Phil Foden is back to his best at the perfect time for Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola full of praise for the England star ahead of Sunday's blockbuster clash with Arsenal. After a difficult 2024-25 season, Foden has rediscovered his spark in recent games, scoring against Manchester United on Sunday and assisting versus Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday.
Erling Haaland is being backed to rise above Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League goal stakes, making more history in the process. The prolific Manchester City striker has become the fastest man to 50 efforts in elite European competition, with Pep Guardiola expecting the Norway international to go on and set a new all-time benchmark.
Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win over 10-man Napoli on Thursday. Despite dominating the ball in the early stages, the visitors quickly became content to sit in a low block, soaking up City pressure before looking to hit on the counter. After a long range effort from Tijani Reijnders stung the gloves of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action to stop a Sam Beukema header from a Napoli corner.
Pep Guardiola has hinted he is surprised Manchester City are "apparently" not one of favourites to win this season's Champions League. City get their 2025-26 European campaign under way on Thursday evening when they play host to Serie A champions Napoli at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola has crushed talk that Abdukodir Khusanov could be Manchester City’s permanent right-back solution, despite the youngster’s heroic display in Sunday’s derby demolition of Manchester United. The Catalan manager admitted the Uzbekistan international has the tools to cover the role, but warned the brutal intensity of City’s fixture calendar makes it impossible for the 21-year-old to handle the job on a full-time basis.
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been directly linked to the Barcagate scandal after police uncovered WhatsApp messages showing he monitored a paid social media campaign designed to attack rivals and even Pep Guardiola. Investigators allege Bartomeu concealed contracts, manipulated polls, and used fake accounts to boost his image before the 2021 elections.
Manchester City have shockingly been branded an “amateur team” by Premier League cult hero Paolo di Canio. The ex-West Ham star believes that another of his former clubs, Serie A title holders Napoli, are capable of claiming a notable scalp when heading to the Etihad Stadium for an intriguing opening clash in their 2025-26 Champions League campaign.
Pep Guardiola hailed Erling Haaland as “better than ever” after the striker’s derby double inspired Manchester City to a 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United. Haaland’s ruthless brace, alongside a crucial opener from Phil Foden, saw the Citizens dominate at the Etihad. Guardiola later labelled Foden as “the heart of the club” in a glowing tribute to the Englishman.
Pep Guardiola has spoken of how important it is that Phil Foden returns to full fitness, as the Manchester City manager wants to see the England man "playing with joy" and with a smile on his face once again. It has been a difficult recent period for the 2023/24 PFA Player of the Year, who struggled for form last season and has spent time out recently with an ankle injury.
Pep Guardiola has been warned that his Manchester City have lost their "fear factor" after an underwhelming start to their 2025-26 Premier League campaign. After finishing 13 points behind champions Liverpool in third position last season, City have gotten off to a poor start, losing back-to-back league games against Tottenham and Brighton before the international break.
Pep Guardiola has stunned Manchester City fans by preparing to bring Kalvin Phillips back into the fold, and could reportedly include him in the 25-man Premier League squad. The forgotten midfielder, who has not played a competitive game for City since December 2023, could now make his long-awaited return in the fiercest fixture of them all, the Manchester derby against United. For a player once deemed surplus to requirements, this is a shot at redemption he can’t afford to waste.
Manchester City have secured the future of one of their brightest young stars, with Rico Lewis committing his long-term future to the Premier League giants. The 20-year-old defender has signed a fresh two-year extension to his existing agreement, ensuring he remains at the Etihad until 2030. Reports suggest there is also an option that could stretch his stay through to 2031.
Gianluigi Donnarumma has revealed his "dream" is to win the Champions League with Manchester City following his summer switch from Paris Saint-Germain.
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