Laurie Whitwell, Sam Lee and Michael Cox broke Manchester City’s dominant performance. Follow the “Go Further” link below to see their analysis!
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An impressive statistic emerged in the wake of Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Getafe on Saturday: Ilkay Gundogan is the first player in Europe’s five most sensible leagues to create a hundred chances this season.
When he joined Barca last summer from Manchester City, his move came under scrutiny; A 33-year-old man arrives on a three-year contract and a declared annual salary of €9 million (£7. 7 million; $9. 7 million at current exchange rates) after taxes.
Time will tell if this investment continues to pay off, but 8 months later it turns out to be a smart investment. No Barça midfielder has matched the quality of his performances.
Gundogan’s preference for good luck remains intact and his versatility has helped solve some of the team’s biggest tactical messes, at the expense of his opportunities to create chances in attack, making this weekend’s milestone all the more impressive.
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Pep Guardiola fears Jack Grealish could suffer a recurrence of his groin injury after being sent off in Manchester City’s 6-2 FA Cup win at Luton Town.
The 28-year-old Grealish limped out of the box in the 38th minute of the match at Kenilworth Road and was replaced by Jeremy Doku.
There were initial fears that Grealish was fit for a long absence after having to be substituted in City’s 3-1 Champions League first leg of 16 over FC Copenhagen earlier this month due to a groin injury.
More main points below.
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Good news and bad news for Manchester City at Luton Town. First, the bad: Jack Ggenuineish’s injury is a real blow as City will want him to have compatibility and to have compatibility to play their football with maximum solidity.
But the good news is that if Erling Haaland plays like he did last night, they may not want to be at their best.
Haaland scored five goals in the 6-2 win at Kenilworth Road, the first four thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s assists, but he also looked invigorated elsewhere, carrying loose balls and chasing away defenders as he makes his rampage. better.
With Haaland in that kind of form, it gives them a great chance as they await the return of Grealish and his specific quality. Read more below. . .
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There is only an hour and a half to go until kick-off!
Stay with us.
Jamie Carragher’s investigation into Manchester United’s goal: stripped of tribalism and subsidised through clips and data.
But at Erik ten Hag’s press conference, he took the bait and lashed out at the former Liverpool player.
Maybe he feels the ground shaking beneath him.
Learn below.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe reopened the debate over Mason Greenwood’s Manchester United career last week, saying: “It’s transparent that we have to make a resolution. The proceeding will focus on the facts, not exaggerations, and then seek to reach a fair value-based resolution. “.
Before meeting the media on his first day as co-owner of United, Ratcliffe knew he would be asked about Greenwood and so he had an answer in mind. His opinion is that, as with each and every facet of the club, his INEOS team, led by Sir Dave Brailsford, will take a fresh look and explain for themselves how to proceed.
The idea that he would no longer play for United was subsidised through strong personal reports to that end. But there are new people calling who are not beholden to what was announced through the previous regime.
Next, The Athletic tries to figure out what Ratcliffe said and where Greenwood ended up. Comments on the article have been disabled for legal reasons.
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Bruno Fernandez runs. He runs and runs, and then when it looks like he’s exhausted, he discovers a little extra power to run more. Knowledge of the race can give a wrong picture of a player’s effort, however, the visual examination is enough to perceive how hard Fernandes works.
The United captain is more than a cardiovascular marvel; he’s one of the most productive creators in the Premier League and the gears of his brain are still turning. In a United plagued by tactical indecision, Fernandes burns with a strong preference for being a hero.
He can’t do it all, but that’s precisely what he’s been looking to do for almost 4 years. Now it’s the galvanizing force that’s hardest to lead his team to victory, but why?
Find out below.
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Manchester City winger Oscar Bobb has signed a new contract with the club.
The 20-year-old’s contract expires in the summer of 2026. However, the Norwegian foreigner has committed his long career with the club, signing a contract that will see him stay at the Etihad until the summer of 2029.
On signing his new contract, Bobb posted on his club’s website: “I am very proud and honoured to have signed my new contract with City.
“It’s an incredible environment and the most productive position imaginable for a young player. I’ve already learned a lot from Pep, his coaching staff and my teammates. Knowing that I will be here at the Club until 2029 means everything to me.
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Joe Mazzulla enjoyed the development of football in Rhode Island. The fluidity of the game and the nature of the formations made it a canvas to paint athletic creativity.
Although he played basketball, football never left him. So what did he do when he rose to the Celtics’ most sensible job?
He organized a match at Manchester City. He explained the philosophies that have made his coach, Pep Guardiola, one of the best in the sport. He showed his team that, like football, basketball is a continuum.
“That’s what basketball is to me, and that’s what fast break is in football,” Mazzulla told The Athletic. “So I’m reading Manchester City a lot, I’m reading Pep a lot. I think he’s the most productive. ” Coach in all grades and in all sports. It had a huge influence (on me).
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Reports of Saudi Arabia’s growing determination to sign Kevin De Bruyne this summer have raised some questions.
Would Manchester City let go of one of their most important players?What kind of new contract would they be offering you if, presumably, they were offering you one?Would De Bruyne himself need this decision?
There’s a lot to do here, so let’s start with what’s already happened.
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Manchester United’s new chief executive, Omar Berrada, has already begun meeting with a group of club executives even as his leave period as Manchester City’s outfielder concludes.
United announced in January that the club had appointed Berrada as its new CEO, telling a club that United was “committed to putting football and functionality on the pitch at the heart of everything we do,” before adding that “Omar’s appointment represents the first step in this journey.
Although City have blocked Berrada’s transfer, they have imposed an era of gardening leave, as Berrada will take over his duties at Old Trafford this summer, ahead of the 2024-25 season.
However, The Athletic has learned that the executive has already met and spoken to a number of United executives since his appointment. Berrada also presented his views on potential signings, with United set to revamp the club’s operations under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
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We’ve already published a story about Sir Dave Brailsford, the man who ran Team Sky from its inception until earlier this year, when he finally stepped down so he could concentrate on his new project of turning Manchester United into serial winners. One more time.
This story is about the line he drew for Team Sky and whether he crossed it.
“I’ve been accused of doping my career,” Brailsford told an audience assembled through leadership education company T2 last year. “We didn’t. I know it’s easy for me to say that, but we didn’t. Go all the way, but smart manners, fair play, and doing it the right way are important.
It’s up to you where you are. I had a press card for maximum of what I’m about to expose and I still can’t if it crossed the line or not. What I do know is that this debate was not what Brailsford promised when he announced the concept of British cycling. team in 2009.
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Jimmy Worrall is the founder of Leaders In Sport, a London-based but globally focused publishing and convention company. He calls Sir Dave Brailsford “the world’s most successful philosopher. “
But what has he done in cycling that gives him a glimpse of what it takes to win in the NFL, foreign cricket, or club football?
There’s no answer to that question, but Brailsford will turn 60 this week, and while no one would have predicted 15 months ago that he would get so tough at Manchester United, perhaps the biggest football team on the planet, it makes sense when you put it all out there.
That’s not to say it’s going to work, of course, but the same is said of British cyclists who win the most sensible races. . .
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Erik ten Hag has supported Antony to succeed at Manchester United, stating that “when he plays as I know him from the past, he is unstoppable”.
Antony, an £85m signing from Ajax in the summer of 2022, has struggled to find form at Old Trafford this season, having registered just one goal and one assist in 26 appearances in all competitions.
The 24-year-old only came on for a minute as a substitute in the second half of United’s 2-1 first-half defeat to Fulham on Saturday. He hasn’t started a game since the 4-2 FA Cup fourth-round win. about Newport County in January.
Ten Hag defended the Brazilian but admitted he had to take the opportunity when he had the chance.
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When Rasmus Hojlund suffered a muscle injury a day before Manchester United played Fulham, Erik ten Hag had no doubts about who his replacement would be.
Omari Forson, the talented 19-year-old who joined the first team via Ten Hag last summer, temporarily informed that he would be making his first move to United. The United manager has been talking about signing him for some time now.
However, in the background, a significant cloud hangs over Forson’s long career at United. He is out of contract this summer and has yet to signal the competitive terms presented through the club.
So what happens next?
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Manchester United vs Fulham was intended to be one of the most predictable matches in English football.
The London team had won at Old Trafford since 2003. In the last 18 meetings between the two teams in all competitions, United had won 15 times and drawn the other three. Fulham had won away from home just once in 2023-24, a opening weekend win over Everton.
No result in the Premier League is ever guaranteed. However, when Erik ten Hag described United’s remaining games in 2024 as “like a final”, few imagined Marco Silva would bring the same danger as Jurgen Klopp’s in April or Mikel Arteta’s in May. .
United’s hopes of qualifying for the 2024-25 Champions League were dashed after a 2-1 defeat highlighted their many long-standing problems.
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