FA Cup
Guardiola says United a better team than the one City hammered months ago
Manchester City face a far different Manchester United than the one they thrashed 6-3 in October, said manager Pep Guardiola, adding his side have to be at their best in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Guardiola’s City face Erik ten Hag’s United in not just an historic first FA Cup final between the Manchester rivals, but the second of three boxes City need to tick in their quest for the treble.
“What Manchester (United) are doing in the last five or six months, they’re a completely different team to what we faced at the beginning of the season,” Guardiola told a press conference on Friday.
“Finals are all about how you will be in the 90 minutes, in that moment,” he added. “It’s not what you have done in the past or how good you are. It’s one game, so we have to be our best to beat them.”
City, who were all but unbeatable in the final weeks of the Premier League season to win their third consecutive title, take on Inter Milan in the Champions League final – the one trophy City have yet to claim – on June 10 in Istanbul.
Guardiola said his team are fit and healthy for Saturday’s clash at Wembley. Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish “trained well” in the last two sessions, he said, and Stefan Ortega will keep his place in goal after starting throughout City’s FA Cup campaign.
City are on a quest for a treble only achieved by one other English club – Manchester United in 1999 – and Ten Hag’s team would love nothing better than spoiling City’s dream.
Guardiola had kind words for the Dutch manager’s impressive work, guiding Man United to the League Cup in February and a third-place finish in the Premier League in his debut season.
“I cannot say we are friends… but he represents our profession as a manager in the best way possible. I think Man United has an exceptional manager for many years,” the Spaniard said.
With numerous games being decided by a penalty shootout this season, including Sevilla’s win over AS Roma in the Europa League final on Wednesday, City are prepared for Saturday’s game to be decided that way.
“The most important skill is the mentality,” Guardiola said.
City are seeking a seventh FA Cup while United are in the hunt for their 13th.
-Reuters
Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick as Manchester City crushed Liverpool 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday to cruise into the FA Cup semi-finals.
Champions Liverpool played well in the opening half-hour with Mohamed Salah wasting an early chance, but once Haaland had scored from the spot in the 37th minute after a foul on Nico O’Reilly, their resistance crumbled.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk conceded the penalty with a rash challenge, and there was little the Dutch defender could do as City played scintillating attacking football for the remainder of the game.
His blond hair swinging behind him in a ponytail, Haaland netted his second two minutes into first-half stoppage time with a well-placed header from an excellent Antoine Semenyo cross.
Semenyo got on the scoresheet himself five minutes after the break, latching on to a ball in behind from Rayan Cherki and chipping it beautifully past Giorgi Mamardashvili, and Haaland completed his treble with a shot off the underside of the crossbar in the 57th minute.
Liverpool’s woes continued when Mohamed Salah, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season, capped off a poor performance by having his penalty saved by James Trafford, snuffing out any faint hopes Liverpool might have had of a comeback
As the game turned into a victory parade, many Liverpool fans started heading for the exits, and City manager Pep Guardiola rang the changes, replacing Haaland with Omar Marmoush, the Norwegian striker receiving a standing ovation as he left the field.
In the other quarter-finals, Chelsea take on Port Vale and Southampton host Arsenal later on Saturday, with Leeds United travelling to West Ham United on Sunday.
The semi-finals will take place at Wembley, and Haaland is relishing a return to the stadium.
“First half, we struggled a bit, but then we after around 30 minutes we kept going and in the end it’s an amazing game. Another Wembley trip for us is amazing and important,” he told broadcaster TNT.
“I think (my form this season) has been a bit too much up and down, which is not good enough. I cannot keep on thinking about what I could have done differently or what didn’t happen, or what happened. I have to think about the next game.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Arsenal will be without injured England attacker Noni Madueke when they face Southampton in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final, but Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber may return from injury, manager Mikel Arteta said.
Madueke was among the 11 Arsenal players who withdrew from international duty last month over injuries and fitness management, as the club eye their first Premier League title since 2004.
“When you have to communicate the state of every player, we are always honest and a medical decision had to be made. That was clear what the conclusion was,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.
“It makes us so proud that we had that many players in the national team. Players are desperate to play for their nation. I know how important it is to them. We are fully supportive of that and when we can do it, we do it.”
Madueke picked up a knee injury during England’s friendly with Uruguay, missing the game against Japan. But Arteta said his condition was not as bad as a knee injury that kept him out for six weeks.
Martin Zubimendi, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Timber, Leandro Trossard, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were unavailable for their countries.
Arteta did not disclose how many of them will be available for Saturday’s game, as Arsenal look to shake off last month’s League Cup final loss to Manchester City with a return to Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals.
“We’re in a position right now where we need to make the strongest line-up we possibly can to win every competition,” he said. ” We are two or three games away from the FA Cup and we know how important that competition is for us.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Manchester City will look to secure a historic eighth straight semi-final appearance in the FA Cup when they face Liverpool on Saturday, manager Pep Guardiola said.
City beat Arsenal to win the League Cup before the international break, and Guardiola is hoping his team maintain the momentum as they fight to add the FA Cup and Premier League to this season’s trophy haul.
“Once you finish one, it is the next one,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
“Tomorrow we have the chance to reach an incredible milestone, to make eight semi-finals in a row. It’s never happened… it is a prestigious competition, and one of the toughest, special opponents for all of us, Liverpool.”
City have dominated English football with six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups since Guardiola joined in 2016, but Liverpool have been a constant thorn in his side throughout his coaching career.
As a coach, Guardiola has only nine victories and seven draws in 26 matches against Liverpool, his worst win rate against a Premier League club.
City have beaten Liverpool twice in the Premier League this season, but had to dig deep for a late comeback when they won 2-1 at Anfield in February.
“So many times they have been the rival, the biggest, biggest one… top contender, top class players, all of them. Hopefully we have to perform in the level we did against Arsenal to reach the next step,” Guardiola said.
The manager also praised Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who has announced his departure in the summer.
“Absolutely. One of the greatest. The numbers, the consistency. What a player… absolute legend, of course for Liverpool, but (also) for the Premier League,” Guardiola said.
Guardiola, however, avoided commenting on his own midfielder Rodri, who said he was open to a move to Real Madrid when his contract with City runs out at the end of this season.
“No clue, no opinion… because I know the intention of the club, I know the intention, I think, of him, but I don’t know,” Guardiola said.’
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Thai Golfer Named After FIFA, Fifa Laopakdee Set for Masters Debut in FIFA World Cup Year
‘Fans More Friends’- Heineken Takes UEFA Champions League Fever Nationwide with Multi-City Fan Experience
AFCON Final Under Cloud as Morocco–Senegal Dispute Deepens
- World Cup7 days ago
Infantino promises FIFA backing for Iran to play at World Cup
- AFCON1 week ago
AFCON to Expand to 28 Teams as CAF Unveils New Competition Calendar
- AFCON1 week ago
CAF May Sanction Senegal Over AFCON Trophy Parade
- Governing Bodies1 week ago
BREAKING! Nigeria’s Samson Adamu Appointed Acting CAF General Secretary
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
NFF to inaugurate electoral committees ahead of September elections
- Governing Bodies3 days ago
The Building of Another Sports Dynasty: From Fahmy to Adamu
- Table Tennis1 week ago
Aruna Faces Tough Draw as Africa Targets Glory at ITTF World Cup in Macao
- Boxing2 days ago
Wilder edges retiring Chisora in chaotic heavyweight boxing fight