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    Former Man City manager backs NEWCASTLE to win the Premier League over his old club in shock prediction

    NEWCASTLE are going to stun Manchester City and win the Premier League title this season.That is according to former City manager Stuart Pearce, who is confident the Magpies will end his former club’s reign of dominance and lift their first league trophy since 1927.
    Stuart Pearce predicted Newcastle will beat Manchester City for the Premier League titleCredit: Rex
    Pearce is very impressed with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe’s workCredit: Rex
    Pearce believes Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will struggle without Kevin De BruyneCredit: Getty
    The Toon have been on the rise since their £300million takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2021 as they finished fourth in the Premier League last season.
    Pearce believes in Eddie Howe’s side due to the recent recruitment and the excitement at St James’ Park after the club qualified for this season’s Champions League.
    The former Newcastle star believes Pep Guardiola will also struggle without Kevin De Bruyne.
    De Bruyne has been sidelined with a hamstring injury that could rule him out until the New Year.
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    The Nottingham Forest legend believes the playmaker’s absence will also affect last season’s top goalscorer Erling Haaland’s performances.
    And the former England international insists this Saturday’s Premier League clash between Newcastle and City will be a major indicator of who could lift the trophy in May.
    Pearce told talkSPORT as he stunned Alan Brazil and Ray Parlour with his prediction: “To be honest with you, I think they win the league this year. I’m gonna stick my neck out.
    “With the recruitment they’ve done, how they’ve sort of gone in, how things are at Newcastle.
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    “I’ve been up there a couple of times last year and the place is absolutely rocking.
    “I think, if they keep everyone fit and have a good run of it [Newcastle could win the Prem].
    “And I think this game on Saturday evening could be an indicator of whether they have got credentials.
    “To be fair, I think with Manchester City losing De Bruyne for a length of time, I think that will impact directly on Haaland as well.
    “I think that will hurt them a lot, so that’s probably why I’m looking at Newcastle.” More

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    Man City ready to hijack Brighton’s £8m transfer bid for Argentine wonderkid and fill problem position

    MANCHESTER CITY are looking to hijack Brighton’s bid to land Boca Juniors youngster Valentin Barco.The versatile left-back, 19, has a release clause in his contract which would see him leave for around £8million.
    Manchester City are looking to hijack Valentin Barco from BrightonCredit: EPA
    Boca Juniors ace Barco is seen as someone that can play left-back for Manchester CityCredit: EPA
    City sources have confirmed their interest although it is not yet clear if he would go straight into Pep Guardiola’s squad if they win the race.
    Other young players have arrived at the Etihad and been shipped out to join one of the other clubs in the City Football Group stable on loan.
    City are likely to be without a senior specialist left-back this season but have options in Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol.
    Barco is believed to be keen on finishing the club season with Boca before moving later this year.
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    If the Argentine moves to the Etihad then he will be joining at a time when Guardiola’s team just can’t stop winning silverware.
    The Citizens added the European Super Cup to their trophy case after beating Sevilla on penalties at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Greece.
    The reigning Premier League champions drew 1-1 with the Andalusians on Wednesday.
    The Europa League winners opened the scoring with Youssef En-Nesyri.
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    But City equalised with a marvellous header by Cole Palmer in the second half.
    The FA Cup winners went on to score every single one of their penalty kicks.
    That was until Sevilla’s Nemanja Gudelj smashed Ederson’s crossbar. More

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    Watch Ederson give Man City youngster advice on how to lift trophy after landing getting lots of practice winning Treble

    EDERSON was seen giving youngster Cole Palmer tips on how to lift the European Super Cup after Manchester City’s victory last night.The Premier League giants added another trophy to their already-bulging cabinet after beating Sevilla 5-4 on penalties in Athens.
    Ederson gives Cole Palmer advice on lifting the trophyCredit: Twitter / @ManCity
    Palmer did not lift the trophy to Ederson’s expectationsCredit: Twitter / @ManCity
    Ederson jokingly pushed Palmer to lift the trophy higherCredit: Twitter / @ManCity
    City tweeted an amusing video of veteran Ederson showing the 21-year-old how a trophy is meant to be held.
    The Brazillian international walked up to Palmer and pushed him to relift the Super Cup.
    Fans were entertained by the interaction with many joking Palmer has “lifted too many trophies”.
    One supporter said: “When you’ve lifted many trophies in your life 😂”
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    Another added: “Experience is the best teacher🤣”
    A third wrote: “His Jersey number is probably weighing him down”
    The youngster should have enough experience lifting trophies after winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup this year.
    Palmer has continued his success with a tremendous start to the season by scoring twice for the Cityzens.
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    He scored the only goal for Pep Guardiola’s side in the 63rd minute last night against the Spaniards with a smart header.
    Palmer’s goal made the game 1-1 sending the match to penalties.
    City’s dreams then came true when Nemanja Gudelj fluffed his lines to hand the Premier League giants the title in an epic shootout.
    Their victory gave the City academy graduate Man of the Match for his electric 85 minute display. More

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    Man City’s worst Premier League signings, from flops Boateng and Rodwell to £42m mistake Eliaquim Mangala

    MANCHESTER CITY have invested over £1BILLION in the transfer market over the past decade so, naturally, there are going to be some flops.For every David Silva, Yaya Toure, or Erling Haaland there’s also been an Eliaquim Mangala or Jack Rodwell.
    Three great signings out of four weren’t bad for Roberto ManciniCredit: EPA
    Fortunately for current boss Pep Guardiola, most of the club’s most useless transfers came before the Spaniard brought them continued success.
    Here, SunSport details the five WORST signings City have made in the Premier League era….
    Eliaquim Mangala – £42m (2014)
    Mangala was strongly criticised by the media during his time at CityCredit: AFP or licensors
    Joleon Lescott left the Etihad Stadium after Manuel Pellegrini’s side won the title and Mangala was heralded as a ready-made replacement.
    The defender’s first two seasons saw the club drift away from the top of the table and he was often hammered for poor positioning and slow reactions.
    A solid loan spell at Valencia earned Mangala momentary reprieve under Guardiola but, after 15 appearances, the new boss binned him off before serious injury struck in a 2018 spell with Everton.Jack Rodwell – £12m (2012)
    Injuries curtailed Rodwell’s progressCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    Rodwell was an up-and-coming star at Everton but became a symbol of City’s trigger-happy stockpiling when jumping ship at the age of 21.
    There was a problem, however: City already had an excellent set of central midfielders.
    Battling past Yaya Toure, James Milner, David Silva, Samir Nasri, Javi Garcia, Gareth Barry and Fernandinho was too much for Rodwell and he left after two years and just 25 appearances.
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    Jerome Boateng – £10m (2010)
    It is painful enough seeing a former player go on to great things but City didn’t even get close to utilising Boateng’s full potential.
    Perhaps player and club were doomed from day one, the German tearing a tendon in his knee the week before the season began and aggravating it when a drinks trolley bashed it on a flight.
    A year later, Boateng asked to head back home and was allowed to leave for Bayern Munich – going on to win a World Cup, a Champions League and seven Bundesliga titles.
    Jo – £19m (2008)
    Jo arrived with a great record for CSKA MoscowCredit: Reuters
    A top striker in Russia when snapped up by Mark Hughes, Jo struggled to say the least – scoring once in nine league outings before being moved on six months into his stay.
    A brief upturn in form at Goodison Park gave the Citizens some hope of turning a profit… but a dismal 2009-2010 season on Merseyside dropped him back at City.
    Failing to take another chance the following season, Jo finally left to return to Brazil, having cost much more than Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta combined.Wilfried Bony – £25m (2015)
    Bony was sent back to Swansea in 2016 but couldn’t find form there, eitherCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Ten goals in 46 games, only six of which came in the league, is a poor record for any striker, but for an expensive forward at a club aiming to win the title? Terrible.
    The Prem top scorer for the calendar year of 2014, Bony initially couldn’t play for City due to African Cup of Nations duty and a summer bout of malaria came after a quiet start.
    That stunted his hopes for the following year and the club learned their lesson, from then on turning their attention away from signing top players from smaller sides. More

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    Score Predictor Tips: Dare you take on Manchester City in Matchweek 2?

    THERE’S simply no excuse to not play Score Predictor with Dream Team this season.It doesn’t even matter if you missed out on the opening round of fixtures because there’s fantastic prizes up for grabs every week.
    For example, the winner of Matchweek 2 will claim a brand new PlayStation 5, just as Matchweek 1’s champion did!
    Score Predictor is incredibly easy to play but click here if you need a reminder of how it works.

    PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR NOW: PS5 UP FOR GRABS IN MATCHWEEK 2!

    Spurs v Man United is a tasty encounterCredit: GETTY
    In the spirit of generosity, a Dream Team insider reveals his tips for this week’s five Score Predictor fixtures…
    TOTTENHAM v MANCHESTER UNITED
    Erik ten Hag’s were fortunate to beat Wolves at the Old Trafford in Matchweek 1 as the visitors’ wasteful finishing once again undermined their impressive build-up play.
    If the Red Devils produce a similar performance in north London on Saturday and leave acres of space in midfield, the likes of James Maddison, Son Heung-min and Richarlison will surely punish them.
    Spurs played out an entertaining 2-2 draw against Brentford last weekend and showed a promising endeavour in attack but a slight fragility at the back.
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    This one all depends on whether or not the lacklustre display against Wolves acts as a wake-up call for Man United.
    MY PREDICTION: 2-1 to Tottenham
    MANCHESTER CITY v NEWCASTLE
    Dare you take on Man City?Credit: DREAM TEAM
    “Thank you so much to the Premier League for letting us play on Saturday and not Sunday or Monday…”
    Those the sarcastic words of Pep Guardiola after his side’s UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla on Wednesday night.
    With the treble-winners evidently disrupted, this may be the best possible time to visit the Etihad (a daunting task nonetheless) and Eddie Howe’s men will be full of confidence after an emphatic victory over Aston Villa.
    The Magpies are super fit and will pounce on any lethargy among City’s troops but let’s not forget the calibre of the home side’s ranks.
    MY PREDICTION: 1-1 draw
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    ASTON VILLA v EVERTON
    Villa need a response this weekendCredit: REX
    Unai Emery’s side had a shocker at St James’ Park and they certainly need to rethink their extremely high defensive line.
    The Toffees created plenty of chances against Fulham but were undone by poor finishing and some excellent saves from Bernd Leno.
    Personally, I’m more inclined to take last season into account for this one as the home side were mightily impressive after their change of head coach while Everton narrowly escaped relegation.
    I’d be more torn if Goodison Park was the venue but as it is…
    MY PREDICTION: 2-0 to Aston Villa
    WEST HAM v CHELSEA
    A formidable duoCredit: GETTY
    Without Declan Rice performing three jobs at once, the Hammers came away from Bournemouth with a point last weekend but it’s worth noting the Cherries had more possession, more corners and more shots on target.
    The London Stadium faithful have largely been unimpressed with their club’s transfer activity this summer whereas their opponents have splashed the cash on a squad refresh (again).
    Ben Chilwell and Reece James will be difficult for hosts to contain out wide while the prospect of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the middle could highlight the impact of Rice’s absence for David Moyes.
    MY PREDICTION: 2-0 to Chelsea
    CRYSTAL PALACE v ARSENAL
    Arsenal’s firepower is undeniableCredit: GETTY
    The Eagles deserved more than a 1-0 win over Sheffield United last week but they face a significantly tougher opponent in Matchweek 2.
    It’s hard to look past the Gunners in this one as even without Gabriel Jesus they have several potent goal threats.
    However, I do fancy the home side to score against an Arsenal outfit still tinkering with their defence – Eberechi Eze makes things happen.
    MY PREDICTION 3-1 to ARSENAL
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    Think you know better? You’re almost certainly correct!

    PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR NOW: PS5 UP FOR GRABS IN MATCHWEEK 2! More

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    Man City 1 Sevilla 1 (5-4 pens): Guardiola gets first trophy of the season after Cole Palmer rescues City in Super Cup

    MANCHESTER CITY rose from the ruins in the Greek capital to lift a fourth trophy of the summer.The Champions League winners looked to be missing out on the Super Cup as a first half header from Yasser En Nasyri put Seville in front.
    Man City rose from the ruins in the Greek capital to lift a fourth trophy of the summerCredit: Getty
    Kyle Walker lifts the trophy is City get their first silverware of the seasonCredit: Getty
    But Cole Palmer pulled Pep Guardiola’s level after the break and this time they held their nerve in the shoot-out.
    Unlike in the Community Shield, City scored all five of their penalties – with Erling Haaland among those successful
    And midfielder Nemanja Gudelj blasted his kick against the bar to spark wild celebrations among those in sky blue.
    England Under 21 star Palmer is expected to leave the Etihad before the end of the transfer window.
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    But he is doing his bit to persuade Pep Guardiola to keep him as he added a second half header to the beauty he got at the Community Shield.
    City secured their first piece of silverware after seeing off Sevilla on penalties.
    And at the very least, Palmer he is giving his club a dilemma as the clubs queue up to take him for the campaign ahead.
    It had been a testing night for the Champions League winners who trailed to a super early header from Yasser En Nesyri.
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    And but for keeper Ederson, the Morocco World Cup star could have had a hat-trick.
    The game did not kick off until 10pm local time yet it was still a stifling 29 degrees in the Greek capital.
    Pep Guardiola’s squad is stretched already due to injury.
    So he will no doubt be concerned about how much it will take out of his troops ahead of Saturday night’s clash with Newcastle.
    However it was the chance to win another piece of silverware to add to the three they won in the space of three unforgettable weeks in the spring.
    City have never won this competition and as Rodri said on the eve of the game, it was an opportunity to put the club on the European map.
    Manager Guardiola has won it three times – twice with Barcelona and also with Bayern Munich.
    New £77 million signing Josko Gvardiol was given a first start with Ruben Dias left out due to concussion protocols.
    Youssef En-Nesyri opened the scoring for Sevilla
    En-Nesyri celebrates giving the Spaniards a shock opener

    Kevin de Bruyne’s place was taken by another recent arrival from Croatia, Mateo Kovacic but Phil Foden was given a chance to play in the middle.
    City began nervously as Manuel Akanji was robbed by former Tottenham man Erik Lamela but he fluffed his shot.
    A series of chances came at the other end as Bono got down well to save a low shot from Palmer.
    And the keeper was there again to block a header from Ake – although the Dutch defender should have scored.
    Gvardiol tried his luck from long range after Bono chose to punch a cross by Kyle Walker – but skied his effort over the bar.
    A Jack Grealish curler was then pushed away by the Moroccan keeper – who has an offer on the table to move to Saudi Arabia this month.
    He was clearly trying to catch the eye with some of his stops – but they had been effective and important.
    Because his team broke away and scored with their first effort on target thanks to his countryman Youssef En Nesyri.
    Cole Palmer equalised for Man City with a stunning headerCredit: Getty
    The youngster has made a flying start to the seasonCredit: Getty
    The World Cup star got in between Ake and Gvardiol to get on the end of Marcos Acuna’s delicious cross – and beat Ederson with an emphatic header.
    Loic Bade was perhaps fortunate to escape with only a yellow card as he pulled back Erling Haaland who would have been in on goal.
    And it summed up a frustrating half for City as Rodri’s header was deflected onto the roof of the net.
    Then Grealish teased over a cross which eluded everyone in the box but dropped just wide of the far post.
    City could count themselves slightly unfortunate to be behind to the Europa League specialists – but they could have been two down soon after the re-start.
    Skipper Walker flew into a challenge on Lucas Ocampos on his flank and mis-timed it – leaving Guardiola on his knees.
    The Argentine rolled over a cross for En Nesyri – whose shot was saved by the legs of Ederson when the Brazilian shouldn’t really have seen it.
    At the other end City – who lacked their usual zip in the hot weather – were finding Seville’s well organised defence tough to break down.
    Erling Haaland leads the celebrations despite a rare goalless nightCredit: Getty
    Manchester City’s Jack Grealish and Rodri celebrateCredit: PA
    But just after the hour they finally managed it as Rodri lifted a cross from the left over the head of Haaland.
    Coming in behind him was Palmer who guided his header back across Bono and into the far corner.
    His performances are giving Guardiola something to think about as his club look to replace Riyad Mahrez.
    The Algerian – clearly watching in Saudi Arabia – tweeted his appreciation of his young apprentice after the goal.
    En Nesyri could have put the Spaniards back in front straight away but Ederson raced off his line to make another super stop.
    He was one of the heroes in the Champions League final in June – and was doing his bit here too.
    But so too was Palmer who showed great feet to fashion a chance for himself before bringing a smart save out of Bono.
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    It was all City now but Seville were hanging on as Walker’s low cross was deflected just out of the reach of Foden.
    Ake then saw a downward header pushed over by the keeper in the last minute as the game drifted towards a penalty shoot-out, which City won 5-4.

    Manchester City players celebrate after winning the penalty shoot-outCredit: PA More

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    Real Madrid ready to HIJACK Saudi Arabian club in shock transfer for Man City star after losing key man to injury

    REAL MADRID could hijack Aymeric Laporte’s move to Saudi Arabia.Al-Nassr agreed a fee with Manchester City for the Spain defender, 29.
    Real Madrid could hijack Aymeric Laporte’s move to Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty
    But Laporte is weighing up whether he fancies the Middle East despite all the riches on offer.
    He is also waiting to see if Madrid show any interest after losing their  Brazil star Eder Militao to a torn ACL.
    Laporte lost his place in Pep Guardiola’s team following the arrival of Swiss international Manuel Akanji last August.
    The Spain international was limited to just 12 Premier League appearances.
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    Now City have paid £77million to sign Croatia star Josko Gvardiol, pushing Laporte even further down the pecking order.
    Joining Al-Nassr would see Laporte link up with Cristiano Ronaldo and former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane.
    While the Saudi giants are also reported to be interested in signing Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.
    The Brazilian is understood to be tempted by the move with Al-Nassr likely to offer Alisson huge wages.
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    Laporte would be the third member of the Treble winning squad to leave this summer following the departures of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez. 
    He has two years remaining on his contract so this is perhaps the last summer City will be able to cash in on the defender for a big sum.
    He was also spotted taking photos of the Etihad after City’s last home game at the end of last season, hinting he could be on the way out of the club.
    Aymeric Laporte is linked with a move away from Manchester CityCredit: Getty More

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    Paul Pogba puts his Cheshire mansion up for rent for eye-watering price — after Erling Haaland fails to buy it

    FOOTIE ace Paul Pogba has put his mansion back up for rent after rival Erling Haaland failed to buy it — and is charging £27,500 a month.The 30-year-old France international paid out £3million for the pad in 2016 when he signed for Manchester United.
    Paul Pogba has put his mansion back up for rent after rival Erling Haaland failed to buy it — and is charging £27,500 a monthCredit: Getty
    Last summer Man City striker Haaland eyed up the Hale Barns, Cheshire, property but decided to settle in Manchester city centre instead.
    Pogba, who plays for Juventus, listed the house for rent at £6,346-a-week.
    It boasts six bedrooms, an open-plan living area, landscaped garden, games room, gym and indoor football pitch.
    It has mini goals, an electronic scoreboard, LED lighting and even the footballer’s logo on the centre circle.
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    It also has a gated entrance, after burglars broke in last year while Pogba’s children were asleep upstairs.
    He rushed home from a match at Old Trafford, saying it was his family’s “worst nightmare”.
    The footballer failed to sell it after a string of players have opted for city centre living.
    Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias, Julian Alvarez, and even City manager Pep Guardiola have all chosen the hustle and bustle of Manchester rather than leafy Cheshire.
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