Manchester City came out on top in an epic Champions League battle against Monaco as late goals by John Stones and Leroy Sane secured a 5-3 victory in a last 16 first-leg thriller on Tuesday that had goals galore and a missed penalty.

City took the lead through Raheem Sterling but were then playing catch-up as Monaco drew level thanks to Radamel Falcao&#39;s header and then went ahead with a powerful finish from 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe five minutes before halftime.

South American poachers Sergio Aguero for City and Falcao, who also missed a penalty, then traded blows with Aguero equalising for 2-2 and then 3-3 after Falcao&#39;s exquisite chip gave Monaco the lead for the second time at The Etihad.

City, however, then pulled clear as Stones tapped in at the far post and Sane rolled the ball into an empty net to give City a two-goal advantage ahead of the return on March 15.

City manager Pep Guardiola had called Monaco &quot;killers&quot; in the box before the game and while they showed just why they are European football&#39;s most deadly assassins, they were embarrassingly fragile at times at the back.

They were behind after 26 minutes when Sterling tapped home after Sane dazzled down the left and teed up the England winger.

Route back

Monaco were handed a route back into the match after 32 minutes following an error by City&#39;s Willy Caballero, the first of the night&#39;s goalkeeping blunders.

He gave the ball away with a poor clearance and the visitors worked it to Fabinho whose devilish cross was headed home by former Manchester United and Chelsea striker Falcao, who has found his best form again since returning to France.

City were denied a penalty by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz when Aguero appeared to be upended by keeper Danijel Subasic before Monaco grabbed the lead through Mbappe.

The 18-year-old was released through the middle and lashed his finish into the top corner past Caballero.

The visitors should have extended their advantage soon after the restart but Falcao&#39;s tame penalty was saved after Nicolas Otamendi had been penalised for catching the Colombian as he tried to convert Benjamin Mendy&#39;s cross.

City swiftly made Monaco pay as Aguero ended a six-game goal-drought thanks to a Subasic howler. Sterling slid the ball through and the Argentine fired straight at the keeper but it squirmed out of his hands into the net after 58 minutes.

Parity was short-lived, however, as Falcao turned City defender Stones before lifting an exquisite chip over the stranded Caballero to make it 3-2 to the principality club.

Aguero levelled once more when he volleyed home from 12 metres after a corner and City took the lead when Kevin De Bruyne&#39;s set-piece was turned in by Stones at the far post.

The final twist in one of the most entertaining encounters in the competition&#39;s recent history came when Aguero rolled the ball into the path of Sane who tapped into an empty net.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

City took the lead through Raheem Sterling but were then playing catch-up as Monaco drew level and then went ahead

Manchester City came out on top in an epic Champions League battle against Monaco as late goals by John Stones and Leroy Sane secured a 5-3 victory in a last 16 first-leg thriller on Tuesday that had goals galore and a missed penalty. City took the lead through Raheem Sterling but were then playing catch-up as Monaco drew level thanks to Radamel Falcao's header and then went ahead with a powerful finish from 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe five minutes before halftime. South American poachers Sergio Aguero for City and Falcao, who also missed a penalty, then traded blows with Aguero equalising for 2-2 and then 3-3 after Falcao's exquisite chip gave Monaco the lead for the second time at The Etihad. City, however, then pulled clear as Stones tapped in at the far post and Sane rolled the ball into an empty net to give City a two-goal advantage ahead of the return on March 15. City manager Pep Guardiola had called Monaco "killers" in the box before the game and while they showed just why they are European football's most deadly assassins, they were embarrassingly fragile at times at the back. They were behind after 26 minutes when Sterling tapped home after Sane dazzled down the left and teed up the England winger. Route back Monaco were handed a route back into the match after 32 minutes following an error by City's Willy Caballero, the first of the night's goalkeeping blunders. He gave the ball away with a poor clearance and the visitors worked it to Fabinho whose devilish cross was headed home by former Manchester United and Chelsea striker Falcao, who has found his best form again since returning to France. City were denied a penalty by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz when Aguero appeared to be upended by keeper Danijel Subasic before Monaco grabbed the lead through Mbappe. The 18-year-old was released through the middle and lashed his finish into the top corner past Caballero. The visitors should have extended their advantage soon after the restart but Falcao's tame penalty was saved after Nicolas Otamendi had been penalised for catching the Colombian as he tried to convert Benjamin Mendy's cross. City swiftly made Monaco pay as Aguero ended a six-game goal-drought thanks to a Subasic howler. Sterling slid the ball through and the Argentine fired straight at the keeper but it squirmed out of his hands into the net after 58 minutes. Parity was short-lived, however, as Falcao turned City defender Stones before lifting an exquisite chip over the stranded Caballero to make it 3-2 to the principality club. Aguero levelled once more when he volleyed home from 12 metres after a corner and City took the lead when Kevin De Bruyne's set-piece was turned in by Stones at the far post. The final twist in one of the most entertaining encounters in the competition's recent history came when Aguero rolled the ball into the path of Sane who tapped into an empty net. (Reuters)

Champions League: In epic battle, Man City beat Monaco 5-3

Pep Guardiola watched his resurgent Manchester City side stamp themselves as Chelsea&#39;s closest pursuers in the Premier League title race on Monday but was still adamant that &quot;the gap is too big&quot; for his team to catch the runaway leaders.

A well-deserved 2-0 win at Bournemouth&#39;s Dean Court, a venue at which other major contenders like Liverpool have slipped up this season, saw City move from fifth to second, eight points behind Antonio Conte&#39;s men.

Yet though expressing his delight at seeing how his side are progressing so smoothly now, Guardiola was adamant that Chelsea&#39;s lead was just too &quot;massive&quot; to be clawed back.

&quot;The gap is too big,&quot; he told Sky Sports, after celebrating a goal from Raheem Sterling and another that was credited to Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings, although Sergio Aguero was still claiming it.

&quot;Yesterday they (Chelsea) didn&#39;t win (in a 1-1 draw with Burnley) but they play so solid, it&#39;s so difficult to create chances (against them).

&quot;The gap is still so massive. It&#39;s important is for us to focus on our game, and improve our performance, and my feeling in the last games is our performances are much, much better.&quot;

His protestation that eight points is &quot;massive&quot; does not bear the closest examination with so many Premier League games being so competitive this season but Guardiola is concentrating his sights primarily on winning a Champions League spot.

&quot;The gap between the second and the sixth clubs is so close (four points separates City from their neighbours Manchester United), so today we started the game in fifth place and now we are second,&quot; he said.

&quot;So that means everybody&#39;s still there. Up and down...lose a game and you&#39;re going to be down, so it will be a good battle to qualify for the Champions League.&quot;

If City are to make a concerted title push, Aguero demonstrated again that he could yet play a significant part amid speculation that he could leave at the end of the season.

Once his new starlet Gabriel Jesus had to go off with an ankle injury after quarter of an hour, Aguero, in his third successive match on the bench, was called into action and although for large parts of the game he looked rusty, he still had a key role in City&#39;s second goal.

Although Mings was credited with getting the final touch, the important thing was the Argentine&#39;s sharpness as he latched with alacrity on to Sterling&#39;s cross and Guardiola was left thrilled for him.

&quot;He played good, he won, he fight, scored a goal for his confidence and for us, it&#39;s so important. I&#39;m so happy for him,&quot; said the manager.

Asked if it underlined his importance to City&#39;s challenge, he added: &quot;Of course. It&#39;s so important. When you play in a big team with a lot of competition for places, we need all the players.&quot;

Including young Jesus, whose first setback in his meteoric start to life in the Premier League saw him hobble off with what Guardiola hopes is only a minor injury.

&quot;Tomorrow morning, we&#39;ll know exactly - but hopefully, hopefully...I&#39;m going to pray tonight that it&#39;s not going to be a big issue,&quot; Guardiola said.

(Reuters)

The 2-0 win Monday night pushed up Guardiola's side from fifth to second on the points table

Pep Guardiola watched his resurgent Manchester City side stamp themselves as Chelsea's closest pursuers in the Premier League title race on Monday but was still adamant that "the gap is too big" for his team to catch the runaway leaders. A well-deserved 2-0 win at Bournemouth's Dean Court, a venue at which other major contenders like Liverpool have slipped up this season, saw City move from fifth to second, eight points behind Antonio Conte's men. Yet though expressing his delight at seeing how his side are progressing so smoothly now, Guardiola was adamant that Chelsea's lead was just too "massive" to be clawed back. "The gap is too big," he told Sky Sports, after celebrating a goal from Raheem Sterling and another that was credited to Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings, although Sergio Aguero was still claiming it. "Yesterday they (Chelsea) didn't win (in a 1-1 draw with Burnley) but they play so solid, it's so difficult to create chances (against them). "The gap is still so massive. It's important is for us to focus on our game, and improve our performance, and my feeling in the last games is our performances are much, much better." His protestation that eight points is "massive" does not bear the closest examination with so many Premier League games being so competitive this season but Guardiola is concentrating his sights primarily on winning a Champions League spot. "The gap between the second and the sixth clubs is so close (four points separates City from their neighbours Manchester United), so today we started the game in fifth place and now we are second," he said. "So that means everybody's still there. Up and down...lose a game and you're going to be down, so it will be a good battle to qualify for the Champions League." If City are to make a concerted title push, Aguero demonstrated again that he could yet play a significant part amid speculation that he could leave at the end of the season. Once his new starlet Gabriel Jesus had to go off with an ankle injury after quarter of an hour, Aguero, in his third successive match on the bench, was called into action and although for large parts of the game he looked rusty, he still had a key role in City's second goal. Although Mings was credited with getting the final touch, the important thing was the Argentine's sharpness as he latched with alacrity on to Sterling's cross and Guardiola was left thrilled for him. "He played good, he won, he fight, scored a goal for his confidence and for us, it's so important. I'm so happy for him," said the manager. Asked if it underlined his importance to City's challenge, he added: "Of course. It's so important. When you play in a big team with a lot of competition for places, we need all the players." Including young Jesus, whose first setback in his meteoric start to life in the Premier League saw him hobble off with what Guardiola hopes is only a minor injury. "Tomorrow morning, we'll know exactly - but hopefully, hopefully...I'm going to pray tonight that it's not going to be a big issue," Guardiola said. (Reuters)

Man City beat Bournemouth but Pep says gap with Chelsea 'too big'

Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City were denied a morale-boosting Premier League victory as Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals down to earn a contentious 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Blunders by Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris allowed Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne to give City a deserved 2-0 lead, only for Dele Alli and substitute Son Heung-Min to grab a point for the visitors.

The game&#39;s main talking point occurred shortly before Son&#39;s 77th-minute leveller when Kyle Walker got away with a push on City forward Raheem Sterling inside the Spurs box as he took aim at Lloris.

Guardiola reacted furiously and having seen his team humiliated 4-0 at Everton on their previous outing he will know this was a huge missed opportunity for his misfiring team.

City, for whom &pound;27 million ($33 million, 31 million euros) new signing Gabriel Jesus made his debut, remain fifth and will fall 12 points off the pace if leaders Chelsea beat Hull City on Sunday.

While Spurs remain second, the point earned at the Etihad Stadium came at a cost for Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side, who had been chasing a seventh successive league win.

Toby Alderweireld was forced off by injury in the second half, meaning he will potentially join fellow Belgian centre-back Jan Vertonghen on the sidelines.

City&#39;s defeat at Everton was the heaviest league reverse of Guardiola&#39;s stellar coaching career, but his response was to go on the attack.

Centre-back John Stones was dropped again, while De Bruyne and David Silva joined Yaya Toure in an attacking midfield trio that enabled City to pierce holes in Spurs&#39; rearguard right from kick-off.

After sights of goal for Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero, Lloris turned a low Silva shot behind and then stood motionless as Zabaleta&#39;s drive from De Bruyne&#39;s corner skidded inches wide.

With Spurs incapable of playing through City&#39;s high press, Kevin Wimmer and Eric Dier were both booked inside the first 13 minutes.

Turning point

By the time De Bruyne rolled a cross-shot across goal and wide after Aguero had robbed Dier, Pochettino had seen enough, moving Dier into midfield and swapping his 3-4-2-1 for a more stable 4-3-2-1.

Still City came, with Sane heading wide and Lloris twice thwarting Aguero, springing to his right to catch a header and then getting down at his near post to parry a left-foot drive.

Pochettino made another change at the interval, sending on Son for Wimmer, but within nine minutes of kick-off his side were 2-0 down as Lloris unwittingly took centre stage.

Flying out to meet De Bruyne&#39;s 50-yard pass on the edge of his box, Lloris contrived to head the ball against Sane, who had the simple task of tapping into an empty net.

If fortune deserted Lloris on that occasion, he only had himself to blame five minutes later as his failure to gather Sterling&#39;s cross from the right allowed De Bruyne to bundle in City&#39;s second.

It was no more than the hosts deserved, but just four minutes later Spurs hit back, Alli heading in Walker&#39;s superb right-wing cross for his eighth goal in seven games.

Danny Rose had to produce a brilliant last-gasp tackle to prevent Sterling restoring City&#39;s two-goal cushion before Alderweireld limped off holding the back of his right thigh.

Then came the game&#39;s turning point.

Walker pushed Sterling as he raced through, meaning the England forward could only dink a tame shot straight at Lloris, and moments later Harry Kane&#39;s flicked lay-off was swept home by Son.

Nineteen-year-old Brazil starlet Jesus made his entrance with seven minutes to go, but there would be no late miracle as he headed narrowly over and saw a tap-in ruled out for offside.

(AFP)

Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals down to earn a contentious 2-2 draw on Saturday

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City were denied a morale-boosting Premier League victory as Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals down to earn a contentious 2-2 draw on Saturday. Blunders by Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris allowed Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne to give City a deserved 2-0 lead, only for Dele Alli and substitute Son Heung-Min to grab a point for the visitors. The game's main talking point occurred shortly before Son's 77th-minute leveller when Kyle Walker got away with a push on City forward Raheem Sterling inside the Spurs box as he took aim at Lloris. Guardiola reacted furiously and having seen his team humiliated 4-0 at Everton on their previous outing he will know this was a huge missed opportunity for his misfiring team. City, for whom £27 million ($33 million, 31 million euros) new signing Gabriel Jesus made his debut, remain fifth and will fall 12 points off the pace if leaders Chelsea beat Hull City on Sunday. While Spurs remain second, the point earned at the Etihad Stadium came at a cost for Mauricio Pochettino's side, who had been chasing a seventh successive league win. Toby Alderweireld was forced off by injury in the second half, meaning he will potentially join fellow Belgian centre-back Jan Vertonghen on the sidelines. City's defeat at Everton was the heaviest league reverse of Guardiola's stellar coaching career, but his response was to go on the attack. Centre-back John Stones was dropped again, while De Bruyne and David Silva joined Yaya Toure in an attacking midfield trio that enabled City to pierce holes in Spurs' rearguard right from kick-off. After sights of goal for Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero, Lloris turned a low Silva shot behind and then stood motionless as Zabaleta's drive from De Bruyne's corner skidded inches wide. With Spurs incapable of playing through City's high press, Kevin Wimmer and Eric Dier were both booked inside the first 13 minutes. Turning point By the time De Bruyne rolled a cross-shot across goal and wide after Aguero had robbed Dier, Pochettino had seen enough, moving Dier into midfield and swapping his 3-4-2-1 for a more stable 4-3-2-1. Still City came, with Sane heading wide and Lloris twice thwarting Aguero, springing to his right to catch a header and then getting down at his near post to parry a left-foot drive. Pochettino made another change at the interval, sending on Son for Wimmer, but within nine minutes of kick-off his side were 2-0 down as Lloris unwittingly took centre stage. Flying out to meet De Bruyne's 50-yard pass on the edge of his box, Lloris contrived to head the ball against Sane, who had the simple task of tapping into an empty net. If fortune deserted Lloris on that occasion, he only had himself to blame five minutes later as his failure to gather Sterling's cross from the right allowed De Bruyne to bundle in City's second. It was no more than the hosts deserved, but just four minutes later Spurs hit back, Alli heading in Walker's superb right-wing cross for his eighth goal in seven games. Danny Rose had to produce a brilliant last-gasp tackle to prevent Sterling restoring City's two-goal cushion before Alderweireld limped off holding the back of his right thigh. Then came the game's turning point. Walker pushed Sterling as he raced through, meaning the England forward could only dink a tame shot straight at Lloris, and moments later Harry Kane's flicked lay-off was swept home by Son. Nineteen-year-old Brazil starlet Jesus made his entrance with seven minutes to go, but there would be no late miracle as he headed narrowly over and saw a tap-in ruled out for offside. (AFP)

Tottenham hit back to deny Manchester City 3 points

Juan Mata swept home to steer Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over holders and bitter local rivals Manchester City on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho got one over old adversary Pep Guardiola.

Mata rifled in a low finish past City keeper Willy Caballero early in the second half at Old Trafford on a night of few chances but plenty of derby fervour as United boss Mourinho won the tactical battle against Guardiola&#39;s much-changed City side.

The result lifted some of the pressure off Mourinho following Sunday&#39;s 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, but for his old sparring partner, Guardiola, it was a sixth successive game without victory, his longest winless streak as a manager.

West Ham United also moved into the last eight after they overcame Chelsea 2-1 in a London derby spoiled by ugly scenes of fan violence at the end of the game, while Southampton heaped more misery on struggling Sunderland with a 1-0 victory.

Recent results and the gathering pressure on both Mourinho and Guardiola ensured the clash at Old Trafford had all the usual spice of a derby encounter even if City made nine changes to their side against a virtually full-strength United team.

City should have gone ahead after two minutes, but Kelechi Iheanacho darted in front of his marker to direct his header hopelessly off target from close range.

United offered little attacking threat, but gained control of possession as the match wore on and were the more dangerous side for most of the encounter.

It took until the start of the second half, however, for them to create a meaningful chance when Paul Pogba&#39;s low shot was turned onto the post by Caballero, sparking an onslaught from the home side that ended with Mata&#39;s opener on 54 minutes.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic shrugged off a challenge then played the ball back towards Ander Herrera, who went down dramatically in the box but Mata was following up to powerfully steer the ball home.

Derby Knockout

Then it was just a case of holding on, which they did comfortably, as Mourinho recorded his fourth victory over Guardiola in a rivalry spanning 18 matches.

The greater satisfaction for the Portuguese, however, seemed to be erasing some of the negativity of Sunday&#39;s thrashing by his former club Chelsea.

&quot;The fans felt deeply such a negative result and today was a good chance to clear that feeling because a derby knockout and to win gives everyone a better feeling,&quot; he said.

West Ham&#39;s woeful start to the season is turning round and the revival continued in the first derby at their new London Stadium home.

Tight security arrangements, including a ban on the sale of alcohol in the vicinity of the Olympic Park, was intended to prevent flashpoints off the pitch, but there were still ugly scenes towards the end as rival fans clashed behind the goal with several seats being ripped out.

On the pitch, a vibrant West Ham proved too strong for a Chelsea side much-changed from their weekend trouncing of Manchester United.

Cheikhou Kouyate put the Hammers on their way to a third consecutive win with a thumping header from skipper Mark Noble&rsquo;s driven cross after 11 minutes and Edimilson Fernandes beat Asmir Begovic with a low shot three minutes after the restart.

Gary Cahill did grab a Chelsea consolation in stoppage time but by that time all eyes were on stewards trying to keep rival fans apart.

Southampton&#39;s record signing Sofiane Boufal scored from long range in the second half in their 1-0 victory over Sunderland, a fourth defeat in five games for Sunderland manager David Moyes.

(Reuters)

The result lifted some of the pressure off Mourinho following Sunday's 4-0 defeat to Chelsea

Juan Mata swept home to steer Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over holders and bitter local rivals Manchester City on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho got one over old adversary Pep Guardiola. Mata rifled in a low finish past City keeper Willy Caballero early in the second half at Old Trafford on a night of few chances but plenty of derby fervour as United boss Mourinho won the tactical battle against Guardiola's much-changed City side. The result lifted some of the pressure off Mourinho following Sunday's 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, but for his old sparring partner, Guardiola, it was a sixth successive game without victory, his longest winless streak as a manager. West Ham United also moved into the last eight after they overcame Chelsea 2-1 in a London derby spoiled by ugly scenes of fan violence at the end of the game, while Southampton heaped more misery on struggling Sunderland with a 1-0 victory. Recent results and the gathering pressure on both Mourinho and Guardiola ensured the clash at Old Trafford had all the usual spice of a derby encounter even if City made nine changes to their side against a virtually full-strength United team. City should have gone ahead after two minutes, but Kelechi Iheanacho darted in front of his marker to direct his header hopelessly off target from close range. United offered little attacking threat, but gained control of possession as the match wore on and were the more dangerous side for most of the encounter. It took until the start of the second half, however, for them to create a meaningful chance when Paul Pogba's low shot was turned onto the post by Caballero, sparking an onslaught from the home side that ended with Mata's opener on 54 minutes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic shrugged off a challenge then played the ball back towards Ander Herrera, who went down dramatically in the box but Mata was following up to powerfully steer the ball home. Derby Knockout Then it was just a case of holding on, which they did comfortably, as Mourinho recorded his fourth victory over Guardiola in a rivalry spanning 18 matches. The greater satisfaction for the Portuguese, however, seemed to be erasing some of the negativity of Sunday's thrashing by his former club Chelsea. "The fans felt deeply such a negative result and today was a good chance to clear that feeling because a derby knockout and to win gives everyone a better feeling," he said. West Ham's woeful start to the season is turning round and the revival continued in the first derby at their new London Stadium home. Tight security arrangements, including a ban on the sale of alcohol in the vicinity of the Olympic Park, was intended to prevent flashpoints off the pitch, but there were still ugly scenes towards the end as rival fans clashed behind the goal with several seats being ripped out. On the pitch, a vibrant West Ham proved too strong for a Chelsea side much-changed from their weekend trouncing of Manchester United. Cheikhou Kouyate put the Hammers on their way to a third consecutive win with a thumping header from skipper Mark Noble’s driven cross after 11 minutes and Edimilson Fernandes beat Asmir Begovic with a low shot three minutes after the restart. Gary Cahill did grab a Chelsea consolation in stoppage time but by that time all eyes were on stewards trying to keep rival fans apart. Southampton's record signing Sofiane Boufal scored from long range in the second half in their 1-0 victory over Sunderland, a fourth defeat in five games for Sunderland manager David Moyes. (Reuters)

Football: ManU beat holders Man City 1-0, reach League Cup quarter-final

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said he is still learning to adapt to the demands of English football as he seeks to end his club&#39;s five-game winless run against rivals Manchester United in the League Cup on Wednesday.

City made a blistering start to the campaign, winning their first 10 games in all competitions, but momentum has been stalled in recent weeks, and Sunday&#39;s 1-1 draw against Southampton marked the fifth consecutive game without a victory.

Guardiola&#39;s side are also trailing Barcelona by five points in their Champions League group after three games.

&quot;Our last few games have been tough,&quot; Guardiola told British media. &quot;If you are winning a game 3-0 in the last 15 or 20 minutes you can have more control and it gets a little easier.

&quot;But we were playing 10 against 11 against Barcelona, it&#39;s physical and tough in the Champions League.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;After that, there was the game against Southampton, when we made a mistake to go behind. Three days after Manchester United it is West Brom, then Barcelona and they are so important as well,&quot; he said.

&quot;I am still learning about football in this country.&quot;

Guardiola has told his players not to lose faith in his high-risk, high-reward style of football, but has said he needs time to assess his side.

&quot;Even when we were winning 10 games in a row I felt we had to make a lot of effort to win those games. You cannot win any game here without spending a lot of energy,&quot; he added.

&quot;I am still learning how the team reacts to winning and not winning, to playing at home after a Champions League game, and I am pretty sure I need time.&quot;

City, still top of the league on goal difference ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool, travel to face West Bromwich Albion in the league on Saturday.

(Reuters)

Sunday's 1-1 draw against Southampton marked Manchester City's fifth consecutive game without a victory

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said he is still learning to adapt to the demands of English football as he seeks to end his club's five-game winless run against rivals Manchester United in the League Cup on Wednesday. City made a blistering start to the campaign, winning their first 10 games in all competitions, but momentum has been stalled in recent weeks, and Sunday's 1-1 draw against Southampton marked the fifth consecutive game without a victory. Guardiola's side are also trailing Barcelona by five points in their Champions League group after three games. "Our last few games have been tough," Guardiola told British media. "If you are winning a game 3-0 in the last 15 or 20 minutes you can have more control and it gets a little easier. "But we were playing 10 against 11 against Barcelona, it's physical and tough in the Champions League." "After that, there was the game against Southampton, when we made a mistake to go behind. Three days after Manchester United it is West Brom, then Barcelona and they are so important as well," he said. "I am still learning about football in this country." Guardiola has told his players not to lose faith in his high-risk, high-reward style of football, but has said he needs time to assess his side. "Even when we were winning 10 games in a row I felt we had to make a lot of effort to win those games. You cannot win any game here without spending a lot of energy," he added. "I am still learning how the team reacts to winning and not winning, to playing at home after a Champions League game, and I am pretty sure I need time." City, still top of the league on goal difference ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool, travel to face West Bromwich Albion in the league on Saturday. (Reuters)

Need time to acclimatise to English football: Pep Guardiola

Barcelona battled back from a goal down and scored twice in the second half to beat hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in their Champions League Group C match on Wednesday despite the absence of the injured Lionel Messi.

Second-half goals from substitute Arda Turan and Gerard Pique gave the Spaniards their second win in two group matches to top the standings, after their opening 7-0 demolition of Celtic.

The hard-working Germans had taken a surprising lead, scoring against the run of play, with Thorgan Hazard slotting in to complete a quick break in the 34th minute.

Barcelona, who had Argentine Messi missing with a groin injury, dominated the game but were made to work hard for their second group win that put them on six points.

The hosts, who managed just one shot on target but gave the Spaniards a run for their money, have zero, having lost both matches so far and ended an 11-match winning streak at home in all competitions.

Manchester City drew with Celtic 3-3 in the other group game to stay second on four points.

Barca coach Luis Enrique started with Andres Iniesta, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic, all of whom were rested in the 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon at the weekend.

Despite the absence of Messi, replaced by youngster Paco Alcacer, it was the Spaniards who stamped their authority on the game early on and carved out the first chance with Neymar&#39;s shot from inside the box saved by keeper Yann Sommer after seven minutes.

Luis Suarez should have put them ahead three minutes later when he pounced on a defensive error but he saw his powerful left-footed shot sail narrowly wide.

The Uruguayan was also the recipient of a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Neymar but instead of rifling the ball home he tried a cutback to Alcacer that was cleared.

Gladbach gradually grew in confidence but struggled to get past a Spanish wall when they tried to venture forward.

They scored when forward Raffael, back from injury, gained possession in midfield and launched a quick break with Hazard tapping in from a Mahmoud Dahoud pass.

The Brazilian&#39;s injury in the 48th minute and his substitution took out most of the Gladbach pace.

The introduction of Turan on the hour brought instant results for the Spaniards, with the Turk picking up a Neymar assist in the 65th and drilling the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Pique then pounced on a weak clearance by Sommer from a Suarez shot to tap in from close range and hand Barcelona a hard-fought victory.

(Reuters)

Manchester City drew with Celtic 3-3 in the other group game to stay second on four points

Barcelona battled back from a goal down and scored twice in the second half to beat hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in their Champions League Group C match on Wednesday despite the absence of the injured Lionel Messi. Second-half goals from substitute Arda Turan and Gerard Pique gave the Spaniards their second win in two group matches to top the standings, after their opening 7-0 demolition of Celtic. The hard-working Germans had taken a surprising lead, scoring against the run of play, with Thorgan Hazard slotting in to complete a quick break in the 34th minute. Barcelona, who had Argentine Messi missing with a groin injury, dominated the game but were made to work hard for their second group win that put them on six points. The hosts, who managed just one shot on target but gave the Spaniards a run for their money, have zero, having lost both matches so far and ended an 11-match winning streak at home in all competitions. Manchester City drew with Celtic 3-3 in the other group game to stay second on four points. Barca coach Luis Enrique started with Andres Iniesta, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic, all of whom were rested in the 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon at the weekend. Despite the absence of Messi, replaced by youngster Paco Alcacer, it was the Spaniards who stamped their authority on the game early on and carved out the first chance with Neymar's shot from inside the box saved by keeper Yann Sommer after seven minutes. Luis Suarez should have put them ahead three minutes later when he pounced on a defensive error but he saw his powerful left-footed shot sail narrowly wide. The Uruguayan was also the recipient of a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Neymar but instead of rifling the ball home he tried a cutback to Alcacer that was cleared. Gladbach gradually grew in confidence but struggled to get past a Spanish wall when they tried to venture forward. They scored when forward Raffael, back from injury, gained possession in midfield and launched a quick break with Hazard tapping in from a Mahmoud Dahoud pass. The Brazilian's injury in the 48th minute and his substitution took out most of the Gladbach pace. The introduction of Turan on the hour brought instant results for the Spaniards, with the Turk picking up a Neymar assist in the 65th and drilling the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle. Pique then pounced on a weak clearance by Sommer from a Suarez shot to tap in from close range and hand Barcelona a hard-fought victory. (Reuters)

Champions League: Barcelona beat Gladbach 2-1

Ivory Coast&#39;s Yaya Toure has announced his decision to retire from international football on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;Writing this note was probably &#39;the most difficult match of my life&#39;,&quot; read a statement by him. 
 
&quot;After 14 years at the highest level, I`m sure this is the right time for me! The fact that I am 33 now, the intensity of training and the multitude of games are not the reasons why I am making this decision,&quot; Toure wrote. 
 
&quot;Football is everything to me and it gave me so much in my career that I no longer feel able to set myself new goals as a player with the Elephants of Ivory Coast.&quot; 
 
Captain of his national team, Toure made his debut in 2004. He has since then made 113 appearances for Ivory Coast. He captained his country to an Africa Cup of Nations win in 2015. The versatile African also helped his country finish runner-up in 2006 and 2012 editions of Africa Cup of Nations.&nbsp; 
 
The current Manchester City midfielder has been facing a tough time to get into Pep Guardiola&#39;s starting XI. 
 
Speaking some time after Toure announced his retirement, Guardiola said he could play for City only after he apologised to the team for comments made by his agent. 
 
Toure&#39;s manager Dimitri Seluk had said Guardiola should &quot;apologise&quot; to Toure if his team failed to win the championship this season. 
 
(WION)

The Ivory Coast midfielder helped his country win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015

Ivory Coast's Yaya Toure has announced his decision to retire from international football on Tuesday. "Writing this note was probably 'the most difficult match of my life'," read a statement by him. "After 14 years at the highest level, I`m sure this is the right time for me! The fact that I am 33 now, the intensity of training and the multitude of games are not the reasons why I am making this decision," Toure wrote. "Football is everything to me and it gave me so much in my career that I no longer feel able to set myself new goals as a player with the Elephants of Ivory Coast." Captain of his national team, Toure made his debut in 2004. He has since then made 113 appearances for Ivory Coast. He captained his country to an Africa Cup of Nations win in 2015. The versatile African also helped his country finish runner-up in 2006 and 2012 editions of Africa Cup of Nations. The current Manchester City midfielder has been facing a tough time to get into Pep Guardiola's starting XI. Speaking some time after Toure announced his retirement, Guardiola said he could play for City only after he apologised to the team for comments made by his agent. Toure's manager Dimitri Seluk had said Guardiola should "apologise" to Toure if his team failed to win the championship this season. (WION)

Yaya Toure announces retirement from international football

Germany winger Leroy Sane has signed a five-year deal for Manchester City, both the Premier League side and his now former Bundesliga club Schalke 04 confirmed Tuesday. 
 
City tweeted a picture of the 20-year-old Sane signing a contract, which is reportedly worth $37 million plus add-ons, after he completed the medical examination in Manchester on Monday. 
 
&quot;One of the reasons I decided to join City was Pep Guardiola; he convinced me to come here and that I can continue to progress,&quot; said Sane on the Man City website. 
 
&quot;I know I will learn a lot under him and now I can take the next step in my career.&quot; If the figure is confirmed, it will make Sane the most expensive German signing of all time. &quot;We have given the green light for the transfer.&nbsp;Those in charge of Manchester City behaved professionally at all times. There were difficult, but fair discussions,&quot; said Schalke&#39;s director of sport Christian Heidel. 
 
Sane is a rising star in the Germany squad and has already posed for pictures with City fans in Manchester. 
 
The reported transfer figure seems astronomical given that Sane has made just 47 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 11 goals and creating seven more, since his debut in Germany&#39;s top flight in April 2014. 
 
The fleet-footed forward made the last of his four international appearances for the world champions as a late replacement in last month&#39;s 2-0 defeat to hosts France in the Euro 2016 semi-finals. 
 
Sane, who scored eight goals in 33 Bundesliga games last season, was missing when Schalke flew to their pre-season training camp in Austria on Monday. 
 
(AFP)

The $37 million figure seems astronomical given that he has made just 47 Bundesliga appearances since his debut with Germany in 2014

Germany winger Leroy Sane has signed a five-year deal for Manchester City, both the Premier League side and his now former Bundesliga club Schalke 04 confirmed Tuesday. City tweeted a picture of the 20-year-old Sane signing a contract, which is reportedly worth $37 million plus add-ons, after he completed the medical examination in Manchester on Monday. "One of the reasons I decided to join City was Pep Guardiola; he convinced me to come here and that I can continue to progress," said Sane on the Man City website. "I know I will learn a lot under him and now I can take the next step in my career." If the figure is confirmed, it will make Sane the most expensive German signing of all time. "We have given the green light for the transfer. Those in charge of Manchester City behaved professionally at all times. There were difficult, but fair discussions," said Schalke's director of sport Christian Heidel. Sane is a rising star in the Germany squad and has already posed for pictures with City fans in Manchester. The reported transfer figure seems astronomical given that Sane has made just 47 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 11 goals and creating seven more, since his debut in Germany's top flight in April 2014. The fleet-footed forward made the last of his four international appearances for the world champions as a late replacement in last month's 2-0 defeat to hosts France in the Euro 2016 semi-finals. Sane, who scored eight goals in 33 Bundesliga games last season, was missing when Schalke flew to their pre-season training camp in Austria on Monday. (AFP)

Leroy Sane leaves Schalke to join Pep Guardiola's Manchester City

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. 
 
United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football&#39;s third and fourth tiers, was made today. 
 
But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. 
 
In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 &#39;category one&#39; academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one &#39;invited&#39; club. 
 
Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London&#39;s Wembley Stadium on April 2. 
 
(AFP)

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament was made

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football's third and fourth tiers, was made today. But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 'category one' academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one 'invited' club. Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London's Wembley Stadium on April 2. (AFP)

Premier League giants refuse English Football League Trophy invites

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. 
 
The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain&#39;s Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. 
 
New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I&#39;ve shown throughout my career at various clubs,&quot; Nolito told the club&#39;s website. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s just about trying to play my normal game and let&#39;s hope that I can help Manchester City to win games.&nbsp;I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he&#39;s going to help me progress as a player and I&#39;m sure he&rsquo;ll get the best out of me.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The 29-year-old played in all four games of the Euro 2016, and scored 39 goals in 103 appearances since 2013

Spain forward Nolito has joined Manchester City from Celta Vigo on a four-year contract, the Premier League side said today. The 29-year-old, who played all four games in Spain's Euro 2016 campaign, scored 39 goals in 103 appearances for Celta Vigo since joining the Spanish club in 2013, before spells at Granada, Benfica and Barcelona. New manager Pep Guardiola has already signed Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy from sister club Melbourne City and Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund. "I'll do everything that the manager asks of me, try my absolute best and do everything I can to try to repeat the form I've shown throughout my career at various clubs," Nolito told the club's website. "It's just about trying to play my normal game and let's hope that I can help Manchester City to win games. I think that Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. He knows a lot about the game and he's going to help me progress as a player and I'm sure he’ll get the best out of me." (Reuters)

Manchester City sign Spain's Nolito from Celta Vigo

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was relaxed about the possibility of losing star forward Sergio Aguero to suspension after television footage appeared to show him elbowing West Ham United&#39;s Winston Reid on Sunday. 
 
Aguero could face retrospective action by the Football Association, and suspension, if the incident in City&#39;s 3-1 Premier League win is judged to have been deliberate.&nbsp; 
 
That would rule him out of City&#39;s next game, the eagerly-awaited derby away to Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 10. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t see it,&quot; said Guardiola of the incident at Eastlands following a win that left City top of the table on goal difference.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am new here so I don&#39;t know how it works,&quot; the Spaniard added. &quot;I didn&#39;t see so I cannot comment. Hopefully nothing happens. If it happens, we accept and adapt. If we lose him, we lose him. We are going to play with 11.&quot; 
 
Two goals from Raheem Sterling and one from Fernandinho clinched a fifth win in as many league and cup games under Guardiola&#39;s management, although a header from Michail Antonio -- called up into the England squad for the first time later Sunday -- brought West Ham back to 2-1 and provided City with some anxious moments. 
 
However, for all the changes former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola has made at his new club in fewer than two months, the form of Sterling has been most startling after a difficult debut season with the club and a terrible European Championship campaign with England in France. 
 
&quot;What have I done to him? Nothing,&quot; insisted Guardiola. &quot;I have tried to do the best for all the players.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Raz (Sterling) has scored two goals, was good but the games before was more brilliant than today (Sunday). &quot; 
 
&quot;Today in the first half he scored a goal but didn&#39;t win too many defensive duels. Second half he was better, but of course we are so pleased.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;He can play right, left centre. He is so dynamic. I am so happy he is playing good. 
 
&quot;Raz is quality. We try to help him to say, &#39;if you stay in that position, you receive the ball quicker&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;After when he receives the ball, it is completely his talent. Manchester City bought this player because they believe.&quot; 
 
Nasri chance&nbsp; 
The game also offered a rare chance for Samir Nasri, who appeared to be surplus to requirements under City&#39;s new management, to come on as a substitute and make an impact against West Ham. 
 
&quot;Yeah, it depends on the player but he can play,&quot; said Guardiola when asked if the Frenchman still had a future at the club.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Samir arrived overweight but after one week, 10 days, it was fantastic how he trained, how he competed. His quality is on another level but it depends on him. If you want to help us, want to stay, want to be part of something, it depends on him, not me.&quot; 
 
Should City be without Aguero for the derby game, there is considerable consolation in the fact that they will have three big pre-season signings -- Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo -- available for selection in their first meeting of the season with Jose Mourinho&#39;s club. 
 
&quot;Of course we can do better,&quot; said Guardiola. &quot;No doubt about that. But we are just one and a half, two months here.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We created many chances so we deserved to win clearly with more goals. The performance is good. We need Ilkay and Sane and all the guys because the guys who play today cannot play every three days.&quot; 
 
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic had no complaints about Aguero&#39;s alleged elbow on Reid, saying he did not see the incident, and with so many injured players unavailable at Eastlands, took some consolation from the performance. 
 
&quot;With so many players we are missing, you have to praise the team,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Especially in the second half. We can&#39;t play much better than that when you&#39;re missing six, seven, eight top players and you&#39;re playing against them (City).&quot; 
 
(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero might face suspension after a TV footage showed him elbowing West Ham's Winston Reid

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was relaxed about the possibility of losing star forward Sergio Aguero to suspension after television footage appeared to show him elbowing West Ham United's Winston Reid on Sunday. Aguero could face retrospective action by the Football Association, and suspension, if the incident in City's 3-1 Premier League win is judged to have been deliberate. That would rule him out of City's next game, the eagerly-awaited derby away to Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 10. "I didn't see it," said Guardiola of the incident at Eastlands following a win that left City top of the table on goal difference. "I am new here so I don't know how it works," the Spaniard added. "I didn't see so I cannot comment. Hopefully nothing happens. If it happens, we accept and adapt. If we lose him, we lose him. We are going to play with 11." Two goals from Raheem Sterling and one from Fernandinho clinched a fifth win in as many league and cup games under Guardiola's management, although a header from Michail Antonio -- called up into the England squad for the first time later Sunday -- brought West Ham back to 2-1 and provided City with some anxious moments. However, for all the changes former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola has made at his new club in fewer than two months, the form of Sterling has been most startling after a difficult debut season with the club and a terrible European Championship campaign with England in France. "What have I done to him? Nothing," insisted Guardiola. "I have tried to do the best for all the players. "Raz (Sterling) has scored two goals, was good but the games before was more brilliant than today (Sunday). " "Today in the first half he scored a goal but didn't win too many defensive duels. Second half he was better, but of course we are so pleased. "He can play right, left centre. He is so dynamic. I am so happy he is playing good. "Raz is quality. We try to help him to say, 'if you stay in that position, you receive the ball quicker'. "After when he receives the ball, it is completely his talent. Manchester City bought this player because they believe." Nasri chance The game also offered a rare chance for Samir Nasri, who appeared to be surplus to requirements under City's new management, to come on as a substitute and make an impact against West Ham. "Yeah, it depends on the player but he can play," said Guardiola when asked if the Frenchman still had a future at the club. "Samir arrived overweight but after one week, 10 days, it was fantastic how he trained, how he competed. His quality is on another level but it depends on him. If you want to help us, want to stay, want to be part of something, it depends on him, not me." Should City be without Aguero for the derby game, there is considerable consolation in the fact that they will have three big pre-season signings -- Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo -- available for selection in their first meeting of the season with Jose Mourinho's club. "Of course we can do better," said Guardiola. "No doubt about that. But we are just one and a half, two months here. "We created many chances so we deserved to win clearly with more goals. The performance is good. We need Ilkay and Sane and all the guys because the guys who play today cannot play every three days." West Ham manager Slaven Bilic had no complaints about Aguero's alleged elbow on Reid, saying he did not see the incident, and with so many injured players unavailable at Eastlands, took some consolation from the performance. "With so many players we are missing, you have to praise the team," he said. "Especially in the second half. We can't play much better than that when you're missing six, seven, eight top players and you're playing against them (City)." (AFP)

Guardiola ready to take on Manchester United without Aguero

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