Richard Martin

Alejandro Garnacho has taken a subtle pot shot at former club Manchester United ahead of Chelsea's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Arsenal. Chelsea trail the Gunners 3-2 in the tie but Garnacho believes his side can turn it around at the Emirates Stadium, pointing to how the Red Devils pulled off a surprise victory over Mikel Arteta's men last month.

Pep Guardiola has sarcastically claimed he wished Manchester City would spend more money after they splashed £84m ($114m) in the January transfer window on Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo. City have invested more in new players than any Premier League club for the second consecutive winter transfer window but Guardiola was at pains to point out that six teams have a higher net spend over the last seven years.

Casemiro said he had "many more memories to create" when announcing that he was leaving Manchester United at the end of the season, and he has certainly delivered on that promise thus far. In the two games since his departure was confirmed in January, he has played his part in a tantalising 3-2 win at Arsenal before leading from the front in the equally dramatic 3-2 victory over Fulham.

With Arsenal steaming ahead in the Premier League title race from the off while Manchester City stumbled, the one thing Pep Guardiola's side could cling on to was their capacity for a strong finish. City have a remarkable history of reeling in their title rivals in when it matters most by going on what became their trademark relentless runs. But one month into 2026, there is little evidence of that happening this time around.

The last time Bruno Fernandes faced Fulham the whole football world was laughing at him. The Manchester United captain skied his penalty in the 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in August and partly blamed the miss on referee Chris Kavanagh bumping into him. He explained: "As a penalty-taker, you have your own routines. It upset me because the referee didn't apologise."

Michael Carrick used to look up to Roy Keane. When he was a youth teamer at West Ham, Carrick would analyse the way the Manchester United captain walked out of the dressing room at Upton Park. The first time he faced Keane on the pitch, Carrick watched him ‘clatter’ his team-mate Joe Cole. And yet he was never intimidated by him. And maybe that is why Keane is waging a war of words with United's interim boss.

Erling Haaland remembered what it was like to score a non-penalty as Manchester City overcame Galatasaray 2-0 to make it into the last 16 of the Champions League, albeit only by a hair's breath. Haaland missed a clear chance but soon made amends by netting with an ice-cool dink in the first half, scoring for the first time in 10 matches from open play.

Pep Guardiola apologised to Farai Hallam for his pointed remarks at the official on the weekend but insisted he was justified in pointing out the many instances in which big refereeing decisions have gone against Manchester City. Hallam opted against giving City a penalty for handball in Saturday's match with Wolves despite being asked to review the play by VAR.

Pep Guardiola has sarcastically claimed that he will not talk to Erling Haaland about the Manchester City striker's drop in form because he hasn't spoken to any of his players for three years. Haaland has not scored a goal in open play for nine matches and City need him to rediscover his usual striking prowess in their must-win Champions League fixture against Galatasaray on Wednesday.

Asked what was going through his head when he picked the ball up before snatching victory for Manchester United at Arsenal, Matheus Cunha didn't beat around the bush: "I think 'I need to score'." Cunha had received the ball with his back to goal, more than 30 yards out and against the best defence and goalkeeper in the Premier League. But he had only one thing on his mind.

Pep Guardiola went on an extraordinary tirade against Premier League referees after Manchester City were denied a penalty against Wolves due to an official overruling VAR. City earned a comfortable 2-0 win thanks to goals from Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo but Guardiola's mood changed when asked about referee Farai Hallam opting against giving his side a spot-kick in the first half.

Manchester City strolled to their first Premier League victory of 2026 as Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo fired Pep Guardiola's side to a 2-0 win at home to Wolves. Erling Haaland was the most eye-catching absentee from the starting XI as Guardiola made six changes from the side who were battered 3-1 by Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, while Marc Guehi made an impressive debut.

Pep Guardiola has dropped Erling Haaland from the starting line-up for Manchester City's Premier League game against Wolves amid a run of eight games without scoring from open play. Haaland had started all 22 of City's previous league games, scoring 20 goals. But he last hit the net against Brighton from the penalty spot in early January and has not scored in open play since December.

Michael Carrick’s first game back in charge of Manchester United was a euphoric occasion, with his side’s dominant win over Manchester City bringing a smile to every person present at Old Trafford. Well, almost every person. Benjamin Sesko did not get on the pitch during the 2-0 win, raising questions about his place in Carrick’s thoughts and his team for the rest of the season.

It was not long ago that it looked like Casemiro would be leaving Manchester United in disgrace, ushered out the back door and out of European football for good, consigned to history as one of the club's worst transfer errors. Instead, he is set to leave with his head held high, showing that, contrary to Jamie Carragher's brutal assessment, the football never left him after all.

Pep Guardiola has never been one to mince his words, but his tone after Manchester City were ripped to shreds by tiny Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday was almost apocalyptic. While he did point out that his side were missing 11 players for their trip to the Arctic Circle and was hugely complimentary of their victors, he laid out the state his team are in right now in no uncertain terms.

Even though they had waited three years to beat Manchester City at Old Trafford and far longer to do so with such authority, Manchester United's emphatic victory in last weekend's derby was the easy part. Any team, especially one with a new manager who is steeped in the club's glorious history, can get up for a match with their biggest rivals and win it.

Manchester City got cold feet in the Arctic Circle as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at tiny Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League. A nightmare trip to the far north of Norway got even worse for City when Rodri was sent off in the second half, meaning the Spain international will suspended for their final league phase game against Galatasaray next week, which is now looking like a must-win game for Pep Guardiola's side if they are to qualify automatically for the last 16.