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      Champions League draw sparks Prem fixture chaos with NO remaining spots for Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and Man City games

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      PREM chiefs were left with a further fixtures headache after the Champions League last 16 draw.League bosses had hoped to be able to catch up some of the outstanding matches postponed in the wake of The Queen’s death in September.
      Liverpool are facing a fixture pile up following the Champions League drawCredit: EPA
      Manchester City still need to play their postponed home game against TottenhamCredit: Getty
      Tottenham’s trip to Manchester City and Liverpool’s visit to Chelsea were both called off over the mourning fortnight.
      But with Spurs and Liverpool pooled in the same “half” of the Champions League draw for TV purposes, those matches cannot now be rescheduled until the back end of March.
      If Tottenham and City had been paired together, it would have allowed them to play their postponed game at the Etihad in February or early-March.
      But the draw means there are now no free weeks until approaching the end of the season.
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      That’s because their last-16 ties will be played across four weeks, with the Carabao Cup and the possibility of FA Cup replays filling up that period.
      At least City’s game against Arsenal, which was postponed so the Gunners could fit in their delayed Europa League tie with PSV, can now be pencilled in for the week starting February 13, with the match due to be screened by Amazon Prime rather than BT Sport.
      Manchester United, two fixtures behind, have no vacant dates so far available for their matches against Crystal Palace and Leeds.
      This comes after Erik ten Hag’s side could only finish second in their Europa League group, meaning they have two extra games to come against Barcelona in the play-off round.
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      United needed to beat Real Sociedad by two goals and were on course to do exactly that when Alejandro Garnacho swept home his first professional goal.
      But the Red Devils could only match the Spanish club’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford back in September and paid the ultimate price when they were drawn against Barca. More

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      Man City announce best EVER financial results with £41m profit… despite splashing out on Haaland and Co

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      KHALDOON AL MUBARAK hailed Manchester City’s best ever financial year after they revealed record profits of £41.7 million.With supporters back in the stadium following the end of Covid restrictions, the club also recorded their highest ever revenue of £613 million.
      Khaldoon Al Mubarak has hailed Man City’s best financial year yet after recording profits of over £41mCredit: Getty
      Winning a fourth Premier League title in five years and reaching the Champions League semi-final were a significant boost for the coffers.
      But the club’s record of selling players – which chief exec Ferran Soriano described as ‘remarkable’ – has also been key in bringing more of the top players in the world to the Etihad.
      Khaldoon said: ‘Our motivation to place the pandemic firmly behind us helped our talented people achieve the most successful financial year in the club’s history.
      “The best players in world football are making us their destination of choice.
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      “Our player trading was executed with great skill and positive financial outcomes, and our commercial partnerships continued to deepen and expand by geography and sector.
      “Football does not stand still and other leading clubs continue to evolve and develop, We therefore need to constantly challenge ourselves to improve upon what we have achieved.
      “This means innovating further in Manchester and beyond.”
      City saw their wage bill drop slightly to £353.9m but that is likely to increase in the next 12 months following the arrival of Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips among others.
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      The club has continued to grow commercially – with 46 global and regional partners now listed and revenue from that rising to almost £310 million.
      CFG chief exec Soriano was delighted with the results – but hopes there could be even more encouraging ones to come.
      The former Barcelona executive said: “Profits were also boosted by our remarkable transfer activity,
      “The £67.7 million profit City generated from the transfer of players’ registrations took the total from the last five years above £250 million from this increasingly material source of income.
      “This will grow even further in 2022-23, boosted by an unprecedented post-season summer of transfer activity that generated the highest ever gross player receipts in Premier League history, both in a summer window and over a calendar year.
      ‘This includes the transfer of eight academy graduates, highlighting the growing success of the club’s academy in nurturing footballers who go on to have careers not only at Manchester City but also in the top leagues in professional football more broadly.”
      City’s most recent summer transfer business is not included in the latest round of financial results.
      This includes the signing of Haaland as well as the sales of first team stars such as Gabriel Jesus, Oleks Zinchenko and Raheem Sterling. More

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      Pep Guardiola drops biggest hint yet that he will agree new Man City deal with contract up in the summer

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      PEP GUARDIOLA has given the clearest indication yet he will stay at Manchester City beyond the end of his contract in the summer.The Etihad chief previously said the World Cup break will be the ideal time for him to chat to club bosses about his future.
      Pep Guardiola’s current Man City contract expires at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
      And he has also indicated much will depend on if his Man City players are still responding to his methods after his six-and-a-half-year hot-seat stint.
      But with not long to go until he waves his stars off for a month or so, he admits they are giving him the energy and enthusiasm to keep going.
      Pep said: “I give them enthusiasm — but they give it to me.
      “The way they play, what I saw for 65 minutes, I see the faces of our people, they give me the energy for the future, for Chelsea and Brentford.

      “There are things you cannot see, like how happy they were in locker room and the training was perfect — even the guys who didn’t play were amazing in training.
      “That made me think we are there. That makes me feel really happy, we are able to do it all together and that’s really good.”
      City are hoping to organise a warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi in December for the players not involved in the latter stages at the World Cup.
      Owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak are both based in the Middle East and the trip would provide the perfect opportunity to talk about a possible extension.
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      Much is likely to depend on whether Guardiola’s family are happy for him to continue.
      His wife Cristina moved back to Barcelona in 2019 with their youngest daughter, so will have to give the thumbs-up to any new deal.
      Pep plans to take a couple of weeks off after Saturday’s clash with Brentford, before getting back to work early next month. More

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      Man City condemn alleged racist abuse towards wonderkid Rico Lewis as two Seville fans arrested and police investigating

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      TWO Seville fans were arrested for allegedly racially abusing City starlet Rico Lewis as he was subbed at the Etihad on Wednesday night. The champions released a statement saying they “strongly condemn” such behaviour and vowing to assist Greater Manchester Police and the Spanish club in their enquiries.
      Rico Lewis scored a scintillating goal on his full debutCredit: Alamy
      But the 17-year-old was also allegedly the victim of racist abuse from two Sevilla fansCredit: Getty
      City said: “We will not tolerate discrimination of any kind at our stadium and will be offering our full support to Rico following these vile incidents.”
      Lewis – who marked his full debut with a super goal – received a standing ovation from home supporters when he was replaced by Joao Cancelo on 85 minutes.
      Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the teenager, saying: “We don’t give present… he had to earn it.
      “We have seen him since day one in pre-season and I said: this guy has something special.”
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      And after the game Lewis took his Instagram to say: “Words can’t describe the feeling.
      “First start and goal for this amazing club, I won’t forget this day for the rest of my life, can’t thank the fans enough, amazing as usual.”
      Meanwhile, Sevilla said they would be taking their own action against the accused.
      They said: “Sevilla FC strongly condemn the behaviour of two fans in the away section of Manchester City’s stadium, who were identified and accused of allegedly behaving in a racist manner towards Manchester City player Rico Lewis.
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      “Sevilla FC are awaiting official confirmation of these facts, of which they have been made aware by Manchester City, and if these are proven, the two fans will be removed from the list of members.”
      SunSport has contacted Greater Manchester Police for a statement. More

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      Man City facing fight to keep Ilkay Gundogan with Atletico Madrid looking to steal captain on free transfer

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      ATLETICO MADRID have joined the list of clubs keeping tabs on Ilkay Gundogan’s situation at Manchester City.The German international is into the final year of his contract at the Etihad and will be free to talk to clubs in January.
      Ilkay Gundogan could depart Man City on a free transferCredit: Getty
      And the fact he will be a free transfer if he decides to move in the summer means there will be no shortage of interest.
      That would particularly appeal to Atletico who have been eliminated from the Champions League and will need to budget accordingly.
      There is also likely to be interest from Germany – with Bayern Munich believed to be interested – while his boyhood favourites Galatasaray could also make a move.
      Gundogan – who turned 32 last month – was named club captain at City at the start of the season following the departure of Fernandinho.
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      He was Pep Guardiola’s first signing after taking over in 2016 and may feel the time is right for a fresh challenge.
      City have not ruled out offering him an extension although they are likely to make a new midfielder their priority in the summer transfer market.
      However, Gundogan’s wife could be pushing for him to change surroundings after she criticised the local cuisine in Manchester.
      Stunning Italian Sara Arfaoui, 27, claimed it was all “horrible frozen food”.
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      Gundogan has made 270 appearances since joining City, scoring 51 goals and adding 34 assists.
      Even this season he continues to be a key player for Guardiola, with the ex-Borussia Dortmund star making 17 appearances so far.
      As well as Atletico, Barcelona have also been reported to be keeping tabs on his situation.
      Gundogan’s wife Sara Arfaoui might be up for a move More

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      Barcelona line up Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes transfer after admitting defeat in pursuit of Man City’s Bernardo Silva

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      BARCELONA will switch their sights to Bruno Guimaraes after admitting defeat in their bid to land Bernardo Silva.The Spaniards spent six months targeting Manchester City star Bernardo, and there were fears he would press for a move to the Nou Camp.
      Bruno Guimaraes has become a transfer target for BarcelonaCredit: Rex
      But Barca were priced out by City’s £80million valuation and Guimaraes now tops their wanted list.
      The Brazilian only left Lyon for Newcastle in a £35m switch in January, but is already a Toon hero.
      In his 27 games for the club, he has already registered seven goals.
      While he is expected to feature in Brazil’s World Cup squad in Qatar.
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      Newcastle would like to give him a new £200,000-a-week deal and chiefs say they would knock back any Guimaraes bids.
      Yet for all their wealth, Toon sporting director Dan Ashworth admitted their £210m spending spree is unsustainable, and they will eventually “have to trade.”
      “Absolutely I do not want to sell Bruno,” he told The Times.
      “He is a top player and a really important part of this journey. Again, I go back to, we try to manage our talent properly, we try to give them the part of the journey, part of the vision, part of building something and the connecting with the city and the supporters you’ve seen.”
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      Now Barca plan to test Newcastle’s resolve.
      Guimaraes, himself has revealed he is settled in the North-East and wants to become a club legend.
       “I feel at home,” he told Sky Sports.
      “The experience I’ve had here has been amazing. Yes, sometimes it can be difficult to leave the house because everybody recognises me!
      “But they [the fans] are always so friendly, so loving, not just with me but with everyone in my family. It’s always nice when there are teams looking at you, but my plan is just to do my best at Newcastle. The rest, I leave with my agent.
      “I have three or four years of contract left. It’s so long. I swear I’m not thinking about other things. My focus now is just on Newcastle and the World Cup. There is a long way to go. I love playing here, I love to bond with the fans, and I want to become a legend here.” More

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      Man City have missed a THIRD of penalties under Guardiola with boss flogging Jesus and Sterling.. so, is Mahrez at risk?

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      MANCHESTER CITY’S shocking penalty record under Pep Guardiola has been revealed. And the data suggests that the worst offenders get flogged by the former Barcelona boss.
      The penalty missed by Riyad Mahrez means Man City have missed 25 penalties under Pep GuardiolaCredit: AP
      Gabriel Jesus converted just half of his penalties under GuardiolaCredit: EPA
      Raheem Sterling has the worst penalty record under the City bossCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Since the Spaniard took over the reins at the Etihad City have taken 80 penalties – the most in the division – but only converted an appalling 55 of them.
      It means they have a conversion rate of just 69 per cent.
      Among players to have taken spot-kicks for Guardiola, Sergio Aguero leads the pack with 28 taken.
      However, the Argentine has a success rate of just 71 per cent with 20 scored.
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      Riyad Mahrez, who missed a penalty during the 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund, has an equal success rate of 71 per cent with 10 scored from a possible 14.
      His overall career record makes even worse reading though, with 32 pens taken and 10 missed giving him a conversion rate of 69 per cent.
      The worst offenders under Guardiola were both sold over the summer in the form of Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling and Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus.
      Jesus converted his pens at a half rate, with five scored from 10 taken.
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      But Sterling endured an even worse record, with a success rate of just 43 per cent as he scored just three of the seven he took.
      Despite the record of 31-year-old Mahrez, the Algerian has been in negotiations over a contract extension before his City contract expires at the end of the season – which he will hope means he will not follow his former team-mates out of the door.
      The only three players not to have missed a pen under Guardiola at City are Yaya Toure, Rodri and Erling Haaland, though between them they have only taken just six in total.
      The remaining two players to have taken penalties for City since Guardiola arrived are both members of the current leadership group.
      Ilkay Gundogan, who according to City’s website was elected as the club’s captain by his team-mates, has scored four of the six kicks he has taken.
      Here’s the full table for Man City’s penalty takers
      Meanwhile, Kevin de Bruyne enjoys the best conversation rate of those to have taken and missed pens in the past, scoring seven out of nine to earn a 78 per cent success rate.
      Despite their profligate finishing from 12 yards, City are not have the worse takers in the division since Guardiola’s arrival.
      Instead that title goes to Fulham, who have scored just 53 per cent of their penalties, while at the other end of the scale Brentford have scored 94 per cent of their kicks – the best in the division.
      An argument could also be made in favour of the “big six” having a bias in their favour when it comes to being given penalties, with each of them coming in the top seven for penalties awarded.
      Manchester United are second only to City in penalties taken with 76, while Tottenham enjoy the best success rate with 87 per cent of their kicks converted.
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      Liverpool have taken 55 penalties in the time frame, missing just nine.
      Chelsea and Arsenal have taken 66 and 47 kicks apiece, and have 86 per cent and 83 per cent conversion rates respectively.
      How Premier League sides have fared from 12 yards since Guardiola took over More

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      Man City legend Sergio Aguero claims boss Pep Guardiola once dropped him for being too FAT

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      SERGIO AGUERO revealed Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola dropped him for being too FAT.The Argentine enjoyed a successful ten-year spell at City — winning five titles and  becoming the club’s  all-time top scorer on 260 goals.
      Aguero revealed Guardiola dropped him for being too FATCredit: Getty
      The Argentine was forced into early retirement due to a heart issueCredit: Getty
      City boss Guardiola is strict on fitnessCredit: Getty
      But the retired striker’s scoring success did not stop him being subject to Guardiola’s strict fitness rules after he was accused of being overweight by the Spaniard.
      Aguero, 34, who was forced to quit the game with a heart issue, said: “In the first season he said: ‘I left you out because you turned up fat this week’. What was I going to say? He was right. These things happen.
      “You come across a bit of chicken for example, then you are going to be 50 grams over.
      “If your ideal weight is 79-80kg and you were 80 kilos and 100 grams you would be fined and you wouldn’t play. He said it in a good way.
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      “At that time, I didn’t have his confidence. But I was always very respectful to the coaches.”  
      Aguero also admitted he struggled to adapt to Guardiola’s pressing style at first.
      He would press defenders and then be left no oxygen to attack.
      Aguero says Guardiola “taught” him how to press.
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      He added: “When I arrived, Guardiola asked me to press the centre backs a lot, and then I didn’t have oxygen to attack.
      “I wasn’t used to press but Guardiola taught me the way to do it.” More