Carabao Cup
PEP GUARDIOLA SUPPORTS KLOPP OVER FIXTURE CONGESTION
Pep Guardiola said on Friday that he agrees with title rival Jurgen Klopp about the hectic schedule the Premier League’s top teams have to face ahead of his side’s clash with Southampton.
Klopp criticised as “too much” the number of matches his side has to play as he struggles to find a solution to a fixture pile-up that sees their League Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa clash with December’s Club World Cup in Qatar.
Guardiola would benefit from Liverpool – who have already played 17 matches across five competitions – being over-worked as they slug it out for the Premier League crown, but the Manchester City boss also thinks the load needs to be lightened.
“I completely agree with Jurgen. The only way we can solve this is less games,” Guardiola told reporters before his team host the struggling Saints for the second time in a week.
“There needs to be less fixtures, less competitions and more recovery. At Christmas time, we play 27th and 29th December.
“We always have this debate. They always talk about it in Uefa meetings. I’m with Jurgen when he makes these kinds of statements about too much football.”
City have played 118 matches over the last two seasons, winning five domestic trophies in England, and Guardiola admitted that frequent line-up changes and prioritising certain matches is the only way to go.
“I prioritised by not playing Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva in the Carabao Cup,” he said.
“I think that Jurgen and Arsenal have done the same. The exception was Manchester United with the situation they have.
“For others, that competition is good to rotate the team and for those other players who don’t play too often. But yes, there is too much football.”
XHAKA SUPPORT
Ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match at home to Southampton, Guardiola also offered his support to Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka.
The Switzerland midfielder will not play for his club against Wolverhampton Wanderers after he reacted angrily to being booed when substituted in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.
Xhaka has apologised but he admitted to being upset about the level of personal abuse he has received on social media, leading to his public show of anger.
And Guardiola is sympathetic to how the player has been treated.
“It’s not easy for the players sometimes and I can understand Xhaka,” he said.
“Maybe I’m not the best guy to say this because sometimes I lose my emotion and cannot control myself, but you have to try because at the end of the day it’s just a game, so have fun and try to do your best.
“I’m pretty sure Xhaka gives absolutely everything to do his best for Arsenal and their teammates to get them winning games.
“He’s the captain because he has something special in the locker room. It has happened, sometimes you lose control.
“Hopefully, in the future, the fans can forgive him and Xhaka can come back and show what an incredible player he is.”
-AFP
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants defender Marc Guehi to be allowed to play in their League Cup final against Arsenal, saying the club will ask organisers to reconsider eligibility rules.
City booked their place at Wembley with a 3-1 home win over Newcastle United in Wednesday’s semi-final second leg, completing a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Competition rules make Guehi ineligible for the final because he featured earlier in the tournament for Crystal Palace, and joined City after the first leg of the semi-final.
“Why should he (Guehi) not play? Why not? We pay his salary, he is our player,” Guardiola told reporters.
“You buy a player for a lot of money and he is not able to play, for a rule I don’t understand. Hopefully they can change it.
“I told the club we must ask – hopefully we can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc can play the final.”
The League Cup final between City and Arsenal is scheduled for March 22.
-Reuters
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Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said reaching Wembley for the first time since 2020 – thanks to a 4-2 aggregate League Cup semi-final win over Chelsea – would give his players a boost for a hectic season run-in.
“It’s the best vitamins we can put in our bodies because we are playing every three days,” Arteta told reporters after Arsenal beat their London rivals 1-0 on Tuesday to seal their place in the final of England’s second domestic cup competition.
The Spaniard said the prospect of a return to Wembley for the first time since he guided his team to victory in the FA Cup final – also against Chelsea – six years ago was magical, before adding: “Now we are going to have to go and win it.”
Arsenal had failed to make it through their previous four major cup semi-finals – two in the League Cup and another two in Europe – before overcoming Chelsea on Tuesday.
With the visitors desperately seeking the goal they needed to level the tie on aggregate, former Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz ran clear to score in the final moments of the semi-final second leg
The German has missed much of this season through injury and Arteta hailed his return to form.
“Today was a special moment for him and I hope that he fully enjoys it,” he said.
The Premier League leaders – who are also competing in the FA Cup and the Champions League – will face either Manchester City or Newcastle United who play their semi-final second leg on Wednesday with City 2-0 ahead from the first leg.
Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior said his players’ disciplined performance showed how much the team had developed since the chaotic 3-2 home loss to Arsenal in last month’s first leg, which was only his second match in charge after replacing Enzo Maresca.
“Ultimately their goal comes when we’re throwing the kitchen sink at the game. That’s going to happen,” Rosenior said. “We can’t let this setback affect our future. There were aspects of our game that I am very happy with.”
He said winger Pedro Neto and club captain Reece James had not made the squad on Tuesday after picking up “small knocks” and he praised 18-year-old Brazil winger Estevao who made a 48-hour round trip to Brazil for compassionate reasons but was back in London to come off the bench for Chelsea in the second half.
-Reuters
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Omar Marmoush scored twice as Manchester City set up a League Cup final date with Arsenal after a comprehensive 3-1 second-leg victory over visiting Newcastle United secured a 5-1 aggregate win in their semi-final on Wednesday.
The home side were ruthless in the first half as Tijjani Reijnders also got on the scoresheet and now face Arsenal at Wembley on March 22 in a battle between City manager Pep Guardiola and his protege Mikel Arteta.
“We showed a very good mentality,” Marmoush told Sky Sports. “We were together as a team, from the first minute, we were very focused on the job. We showed our mentality and passion, and are very happy to reach the final.
“We are here to win trophies. We give our best every day to reach these finals and win silverware. Hopefully, we can do it for all the new players and also the players that were here.”
Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, the last thing Newcastle needed was to concede early at the Etihad Stadium, but Marmoush’s shot deflected off defender Dan Burn and into the net inside six minutes.
The Egypt international added a second on the night with a close-range header from Antoine Semenyo’s cross. Marmoush has now scored 12 goals for City and five have come against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium.
A rampant City scored a third before halftime and Semenyo was involved again as he created the chance for Reijnders to finish.
Newcastle pulled a goal back just past the hour mark when substitute Anthony Elanga showed quick feet to work a shooting chance and curled his effort past James Trafford in the home goal.
Elanga missed two superb chances to reduce the deficit further, one scarcely believable from right in front of the goal, while Erling Haaland brushed the post at the other end.
City won four League Cup titles in a row between 2018 and 2021 and have eight in all; only Liverpool (10) have won it more.
Arsenal have not lifted the trophy in 33 years and have two previous wins.
-Reuters
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