Tag: Pep Guardiola

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Man City closes in on Arsenal in Premier League title race with 3-0 win over Chelsea

Manchester City issued a huge statement of intent in the race for the Premier League title with a 3-0 win at Chelsea on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s team moved to within six points of leader Arsenal ahead of next weekend’s top of the table clash between the two teams. City also has a game in hand.

Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku all scored in a blistering second-half performance at Stamford Bridge as City took full advantage of Arsenal’s shock defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

“We know that we still have everything in our hands,” Doku said.

Tottenham’s survival fight took another blow after a 1-0 loss to Sunderland left it rooted in the relegation zone.

In coach Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge, Spurs fell to a 16th league loss of the season. Its 14-game winless run in the league dates back to Jan. 1.

Nordi Mukiele’s deflected shot sealed the game at the Stadium of Light and plunged Tottenham’s campaign deeper into crisis.

Tottenham is two points adrift of safety with six games to go. Its plight wasn’t helped by relegation-fighting Nottingham Forest drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace came back from 1-0 down to beat Newcastle 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

While Arsenal’s form has hit a slump at the worst possible time, City made it three statement wins in a row after rolling over Chelsea.

Victory followed triumph against Arsenal in the English League Cup final and the 4-0 rout of Liverpool in the FA Cup last week.

While those three results all came in different competitions, City’s charge has an ominous feel about it after twice chasing down Arsenal’s lead to win the title in 2023 and ’24.

Second-placed City has the chance to cut the gap at the top to three points with victory against Arsenal at the Etihad. Guardiola called for respect for Arsenal when looking ahead to that title showdown.

“They have been the best team in this country, in Europe, so far. Beating Arsenal once is so difficult, imagine beating them twice in a few weeks,” Guardiola said. “I would like to say to my fans — respect Arsenal a lot, they are an extraordinary team. Come to join us from minute one because the players will do the maximum.”

Rayan Cherki was the inspiration at Stamford Bridge — setting up goals for O’Reilly six minutes after halftime and Guehi in the 57th.

Doku rounded off the win in the 68th.

The result didn’t help Chelsea’s bid to qualify for the Champions League, leaving it four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool.

Liam Rosenior’s team has won just one of its last seven league games.

Now on its third coach of the season, it’s more than three months since its last league win and just one point from a possible 24. This was a seventh defeat in eight games.

If the hope was that De Zerbi would provide an immediate bounce in form after replacing Igor Tudor, it didn’t come in a typically toothless display at Sunderland.

While the new coach could point to bad luck, given the nature of Mukiele’s 61st-minute winner, which took a wicked deflection off Micky van de Ven, his team rarely looked like finding a way back into the match — even during 11 minutes of added time at the end.

An injury to Cristian Romero made a bad day worse for Spurs, which next faces Brighton, one of De Zerbi’s former clubs.

Forest moved three points clear of Spurs after a draw at the City Ground. Neco Williams’ long-range shot leveled the game after a Murillo own-goal gave Villa the lead. (JapanToday)

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Man City dominates Arsenal to win English League Cup

The first major domestic trophy of the season is Manchester City ‘s. And after a dominant 2-0 win against Arsenal in the English League Cup final on Sunday, it may not be the last.

Manchester-born Nico O’Reilly sealed victory with both goals in the second half at Wembley Stadium. The win could also have delivered a psychological blow in the race for the Premier League title as Pep Guardiola aims to chase down Arsenal’s nine-point lead at the top of the standings.

“(It’s an) unbelievable feeling to win a final and to beat this team. We know how good they are,” O’Reilly told Sky Sports. “We need to build on it now, it’ll give us momentum.”

This was serial trophy-winner Guardiola flexing his muscles. It was his 16th major trophy as City manager and a record fifth League Cup. He has won 34 career titles as a manager including his time at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

And, once again, he was stamping out Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s own ambitions, having twice beaten his former assistant to the league title in recent years.

“I’m really pleased because I know the opponent we played. Mikel created a team that is almost unbeatable,” Guardiola said. “Every time you win a title it looks more difficult than in the past. It is really difficult for many reasons.”

Arsenal remains favorite to be crowned league champion this season for the first time since 2004, given its big lead. But with second-place City having a game in hand and the teams still to play each other in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium, the picture could look very different in the coming weeks.

City’s win also ended Arsenal’s bid this season for an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies by an English team – including the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

“I’m very sad. It is a very hard one to take, especially for our players and our supporters because we know how much it means to them and how much we want that,” Arteta said. “We will manage that energy in the right way and we have to go through that pain and disappointment. It’s normal and it’s part of football.”

The 21-year-old O’Reilly, who came through City’s academy, was the unlikely hero with both goals from left back.

He took advantage of Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s fumble to head City in front on the hour. And he headed in a second four minutes later to effectively kill off the match.

“My whole family came down today (to watch) … I know they’ll be buzzing and I can’t wait to see them,” O’Reilly said.

Arteta said he had no regrets about selecting Kepa — who had played in previous rounds — rather than first-choice David Raya.

Tottenham’s Premier League survival fight was plunged deeper into crisis with a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, one of three league games played on Sunday.

The relegation six-pointer left Spurs one place and one point above the drop zone and raised further questions about the future of coach Igor Tudor.

“The season is tough, especially in this moment. Another very bad (result) for us,” said Tottenham captain Cristian Romero. “The situation is tough, but most important thing is play (every game) like a final now.”

Fellow relegation-fighting Forest climbed above Spurs to 16th in the standings. The only positive on another miserable day for Tottenham was defeat for West Ham at Aston Villa to keep it in the bottom three.

Tottenham – one of English soccer’s most iconic teams and a founding member of the Premier League – is still without a win in the top flight in 2026. Its last win was Dec. 28 and it has lost six of its last seven games.

Igor Jesus’ header just before halftime gave Forest the lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Morgan Gibbs-White added a second just after the hour mark.

Taiwo Awoniyi completed Forest’s first league win under coach Vitor Pereira in the 87th to leave home fans fearing the end of its ever-present stay in England’s top division since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.

Tudor was hired last month to try to turn Spurs’ season around, but has lost five of his seven games in charge in all competitions and seen his team eliminated from the Champions League.

Tottenham remains one point above 18th-place West Ham, which lost 2-0 to Villa.

Villa boosted its chances of Champions League qualification and took advantage of all of its immediate rivals dropping points.

Villa is fourth, one point behind Manchester United and five points above fifth-place Liverpool.

Brian Brobbey struck in the 90th minute to give Sunderland bragging rights in the Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle.

Brobbey’s close-range effort sealed a 2-1 comeback win at St. James’ Park and saw Sunderland complete a league double over its fiercest rival.

Earlier, the game had been halted due to a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd towards Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida.

Before kickoff, there had been tense scenes between fans outside the stadium. Northumberland police said one arrest was made. (JapanToday)

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Newcastle ousts 10-man Villa from FA Cup; Man City beat Beckham’s Salford

Newcastle beat 10-man Aston Villa 3-1 thanks to a double from Sandro Tonali to reach the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday as Marc Guehi scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2-0 victory over fourth-tier Salford.

Both Villa and Newcastle have failed to win the competition since the 1950s and another opportunity for Unai Emery’s men to end a 30-year wait for silverware vanished after a first half red card for goalkeeper Marco Bizot.

Tammy Abraham had fired the home side in front with his first goal since returning to Villa last month.

But the game swung in the Magpies’ favour when Bizot charged off his line to wipe out Jacob Murphy and deny a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Newcastle’s fightback saved the officials from an embarrassing moment becoming more controversial when Lucas Digne’s handball, that was clearly inside the box, was given as a free-kick instead of a penalty.

With VAR not in operation at this stage of the competition, the decision could not be reviewed.

But Newcastle levelled from the resulting free-kick anyway as Tonali’s strike deflected past the helpless Emi Martinez.

Tonali has been linked with a move to Arsenal come the end of the season and the Italian showed why he is in-demand with a blistering strike from outside the box to turn the tie around.

Nick Woltemade then netted his first goal in 15 games to take Newcastle, who last lifted the trophy in 1955, into the last 16.

Owned by Manchester United legends David Beckham and Gary Neville, Salford were playing in the fourth round for the first time in their history.

The League Two side were humbled 8-0 when they faced City in the third round last season, but pushed Pep Guardiola’s men far closer on Saturday.

“They defended really well, so tight and we didn’t attack the spaces the way we should. The game was flat until we scored the second goal,” Guardiola said.

City took an early lead through Alfie Dorrington’s own goal, but there were only nine minutes left when England defender Guehi delivered the decisive blow with his maiden goal since signing from Crystal Palace in January.

Third-tier Mansfield produced the upset of the day by winning 2-1 at Premier League Burnley to reach the fifth round for the first time since 1975.

Burnley went into the game bolstered by their first league win since October over Crystal Palace in midweek, but boss Scott Parker made nine changes and the gamble backfired.

Burnley took the lead through Josh Laurent’s 21st-minute goal, but Nigel Clough’s team, who sit in mid-table in League One, staged an impressive fightback in the second half.

Rhys Oates headed in the equaliser in the 53rd minute and Louis Reed capped a fine individual performance with a brilliant free-kick 10 minutes from full-time.

Ten-man West Ham edged through as the in-form Crysencio Summerville clinched a 1-0 win at League One Burton after extra-time.

Freddie Potts was sent off soon after Summerville’s strike in the first period of extra-time, but the Premier League strugglers held on to survive a gruelling fourth round clash.

After eliminating Manchester United in round three, Brighton are aiming to deliver another upset when they visit Liverpool later at Anfield. (JapanToday)

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City sweep Newcastle aside to reach Carabao Cup final

Manchester City completed a 5-1 aggregate win over holders Newcastle to set up a Carabao Cup final against Arsenal.

Omar Marmoush scored twice early on before Tijjani Reijnders put the outcome beyond the doubt before the first half was through. Newcastle made a better fist of it after the interval, Anthony Elanga pulling one goal back, but the tie was a lost cause by then.

The Magpies were always up against it following their two-goal defeat last month and, though they were hoping for a fast start, any prospect of that was gone once Dan Burn’s clearance ricocheted off Marmoush and looped over goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

James Trafford did have to come off his line twice to smother chances for Joe Willock and Anthony Gordon but Marmoush soon made them pay with his second of the night, nodding in from Antoine Semenyo’s centre after Reijnders’ powerful run from deep.

The Netherlands international midfielder regularly found space in behind the Newcastle midfield – City outnumbering their opponents in the centre of the pitch – and it led to the third goal as well. Reijnders finished this chance himself after being fed by Semenyo.

Eddie Howe lost Anthony Gordon to injury late in the first half and made three further substitutions at the break, changing the flow of the game somewhat, albeit too late. Yoane Wissa missed a clear chance before fellow arrival Anthony Elanga fired into the bottom corner.

There were chants of, ‘We’re going to win 6-5,’ from the vocal travelling support and though Harvey Barnes had an effort rightly ruled out for offside, Elanga then missed an even better chance after his goal, a reminder of City’s own vulnerabilities at the back.

But Newcastle’s grip on the trophy that ended their 70-year wait for major domestic silverware last season has been relinquished. It is Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City who will contest the final against Premier League leaders Arsenal on March 22 at Wembley.

This was Marmoush’s third start for City since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations and the third time that his team have taken the lead inside the opening 10 minutes of those games. Two of those goals have been scored by the livewire Egyptian himself.

He scored twice in this victory over Newcastle, this time without Erling Haaland on the pitch. That Marmoush looks a viable alternative to the big Norwegian could prove very important for Guardiola as City continue to compete on four fronts this season. (SkySports)

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Tottenham roars back to draw with Man City and do Arsenal a favor in Premier League title race

Tottenham did fierce rival Arsenal a huge favor in the Premier League title race on Sunday.

Dominik Solanke scored a second-half double — including one from an outrageous scorpion kick — as Spurs came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with second-place Manchester City, leaving Arsenal with a six-point lead with 14 games left.

It was almost the perfect day for the leaders, with Aston Villa — the other title contender — losing 1-0 at home to 10-man Brentford.

Villa stayed seven points adrift of Arsenal and was in danger of being reeled in by fourth-place Manchester United, which scored a stoppage-time winner through Benjamin Sesko to beat Fulham 3-2 for a third straight league win under new manager Michael Carrick.

Having already overseen victories over City and Arsenal in his short tenure, Carrick appears to have the magic touch at revitalized United.

The same cannot be said of Pep Guardiola at the moment.

This was a huge wasted opportunity for Guardiola’s City, which was up against a heavily depleted Tottenham team and was cruising 2-0 ahead at halftime thanks to goals by Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo. At times, it was almost too easy for City in front of an apathetic home crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

City then collapsed as a revitalized Tottenham fought back. Solanke bundled in Spurs’ first goal — appearing to kick the back of Marc Guehi’s leg, resulting in the ball dribbling over the line — and then grabbed the equalizer with a deft, flying back-flick that looped over City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the corner.

“The first half was difficult — we couldn’t get near them at times,” Solanke said. “The second half was a different story. In the second half, we were great and grew with confidence and belief.”

In the last five games, City has looked vulnerable in losing twice — to United and tiny Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League — and now spluttering against an injury-hit Tottenham.

“It is a setback but we are still there,” Guardiola said. “There are 14 games to go and a lot of points. We will see.”

Arsenal, a 4-0 winner at Leeds on Saturday, might not have a better chance to end its league title drought stretching back to 2004.

Villa played for more than half the match with an extra man after Brentford winger Kevin Schade’s straight red card for kicking out at Matty Cash in the 42nd minute after they had challenged for the ball.

In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Dango Ouattara escaped down the right and scored at the second attempt for what proved to be only goal as Brentford weathered a second-half onslaught.

United squandered a two-goal lead earned by goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, with Raul Jimenez — via a penalty — and Kevin scoring to bring Fulham briefly level at Old Trafford.

There was still time for Bruno Fernandes to send over a cross that was controlled by Sesko before he swiveled to curl home a finish in front of the Stretford End.

“It’s the best feeling, I have to say,” Carrick said about the kind of late winners United scored so often under his old manager, Alex Ferguson. “People leave here with more than just, ‘United won today.’ It’s layers on top of that, the emotion and the feeling, and it’s why we all love it so much.”

The match took place after a protest by around 500-600 United fans unhappy at the ownership of the 20-time champions, but the team is finally in a decent league position — fourth place — in its bid to return to the Champions League.

United is five points behind Villa with 14 rounds remaining.

Also Sunday, Crystal Palace — without star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta ahead of his possible move to AC Milan — drew 1-1 at 10-man Nottingham Forest, which had Neco Williams sent off in the 45th minute for a handball on the line. (JapanToday)

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Man United stuns Man City in Carrick’s first game; Liverpool and Arsenal drop points

Manchester United’s latest reboot is off to a flying start.

In Michael Carrick’s first game as coach, United pulled off a stunning 2-0 win against Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday and lifted the gloom hanging over Old Trafford.

“It’s a great start,” Carrick said.

Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu sealed victory in the 198th Manchester derby.

“It was a very special day but I’m not getting carried away,” said Carrick, four days after his appointment. “It needs to be a regular feeling, that level of performance needs to be consistently what we’re getting.”

The former United midfielder is contracted only to the end of the season and has 17 games to convince the club hierarchy to give him the job permanently after Ruben Amorim became the sixth permanent manager to be dismissed since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

He could not have made a better first impression as United dominated all-conquering City. Manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged it.

“The better team won,” Guardiola said. “When a team is better you have to accept it. They had an energy we didn’t have. Congratulations.”

League leader Arsenal could not take full advantage of defeat for second-place City, drawing 0-0 at Nottingham Forest.

United was fifth in the standings, one point behind defending champion Liverpool, which extended its winless run to four games after drawing with relegation-fighting Burnley 1-1 at Anfield.

Chelsea was sixth after beating Brentford 2-0.

Watching over Carrick’s first game with a beaming smile was Ferguson. Winning had United fans singing in full voice inside Old Trafford and drowning out City’s.

“The supporters were incredible. This could be a magical place,” Carrick said. “To get that feeling is exactly what we want. Hopefully it’s just the start.”

The result could have been more emphatic as United twice hit the goal frame and had three goals ruled out for offside.

United claimed city bragging rights, boosted its chances of Champions League qualification, and dealt another blow to City’s title challenge. City’s recent winless run was extended to four games. Arsenal’s draw left City seven points behind the leader.

Mbeumo fired low into the far corner at the end of a swift United break to open the scoring in the 65th minute. It was the least Carrick’s team deserved in a performance full of attacking intent.

Dorgu doubled the lead in the 76th, converting from close range after beating Rico Lewis to substitute Matheus Cunha’s cross.

Harry Maguire and Amad Diallo saw chances fly off the woodwork and further celebrations were cut short in the 89th when VAR ruled Mason Mount’s goal offside. It mattered little by that stage. (JapanToday)

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Haaland sends Man City to top; Liverpool beats nine-man Spurs

Erling Haaland fired Manchester City to the top of the Premier League by beating West Ham 3-0, while Liverpool continued their upturn with a 2-1 win at nine-man Tottenham on Saturday.

Arsenal can retake top spot for Christmas when they visit Everton later, but City ramped up the pressure on the Gunners with a seventh consecutive win in all competitions.

The Hammers feared a rout when Haaland smashed home after just five minutes.

Haaland turned provider for City’s second just before half-time as Tijjani Reijnders scored his first goal at the Etihad.

And he netted his 38th goal of the season already for club and country when the ball broke his way 21 minutes from time to move City one point ahead of Arsenal.

Yet, Pep Guardiola was still far from satisfied as he demanded improvements if City are to win a seventh Premier League title under his tenure.

“I want to be honest. I said to the players, ‘Merry Christmas everyone but it will not be enough if we don’t improve’.”

Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to six games after they survived a nervy finale to inflict a miserable Christmas on Spurs boss Thomas Frank.

Xavi Simons’ dangerous lunge on Dutch international team-mate Virgil van Dijk on 33 minutes left the home side with a mountain to climb.

Despite the absence of Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations, Alexander Isak again started on the bench.

Arne Slot introduced the most expensive Premier League player of all time at the break.

The Swede netted just his third goal since joining Liverpool for £125 million in September but suffered another injury setback in the process and had to be replaced.

Hugo Ekitike headed in his fifth goal in three league games to double Liverpool’s lead.

But Slot’s men still wobbled in the closing stages once Richarlison pulled a goal back.

A fifth defeat in nine home league games this season intensified the pressure on Frank and the Dane was not helped by his captain Cristian Romero, who got himself needlessly sent off in stoppage time.

Liverpool climb up to fifth, while Spurs are rooted down in 13th.

Chelsea remain above the Reds in fourth on goal difference as a second-half fightback rescued manager Enzo Maresca from more speculation over his future.

The Italian claimed after last weekend’s win over Everton that he and his players had not received enough support during a difficult run of results.

Maresca was then linked with being Guardiola’s successor at City in recent days.

Chelsea have won just once in their last five league games to see ambitions of a title challenge wilt.

But it could have been even worse for Maresca as Nick Woltemade’s double put Newcastle 2-0 up in a dominant first half from the Magpies.

A brilliant Reece James free-kick brought the Blues back into the game before Joao Pedro pounced on an error from Malick Thiaw to equalise.

Newcastle felt aggrieved as two late appeals for penalties and for James to be sent off were dismissed to leave Eddie Howe’s men languishing in 11th.

Wolves remain without a league win this season and on course to enter the record books as the worst side in Premier League history.

Keane Lewis-Potter scored both goals as Brentford won 2-0 at Molineux to move 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Burnley ended their seven-game losing streak as Armando Broja’s 90th-minute goal snatched a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.

Sunderland edged up to sixth after a 0-0 draw at Brighton. (JapanToday)

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Last-gasp Foden goal helps Man City defeat Leeds 3-2

Phil Foden spared Manchester City’s blushes with the last-gasp winner after the Premier League title challengers blew a two-goal lead in a dramatic 3-2 win over lowly Leeds on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s side were in danger of losing more ground in the title race following a second half collapse at the Etihad Stadium.

Foden and Josko Gvardiol put City two up before the interval, but third-bottom Leeds hit back through Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.

Foden clinched a nerve-jangling victory that lifted City into second place, four points behind leaders Arsenal, who travel to third-placed Chelsea on Sunday.

It was a much-needed win after consecutive defeats against Newcastle last weekend and Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

Guardiola’s decision to make 10 changes against Leverkusen backfired in a 2-0 loss that prompted the furious Spaniard to claim his players “didn’t try”.

Foden, Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Gianluigi Donnarumma were among the stars back in City’s starting line-up for the Leeds clash.

City had made their worst start to a campaign for five years and their second-worst under Guardiola.

But they took just 59 seconds to move in front as Foden fired a close-range strike off the bar after Matheus Nunes’ burst unhinged the Leeds defence.

Leeds had no answer to City’s slick start and Gvardiol looked to have put the hosts in complete control with a tap-in from Nico O’Reilly’s header in the 25th minute. (Vanguard)

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Chelsea dominates Barca in Champions League; Man City loses

Chelsea romped to a dominant 3-0 win at home to 10-man Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Pep Guardiola’s much-changed Manchester City went down to their first defeat of the campaign against Bayer Leverkusen.

In a battle between the second-placed sides in the Premier League and La Liga, Chelsea emerged emphatic winners thanks to goals from 18-year-old Estevao and Liam Delap after a Jules Kounde own-goal had given the 2021 Champions League winners a first-half lead.

The visitors played just over half the encounter a player down following captain Ronald Araujo’s dismissal for two bookable offences on the stroke of half-time.

After stalling last time out — Chelsea being held 2-2 by Qarabag and Barca drawing three-apiece with Club Brugge — both sides came into the match at Stamford Bridge looking to get their campaigns back on track.

Victory propelled Chelsea to fifth in the league phase standings on 10 points.

“It’s a big win, especially because the other team was Barcelona,” Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said.

After two Enzo Fernandez strikes were disallowed for offside, the hosts finally took the lead on 27 minutes.

A short-corner routine ended with Marc Cucurella firing the ball across the box. Pedro Neto’s attempted flick towards goal had the Barcelona defenders tying themselves in knots before France international Kounde inadvertently knocked it into his own net.

The game took a decisive turn in the 44th minute when Araujo received a second yellow card for a poor challenge on Cucurella.

Much of the pre-match build-up centred on talk around the young starlets on both sides, but it was Chelsea’s Estevao who stole the show over Barcelona’s Spain winger Lamine Yamal.

A moment of magic by the Brazilian teen put the game beyond the Spanish champions as he received the ball on the right before beating two defenders and lashing it into the roof of Joan Garcia’s net five minutes before the hour.

“I don’t really have any words to sum up how I’m feeling right now,” Estevao told Amazon Prime. “It really was the perfect night.”

Substitute Delap then put the game to bed in the 73rd minute.

A second defeat has the Catalans down in 15th spot, but Barcelona coach Hansi Flick insisted he was “really positive” about their chances of automatic qualification to the last 16.

“We’ve got players coming back now and there are three games to play and nine points to win,” the German said.

Guardiola surprisingly rested the majority of his stars at the Etihad, with Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Gianluigi Donnarumma all left out of the starting line-up as Man City went down 2-0 to Leverkusen.

A first loss of the campaign for Man City, coming hot on the heels of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle in the Premier League, leaves the 2023 winners on 10 points.

“I take full responsibility, still I think the players that started were exceptional players but we missed something needed at the highest level,” Guardiola said.

“I think playing every two or three days we need to make changes but seeing the result, maybe it’s too much.”

While defeat shall likely not prove fatal to their hopes of reaching the knockout stages, it was a chastening 100th European match in charge of City for Guardiola.

Slack defending allowed Alex Grimaldo the chance to put the away side in front in the 23rd minute, before Patrik Schick glanced in a second half-an-hour later. (JapanToday)

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Guardiola apologises for clash with cameraman after Newcastle loss

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola says he regrets losing his cool with a cameraman in the aftermath of Manchester City’s 2–1 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday.

The City manager stormed onto the pitch at St James’ Park, angered by what he believed were multiple contentious decisions, a denied penalty, a handball shout, and a marginal offside, all of which went against his side.

According to BBC Sport on Monday, the Spaniard marched onto the pitch at the end, speaking with referee Sam Barrott, while he also pulled the headphones off of a cameraman to say something into his ear.

“I apologised. I feel embarrassed, ashamed when I see it. I don’t like it. I apologised after one second to the cameraman. I am who I am.

“After 1,000 games, I’m not a perfect person; I make huge mistakes. The reason why is I want to defend my team and my club,” Guardiola said of the incident, but did not reveal what was said.

There were flare-ups involving the players, too, with City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma being ushered down the tunnel and Magpies midfielder Joelinton being held back by his manager, Eddie Howe, while Guardiola also had words to say to Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Guardiola added: “We have known Bruno for many, many years, and every time after the game, even at the Etihad, we talk in the tunnel or wherever we talk, always. I don’t know what happened.

“Our paths always cross, and I always have a good relationship with him. I love it. I’m an emotional guy, I love to talk and move my hands and my arms and everything.” (Punch)