Manchester City looked like the Manchester City of old on Sunday afternoon as they blitzed beyond Aston Villa in the opening 45 minutes of their Premier League encounter.
Arsenal’s second consecutive slip-up handed Pep Guardiola’s champions another opening, and they took full advantage this time around. Their 3-1 victory over Unai Emery’s side saw them cut their deficit to the Gunners at the top to just three points.
Triumph at the Emirates on Wednesday and they’ll return to the summit for the first time in months, albeit having played one game more than their opponents.
However, it wasn’t all rosy for the Citizens at the weekend. Their superstar forward, Erling Haaland, was forced off at half-time which has thrust his status for Wednesday’s mammoth encounter into doubt. While City have the talent to cope in his absence, Guardiola will want his primary goal-getter fit and firing for their biggest fixture of the season thus far.
When did Erling Haaland pick up his injury?
Haaland picked up a knock to his right thigh in Sunday’s win over Aston Villa. The forward was taken off at half-time as a precaution with City leading 3-0.
What has Pep Guardiola said about Erling Haaland’s injury?
Guardiola didn’t seem too concerned about Haaland’s injury when he spoke after the game: “We will assess him in the next few days to see how severe it is.
“At half-time, I spoke with the doctors to see and they said maybe at 3-0 we don’t need to take a risk and I agreed with the doctors.
“If the score was more tight maybe I wouldn’t do it. I think he’s not injured but tomorrow we will see. Hopefully, he can play there on Wednesday. If he’s not ready or it’s a risk he’s not going to play.”
Possible return date for Erling Haaland
Haaland will be starting at the Emirates, there’s little doubt about that. The Premier League’s leading goalscorer was pictured in training on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s game, indicating that the knock he picked up at the weekend was far from severe.
Pep Guardiola apologises to Steven Gerrard for bringing up Anfield slip in press conference
Manchester City manager says reference was ‘unnecessary and stupid’
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/NQ3EPPRI5WIUIH2323PV5P4SW4.jpg)
Firner Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola pictured last year. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Pep Guardiola has apologised to Steven Gerrard for his “shame” at citing the slip that had a major impact on Manchester City’s 2013-14 title triumph.
The manager referred to the incident last week when offering reasons not to strip titles from City should the club be found guilty of any of the Premier League charges.
Gerrard’s fall came in April 2014 at Anfield and allowed Demba Ba to run through and score in Chelsea’s 2-0 win. The loss, coming in the third-to-last match, derailed Liverpool’s title challenge and allowed Manuel Pellegrini’s team to overtake them.
“I apologise to Steven Gerrard for my unnecessary and stupid comments I said the last time about him,” Guardiola said. “He knows how I admire him and his career and what he has done for this country I am living and training in.
“I am ashamed of myself for what I said because he doesn’t deserve it. I truly believe my comments about defending my club, but I didn’t represent my club well putting his name in these stupid comments. I apologise. I said to him personally, but I comment publicly and have to do it here as well. I am so sorry to him, his wife, Alex, his kids and family because it was stupid.”
City face 101 charges related to alleged financial wrongdoing and deny them all. On Friday Guardiola said: “Come on – those moments belong to us. They absolutely belong to us, regardless of the sentence they belong to us. The goal from Agüero, when Balotelli slipped [him in]?
“I don’t know if we are responsible for Steven Gerrard slipping at Anfield. Was that our fault? I have respect for Steven Gerrard – but that moment belongs to us. The moments that we lived these years together, the Premier League will decide. But I know what we won and the way we won it. I know the effort we put in.”
Erling Haaland remains a doubt for Wednesday’s trip to Arsenal where victory would make City league leaders on goal difference.
Source: 90min.com; irishtimes.com
