Manchester City
Guardiola: Haaland fit and primed as City head into Real Madrid clash
Guardiola confirms Haaland will be fit and at his sharpest for the Real Madrid tie tonight in Madrid
Pep Guardiola has confirmed Erling Haaland will be available for the Champions League meeting with Real Madrid and suggested the striker will be at his sharpest for the tie.
“I didn’t think to let him play and I prefer him training to make a rhythm,” the Catalan coach told assembled reporters. “After injury, when he drops, he always struggles to have that real pace.” Much to Real Madrid’s chagrin, Haaland should now be back up to speed.
Haaland has appeared intermittently in recent weeks. Guardiola left his No. 9 out of the FA Cup fourth round clash with fourth-tier Salford City before restoring him for the Premier League visit of Newcastle last month. At the Etihad he engaged in a physical, 90-minute battle with the towering Magpies centre back Dan Burn, as Newcastle adopted an aggressive man-marking approach that night, a tactic increasingly common across the Premier League and one which Mikel Arteta has blamed for the rise of set-piece dependency, as Burn latched himself onto Haaland like a Geordie limpet.
“We have to make an alternative to long balls with Erling when he’s up against a player like Burn,” Guardiola fretted. “We have to make an alternative so we still have a dream for him to play and play more, and with man marking that’s difficult.”
City then had seven days to prepare for the trip to Leeds United’s Elland Road yet that was not enough for a full recovery from the Burn encounter. The 25-year-old was, however, fit enough to play the full 90 minutes against Nottingham Forest in the subsequent match. To avoid overloading him, Guardiola adopted a cautious approach for another trip to St James’s Park.
Guardiola pointed to past experience when explaining his management of minutes. “We have experience of that with the treble—you have to arrive in the decisive moment of the season with players,” he said. “It’s a pity that the Premier League is not in our hands. That is a big drop against Nottingham [Forest] but don’t think much, recover, go to Madrid, make a good selection and hopefully we can behave—win or lose—in the way we are.
“That’s always been my focus, when we play on the biggest stages against the big teams it’s not about winning or losing but being who we are as individuals and as a team.”
At a time when every Arsenal match appears to feature a player going down holding a different part of their body, City are emptying their treatment room.
Leeds United
Trafford Explains City Exit as Donnarumma Fit Comes Under Scrutiny
Trafford says leaving Manchester City was vital for his wellbeing, while Donnarumma’s fit is questioned.
James Trafford has opened up on the reasons he felt compelled to leave Manchester City, saying the lack of regular football took a serious toll on him. Now at Leeds United, the 24-year-old has described last season as a difficult period after making only four Premier League appearances.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Trafford was candid about the emotional strain of being confined to the bench. He said it was “horrendous” to be forced to watch from the sidelines, and explained how he leaned on family and friends just to cope with the situation.
“You are ringing a lot of people and just venting,” he explained. “Like most people, you have a [bad] day at work and you ring someone up.
“I ring my dad, I ring my mum, I ring my missus, I ring my mates. I like ringing my mates and we can just have a good talk about it all. It’s quite funny.
“I had to play regularly this season for my own mental wellbeing. You just lose yourself not playing. Maybe I’m different, I don’t know, but the feeling of not playing every week, it felt horrendous.
“I just had to play every week this season for that mental feel-good and to keep progressing with my career and edging me closer to achieving the dreams I want to achieve.”
Trafford’s departure has also revived discussion around Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose form and suitability have been questioned amid several high-profile mistakes. The concerns have centred on whether he is the right fit for Enzo Maresca’s tactical approach, particularly given that footwork has long been viewed as one of his weaker areas.
Trafford, by contrast, is seen as a goalkeeper comfortable on the ball and better suited to a possession-based system. Maresca recently offered a measured assessment of Donnarumma, saying, “He’s quite relaxed in terms of he recognizes that he has made some mistakes, but at the same time he has also made some good saves,” he said recently. “It’s just a matter of balance. Try to avoid mistakes and continue to do the right things.”
There had also been suggestions that City looked more secure defensively in cup matches when Trafford played, but the continued backing of Donnarumma left him with no route to stay in the summer. The club instead chose to keep faith with the Italian as they attempted to build towards a Premier League title push.
Manchester City
Manchester City face calls for further scrutiny after guilty verdict
Manchester City’s appeal continues as calls grow for more scrutiny over possible breaches beyond 2018.
Manchester City’s legal troubles may not stop with the 114 charges already found against them for Premier League financial breaches. According to The Independent, some English soccer executives now want the club examined for possible offences beyond 2018, raising the prospect of fresh action.
City maintain their innocence and have already launched an official appeal against the sweeping guilty verdict. That appeal means any sanctions are currently on hold, but the range of possible punishment remains severe, from heavy fines and transfer bans to a points deduction and even Premier League expulsion.
The latest report centres on a simple question: “What changed overnight?” It points to the club’s commercial income staying at the same level in the years after the investigation period ended, despite the scrutiny only covering conduct up to 2018. The Independent also says the club’s relationship with their Abu Dhabi-based “sponsors” did not change, which has fuelled suspicion that further breaches may exist beyond the original case.
If additional wrongdoing were uncovered, City could face more charges. There is also the possibility of title sanctions, with the club at risk of being stripped of trophies won during the years in question.
The scale of the issue is significant because City’s honours list spans both the period before 2018 and the years after it. They won three Premier League titles between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, then added five more, including four consecutive league triumphs from 2020-21 to 2023-24.
Not everyone wants another investigation, however. The Independent reports that some feel executives are “getting ahead of themselves”, especially as the original inquiry, which took three years, has still not been completed. Others argue that a fresh probe would only prolong a case many would rather see finally closed.
Manchester City
Alf-Inge Haaland Says Erling Is Blocking Out the Noise Around City’s Appeal
Alf-Inge Haaland says Erling is ignoring the talk and waiting for City’s appeal verdict.
Alf-Inge Haaland has said his son Erling remains focused on football while the wider debate around Manchester City’s legal situation continues to dominate discussion away from the pitch.
Speaking to Viaplay, the former player pushed back against comparisons being drawn between City’s case and Juventus, saying the situations should not be treated in the same way. “Well, Juventus was match-fixing and a few other things,” Alf-Inge told Viaplay as he argued the two cases should not be compared. “I think we should await the appeal process. It could happen quickly, even though there are rival supporters, clubs and, not least, journalists who are out for blood against City right now.
“So we’ll just have to wait and see what the appeal outcome says. City believe they have strong evidence to stand up and prove their innocence, so I think we wait until that decision is reached.”
The Haaland family are, for now, waiting like everyone else for the appeal process to run its course. Alf-Inge said there has been little direct communication from the club beyond what is circulating publicly.
“Nothing more than what’s in the media,” he revealed. “And there is an awful lot written there, and very one-sided, I would say, right? ”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the club, Alf-Inge was clear that Erling is keeping his attention on the game itself. “Erling thinks about playing as much football as he can and concentrates on that,” Haaland Sr said. “I think it’s more those of us outside the pitch who think a bit more about it.”
Haaland is formally represented by Rafaela Pimenta, though his father continues to play a major role in discussions about his future. That future remains uncertain, with long-term admirers Barcelona and Real Madrid both linked, while domestic rivals Arsenal have also been mentioned as potential challengers should an opening emerge.
There have also been claims that Haaland’s contract includes a release clause for this kind of scenario, but Alf-Inge refused to address that. “I can’t comment on player contracts or Erling’s contract,” he stressed. “I can’t comment on that.”
