Erling Haaland used a lighthearted interview appearance to poke fun at Jamie Carragher after his match-winning night at the Santiago Bernabéu. Fresh from converting the decisive penalty that sealed a 2–1 victory for Manchester City against Real Madrid, Haaland was asked about the studio mood and took aim at Carragher’s recent on-air exchange involving Mohamed Salah.

Haaland was beamed into the CBS Sports studio and, with a smile, said: “Oh, I’m getting nervous now when I see Jamie Carragher in the studio…” Carragher responded loudly from the set: “You don’t need to be nervous, Erling. Don’t be nervous.” The banter continued when Micah Richards intervened to ask: “Haaland, who do you prefer? [Antonio] Rüdiger or Carragher?”

Haaland reacted with a vocal exhale before answering. “Oof,” City ’s No. 9 said with an exhale of breathe. “I think I need to say Rüdiger now because Carragher is a bit [of a] loose cannon now, so we need to be careful…” Laughter in the studio overtook the final part of his explanation.

The striker’s jocular tone was echoed elsewhere on the night. Speaking to TNT Sports from the pitchside, Haaland reflected on the physical side of the contest, referring to Real Madrid’s defenders. “You could see after one minute Asencio was starting to push me and try to beef with me a lot,” he said, and added: “It’s something I like, personally, I don’t mind it.”

Haaland’s comments arrived after a sequence in which he won the penalty following a tug by Antonio Rüdiger and then calmly converted from the spot to secure the win. The exchanges in the studio and on the touchline underlined Haaland’s relaxed mood after a defining moment at the Bernabéu and produced a rare clip of good-natured ribbing between a player and a well-known pundit.

Pep Guardiola’s warm appraisal of Rodrygo after a recent match has renewed speculation about the Brazil international’s future. Guardiola spoke with Rodrygo after the game and made his admiration clear: “I told Rodrygo how good he is,” the City boss revealed. “He’s a player of another level… this guy is a player on another level. I’m glad he’s back from injury. He’s very, very good.”

The remarks came after a display that represented one of Rodrygo’s best nights in months. Deployed on his unfavored right wing, he opened the scoring with a crisp swipe into the bottom corner to end a record-breaking eight-month goal drought. He also created the game’s most chances — five in total, all of which were squandered — and won the most free kicks. Despite those contributions, and his own admission that “it wasn’t enough” to avoid defeat, Madrid fell 2–1.

Guardiola’s praise will inevitably stir headlines because City have long felt the sting of Rodrygo’s interventions. He scored twice in the final minutes of the 2022 Champions League semifinal to drag Real Madrid back into contention, and he found the net in both legs of the 2024 quarterfinal. That history, combined with summer reports that City were among suitors when his future at Madrid looked uncertain, means any public endorsement from Guardiola is likely to be noticed.

Rodrygo himself has sought to focus on his club responsibilities. Having struggled for a starting berth this term, he pledged to knuckle down under Alonso and made a point of celebrating his goal with the manager. “I liked his performance,” Alonso said of Rodrygo. “The goal was a consequence of other things he did well. It’s one of today’s good pieces of news to see him with that individual quality, that flair, and he also scored, which was important for him. ]

The combination of a decisive individual performance, a high-profile admirer, and a recent transfer backdrop ensures the conversation around Rodrygo’s next steps will continue. For now, the immediate focus remains on his form and fitness.

Manchester City face uncertainty in defence ahead of their Champions League meeting with Real Madrid after Pep Guardiola confirmed John Stones was omitted from the weekend line-up because of injury.

Stones has not been a regular starter in the Premier League this season, with Guardiola generally preferring the pairing of Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol at centre back. He remains an important member of the squad and has usually started Champions League fixtures instead. He even captained City in the defeat to Bayer Leverkusen on matchday five.

City sit ninth in the Premier League and require a positive result in Madrid to strengthen their claim for a top-eight league phase finish. Guardiola revealed after the Sunderland game that Stones’ absence was injury-related but provided no timescale for his return. “To be honest, I don’t know,” was the manager’s response when asked to provide a timeframe.

Sunderland was only the second match Stones has missed this season through injury, after he was also ruled out of September’s Manchester derby. The former Everton player missed large portions of last season with foot and hamstring problems and has not been fit for an entire campaign since 2020–21.

Stones has spoken openly in recent months about the mental toll injuries have taken on him. Addressing that struggle during the summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, he said: “It’s difficult when you’re injured,” he told reporters during the summer’s FIFA Club World Cup . “There’s been points where you think, you’ve been giving all this effort, you dedicate all your life, especially how I approach or go about my life, and football, I give everything, on and off the pitch to be here or be ready to play games and those are the dark days.”

In October he told BBC Radio 5 Live he had considered stepping away from the sport: “Last season was tough for me, to the point where I thought about stopping,” he said “I didn’t want to [continue]. I’d had enough of being so professional and trying to do everything right in my power, to then keep breaking down and not having the answers. It was a very difficult place to be in.