LONDON • Pep Guardiola's revitalised Manchester City face a potentially tricky challenge at home to Wolves today (tomorrow morning Singapore time) as they attempt to cut the deficit to Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points.
However, City have shown enough just two weeks into the new year to suggest that their uncharacteristic collapse in form last month is firmly behind them.
The English champions' slump was triggered after Chelsea ended their unbeaten streak in the league and they subsequently lost successive league games, against relatively modest opposition in both Crystal Palace and Leicester.
But a victory over the Reds to kick off the second half of the term has completely rejuvenated the mood at the Etihad Stadium.
Since then, two Cup routs in the space of four days - albeit against lower league clubs Rotherham and Burton - have indicated the return of the clinical edge that characterised their play during last season's record-breaking campaign.
It was a mood reflected by Kevin de Bruyne, who has been injured for most of the first half of their campaign, against Rotherham when he showed visible dissatisfaction at being brought off after an hour, even though City were already leading by five goals.
While media reports have hinted at his anger, with de Bruyne reportedly refusing to return to the bench to watch the remainder of their FA Cup third-round 7-0 win, instead opting to head straight down the tunnel, Guardiola refused to address the speculation, claiming he "did not speak with him" over the Belgium forward's reaction.
Despite his petulance, de Bruyne remains in line to start just his second league game of the term when City take on Wolves.
Sergio Aguero and captain Vincent Kompany, who have not played since the Liverpool match, look set to return to the first XI, and Guardiola confirmed his team had a clean bill of health as "the rest (except for Benjamin Mendy) are fit".
The Spaniard also felt City could maintain their chase for honours on four fronts even though they are unlikely to reinforce by dipping into the January transfer market.
He said: "Sometimes, we have done it but, normally, when you want to buy one player, it is for the next five or six years and, normally, it doesn't happen in this window.
"The big clubs don't buy important players for six months. If you don't have injuries and are satisfied with the squad, you go with them."
Despite declaring his happiness with his players, he warned that Wolves would be no pushovers and they had no margin for error.
Recalling how Nuno Espirito Santo's men held City to a creditable 1-1 league draw earlier in the season at Molineux, he added: "They are strong physically, (at) counter-attack, set-pieces. They defend well, deep, they control many areas (through Joao) Moutinho.
"(Ruben) Neves, he can shoot from a long way. They are newly promoted and doing incredibly well."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
MANCHESTER CITY V WOLVES
Singtel TV Ch102 & StarHub Ch227, tomorrow, 4am
Find Live Cricket Scores, Match updates, Fixtures, Results, News, Articles, Video highlights only at ESPNcricinfo. Read Ball by Ball Commentary, Series schedule of all ICC International & Domestic
Boy catches angry 10ft snake with bare hands in Indonesia
Youngest local SPL Coach, 33, unfazed, Football News & Top
Limerick and Galway face test of credentials as early elimination threat looms Defeat would leave them on two points after three games, so the maximum they could reach with a win over
Premier League: How the 2014-15 season could unfold - BBC Sport
England manager Gareth Southgate revealed his frustrations over the Champions League schedule "mess" which could hinder his preparations for the upcoming UEFA National League finals. The Three Lions are one of four teams competing in this summer's Nations League finals along with hosts Portugal, Netherlands and Switzerland.
Jurgen Klopp: Nations League semi-final after Champions
Teenage Italy midfielder Zaniolo oozes Roman pedigree PARMA • Roma have long had a history of supplying Italy with top-level home-grown talent like Francesco Totti and Daniele de Rossi who have come through their ranks.
Francesco Totti #10 News, Stats, Photos - Roma - Football
Football: Home United claim Community Shield in 5-4 shoot-out win over Albirex Niigata SINGAPORE -Home United have started the 2019 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season on a positive note after beating defending champions Albirex Niigata 5-4 on penalties in the Community Shield on Saturday (Feb 23) evening .
Home United clinch Community Shield after shoot-out victory
Brewers aim to keep momentum going vs. Pirates The Milwaukee Brewers don't need Christian Yelich to hit homers to win. After all, Yelich didn't add to his total of 21 on Thursday.
Brewers aim to keep momentum going vs. Pirates
Pep Guardiola apologised if Manchester City's opener against Watford was offside, but blamed other clubs for not backing VAR this season. Raheem Sterling fired City into a 1-0 lead 40 seconds into
Pep Guardiola Apologises to Swansea for Offside Goal & Admits
Football: Fandi brothers Irfan and Ikhsan score again for BG Pathum and Raufoss respectively 0:0 Comments 5 ways Singapore is pushing the Virtual Reality frontier - Tech - Mashable SEA 0:0 Comments Eat, drink and be merry! Park Regis brings back #sginsiders heritage food trail 0:0 Comments
Ikhsan Fandi - Wikipedia
On January 21, soccer player Emiliano Sala was traveling via a private plane between England and France when the aircraft suddenly disappeared over the English Channel. After 24 hours of searching and no sign of a plane or debris anywhere, the athlete was presumed dead.
Body found in wreckage of plane carrying soccer player Sala
10 Dutch Words You Seriously Need to Know For Living in the Netherlands. By: Linda Dell'Omo. As an educated linguist, languages are a sort of obsession for me.
Soccer: Netherlands not ready for titles yet says coach
Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Watford - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - February 27, 2019 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in action with Watford's Adam Masina REUTERS/Russel
Stylish Liverpool Thrash Watford 5-0 To Stay Top Of League
Mar 15, 2019 · Olivier Giroud is the Europa League's top scorer - here he is, with Dominic Fifield: Olivier Giroud wants Premier League spot at Chelsea after European hat-trick Read more
Olivier Giroud determined to earn starting spot for Chelsea
We are disappointed but we just have to focus on helping the team do as well as possible in the league now." Football: 'Brilliant' Reds have belief 0:0 Comments
Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool can overturn 3-0 deficit to
Juventus would see highly successful manager Massimiliano Allegri part ways with them at the end of the Serie A season. He has been one of their most successful manager, having won five Serie A
Massimiliano Allegri: Juventus manager leaving Serie A
0 comments:
Post a Comment