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Manchester City, along with the rest of global football, are off indefinitely, so instead we’ll have to do some transfer talk. If there’s one thing that can survive a global pandemic, it’s transfer rumors. We start with 21-year-old starlet Houssem Aouar, who is wanted by several big, rich clubs according to The Sun.
The list includes Manchester City, but also Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Juventus.
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The coronavirus pandemic has created a world unlike anything we have ever experienced. The situation has become so dire that it’s now on par with the plagues of 1349 and 1918. We’ve all been affected by it, as our daily lives have been turned upside down.
For those of us not personally or individually hit by the pandemic directly, we are the lucky ones. Others are not so fortunate, and that sadly includes Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who tragically lost his mother to COVID-19.
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Kyle Walker joined the ranks of Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, West Ham’s Declan Rice and Chelsea’s Mason Mount as Premier League footballers who have broken quarantine and violated social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.
When Kyle Walker did it though, well, he did so in a very colorful manner, inviting two sex workers to his home. A report in the Sun said Kyle Walker and a friend paid £2,200 for Louise McNamara and a 24-year-old Brazilian woman to his home on Tuesday night. They stayed until Wednesday, the very same day that Walker posted a message to his followers urging them to stay home and shelter in place.
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Tottenham Hotspur, along with the rest of global football, are off indefinitely, but there are still plenty of news items to discuss. We also have some transfer talk to do, because if there’s one thing that can survive a global pandemic, it’s transfer rumors.
So let’s get started with Harry Kane, typically not known for making controversial remarks, saying something that’s been deemed kind of inflammatory by many.
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Manchester City, along with the rest of most global football, are off indefinitely, so let’s do some transfer talk instead. If there’s one thing that can survive a global pandemic, it’s transfer rumors.
With that in mind, let’s take a spin through the Manchester City related rumor mill, starting with midfield maestro Kevin de Bruyne. City’s appeal to their UEFA ban isn’t even on the docket yet, and with the world on lockdown due to the global pandemic, their case for overturn is not going to be heard any time soon.
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Manchester City, along with the rest of most global football, are off indefinitely, so let’s do some transfer talk instead. If there’s one thing that can survive a global pandemic, it’s transfer rumors. In fact, the rumor mill can probably survive any type of apocalytpic event.
With that in mind, let’s take a spin through the Manchester City related rumor mill, starting with Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta-Car. What held City back this season, from achieving the success of last season was mostly defensive breakdowns.
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Two Champions League games this coming Tuesday, Manchester City vs. Real Madrid and Juventus vs. Lyon, have been postponed by UEFA it was announced on Thursday. The UCL round of 16 second leg matches scheduled for early midweek were postponed out of cautions over the coronavirus.
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Is the Mikel Arteta rebuild/turnaround truly taking effect at Arsenal FC? Are we seeing the Gunners on an upward overall trajectory? The north London side made it three Premier League victories in a row as they edged past West Ham on Saturday, and their recent form has changed the complexion of their season.
They now have a legitimate chance of qualifying for European football next season, and they can lock in on trying to reach this goal, having now been bounced from the Europa League. Up next is a very tough challenge though, a road game at last year’s domestic treble winners, Manchester City.
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Manchester City hosts Arsenal FC in a rescheduled fixture in midweek, meaning we have a Wednesday night Premier League contest to look forward to (and preview). In this all big six clash, City have a couple of major star player injury doubts, and one wonders what approach manager Pep Guardiola may take here.
Striker supreme Sergio Aguero and midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne could be rested as a precaution, with City having already pretty much secured a top four finish, but also long out of the running for the title. With that mind, (Liverpool will clinch the title with just two wins or Man City losses, or any combination thereof) Guardiola may prioritize other remaining competitions.
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Arsenal are not totally licked yet in their quest for UEFA Champions League qualification, but they certainly have plenty of work to do. Their next opponent, Manchester City, face a ban that if upheld means the fifth place side in the table will get a a CL berth. The Gunners are only five points behind Manchester United for that slot.
However, they’ll have to press on without midfielder Lucas Torreira, as the club confirmed today that his season is now most likely done. His fractured ankle will keep him out 8-10 weeks, plus you have to account for rehabilitation time and getting back to match fitness, and well, it pretty much means his 2019-20 is over.
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Heading into the Manchester Derby, City are true road warriors right now. “This is our fourth game away in a row and we have another one on Sunday at Old Trafford,” Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said after the FA Cup fifth round win at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek. “We spent a lot of mental energy in the last games and then came here.”
“But the players were absolutely ready, we didn’t concede one shot on target and that means a lot for our capacity to read the game. At the end we scored a goal and could have scored much, much more.”
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Has the gap between the two Manchester clubs truly closed? Well, it depends on what you’re looking at. In the table, 15 points (plus a game in hand) stand between City and United ahead of Sunday’s second Manchester Derby at Old Trafford.
United beat City at the Etihad Stadium in their first meeting this season, but City decisively won the EFL Cup semifinal tie between the two sides. Also, if you want to know where both Manchester clubs are headed for their FA Cup quarterfinal ties, go here. Obviously, the Draconian ruling that UEFA handed down on City, if it stands, will be a game-changer to say the least. And who know what we’ll see on Sunday, while the prognosticators and sports books believe City will cruise in this one, United stridently defied the odds last time.
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