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Arsenal rounded off their pre-season preparations with a comfortable 2-0 win over Lyon at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

It wasn't the same rip-roaring performance as we saw from the Gunners in their 4-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen a few days ago but there were still plenty of positives for Mikel Arteta to take forward.

The biggest plus point was set pieces. When aren't they? The north Londoners were excellent from corners in 2023/24 and showed they should score plenty more from those scenarios this weekend.

Two Declan Rice corners, headed home by William Saliba and Gabriel won the game for Arteta's side who now just have six days to wait before taking on Wolves in their first Premier League clash of the new campaign.

Another positive was Riccardo Calafiori's first minutes in the red and white of Arsenal, introduced as a second-half substitute for Oleksandr Zinchenko.

So, will the Italian start the opening match of the new season? Given his lack of game time, it seems unlikely. That said, he's not the only one who should probably be expecting to be sat on the bench.

Riccardo Calafiori's cameo vs Lyon

Last week it was announced that Zinchenko was swapping his shirt number to 17. It's not a landmark moment but since then the Ukranian has been brilliant, starring now against both Leverkusen and Lyon.

The left-back cooly found the back of the net in midweek, sliding the ball home from the edge of the area after being teed up by Kai Havertz.

Zinchenko also looked in good order on Sunday, notably winning three of his four duels, completing 90% of his passes and supplying four key passes. Not a bad day at the office indeed.

The former Manchester City man will no doubt have been sweating over his future with the arrival of Calafiori and Jurrien Timber's return from injury but he now looks set to start on the opening weekend against Wolves.

Calafiori will have to bide his time instead. The Italian showed a few neat touches, including one tidy driving run forward in the centre of the pitch.

A centre-back by trade, the former Bologna man will likely play most of his football at left-back and that's where he played on this occasion.

Interestingly enough, it does appear as though it's the entirety of the left-hand side that is up for debate. Will Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard start?

Martinelli's performance in numbers vs Lyon

Since the beginning of last season, Martinelli hasn't particularly been at the races. The Brazilian was in superb order during the 2022/23 campaign, scoring 15 Premier League goals in 36 games.

Yet, in 2023/24, his form took a turn for the worse, scoring just six times in the league. One of the main reasons for that was undoubtedly the rivalry he had with Trossard. The Belgian was a man possessed at points last season and ended the term with 17 strikes to his name, only three fewer than top scorer Bukayo Saka.

So, when Trossard scored a delightful goal against Leverkusen a few days ago, it looked like an uphill battle for Martinelli to start on the opening weekend of the new league season.

That was then confirmed when the Brazilian struggled against Lyon this weekend.

Martinelli was positive in his play, looking to get in behind on a regular basis but his first touch let him down and he struggled to get the ball out of his feet. That was notably the case in the first half. Martin Odegaard slipped a lovely ball in behind for Martinelli but he struggled to power beyond the defender and the chance came to nothing.

It's that lack of decisiveness that Trossard can trump him in and will likely lead to him being given the nod initially next week.

During his 78 minutes on the pitch, the no.11 made just 14 passes, two fewer than goalkeeper David Raya.

Touches

35

Accurate passes

14/19 (74%)

Key passes

4

Crosses

1/5

Long balls

1/1

Possession lost

14x

Shots

2

Dribbles

0/2

Duels won

2/7

Interceptions

1

Tackles

2

In giving away possession on 14 occasions, it meant he lost the ball every 2.5 touches. Yes, Martinelli is direct and a risk-taker but he must learn to keep control of the ball better. That was evidenced further by the fact that he failed with both of his two dribble attempts.

His performance was perhaps best summed up by Football.London's Kaya Kaynak who noted at full-time that the winger was 'still struggling to find his technical quality when running at high speed on a consistent basis.'

That will no doubt be a worry for Arteta and as a consequence, he should lean on Trossard for gameweek one of the Premier League.

Arsenal can reach new level by signing "unstoppable" £84m Martinelli rival

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 7, 2024

Ruben Amorim says his Manchester United team must improve "physically, technically and tactically" after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Ipswich.

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Manchester United draw in Amorim's first gameNew boss identifies areas for improvementEuropa League clash next for Red DevilsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United made the perfect start to life under Amorim by opening the scoring in under two minutes against Ipswich thanks to a Marcus Rashford goal. However, the Red Devils were pegged back by an impressive Omari Hutchinson strike and had to settle for a point at Portman Road in Amorim's first game since succeeding Erik ten Hag in the United hotseat.

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Amorim has only been at Old Trafford for a few weeks but is already aware of the scale of the task ahead of him in Manchester. Speaking after United's draw, the 39-year-old did not hold back in his analysis of the team and made it clear there is a lot of improvement needed in key areas if his players are to challenge for silverware.

WHAT AMORIM SAID

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It was a tough match. We started very well but then we should have had more of the ball, more spells of possession, and we gave the ball away too much. The second half we didn’t play very well but we controlled the game better. We created better than Ipswich but we have to find more time to work with the players because we can do much better. They are very good players, but we have to improve physically, technically and tactically, and we need time to do that. If you go to every top player who have had tough moments then it is normal [to forget how good they are]. When they feel fine with the new idea they will feel better for sure.”

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AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Amorim is only the second permanent manager in Premier League history to see his side score within the opening two minutes of his very first game in charge in the competition, after David Moyes with Everton in March 2002.

India batsman initially set to be available for three games but it could be extended

George Dobell06-Apr-2021Warwickshire are set to sign India batsman Hanuma Vihari as an overseas player after Pieter Malan, their original choice, ran into difficulties obtaining a visa.Vihari, an India Test regular, does not have an IPL deal and is expected to be available for at least three LV= Insurance County Championship games. The BCCI is understood to have agreed the deal in the hope that his experience in the county game will prove beneficial ahead of the World Test Championship final, which is scheduled to be played in Southampton in June, and India’s five-Test tour of England that follows.Warwickshire had originally signed Malan, the South Africa top-order player, for the entire season. But with South Africa currently categorised as a “red list” country by the UK government, he has been unable to obtain a visa at this stage. Even if he does, he will be obliged to spend time in quarantine before becoming available, meaning it is unlikely he will play before May. With that in mind, there seems every chance Vihari’s stay could be extended.Related

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While Warwickshire have not confirmed the approach to Vihari, an official at the BCCI did appear to do so.”Yes, Vihari will be playing for Warwickshire this season,” Press Trust of India quoted an unnamed BCCI official as saying. “He would play a few games. He is already in England now. He will play a minimum of three games. We are trying to figure out if there is a chance to play a few more. With a curtailed domestic season this time [in India] and Vihari being a part of the Test side, he needs match practice.”All his other Test colleagues are part of the IPL teams. Even if it’s white ball games, they will be fit and match-ready. But we need to ensure that Vihari also gets game time before the England tour. It’s not just one World Test Championship final but it’s followed by a full-fledged five-Test series. We need him ready.”While ESPNcricinfo understands Vihari is not yet in the UK – and will not, therefore, be available for Warwickshire’s opening game of the season against Derbyshire – it is understood the process between obtaining a visa and being available to play could be as little as six days. The process for Malan is understood to take around 17 days from the moment a visa is granted. Neither man has a visa at this stage.Other India players such as Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay and Axar Patel have all had spells in the county game in recent times, while Virat Kohli signed for Surrey in 2018 but was obliged to pull out due to injury. Shreyas Iyer has also signed to play for Lancashire in the 50-over competition, although his fitness is uncertain after requiring shoulder surgery.

Ruben Amorim says Amad Diallo wants to stay at Manchester United and he would like the winger to remain as talks over a new deal continue.

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Amad contract expires in 2026Talks over new Man Utd ongoingAmorim wants winger to stay putFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Amad swapped Atalanta for United in 2021 for a deal that could rise to £37.2 million ($47.1m) but the Ivorian has only really got a chance to shine in their first team in 2024. As his importance grows, the calls to tie the 22-year-old down to a new deal have increased, with the ex-Sunderland loanee's contract expiring in 2026 if a one-year extension trigger comes into effect. Now, new Red Devils head coach Amorim has made it clear he wants Amad to extend his stay at Old Trafford. The Portuguese also spoke about his importance to the team.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHA AMORIM SAID

When asked about a possible contract extension for Amad, Amorim told reporters: "I think he wants to stay and we want him to stay, so that is clear and we will find a solution."

"Yes [I think he can play in different positions]. I think it's one of the great advantages of Amad, for me. He’s very good playing in that position but also playing between the lines because he has good control and he seems faster with the ball than without the ball. So it's something that he has and he is capable of playing in both positions. And he can play in different systems. So in the in the future, we will play in a different system, maybe. So it's that kind of player that we need in team."

When asked about why he has been picked at wing-back of late, Amorim added: "Because of his left foot, it's sometimes in that position, the way he receives the ball, if you are right footed, sometimes you don't have the space to come inside. But we have, for example, [Noussair] Mazraoui and [Diogo] Dalot can go inside because they are fast and strong with the ball. But we chose Amad to have one against one outside. And that is very important to break some pressures and especially high pressures, and he has that ability. And then in that position, you need to to have good physicality. Good physicality is not the size, but he can run. And that is a key point in that position. So you try to choose players that you can put in that position and then the technical characteristics are perfect for him."

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Amad has scored three goals and bagged five assists in all competitions for United this season and is getting more and more regular first-team minutes. Some see him as a key part of the club's future, therefore, retaining him is, arguably, of the utmost importance.

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While contract talks with Amad and United will continue, the youngster will hope to inspire his team to victory in a crunch Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made a late enquiry to sign a new winger to replace Pedro Neto after the Portuguese ace completed a move to Chelsea last week, it has emerged.

Wolves get off to losing start

Gary O'Neil's side were handed a tough Premier League opening day assignment as they travelled to north London to take on last season's title challengers Arsenal, and the result largely went as expected.

The Gunners scored in each half to secure all three points courtesy of a 2-0 win, but it wasn't a game without encouragement for Wolves. Despite losing Neto to Chelsea just days before the new campaign kicked off, new striker Jorgen Strand Larsen was impressive and saw a headed effort brilliantly saved by David Raya, while Matheus Cunha will feel he should have done better when he fired straight at Arsenal's no.1.

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ByRoss Kilvington Aug 17, 2024

But it remains clear that more reinforcements are needed for the Old Gold this summer, with O'Neil sending a warning to those above him about just that when quizzed on potential additions.

“No real update on names linked, it’s a ruthless league and we have an opportunity to be really clever and get some stuff done, the next 2 weeks is big for us…you take £100m last summer, you take £100m this summer, you can’t stand still,” he explained.

One of the names linked has been Ajax forward Carlos Forbs, who is thought to be open to a potential move to Molineux. Now, the Old Gold have been linked with another winger who could provide some much-needed impetus to their frontline.

Wolves enquire for winger once compared to Lionel Messi

That comes with Wolves having reported made an enquiry over the possibility of signing Barcelona outcast Ansu Fati on loan for the upcoming campaign.

The Spaniard took Lionel Messi's no.10 shirt at the Camp Nou and was widely considered the heir to the Argentine's throne for the Blaugrana and was compared to the Argentine, only for injuries to derail his fledgling career.

Still just 21 years old, the Spaniard spent last season on loan in the Premier League with Brighton, making 27 appearances for Roberto De Zerbi's side but often used from the substitutes bench as he battled a thigh injury.

Ansu Fati's Premier League spell 2023-24

Appearances

19

Starts

3

Minutes played

511

Goals

2

Assists

0

Now back at Barcelona, he has been made surplus to requirements as the Catalan side look to offload his £230,000-per-week wages, and reports in Spain have revealed that O'Neil's side have lodged an enquiry to sign him on loan, though they face competition from the likes of Fenerbahce, Sevilla and Marseille.

Though a deal may seem far-fetched on the face of it, it is worth remembering that Fati is represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, who has a strong working relationship with Wolves and has sent no shortage of stars to Molineux since their promotion to the Premier League.

When fit, he is still a game-changer, with ex-Barcelona teammate Eric Garcia hailing him as a "magic" attacker back in 2022.

“Ansu is one of these players that are born with that talent and that magic", he explained. “Let’s hope that the injuries respect him, because in 20 minutes he’s demonstrated how he can help this team."

Still just 21, a loan move could help him flourish if he can overcome his injuries.

“The way Fakhar performed stood out obviously, but I think we should pay credit to the bowlers, too”

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-2021It might have hung in the balance for longer than was necessary, but that made Pakistan’s T20I series win in South Africa all the more pleasing for captain Babar Azam. When Mohammad Nawaz smacked a six to square leg with two balls to go, it sealed for Pakistan a rare double – ODI and T20I series wins in South Africa.”I’m very happy with how the team performed,” Azam said after the game. “It was a complete team effort rather than a one-man show. The way we started the one-day series was testament to that. The way Fakhar [Zaman] performed stood out obviously, but I think we should pay credit to the bowlers, too.”This might have been a batsman-friendly series, but overall, the bowlers did a decent job. The only thing missing was early wickets up top, but the way we kept coming back was outstanding, and you have to credit the bowlers for that. There are some mistakes that we need to rectify, but day by day when you keep working on your flaws, your results invariably improve.”The 3-1 scoreline may look commanding, but Azam admitted there was still work to do on certain aspects of Pakistan’s game. This looked like the most one-sided contest of the tour half an hour before the finish, with Pakistan having racked up 92 runs in the first nine overs for the loss of just one wicket, needing just 53 in the final eleven.What should have been a cakewalk, though, turned into a scrap once Zaman and Azam fell in quick succession. The next six wickets fell for 37 runs as Pakistan’s middle order crumpled in the face of pressure, and a game that should have been wrapped up long before time headed into the final few deliveries. Azam defended the middle order from criticism, though, saying quick wickets changed the game’s dynamics instantly.”We were disappointed when so many set batsmen got out, which put pressure on the middle order. Lots of wickets fell, and we just needed some partnerships, which unfortunately didn’t happen. Throughout, the match went well, the bowlers were in control, and we kept then under control in the powerplay and restricted them at the end to just 144.”We’ll get a lot of confidence. When you win a series against South Africa in South Africa, that gives you a boost. We’ll have to learn where we made mistakes and what we need to work on. We need to give everyone confidence. Not everyone performs, but what we need to do is capitalise on form. Now we have to go to Zimbabwe and then the [T20] World Cup, so the preparation is in full swing. We’re looking to get everything finalised by the World Cup.”Rassie van der Dussen plays a reverse sweep•AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan’s win in South Africa has no doubt bucked a historical trend, but it didn’t escape anyone’s notice that South Africa had to front up without most of their frontline options. Five players are currently in India with their IPL franchises, while the hosts were beset with injuries to a handful of others, with Temba Bavuma ruled out of the T20I leg and Rassie van der Dussen only fit for the final two games. Van der Dussen said the absences of so many had inevitably taken its toll.”Just in the series alone, you’ve seen four new caps,” van der Dussen said. “We’ve had our challenges from the outset, but we knew what we were up against. Obviously losing Temba to injury and the other absences has been challenging, but in the same breath, it allowed for guys to come in and show what they’re about.”I think if you take seven of the team’s best players out of any team in the world, they’ll probably be up against it. And the guys that came in were brilliant at stages, but we as a team just didn’t show the consistency that we needed. We probably just played one game – the second game – where we had a complete performance. And we were sort of close in other games, which is disappointing. Pakistan are settled and we know what they’re about, so this is a good challenge for our guys. And I think a few of the guys will go back and know what international cricket is about and it’ll be good for South African cricket in general.”

The squad hasn’t been named yet, but players have been asked to assemble in Mumbai on May 18

Shashank Kishore14-May-2021The India Women players are without central contracts from September 30, 2020 and aren’t sure if they will have signed new annual retainers by the time they board their flight to the UK on June 2 for a tour comprising one Test (their first in nearly seven years), three ODIs and three T20Is.A BCCI functionary told ESPNcricinfo that the matter was wholly being dealt by secretary Jay Shah’s office. *The squads were announced on Friday night, less than five days before the players are likely to assemble in Mumbai on May 18. ESPNcricinfo understands that the players will follow a two-week quarantine, like their male counterparts, before the entire contingent flies to the UK via a charter flight.The only cricket the women players have played since their runners-up finish at the T20 World Cup in March last year has been the four-match Women’s T20 Challenge in Sharjah in November and two limited-overs series at home against South Africa, which they lost, earlier this year. Those defeats led to scrutiny on WV Raman’s position as head coach, and on Thursday, he was replaced by Ramesh Powar.Related

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Mithali drops down to Grade B (Jan 2020)

After the tour of England, which ends on July 15, India are slated to tour Australia and New Zealand later in the year or early next year as part of their 2022 ODI World Cup preparation. Several Indian players are also set to feature in the Hundred in the UK and the WBBL in Australia between late July and late November.In April, the BCCI had announced new annual retainers for 28 male players across four categories (Grade A+: INR 7 crore, Grade A: INR 5 crore, Grade B: INR 3 crore, Grade C: INR 1 crore). As per their previous contracts, the women’s retainers, in comparison, were awarded across three categories: Grade A: 50 lakhs, Grade B: 30 lakhs and Grade C: 10 lakhs.In all, 22 women’s players were awarded annual retainers in 2020, with Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Poonam Yadav part of the highest bracket. Mithali Raj, the current ODI captain, was demoted to Grade B after retiring from T20Is.

Harry Kane is still waiting on a first piece of silverware, but the Bayern Munich and England star does have a “trophy cabinet” for hat-trick balls.

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All-time leading scorer for Spurs & Three LionsHas registered eight trebles for German giantsDetermined to break trophy duck in 2024-25Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Regular additions have been made to that haul down the years, with the 31-year-old striker making history as the all-time leading scorer for Tottenham and his country. During his time in the Premier League, Kane bagged eight trebles for Spurs – with only three players (Sergio Aguero, Alan Shearer and Robbie Fowler) registering more.

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Kane bagged four hat-tricks during his debut campaign at Bayern, and has already matched that return through just 19 appearances this season – with four goals recorded in a Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb back in September.

WHAT KANE SAID

Kane has now told supporters at a fan club meeting in Bavaria of what happens to his match balls, with his son putting that ever-growing collection to good use: “We store them at home, we have a trophy cabinet for them. But my son Louis plays with most of them in the house. If I don't bring a hat-trick ball home, he's disappointed.”

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For England, with 69 goals to his name in total, Kane has hit five hat-tricks – putting him level with Gary Lineker and one behind Jimmy Greaves. He has been nursing a knock of late, preventing him from turning out for Bayern, but should be back shortly as he looks to bring a barren run on the trophy front to a close.

After a long summer of international football, preseason friendlies and non-stop rumours, the transfer window finally comes to a close tomorrow night.

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a relatively successful window thus far, with youngsters like Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert giving fans a reason to be hopeful about the future and statement signings like Dominic Solanke giving them a reason to be excited about the here and now.

However, while the North Londoners might have put their feet up at this point in the past, content with the business they'd already completed, reports suggest Daniel Levy and Co could be set to make at least one more surprise signing.

In fact, the latest star touted for a move to N17 has won comparisons to an incredibly talented but rather disliked player among the Spurs faithful, Gabriel Magalhães.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from transfers expert Ben Jacobs on the Last Word on Spurs Podcast, Tottenham have been interested in Bayer Leverkusen star Jonathan Tah in the past.

Jacobs explains that the German defender was discussed at the club under former managing director Fabio Paratici and that while nothing has materialised for the player yet this summer, he could still move.

The good news is that the fee required to secure the player's services likely wouldn't be an issue for the North Londoners, as Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg confirmed yesterday that Leverkusen are looking for about €30m, which converts to about £25m.

However, according to plenty of reports, the bad news is that German behemoths Bayern Munich are also incredibly keen on the player, meaning it could take a lot of convincing from Ange Postecoglou and Co to get Tah to move to N17 before 11pm tomorrow.

That said, the 28-year-old is an incredibly gifted centre-back who is well worth fighting for, and the fact that he's been compared to Gabriel can only be a good thing, despite how the fans may feel about the Brazilian.

How Tah compares to Gabriel

Okay, so before we get into some of the reasons why Tah would be an excellent signing for Tottenham before the window closes, let's examine this comparison to Gabriel and where it comes from.

So, it primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one and, in this case, has concluded that the Brazilian is the seventh most similar centre-back to the German.

Now, there are obviously some aesthetic similarities between the pair due to them both being tall defenders known for their ability to bully smaller opponents. But to understand why FBref considers them to be so similar, you have to take a look at the underlying numbers in which they rack closely, such as progressive carries, shots and shots on target, short and medium passing accuracy, shot-creating actions, and aerial duels won, all per 90.

Progressive Carries

0.58

0.38

Shots

0.89

0.92

Shots on Target

0.34

0.30

Short Passing Accuracy

97.0%

95.0%

Medium Passing Accuracy

94.4%

93.0%

Shot-Creating Actions

0.65

0.68

Aerial Duels Won

2.12

2.28

However, while the comparison to a player who made it into the most recent PFA Team of the Season should certainly encourage Spurs that the Leverkusen ace is the right defender to go after, there is another reason he'd be an incredible signing: his experience.

Last season, the 6 foot 5 "battleship", as dubbed by former teammate Christoph Kramer, made 48 appearances for Die Werkself – 45 of which were starts – as they won their first-ever Bundesliga title and the DFB Pokal without losing a single domestic game all year. In fact, the only game they lost last season was the Europa League final.

Moreover, the Hamburg-born veteran has won 29 senior caps for the German national team, so he clearly has the ability and mentality to play at the very highest level, and while there is plenty of competition at centre-back in the Spurs squad, he'd help raise the floor massively.

Therefore, while it might be challenging to pull off so late in the window, Tottenham should act on their longstanding interest in Tah and bring him to North London before the clock strikes 11pm tomorrow.

Spurs target "sensational" £40m ace who'd help Maddison reach another level

The talented midfielder would be an astute signing.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 28, 2024

Pep Guardiola has explained why Manchester City allowed Morgan Rogers to leave after his starring role as Aston Villa beat the English champions.

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Rogers inspired Villa to win vs Man CityMidfielder left English champions in 2023Guardiola reveals reason for his departureFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rogers set up Jhon Duran with an excellent pass to give Villa an early lead against City before the midfielder struck midway through the second half as Unai Emery's men claimed a 2-1 win to leapfrog the reigning Premier League champions into fifth place.

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Rogers was 17 when he joined City from West Brom in 2019 but did not make it to the senior team as he was loaned out before joining Middlesbrough in 2023, and then ending up at Villa at the start of this year. After his impressive display on Saturday, Guardiola defended the club's decision to let him leave as he admitted there was no place for him in a team that went on to win the Champions League.

WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

“It was a team that won the treble. Sometimes it’s the right time to give the [player] a chance," he told reporters. "Of course, everyone knows how good is Morgan. In that age, at the moment, we have the players we have that allowed us to create the most successful eight years in football history. In our club, comparing in this 35 or 40 days it’s not good. Sometimes when they arrive they are three years younger, in that moment there are players in their prime, David Silvas, Bernardos and Riyads [Mahrez] and Raheems [Sterling]. Sometimes it’s difficult and that’s the only reason why. That situation right now, of course these types of players would be with us but it’s always about the right moment. I’m happy for him as he’s a lovely guy, he exploded last season and this season. He’s an exceptional player."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CITY?

Guardiola's team have lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions and sit sixth in the Premier League. They will hope to get back to winning ways when they face Everton on December 26.