As the international break begins to wind down and focus starts to turn towards the weekend’s hectic Barclays Premier League schedule there's some early rumoured City team news doing the rounds this Wednesday morning.
For many a domestic football fan, international breaks are often viewed as a mid-season inconvenience; meaningless friendlies played-out in half empty stadiums whilst praying your club team’s star man doesn’t pick-up an injury that rules him out for the coming weeks of the league campaign.
That said, the scheduling of matches and Euro 2016 qualifiers over the past week and a half has made for a more meaningful calendar of games, some of which have been surprisingly entertaining and with a galaxy of international stars in the City squad, fans have pretty much been able to watch at least one of their favourites in action most nights.
Yaya Toure is the final City man to keep an eye on – his Ivory Coast side host Congo at 6pm UK time today however, according to the Mirror, this puts the midfielder immediately in doubt for the Saturday lunchtime visit of Spurs to the Etihad Stadium:
“The City midfielder may not return to the club’s new training HQ at the Etihad Campus until just over 24 hours before the Spurs game.
“Boss Manuel Pellegrini will have to assess Toure to see if he is fresh enough to start for the champions in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.
“City then fly to Russia on Sunday morning for Tuesday’s must-win Champions League group game with CSKA Moscow, and Pellegrini will want the 31-year-old fit for that match.
“Pellegrini will also check on Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis after their Argentina side's friendly away to Hong Kong on Tuesday.”
Elsewhere, Joe Hart was probably as surprised as anyone to receive the Man of the Match award twice in a row for England’s games against San Marino and Estonia this week, however as the MailOnline explains, there appears to have been some foul play at work:
“The FA will hold talks with England team sponsors Vauxhall to revamp the fans’ man of the match award derailed by online voters for both the San Marino and Estonia games.
“England supporters made a mockery of Vauxhall’s fans engagement initiative by making goalkeeper Joe Hart MotM on each occasion despite him rarely touching the ball in either Euro 2016 qualifier.
“The FA/Vauxhall view is that a one-off cheeky protest about the San Marino mismatch where 63 per cent of the vote went to Hart was fair enough but not when it was repeated in Tallinn when an 82 per cent majority picked the Manchester City player.
“Vauxhall are keen to keep the fans centrally involved in the vote, but need to work on a safety procedure that guards against ridiculous choices being made in future.”
Watch on youtube.comManchester City stars caught up in Serbia chaos
Aleksandar Kolarov and Matija Nastasic were involved in trouble which flared on the pitch causing the match against Albania to be abandoned
Two Manchester City stars have been caught up in violent scenes which saw a politically-charged international match abandoned.
Blues defenders Aleksandar Kolarov and Matija Nastasic both started in Serbia’s clash with Albania tonight.
However, the match in Belgrade descended into bedlam after a drone carrying an Albanian flag was flown over the stadium.
Serbian defender Stefan Mitrovic tried to pull down the flag, sparking ugly scenes on the pitch.
Kolarov, 28, and Nastastic, 21, were involved in scuffles between both sets of players before things took a violent turn with trouble in the stands and fans invading the pitch to attack Albanian players.
Both teams were eventually led from the field and the European Championship qualifier was abandoned by English referee Martin Atkinson in the 41st minute.
Albanian fans had been banned from attending the clash between the neighbouring countries, who have long standing political grievances related to the Kosovo region.
UEFA have now launched investigation into the trouble
Frank Lampard voted Manchester City Player of the Month
The good news for New York City Football Club is that their designated players are now both playing at a high level while on loan.
The bad news is that the success of one player could lead to issues down the road for the team.
Frank Lampard has been named Manchester City’s Etihad Player of the Month, as voted by the fans of the team. Lampard has scored four goals in five games; if you remember his debut, in which he looked so slow and old that Manuel Pellegrini subbed him out after the first half, his production over the last four games is even more impressive.
6,095 votes cast, Fans cast 6,095 for Lampard, allowing him to edge teammates James Milner and David Silva for the honor.
The trouble brewing for NYCFC lies in Lampard and Manchester City’s mutual interest in an extension of his loan deep into the MLS preseason. NYCFC is completely opposed to the idea and of now, Lampard is scheduled to return to New York this January for the start of preseason. However, if Lampard continues to impress the City brass and endear himself to the fans, he may be difficult to pry from their ranks when the time comes.
Rafa Benitez wants to sign Man City’s James Milner & Liverpool’s Glen Johnson for Napoli
Rafa Benitez has set his sights on two England internationals, if the Mirror is to believed this Wednesday.
The tabloid report that Napoli are preparing to launch bids for Man City’s James Milner and Liverpool’s Glen Johnson in January.
Napoli, who has struggled badly at the start of the new season, are in need of extra quality, while Milner and Johnson could both be available at cut-price fees as the players are approaching the ends of the contracts.
As reported in the Mirror:
Liverpool full-back Johnson is out of contract next summer and recently admitted talks with the Reds about a new deal had gone “very quiet”.
And Manchester City midfielder Milner is also free to speak to foreign clubs from January 1 about a Bosman move away from the champions.
Unfortunately the Mirror fails to specify just how much Napoli would be willing to spend of either player, however one suspects that fans of the CItizens and Reds wouldn’t be too distraught if Milner and/or Johnson headed for Italy.
Manchester City Close To 5 Years £150,000-A-Week Deal For Star
The England shot stopper who is also the first choice goalkeeper at Manchester City FC is said to be about to pen a new deal, which sees him extend his contract for another five years. This comes after several of his teammates have also signed contract extensions. Captain Kompany, David Silva, Aguero, Dzeko are some of the players who have signed new deals to extend their stay at the club and with Hart about to sign a new deal, the manager has certainly tied down the core of the players who won the league title last season.
The 27 year old goalkeeper who was signed from Shrewsbury in 2006 has been with the club for 8 years and he only became a first team starter after the2010 World Cup in South Africa, his performances were to say the least phenomenal that Shay Given was benched. His performance that season culminated in him being awarded “Premier League Golden Glove”. Eventually Shay Given left the next season while Hart went ahead to win the “Premier League Golden Glove” a consecutive second time, helping City lift the league and the following season also saw him winning the prize, though City lost out to Man Utd in the league race.
However, his form was called to question last season, with costly errors being made, the most notable was his clanger against Chelsea, when he and Nastasic collided, allowing Torres to score the only goal of the encounter which took place at Stamford Bridge. He was dropped by Pellegrini for almost two months and later came back to aid City in their title win. Apparently not convinced that Hart wouldn’t lose form, Pellegrini signed Willy Caballero from Malaga and so far this season, he has started 2 matches. The thinking must be that Hart became complacent due to no serious competition for his position and this thinking influenced the summer signing of Caballero. And already, it appears that Hart might have a problem with Caballero. He was vocal in his views about his being benched by Caballero and also, pointed out the fact that he had less than two years on his contract.
Certainly Caballero’s signing has kept Hart on his feet, as he has been producing the goods; one need only point to his man of the match performance against Bayern Munich to realize that he has gotten much better. Therefore, this deal will boost his morale and confidence and the fans will be happy for him, as they have been worried about his situation. I believe that Pellegrini has found the best way to ensure that Hart retains his form, an while he will have to be content to sitting out some games, there is assurance that he will at his very best, to limit caballero to just cup matches and this competition will limit the amount of goals conceded by the team as they look to defend their title and advance further in the champions league.
Premier League: £2,000 season tickets as price of football grows
Who in the Premier League charges more than £2,000 for a season ticket? Where would you have to pay at least £50 for an adult match-day ticket?
How can you watch the Premier League champions for less than a Conference side? All is revealed in the BBC's Price of Football study.
We contacted 207 clubs in 21 divisions across British and European football to find out how much supporters must pay to follow their team.
Have prices gone up?
The average cost of the cheapest adult match-day ticket at Premier League clubs has risen by more than 15% since 2011, with prices now ranging from £15 to £50.
The average price of the cheapest Premier League season ticket for an adult has also gone up, rising 8.7% since 2012, from £467.95 to £508.55.
Arsenal's cheapest season ticket is almost double the average, rising 3.97% from last season to £1,014, the highest in the league. The club's season tickets do, though, include seven 'cup credits', effectively pre-payment for seven tickets for cup matches.
Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool also charge more than £700 for their cheapest adult season ticket.
The only club to have dropped the price of their cheapest adult season ticket from 2012 is Liverpool, who now charge £710, down from £725.
So who is the most expensive?
Arsenal have the most expensive season ticket in the Premier League at £2,013, double the price of Manchester United's most expensive ticket and more than four times the cost of West Brom's.
Chelsea and Tottenham both charge more than £1,000 for their most expensive season ticket, but Italian Serie A side AC Milan top the lot, demanding about £3,600 for their most expensive adult season ticket.
And the cheapest?
Manchester City sell the cheapest adult season ticket in the top flight at £299. That's cheaper than 15 clubs in the Championship, 10 clubs in League One and four in League Two.
Even Conference side Halifax charge more at £319.
On the other hand, you can buy a season ticket for some of the top sides in Europe for much less.
Portugal's Sporting Lisbon are the cheapest of the men's clubs we covered, selling an adult season ticket for around £55.
You can even buy a season ticket at Barcelona for about £103.
Almost £100 for a match-day ticket?
Arsenal again. They have the most expensive adult ticket at £97.
But that amount is dwarfed by AC Milan, who charge a whopping £298 for their most expensive match-day ticket. That is the most of any of the clubs in our study.
In fact, a lot of the European clubs we contacted have match-day tickets priced more than £100, including Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain, Barcelona, Marseille, Atletico Madrid, Monaco and Juventus.
What about the cheapest match-day tickets in the Premier League? Well, Newcastle United charge just £15, though this is for only a limited number of matches at St James' Park.
Hull, Leicester and West Ham all charge £20 or less for their cheapest adult ticket bought on a match day.
Chelsea's cheapest adult match-day ticket is £50, making the Stamford Bridge club the most expensive in the top flight in that category.
Have high prices forced Premier League attendances down?
No, far from it. Match-day attendances are at an all-time high.
The Premier League average last season was 36,600, up 2.1% from the season before, while stadiums were about 96% full.
Last season, match-day revenue increased by 6% last year to £585m.
A top-tier day out
Chelsea top the Premier League table when it comes to the average cost of a day out at £57.50.
The figure, which adds together the price of the cheapest match-day ticket, a programme, a pie and a cup of tea, exceeds that of Liverpool and Manchester City, who both come in at £45.80.
The average cost of a day out in the top tier is £37.44 and Leicester City represent the cheapest option, with a day at the newly-promoted club costing £27.50.
Are clubs offering deals?
A number of clubs have ticket offers for families.
Newcastle, for example, have a zone that can accommodate 8,200 people and claim it is "the largest family enclosure in Europe". Combined adult and child season tickets in that area of the stadium are priced from £417 for supporters on long-term price-freeze deals.
Most clubs reward loyalty with cheaper tickets for members, while there are an increasing number of incentives for children to watch matches.
Everton have frozen season-ticket prices for fans aged 11 and under. Kids pay just £5 per game for the third season in a row.
Swansea sell under-16 season tickets from £79 and West Ham will have six 'Kids for a Quid' fixtures this season.
At Southampton, all under-11s are admitted free for all Category B and C games when accompanied by a paying adult.
How much does a cup of tea cost?
Liverpool, Manchester United and Southampton sell the Premier League's most expensive cups of tea.
All three charge £2.50, more than any other club in the study.
Burnley and Manchester City sell the cheapest, charging £1.80. You can get a cup of tea at Scottish League Two side Elgin for 60p.
And pies?
Crystal Palace, Manchester City and Southampton all charge £4 for a pie, but that isn't the most expensive of the clubs we covered in our study.
Conference side Kidderminster have a homemade pie that sells for £4.50, though many Harriers fans insist it is worth every penny.
The cheapest pies can be bought at Braintree and Sunderland Ladies. Can anyone rate their £1 offerings for us?
Getting shirty?
Manchester City and Manchester United charge £55 for an adult replica shirt bought from the club shop, the most expensive in the division.
City also charge the most for a junior shirt, at £42.
Hull City sell the cheapest shirts. They charge £39.99 for an adult shirt and £29.99 for a junior one.
Serie A side Roma, at £67.25, charge the most for an adult shirt of the clubs we studied on the continent.
How much do you pay per goal?
Based on the amount clubs charged for their cheapest season ticket last season, Manchester City fans got the best value for money when it came to goals scored at home by their own side.
Each City goal at Etihad Stadium would have set a fan back £4.75. Compare that to Arsenal, where each Gunners goal at the Emirates cost £27.36.
The best value in Britain? That was at Scottish League Two side Albion Rovers, where each goal would have cost you just £3.04.
Former Man City star and Chris Horridge to open restaurant
Former Manchester City football player Michael Johnson has teamed up with chef Chris Horridge (pictured) to launch his own fine-dining restaurant.
Johnson, 26, has launch a new business as director of NCompass Taverns and has won planning permission to open the company's first café bar and restaurant in Didsbury, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Horridge will create the menu and recruit staff for the venture.
Johnson left Manchester City two years ago after suffering a series of injuries throughout his career, as well as problems off the pitch during his career. In 2012, he was banned from driving for three years after being caught over the alcohol limit twice in three months.
Juventus are considering a January bid for Manchester United's out-of-favour midfielder Juan Mata, 26, who is also wanted by his former club Valencia. (Daily Express)
The Italian side could also move for Manchester United's Mexico international Javier Hernandez. The 26-year-old is currently on loan at Real Madrid, who have the option to buy him. (Daily Star)
Real Madrid are planning a January swoop for Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, 32, who has lost his first-team place to Thibaut Courtois, 22. (Evening Standard)
Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu, 23, says he will be happy to stay in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart if Jose Mourinho is unable to guarantee him a future at Stamford Bridge. (The Sun )
Aston Villa will have to double Ron Vlaar's wages to prevent Manchester United signing the 29-year-old Netherlands defender, who is out of contract in the summer and is also thought to be interesting Tottenham, Everton and Roma. (Daily Star)
The agent of Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, 21, claims he will hold talks with Arsenal in November over a possible move. (DSSC)
Versatile Tottenham youngster Milos Veljkovic, 19, is poised to join Middlesbrough on a three-month loan deal. (Sky Sports Understands)
Tottenham are weighing up a move for Fiorentina's 21-year-old striker Ante Rebic next summer after the Croatian caught the eye of the club's scouts against England Under-21s. (TalkSHIT)
Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, 27, claims Liverpool would never have mounted their unexpected title challenge last season without him. (Daily Mirror)
Ex-Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes agrees with England manager Roy Hodgson's claim that 19-year-old Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling does not need two days to recover after a matches. (Independent)
Everton boss Roberto Martinez remains confident record £28m signing Romelu Lukaku, 21, can cope with the expectation on his shoulders despite not being at his best so far this season. (Liverpool Echo)
Burnley manager Sean Dyche, 43, says the prospect of getting the sack does not worry him even though the Clarets are yet to win a game in the Premier League this season. (The Times )
Jan Vertonghen, 27, was overlooked for the Tottenham captaincy after head coach Mauricio Pochettino consulted his squad on which player deserved the armband. (Daily Telegraph)
Chelsea striker Diego Costa, 26, has emerged unscathed from international duty with Spain. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho suggested Costa should miss Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg to rest a thigh injury. (Guardian)
Former Swansea midfielder Andrea Orlandi, 30, now at Blackpool, says replacing Michael Laudrup with Garry Monk was the "best decision" his old club have made. (South Wales Evening Post)
Former Newcastle chairman Sir John Hall has urged the club's supporters to put aside their anger aside and back the team. (Daily Star)
Crystal Palace will move boss Neil Warnock into a director of football role if they can find the right man to replace him. (The Sun)
Southampton are facing a battle to hang on to boss Ronald Koeman after he was touted for the Netherlands job following their poor start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign under Guus Hiddink. (Daily Mirror)
Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer believes 29-year-old Senegal forward Papiss Cisse's goals can keep the club up. (Newcastle Chronicle)
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli, 24, used his Instagram account to praise Graziano Pelle, 29, for his winning goal against Malta, despite the Southampton forward taking his place in the Italy squad.
England and Manchester United Wayne Rooney, 28, was delighted for former Old Trafford team-mate John O'Shea, 33, after his late equaliser for the Republic of Ireland against Germany. He tweeted: "Delighted for John O'Shea celebrates 100 caps with a great goal. Well done mate."
World number one golfer Rory McIlory tweeted his delighted at Northern Ireland's perfect start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. The 25-year-old wrote: "What a result for @OfficialIrishFA in Greece!"
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, has become the first athlete to have 100m Facebook followers. (DSSC)
A young France fan who wanted the shirt of Paul Pogba, 21, rejected the Juventus midfielder's offer of his shorts instead following the Euro 2016 qualifier against Armenia. (Metro)
A lookalike for 26-year-old Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski in the United States has been trying to land dates with girls after pretending to be the Poland international. (Daily Mirror)
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