LONDON • Pep Guardiola counted the misses and the costs of a comfortable 2-0 win over Cardiff that took Manchester City back to the top of the Premier League as he faced the prospect of an FA Cup semi-final without a fit left-back.
City, still in the hunt to win four trophies this season, play Brighton at Wembley tomorrow, bidding to reach their second final of the campaign after their League Cup triumph in February.
But they will be without left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, who had more passes than the entire Cardiff team, 21-13, by the time he limped off with a hamstring injury in the 18th minute on Wednesday.
And, with England man Fabian Delph also injured and Frenchman Benjamin Mendy yet to prove his match fitness, Guardiola admitted he has a problem, saying: "It doesn't look good for the next games. We don't have many options."
Sergio Aguero is also a doubt, with the ace striker not risked against Cardiff with crucial games coming up, particularly the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Tottenham next Tuesday.
At least City won an eighth straight league game, while being able to make seven changes as the league leadership changed hands for the 25th time this term with six games to go.
But the manager would not be happy that his team missed a slew of chances despite a quick start with Kevin de Bruyne's sixth-minute blistering goal, which the midfielder confessed was intended as a cross.
Guardiola said: "We have the feeling if we drop points, we will not be champions.
"But people said it would be easy against Cardiff. The way we started, the focus on what we have to do. The goals we scored with the chances, we should have scored more, that's the regret."
Leroy Sane struck shortly before the break, driving a low shot into the far corner after Gabriel Jesus chested a cross into his path.
But the Brazilian was guilty of missing a string of chances, including after just 34 seconds, when he slid in but failed to turn de Bruyne's cross into an open net.
That the scoreline stayed respectable despite City's 27 shots was largely due to Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who made a series of fine saves.
Manager Neil Warnock, who is trying to save Cardiff from joining relegated Huddersfield and Fulham, said: "They started like Real Madrid of 10 years ago, everybody is so quick and confident on the ball, with their movement. I've not seen anything like it."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, THE TIMES, LONDON
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Singaporean Akbar Nawas has been named the I-League's best coach after leading Chennai City to their first title earlier this month. The Indian team swept seven out of 10 categories at the I-League awards and trophy presentation ceremony at the Taj Corramandel in Chennai on Wednesday.
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LONDON • Manchester United have been on a roll since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment with 11 wins from 13 video games in all competitions, however Jurgen Klopp believes he has "the blueprint" to inflict their first Premier League loss below the caretaker boss tomorrow.
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PARIS (Reuters) - Thieves broke in and stole luxury watches from the home of Paris St Germain's Dani Alves while the Brazilian defender was playing a match earlier this week, French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported on Saturday. Alves is the third PSG player to be targeted by thieves in recent months.
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Juventus achieved objective, despite everything going wrong - Allegri even on a night where everything seemed to go wrong," Allegri told Rai Sport. "I haven't seen the disallowed goal
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By starting both Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane against Premier League champions Chelsea, you can tell Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has a lot of confidence in the young pair. They rewarded their manager with yet another fine performance as City walked away from Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 win and in truth they bossed the encounter.
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