard by Inter as it took a second-half goal from Rodri to finally put them ahead at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, before goalkeeper Ederson made a couple of wonder saves and the Italians hit the crossbar in pursuit of an equaliser. Pep Guardiola’s side eventually did get over the line however and a first Champions League trophy in the club’s history completed the holy grail, to add to their Champions League and FA Cup triumphs this term. Walker has been a key cog in the winning machine, most notably making a brilliant recovery tackle on Vinicius Jr at a key stage of City’s revenge win over Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. However, he was dropped for the final itself – although he was substituted on late in the game to help see it over the line – but, as a member of Guardiola’s leadership group, still delivered a message in the dressing room before the final. And he has revealed the six crucial words he said to inspire his teammates. The England defender told BT Sport after the game: “I said ‘my dream is in your hands’. It's as simple as that. There's no pressure!” Walker also described his emotions at winning the treble and how they interacted with his inevitable disappointment at not being selected to start the final. “I’m over the moon,” he said. “I’m very rarely speechless but my dream has come true, to achieve this with this club. For everything they’ve done for every single one of us over the years. To achieve a treble is unbelievable. “It’s about being a leader. I’m always going to be disappointed when I’m not playing but I’m 33 now. My example sets on to the younger lads. I made a speech before they went out. I was true to my words - it was emotional but this club means so much to me. To experience what I’ve experienced in football, I’m forever in debt. “You can’t say Inter deserved it more than we did or we deserved it more than they did. We’re both here by merit. Commiserations to them but there has to be a loser. “I said to the lads, we have to leave everything on that pitch. We can't work as hard as we have done all season to throw it away. I thought the lads dug deep tonight.” Walker said the victory was all the more special given that City had lost to Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final and that he was able to share it with his family in Istanbul. “Emotions played a part,” he explained. “The occasion is obviously going to get to you. I got a silver one [medal] last time so to get a gold one is fantastic. “I’m living the dream. My mum and dad are in the stands. From where I come from in Sheffield, it’s not easy. For them to be here, to experience my memories with them. I remember when my mum didn’t have a pound for the ice cream van. To have this with them, I’m so thankful.” And with an inevitably huge party following the sealing of the treble, the 33-year-old laid out his intentions to enjoy the celebrations. He laughed: "I’ll drink anything in front of me. Put any drink in front of me, I'm destroying it!" Read More Man City secure landmark Champions League victory that stretches beyond historic treble Pep Guardiola ended 12 years of hurt thanks to masterful midfield reinvention Man City vs Inter Milan player ratings: Ederson and Rodri earn Champions League glory Man City’s holy grail and Pep’s tactics – Champions League final talking points Kyle Walker insists Champions League win will not define Man City’s achievements The ‘tough’ memory driving Kyle Walker and three teams Man City aim to emulate

Erling Haaland finished his debut Manchester City season with 52 goals to his name. The Norway international finished on a run of just one goal in eight games but had already more than justified his bargain £51million price tag. Here, the PA news agency looks at his stunning campaign in detail. Premier League Haaland’s 36 goals were a Premier League record, even including the early 42-game seasons. Andy Cole and Alan Shearer shared the previous high of 34, with Mohamed Salah’s 32 topping the charts for a 38-game campaign, before Haaland rewrote the records. He scored in seven straight league games from August to October – his third to his ninth appearances in the competition – with hat-tricks against Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United helping him to 13 goals in those games and 18 in a 10-match scoring run in all competitions. A fourth treble against Wolves in January left him one behind Shearer’s record of five in a season while he also had five doubles – against West Ham, Brighton, Leeds, Southampton and Leicester – and scored in 23 of his 35 appearances. He scored against 16 different opponents, the exceptions being Chelsea – the only team to stop him in a pair of league appearances – Liverpool and Brentford. Champions League Haaland arrived in Manchester with 23 Champions League goals to his name in 19 appearances for RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, and has maintained that form. He netted group-stage doubles against Sevilla and FC Copenhagen, either side of a goal against Dortmund, and Pep Guardiola could afford to largely rest his star man for the return fixtures save for a scoreless first-half run-out on his old stomping ground in Germany. He was quiet in a drawn first leg against RB Leipzig but more than made up for it in the return fixture, equalling the competition record of five goals in a game as City won 7-0 and 8-1 on aggregate. Goals in both legs against Bayern Munich took him to a dozen for the European season, though Real Madrid and Inter Milan kept him quiet even as City won their semi-final and final. Domestic cups Haaland’s first FA Cup goals came with a hat-trick in the 6-0 quarter-final win over Burnley, having sat out the clash with Chelsea and not scored against Arsenal. He was not required to produce any heroics in the semi-final or final, won respectively by a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick and an Ilkay Gundogan brace. Haaland was shut out by Liverpool in the Community Shield but did score against them in the Carabao Cup, giving him four goals in seven cup appearances. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wales boss Rob Page urges Premier League clubs to snap up Daniel James A look at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City trophy haul after treble triumph How do Manchester City’s treble-winners compare to Manchester United in 1998-99?

Wales manager Rob Page has told top-flight clubs to make a move for “Premier League player” Daniel James. The Wales winger’s club career remains uncertain following Leeds’ relegation to the Sky Bet Championship. James spent last season on loan with Fulham but has now returned to managerless Leeds and the second tier, where he shone at Swansea to earn a 2019 move to Manchester United. Page said: “I do think DJ is a Premier League player and he could easily play there again. “If I’m a Premier League manager and I find out he’s available, personally I’d take him. “I’m bound to say that because I’m his Welsh manager, but for me he always poses a threat. “He still has things to work on but with the pace he’s got it is a brave team that plays a high line against him.” James cost Leeds £25million in joining from Manchester United in August 2021. The 25-year-old struggled for game-time at Fulham, making only five Premier League starts among 23 appearances in all competitions and scoring three goals. James has often reserved his best performances for a Wales shirt and started 34 consecutive competitive games before being benched for the World Cup defeat to Iran in November. “He has taken one for the team in recent months because I’ve asked him to play a different role,” Page said ahead of forthcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Armenia and Turkey. “He likes playing wide left and the way we play now suits us because he gives us the width on the left. “He’s that option in behind and when you’ve got a tool like that in your armoury it really is effective. “In the Premier League, and at international level, he poses a threat. It was a frustrating few months for him when I played him at centre-forward with Gareth (Bale). “Now we’ve changed and he is back out in his natural position.” Wales return to action at home to Armenia on Friday and against Turkey in Samsun three days later having taken four points from their opening two games in March. Page, who has taken his squad to Portugal to prepare for the Euro 2024 double-header, says he has felt the benefits of speaking to Warren Gatland, head coach of the Wales rugby team and former British and Irish Lions boss. I do think DJ is a Premier League player and he could easily play there again. If I'm a Premier League manager and I find out he's available, personally I'd take him Rob Page on Daniel James “I had a great chat with him over dinner and wanted to pick his brains,” Page said of his meeting with Gatland at the Football Association of Wales’ National Coaches Conference in Newport. “It’s not every day you get the chance to share dinner with a man of his stature. “We talked about how we deal with players, groups of men, and it was really interesting. “He spoke about how he deals with individuals. It was refreshing to learn it’s how I’ve dealt with individuals in the past. “We are from a similar era and share similar culture and values. When you are dealing with a player, you do it to their face.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live A look at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City trophy haul after treble triumph How do Manchester City’s treble-winners compare to Manchester United in 1998-99? The key games that brought Manchester City a treble

Pep Guardiola has won his 12th major trophy with Manchester City after his side secured the Champions League triumph they have long been chasing. Here, the PA news agency looks at his triumphs. 2017-18: Premier League and League Cup After a trophyless first season, Guardiola got his hands on his first silverware at City with a 3-0 win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final. They went on to win the league title in style with a record 100 points. 2018-19: Domestic treble City edged out Liverpool by 98 points to 97 in a thrilling title race. They again won the Carabao Cup by beating Chelsea on penalties and thrashed Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final to become the first side to win the domestic treble. 2019-20: League Cup City failed to mount a successful title defence as Liverpool took the honours in the pandemic-interrupted season but they did not go empty-handed after beating Aston Villa 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final. 2020-21: Premier League and League Cup Guardiola’s side paced themselves superbly in another coronavirus-affected season to win the Premier League with three games to spare after a 15-match winning run between December and March. They beat Tottenham to claim a fourth successive Carabao Cup but narrowly missed out on the Champions League as they lost to Chelsea in the final. 2021-22: Premier League City began April in the hunt for three trophies. Their Champions League and FA Cup hopes both ended at the semi-final stage with defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool respectively but they pipped the Merseysiders to the title by a point on a dramatic final day by coming from behind to beat Aston Villa. 2022-23: Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble Fuelled by the record-breaking goalscoring exploits of the remarkable Erling Haaland, City hit form in the spring to reel in long-time leaders Arsenal and claim a fifth title in six years. Ilkay Gundogan’s brace downed Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final before City emulated their rivals’ 1998-99 treble by beating Inter Milan to win the Champions League thanks to Rodri’s second-half strike. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wales boss Rob Page urges Premier League clubs to snap up Daniel James How do Manchester City’s treble-winners compare to Manchester United in 1998-99? The key games that brought Manchester City a treble

Manchester City are celebrating a trophy treble after their Champions League final win over Inter Milan. Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key games in their successful campaign. October 2, Man City 6 Man Utd 3 City did not really find consistency until the spring but there were some awesome demonstrations of their firepower – and particularly that of Erling Haaland – in the opening months. Their thrashing of arch-rivals United was especially sweet. Haaland helped himself to a hat-trick, his third in successive home games and one of six in a record-breaking campaign, while Phil Foden also hit three. January 19, Man City 4 Tottenham 2 Pep Guardiola let his anger at his side be known after they rallied from 2-0 down at half-time with goals from Julian Alvarez, Haaland and Riyad Mahrez (two). After defeats in the previous two games, the City boss felt the first half was another indicator his players – who he labelled ‘happy flowers’ – were not fully focused. City were beaten at Spurs a few weeks later, but it perhaps signalled a change in attitude. February 15, Arsenal 1 Man City 3 Fixture disruption in the autumn meant the two leading title contenders were kept apart until February, when City landed the first blow. Kevin De Bruyne’s opener was cancelled out by a Bukayo Saka penalty but City upped the tempo in the second half with goals from Jack Grealish and Haaland. The win took City top, albeit only on goal difference and having played a game more, but it was psychologically important. April 1, Man City 4 Liverpool 1 City started to show they really meant business when they put Liverpool, their chief title rivals in recent years, to the sword. Mohamed Salah put the Reds ahead but City’s response, without injured top scorer Haaland, was impressive as Alvarez, De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Grealish scored in a convincing win. April 26, Man City 4 Arsenal 1 City outclassed the Gunners to take firm command of the title race. Arsenal’s advantage had been eroded by three successive draws, meaning the momentum was with City, and they emphasised that with a dominant display. De Bruyne scored two, both from Haaland passes, and the Norwegian inevitably got on the scoresheet himself. John Stones scored their other goal in an unexpectedly one-sided clash. Arsenal remained two points clear but, with two games in hand, City held the upper hand and did not relinquish it en route to a third successive title and fifth in six seasons. May 17, Man City 4 Real Madrid 0 A thrilling first leg of the Champions League semi-final finished 1-1, De Bruyne’s thunderbolt cancelling out Vinicius Junior’s opener, but Bernardo Silva’s first-half double ensured the return match was a one-sided affair. Manuel Akanji’s goal and Alvarez’s stoppage-time clincher meant a scoreline every bit as eye-catching as the 7-0 win over RB Leipzig in which Haaland scored five. June 3, Man City 2 Man Utd 1 Gundogan’s volley after only 12 seconds was the fastest FA Cup final goal on record and though United hit back with a Bruno Fernandes penalty after Grealish was harshly penalised for handball, the Germany midfielder struck again early in the second half to seal the spoils – and set up the chance to emulate one of United’s proudest achievements. June 10, Man City 1 Inter Milan 0 A hard-fought first half saw City lose key playmaker De Bruyne to injury, an unwelcome echo of 2021’s defeat to Chelsea on the same Champions League final stage. They finally broke down their stubborn opponents with Rodri’s firm, composed finish midway through the second half and survived scares from headers by Federico DiMarco and Romelu Lukaku as they held on. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live The key performers in Manchester City’s trophy 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

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

Rodri fired the winning goal as Manchester City finally claimed Champions League glory and completed the treble with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Inter Milan. The midfielder rifled home in the 68th minute as the Premier League winners City wore down the Italians in a draining final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on Saturday. The contest was a tight one, with City suffering a serious blow in pursuit of the prize that has eluded them for so long when they lost Kevin De Bruyne to injury in the first half. The prolific Erling Haaland was also kept quiet by a stubborn Inter side but Rodri eventually made the breakthrough with a firm strike after a Bernardo Silva pass was deflected into his path. It capped a momentous season for City having also won the FA Cup as well as a fifth Premier League title in six years. Their success means they also join rivals Manchester United as the only side to have won all three of those trophies in the same season. It meant mission accomplished for owner Sheikh Mansour, who was present in Istanbul at only his second match since purchasing the club in 2008 and subsequently propelling them to the game’s top table. Manager Pep Guardiola could also celebrate Champions League success again 12 years after the second of his two wins as Barcelona boss. City had gone into the match as strong favourites but Inter proved more than a match, setting out with a determination to soak up pressure. It made for a slow start and City lacked their usual sparkle. That gave Inter confidence and Federico Dimarco sparked a threatening attack after seizing possession but Marcelo Brozovic’s shot was deflected wide. Ederson also seemed nervous and misplaced a pass that handed Nicolo Barella a long-range sight of goal. Fortunately for the Brazilian, Barella’s effort was nowhere near the target. Haaland had his first attempt after being played in by De Bruyne but Andre Onana blocked his first-time shot. De Bruyne tried his luck himself from distance but his effort lacked power and his final was, once again, to end in frustration soon after. The Belgian went down clutching his hamstring 10 minutes before the interval and, despite attempts to run off the problem, was forced to admit defeat soon after and was replaced by Phil Foden. It meant further Champions League final woe for De Bruyne after he left the field with a facial injury during City’s loss to Chelsea two years ago. The opening stages of the second half followed a similar pattern but Inter eventually started to assert themselves more and they began to look dangerous. City had a let-off just before the hour when Manuel Akanji reacted slowly to a Silva pass and Lautaro Martinez charged into the box. Former Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku was well placed in the centre but Martinez opted to shoot and Ederson smothered his effort. City made the most of that reprieve and took the lead moments after a John Stones cross was deflected close to his own goal by Alessandro Bastoni. Akanji played the key pass as he picked out Silva and his cutback eventually fell to Rodri, who thumped the ball into the net from the edge of the area. City fans greeted the strike with a mixture of celebration and relief but they were given a scare minutes later when Dimarco hit the bar with a looping header and then headed against Lukaku on the rebound. Foden had a chance to put City in firm control when he burst through a gap into the area but Onana got down well to save. City survived a late scare when a Lukaku header hit Ederson’s legs and was put behind by Ruben Dias and the final whistle was greeted by jubilant celebrations. 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 The key performers in Manchester City’s trophy treble I’ll never doubt my strength again – French Open champion Iga Swiatek

It didn’t quite happen in the way expected, but Manchester City of course made it inevitable. The English champions have finally become the European champions to complete a treble and also bring a long-term Abu Dhabi project to its culmination. At least at this stage of it. After a 1-0 win over Internazionale that will offer a release as much as relief, it’s hard not to think they could go on and win it again and again, confirming Pep Guardiola as the greatest coach of all time. The Catalan already has a strong claim to that, after at last winning his third Champions League, a full 12 years after his second, to also become the first coach to win two trebles. It makes it al the greater that it is at two different clubs. There was no overthinking this time, even if a defiant and proud Internazionale did make City worry for long periods of the game. That also ensured City had to fight, in a way they haven’t been used to over three months when they have looked the closest team to football perfection the game has ever seen. This wasn’t that. The manner of victory was instead fitting in its own way as a passing midfielder in Rodri scored the goal that City will now replay and rejoice in as much as Sergio Aguero’s in 2012. The Spanish midfielder is a player in Guardiola’s own image, perhaps his perfect ideal, and he gave his manager the picture he has long craved. There was Guardiola lifting this grand trophy again, actually his fourth as a player and manager. It was quite a game for owner Sheikh Mansour to watch as his second in person, the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates taking his place alongside the club hierarchy. From that, it can also be noted that Abu Dhabi has its European Cup. A state-owned club has won this grandiose continental competition for the first time, and that should provoke wider debate about where the game is. It cannot be overlooked in all the discussion of how supreme this team is. That is why they are supreme. It is ultimately why Guardiola is here. It is also why the game has changed so much, to the point the only real surprise from this match - and that against European Cup royalty like Internazionale - was that City didn’t put in the grand exhibition befitting the scale of their achievement. This was not 2011 or 1960. It is the future, though. A star in his early 20s like Erling Haaland was strangely subdued in this match, so he will eventually want his goal in a Champions League final. There is more to come, although the only bittersweet note for City was that Kevin De Bruyne did not get to gild this moment of glory with his brilliance. This purest of footballers again suffered the unfairness of having to come off injured in a Champions League final, and it did play into why City were so inhibited for so long. That is where these players deserve credit, for the way they dug in. This threatened to become a very different sort of occasion, and one where all the old criticisms about nerves and the weight of history could have played on them. City instead made it something else. They found something else, and just had more. Many would say they were just always going to have more, given the huge gap between the clubs. The nature of the goal was as telling as it was fitting. It was the first period where they applied real pressure. The ball came back to Rodri and he applied the perfect finish. It was a strike befitting the quality of football Guardiola sides so often play, all the more so since this wasn’t one of those displays. Simone Inzaghi’s side deserve huge praise for that. The manager’s gameplan made this mismatched final much more of a game of this than anyone expected, and Inter are actually left feeling they could have done so much more themselves. This may well be seen as one that got away, but it was actually three great chances that got away. One so cruelly bounced off substitute Romelu Lukaku. It wasn't going to go their way. It wasn’t to be his moment. Inter may not get as close for a long time. City have finally got over the line, and may well stay here a long time. They have become the 23rd club to win this competition but the first state club. They are also European champions who have been charged with multiple alleged breaches of their domestic competition;s regulations. That will weigh over them and bring an uncertainty until it is finally concluded, whenever that may be. The outcome of this almost always felt a certainty, though, even if Inter did well to bring some doubt. There is no doubt about this team’s greatness, or the project’s completeness. It is a landmark, in so many ways even beyond a treble. Read More The rise, fall and rise again of Inter Milan’s Andre Onana Soccer Aid 2023: England and World XI line-ups Man City owner attends first match in 13 years at Champions League final The key games that brought Manchester City a treble The key performers in Manchester City’s trophy treble Player ratings as Ederson and Rodri earn Champions League glory

Brett Yormark says the Big 12 has not met with anyone from Memphis about its possible conference expansion efforts.Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is not Walking in Memphis any time soon after refuting the Tigers as a potential expansion candidate for his league.He may have put on his blue...