Former Manchester City star Scott Sinclair has been labelled as a "piece of sh*t" by ex-partner and Coronation Street actor Helen Flanagan after the 36-year-old missed their son's nativity to attend the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Flanagan took to social media to slam the footballer, whom she has since unfollowed on Instagram, for his insensitivity.
The competition is approaching the final stages, with teams soon narrowed down to the last four - here is how to watch the draw, plus everything else you need to know.
Manchester City have offered an update on the club's 115 FFP charges amid talk a verdict could be returned imminently. The Cityzens are still yet to discover if they will face sanctions after being slapped with the charges for allegedly breaching financial rules during a nine year period between 2009 and 2018. A hearing concluded over a year ago but a verdict is still yet to be announced.
The Africa Cup of Nations is back this December and January, with the continent's very best set to battle it out in Morocco as they aim to take Cote d'Ivoire's crown after their unlikely victory at the start of 2024. AFCON's prestige, drama and quality remains up there with the Euros and Copa America, but the downside for European clubs is it's another tournament which falls slap bang in the middle of their seasonal calendar, meaning most teams will be losing players for up to a month.
Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland dressed up as Santa Claus to spread Christmas joy among the kids in Manchester amid his fine festive form for the Cityzens. After an injury-laden 2024-25 campaign, the Norwegian striker is back to his very best as he has already scored 23 goals in 22 matches across all competitions and has kept his side at the top of the table heading into the New Year.
Manchester City star Jeremy Doku has been ruled out of the club's Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Brentford and is set to miss the bulk of the festive programme. Pep Guardiola confirmed that the Belgian winger is still recovering from the leg injury that kept him out of City's win at Crystal Palace over the weekend, while also discussing the future of back-up goalkeeper James Trafford ahead of the January window.
Former Paris Saint-Germain No.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma, who now plays for Manchester City, has been named the 2025 Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper, with Lionesses star Hannah Hampton bagging the Women's prize. Donnarumma and Hampton were both part of treble-winning sides last season, while the latter also played a key role in England's successful European Championship defence.
Pep Guardiola remarked last month that no one wins the title in November, and Manchester City's chasing down of Arsenal in the ensuing weeks has proven him right. The Gunners might still be out in front, but despite often feeling like a team in transition, City are showing many hallmarks of their ruthless title-winning seasons while cracks are showing in their rivals' campaign.
Erling Haaland has been put in an exclusive club, with the Manchester City striker considered to be one of few players that are capable of chasing down Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to goal output. Messi and Ronaldo, who continue to dominate GOAT debates, are considered to have "changed the game" and put down serious markers for the next generation.
The race to sign one of Europe’s most exciting teenage talents has intensified significantly, with Bayern Munich formally entering the battle for Jagiellonia Bialystok sensation Oskar Pietuszewski. The Bavarian giants have dispatched scouts to watch the winger in action and are now prepared to rival Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester City for a signature that is expected to shatter Polish transfer records.
Phil Foden helped fire Manchester City past Crystal Palace but that did not prevent Pep Guardiola from speaking his mind and berating his player for his overall disappointing performance in the 3-0 win. Foden buried the ball in the net in the second half to score his sixth goal in four Premier League matches but his coach was not happy with how he played.
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden raised their game as Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 3-0 despite producing an underwhelming performance in south London. The Eagles hit the woodwork in either half, but Haaland gave Pep Guardiola's side the lead late in the first with a towering header before Foden slammed the ball into the net with his favoured left foot to put the game out of Palace's sight.
Bernardo Silva has warned Manchester City stars that they face being "killed", in a sporting sense, if they fail to win trophies in 2025-26. Under Pep Guardiola, the Blues have grown accustomed to collecting major silverware. They missed out on the grandest of prizes last season and are aware that more tough decisions will be made if they come up short again.
Manchester City have announced that head coach Pep Guardiola will skip pre-match press duties ahead of a Premier League clash with Crystal Palace due to a "personal matter". Guardiola was due to face the assembled media on Friday, but his place in that hot-seat will be filled by assistant manager Kolo Toure - with the Blues’ talismanic boss set to be back in the dugout at Selhurst Park.
Denzel Dumfries has put elite European clubs on high alert after making a significant change to his representation. The Inter wing-back has parted ways with super-agent Jorge Mendes, a move that coincides with the activation of a tempting release clause in his contract next summer. Barcelona and Manchester City are monitoring the situation closely as the Dutchman eyes his next move.
Bayern Munich are reportedly ready to open contract talks with Michael Olise in a bid to ward off serious interest from the Premier League and Paris Saint-Germain. The German giants fear a mammoth offer could arrive for the French winger this summer and are desperate to secure his long-term future at the Allianz Arena with improved terms.
Liverpool may make their move for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo in January once his £65 million ($87m) release clause becomes active, as the situation involving Mohamed Salah continues to intensify behind the scenes. The Reds reportedly feel that this situation, coupled with rival interest in Semenyo, may force their hand and result in a mid-season bid for the Ghanaian.
In a bombshell seven-and-a-half-minute interview after Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds United last weekend, Mohamed Salah accused the club of throwing him "under the bus" and claimed he no longer has any relationship with head coach Arne Slot. The 'Egyptian King', who has scored 250 goals for Liverpool over the last eight years and was the driving force behind the 2024-25 Premier League title success under Slot, didn't see a single minute of action at Elland Road after being named on the bench for the third game in a row, and decided to go public with his grievances.
Erling Haaland admits that the absence of Kylian Mbappe in Manchester City’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid handed Pep Guardiola’s side a “psychological boost”, but insists they were “not happy” at seeing the French superstar remain benched. Mbappe saw no game time as City left Santiago Bernabeu with a morale-boosting 2-1 win in elite European competition.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has issued a passionate defence of under-fire manager Xabi Alonso following the club's 2-1 Champions League defeat to Manchester City. The Belgian shot-stopper insisted the squad remain "united" behind the coach and pledged that the players will support him "wholeheartedly" as they look to end a poor run of form.
Erling Haaland made a hilarious dig at Jamie Carragher amid the Mohamed Salah row as he labelled the Liverpool legend "a loose cannon" after Manchester City edged out Real Madrid in the Champions League. The Norwegian striker’s first-half penalty completed City’s comeback in a tense 2-1 victory over Los Blancos, which tightened their grip on a direct qualification spot for the round of 16 in Europe.
Chelsea’s ownership group has reportedly beaten Manchester United and Manchester City in the chase for Mohamed Zongo, one of Africa’s most exciting young footballers, with the Burkina Faso midfielder set to join Strasbourg in 2027 when he turns 18. The deal, agreed with Sporting Football des Cascades Tenakourou, marks the latest step in Chelsea’s long-term recruitment project, which has increasingly focused on identifying global talent years before they reach senior breakout status.
Manchester City were delighted after VAR intervened to stop the award of a penalty to Real Madrid in just the second minute of the Champions League clash at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. Vinicius Jr was seen punching the air in delight after the referee pointed to the spot, but Matheus Nunes' foul was adjudged to have happened just outside the box on a night where City ran out 2-1 victors over the Spaniards.
Erling Haaland scored for the first time at the Bernabeu as Manchester City earned a priceless and fully deserved 2-1 win at Real Madrid in the Champions League. Pep Guardiola's side went behind to a brilliant strike from Rodrygo, but reacted perfectly, levelling through a Nico O'Reilly tap-in before Haaland earned a penalty and showed nerves of steel to calmly slot it home.
There's a familiarity to the version of domestic bliss enjoyed by the Premier League's top scorer and his other half after Erling Haaland revealed details of a conversation about watching live football at home on a Sunday afternoon. Haaland spotted a tasty live match was on and wanted to put it on, but his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen was, to put it kindly, not so keen.
Manchester City
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