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GUARDIOLA SAYS THERE WON’T BE JANUARY SIGNINGS AT CITY THIS SEASON.

Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City will not be making any new signings in the January transfer window.

After a slow start to the season, City have hit form in recent weeks and have climbed to second in the Premier League after a run of five successive wins.

Their growing momentum has also seen them reach the final of the Carabao Cup, the fourth round of the FA Cup and the last 16 of the Champions League.

The only notable area of weakness this term has been at centre forward, with both Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus missing a large number of games due to injuries and coronavirus-related self-isolation.

With no specialist senior back-up, Guardiola’s alternatives have been deploying winger Ferran Torres as a makeshift striker, Kevin De Bruyne or Raheem Sterling as ‘false nines’ or giving a chance to 17-year-old Liam Delap.

But Guardiola told beIN Sports: “We will not sign any deal during the winter transfer market. We did not discuss this, but we will end the season with the players that we have now.”

Guardiola accepts there have been times when the lack of a centre forward has been noticeable, but he is convinced there is enough quality in the squad to ensure it is not a major issue.

This is one of our ways,” he said. “There were matches where we needed an attacker but at that time two of them were injured.

“One had been injured for a long time – Sergio Aguero. The other two had the coronavirus.

“That’s why we sometimes play in this way, other times we are forced to do that because of a pressing need.

“It’s an alternative plan, which we can rely on given the talents we have in the various positions.”

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STONES’ DOUBLE HELP CITY MAUL CRYSTAL PALACE AS PEP’S MEN CLIMB UP TO SECOND.

Centre-back John Stones scored his first league goals for Manchester City as his side beat Crystal Palace 4-0 to go second in the Premier League table.

City dominated the early proceedings and Stones headed in Kevin De Bruyne’s sublime outside-of-the-boot cross after 26 minutes.

Gabriel Jesus had a good chance to extend their lead shortly before half-time but his header lacked the power needed to beat Vicente Guaita.

Ilkay Gundogan’s powerful effort from 20 yards doubled City’s lead after the break before Stones reacted quickest to Guaita’s parry to score again with 22 minutes remaining.

Raheem Sterling completed the scoring with a spectacular free-kick as City recorded a fifth straight Premier League victory.

The result sees them leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Leicester City into second, two points behind leaders Manchester United with a match in hand.

Palace stay 13th with 23 points from 19 matches.

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FODEN ON TARGET AS MANCITY BEAT BRIGHTON 1-0 TO CLIMB UP TO THIRD.

Phil Foden’s strike proved enough to secure a 1-0 victory for Manchester City against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Pep Guardiola’s men were on top early on, with Kevin De Bruyne denied three times by Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and Riyad Mahrez miscuing a volley.

With half-time approaching, Foden made the breakthrough when he eased a clever side-footed shot into the bottom corner.

City continued to dominate but were profligate.

Mahrez went close again after a fine pass from Rodrigo, Ilkay Gundogan and De Bruyne were denied by Sanchez, and Bernardo Silva hit the bar.

Brighton came close when a fierce strike by Alexis Mac Allister whistled narrowly over.

In stoppage time, substitute Raheem Sterling blazed a penalty over the crossbar after De Bruyne had been brought down by Sanchez.

Man City are third with 32 points, level with Leicester City and Everton. Brighton are 17th with 14 points.

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AGUERO GOES INTO ISOLATION AS CLOSE CONTACT IS COVID-19 POSITIVE.

Sergio Aguero missed Manchester City’s FA Cup third-round victory over Birmingham after being asked to self-isolate, manager Pep Guardiola has revealed.

City had hoped to include their record goalscorer in their starting line-up for the first time since October in Sunday’s tie at the Etihad Stadium as he returns to fitness following knee trouble.

Plans had to be changed, however, when it was discovered the Argentinian has been a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

Guardiola was unsure how long the player would be absent for and if he would be available for Wednesday’s Premier League clash against Brighton, even if he returned a negative test.

The City boss said: “Unfortunately he was in contact, more than usual, with one person who is positive. That is why he must isolate for a few days.

“I don’t know [how long for] exactly because, like all of us, he has been tested six times in last 10-15 days.

“He is negative. Today he is negative too but the protocol says in some cases they must isolate. In others we are still in touch and playing football.

“Unfortunately he could not play today.”

Aguero’s presence was hardly required as City eased to a 3-0 victory over their Championship opponents with an early double from Bernardo Silva and a further strike from Phil Foden. All three goals came inside the first 33 minutes and effectively ended the game as a contest.

Guardiola said: “Yes the first objective was done – qualify for next round. We did it with a really good first half.

“We made nice goals. I am happy for Bernardo. He made two goals and could have scored more. The first half was really good.

“In the second half they changed the set-up. We struggled a little bit to find our spaces but we are in the next round.”

The victory came four days after City, the 2019 FA Cup winners, reached the Carabao Cup final for a fourth successive year.

Guardiola said: “If you follow the trajectory for our team, we don’t drop one competition. That is why we are in finals four times in a row in the Carabao Cup and why we won the FA Cup two seasons ago.”

It was only when City eased off in the second half that Birmingham began to create any openings.

Substitute Jeremie Bela twice tested goalkeeper Zack Steffen and shot narrowly over in the latter stages but prior to that the visitors were unable to make an impression.

Manager Aitor Karanka, whose side have now lost six of their last seven games, said: “We finished the game in the way we should have started.

“We were not as aggressive as we should have been but in the second half everything changed. We approached it much better. I wanted to play 90 minutes in the way we played the last 45.

The main thing when you are coming to this kind of game is to be aggressive and strong. If you allow them to play, if you are jogging behind the ball instead of being aggressive, the only thing that can happen is what happened.

“I was pleased when I saw their first XI because it meant Pep respected us. We wanted to do something here. We showed the second half we should have been more aggressive from the beginning.”

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MANCITY BEAT MANCHESTER UNITED TO REACH CARABAO CUP FINAL.

Pep Guardiola dedicated Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Manchester United to reach a fourth consecutive League Cup final on Wednesday to the family of Colin Bell, a day after the City great died aged 74. John Stones and Fernandinho were the unlikely goalscorers for Guardiola’s men, who will face Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham in the final at Wembley on April 25.

Bell scored 152 goals in 492 appearances for City during a 13-year career in which he won five major trophies. City players warmed up in number eight shirts in honour of Bell’s old number.

A minute’s silence was held before kick-off with Bell’s former teammate Mike Summerbee reduced to tears as he watched on from the stands.

“That’s for him and his family. This person helps to build something for this club,” said Guardiola.

“It is an incredible victory for us to beat United away and reach another final and, especially today, it is for him.”

City now have the chance to equal Liverpool’s record between 1981 and 1984 of winning four successive League Cups.

“I know the Carabao (League) Cup is not the Champions League but four times a row is incredible,” added Guardiola. “I’m so impressed with the quality of this team.”

Mourinho was United boss the last time they lifted a trophy in 2017 and the Red Devils’ wait for silverware under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer goes on as they lost a fourth semi-final in the past two seasons.

“It’s not psychological, sometimes you meet good teams in the semis,” said Solskjaer, whose side also lost to City at this stage of the competition last season.

“We met the best team in England and for me we didn’t have enough today.

“But we’re getting closer. This is a much better Manchester United compared to a year ago in those semis, that’s positive but not enough.”

Both sides have hauled themselves back into contention for the Premier League title in recent weeks, but neither manager took the opportunity to rest key players as both made just two changes from the weekend.

Any fears of a repeat of the goalless draw between the sides last month in the league were quickly dispelled as both had goals ruled out inside the first five minutes.

Stones breathed a sigh of relief when his own goal was chalked off for offside by Marcus Rashford in the build-up before Ilkay Gundogan was also denied by the offside flag.

Zack Steffen was deputising for first-choice goalkeeper Ederson, who was one of City’s absentees due to a coronavirus outbreak, and the American produced an incredible save to deny Bruno Fernandes his 16th goal of the season with a curling effort that was destined for the top corner.

City looked more like their old selves in a thrilling first-half performance to blow away Chelsea on Sunday and they were inches away from the opener thanks to a stunning move that started deep inside their own half and ended with Kevin De Bruyne smashing against the post from the edge of the area.

The deadlock was finally broken five minutes into the second half when Stones cushioned in Foden’s free-kick with his thigh for his first goal in three years.

The England international’s poor form saw him fall down the pecking order in recent seasons, but City have now kept nine clean sheets in the 11 games Stones has started this season as he has formed a formidable partnership with Ruben Dias.

City’s issues this season have been at the other end and they again failed to make the most of their chances in the second half.

Joao Cancelo’s piledriver flew just over before Dean Henderson made fine saves to deny Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez.

However, Henderson could only watch as Fernandinho volleyed into the bottom corner after United failed to clear a corner for his first goal in two years, seven minutes from time.

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MANCHESTER CITY LEGEND COLLIN BELL DIES AT 74.

Manchester City’s legendary footballer Colin Bell died on Tuesday, reported Anadolu Agency. He was 74.

“Colin passed away peacefully this afternoon after a short, non-Covid related illness,” the English Premier League announced in a statement.

Manchester City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said Bell’s death saddens everyone at the club, and he will be remembered always.

The English midfielder was regarded as one of the best players of his generation. He represented City between 1966 and 1979, and scored 152 goals in 492 matches.

“Colin The King” also had 48 caps for the English national team.

In 2004, one of the stands in Man City’s Etihad Stadium was named after him.

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CITY’S THREE FIRST HALF GOALS ENOUGH TO EDGE BLUES 3-1 AT STAMFORD BRIDGE.

Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne each claimed a goal and an assist as Manchester City earned an impressive 3-1 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Ilkay Gundogan opened Man City’s account with a great turn and shot from Foden’s pass on 18 minutes.

Foden’s precise finish from De Bruyne’s low cross doubled their tally three minutes later.

De Bruyne then put the visitors firmly in control with a third on 34 minutes, reacting quickest to slot into the net after Raheem Sterling’s initial effort had cannoned off the far post.

Zack Steffen, making his Premier League debut for the visitors, made a smart stop to keep out Cesar Azpilicueta’s header, but Chelsea struggled to create clear-cut openings.

It could have been worse for the hosts as Rodrigo’s header was saved by Edouard Mendy, before Callum Hudson-Odoi netted a stoppage-time consolation for the Blues from Kai Havertz’s centre.

Man City now have 29 points and move up to fifth, four points off leaders Liverpool and with a match in hand. Chelsea drop to eighth on 26 points.

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EVERTON V MANCITY MATCH POSTPONED DUE TO MASSIVE BREAKOUT OF COVID-19.

Manchester City’s fixture at Everton, due to be played at 8pm this evening, has been postponed following a Premier League Board meeting.

Manchester City lodged a request with the Premier League today to rearrange the match following an increase in positive COVID-19 test results received by the club this morning, on top of the cases reported on Christmas Day.

This rise has created uncertainty and the Premier League Board received medical advice that the match should be postponed.

The Board agreed to rearrange the game as a precaution, and further testing will now take place tomorrow.

The decision has been taken with the health of players and staff the priority.

The Premier League continues to have full confidence in its protocols and rules, and the way in which all clubs are implementing them.

The League wishes those with COVID-19 a safe and speedy recovery and will rearrange the postponed fixture against Everton in due course.

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MCI 2-0 NEW: GUNDOGAN, TORRES SINK MAGPIES TO LIFT CITY TO FIFTH ON THE LOG.

Goals by Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres made it back-to-back victories for Manchester City as they beat Newcastle United 2-0 to move up to fifth place.

Gundogan put Man City in front on 14 minutes when he turned in Raheem Sterling’s cutback at the end of a slick move.

Kevin De Bruyne had a big chance before half-time but his close-range effort was saved by Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow.

Jacob Murphy forced a save from Ederson early in the second half before Torres fired in from close range on 55 minutes after a deflection in the Newcastle box.

Substitute Sergio Aguero had an effort cleared off the line late on for Man City, who are up to 26 points thanks to their 12th consecutive home win over the Magpies.

Newcastle remain in 12th place with 18 points.

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Man City, 2nd-division Brentford into cup semis in England

City’s players are regulars at the business end of domestic competitions and kept alive their bid to win the League Cup for a fourth straight season with a 4-1 win at Arsenal on Tuesday.

If Manchester City’s presence in the semifinals of the English League Cup is no real surprise, the same cannot be said about second-division club Brentford.

By beating Newcastle 1-0 to take down a fourth Premier League opponent so far in the competition, Brentford reached the semis of a major cup competition for the first time in the southwest London club’s 131-year history.

City’s players, on the other hand, are regulars at the business end of domestic competitions and kept alive their bid to win the League Cup for a fourth straight season with a 4-1 win at Arsenal on Tuesday.

The holders were given a helping hand by Arsenal’s backup goalkeeper Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson, who — with the score at 1-1 at the start of the second half — fumbled a free-kick attempt by Riyad Mahrez and saw the ball squirm behind him into the net.

Further City goals from Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte piled on the agony for Arsenal and its under-pressure manager Mikel Arteta, whose team has plunged to 15th place in the Premier League. It was Arsenal’s heaviest home loss in a domestic cup match in 22 years.

City is looking to win the League Cup for an eighth time, which would tie the record of Liverpool in the competition. Six of the titles have come in the previous eight seasons.

The other quarterfinal matches take place on Wednesday, when Everton hosts Manchester United and Tottenham is at second-tier Stoke.

BRILLIANT BRENTFORD

Drawn against one of the two non-Premier League teams left in the competition, Newcastle squandered a great chance to advance to the semifinals of an FA Cup or League Cup for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

Especially with Brentford fielding a weakened lineup for the quarterfinal match owing to its busy upcoming schedule in the Championship, where the team is currently placed fourth. Among the six regulars dropped by the hosts was striker Ivan Toney, the top scorer in the second division with 16 goals, but they still dominated the match at the recently opened Brentford Community Stadium.

Josh Dasilva’s 66th-minute volley clinched victory for Brentford, which finally won at this stage of a cup competition at the fifth attempt.

“We want to be part of creating some totally new history for Brentford,” said manager Thomas Frank, whose team lost to Fulham in the Championship playoff final last season.

It’s back to a likely relegation scrap in the Premier League for Newcastle, whose manager Steve Bruce acknowledged it was a huge opportunity lost.

“I’m bitterly disappointed,” Bruce said, “and very, very frustrated.”

SLICK CITY

Rúnarsson was signed by Arsenal in September to be the team’s reserve goalkeeper, having finished last season as second choice for a Dijon team that finished in 16th place in the French league.

Facing City was his biggest test since moving — the Iceland international had previously only played in the Europa League for Arsenal — and it proved to be a chastening night at Emirates Stadium.

Barely two minutes had been played when Rúnarsson dived to punch clear a left-wing cross from Oleksandr Zinchenko, only for Gabriel Jesus to get in front of him and head the ball into an empty net.

Arsenal equalized against the run of play through Alexandre Lacazette. But after lively winger Gabriel Martinelli was forced off two minutes into the second half with an ankle injury, the hosts had another setback following Rúnarsson’s fumble.

“He hasn’t played a lot of games for us,” Arteta said of Rúnarsson. “He is just adapting to the league, and that’s it. We all make mistakes and we have to support him.”

Arteta defended his decision to give a rest to first-choice goalkeeper Bernd Leno, who played in the previous round at Liverpool and saved two penalties in a shootout.

“We have to give opportunities to other players,” Arteta said.

Foden might have been in an offside position when he was played through for the third goal, which saw him deftly chip Rúnarsson. VAR is not being used in the League Cup this season.

The midfielder then crossed for Laporte to head home to make it 4-1 in the 73rd minute.

“At the moment a lot of strange things are happening in every game,” Arteta said.

“We have to turn it around, there’s no other question. If we don’t, we are in big trouble.”