Kevin De Bruyne has no regrets at leaving Chelsea and ‘doesn’t think they have’
Kevin De Bruyne did his best to insist all parties had moved on and, in truth, it was hardly an opportune moment to reveal any lingering bitterness. After all it was barely an hour since he had rasped in a glorious winning goal for the current league leaders at the reigning champions and, back in the stadium’s media room, Pep Guardiola was still busy lauding the Belgian’s natural talent and eager work rate, declaring him one of the team’s “captains” who can “do absolutely everything”.
Yet there had to be some mention of that stunted spell as a Chelsea player, a period that yielded as many loans away as Premier League starts – two – before a sale to Wolfsburg in 2014 from which he has never looked back. The sight of De Bruyne dictating occasions such as that on Saturday will always prompt thoughts of what might have been in a corner of south-west London. “But I’ve no regrets over anything that happened,” the playmaker said. “I don’t think they have regrets: they’ve won two league titles since I’ve been gone, so they’ve done fairly well. That’s the way it goes, it’s a business. At that point it was a good decision for me to go and maybe for them it was also good to let me go. There’s no bad feeling at all. It’s just part of life and you need to grow up.”
The 26-year-old did that back in Germany and is flourishing on his second coming to this division. There is arguably no more complete player in the Premier League at present, a midfielder with vision and drive, touch and energy, invention and industry. It had been the Belgian who collected from Nicolás Otamendi, exchanged passes with Gabriel Jesus and, with this contest still on edge for all Manchester City’s dominance of the ball, wriggled into space before ripping that shot across Thibaut Courtois from the edge of the penalty area with his ‘weaker’ left foot. It was his first goal at Stamford Bridge and a reward that stated his team’s renewed intent this term.
Last year they had succumbed in this arena, as well as at White Hart Lane and Anfield. De Bruyne had missed an open goal against Chelsea back at the Etihad, a chance that, if taken, would have put the hosts 2-0 up in a match eventually surrendered 3-1. However, this year, with players better schooled in Guardiola’s high-energy press and brave enough to impose that game plan even on trips to the more daunting opponents, they look a different proposition.
“It’s the way we started to play last year but, obviously, you get some growing pains,” De Bruyne said. “If somebody makes a mistake, then it looks a little bit silly but it takes hard work. Don’t think it comes easy. It can be more difficult to do the pressing against [lesser] teams because you know they’re going to play the long balls, so the pressing has to be different and you have to manage the space.”
They coped impressively with Chelsea this time, for all that their hosts – perhaps jaded by midweek exertions at Atlético Madrid – were too timid in their own approach. This was possibly one of those rare occasions where Antonio Conte misread a situation or felt restricted in the options available to him. Yet the decisions to use César Azpilicueta at right wing-back and to replace the hamstrung Álvaro Morata with Willian rather than Michy Batshuayi, seemed uncharacteristically tentative, almost negative. It was N’Golo Kanté who mustered the most touches as an opponent in City’s penalty area, which smacked of a slightly awkward balance in a team built more to contain.
City’s reputation precedes them these days – as it probably should, given the manner in which they have overrun opponents this term – but the champions needed to take the initiative. “Let me give us credit for what we have done,” Guardiola said when asked if he was pleased that even a team as imposing as Chelsea had clearly been unnerved at the prospect of taking on his charges. “We did many, many good things. Every manager in the world has a plan and when it comes off – when it works the way we want them to play – well, that is why we are here.” This result sent out a message. City are intent on finishing this campaign without regrets.
Should Manchester City’s naughty boy star Aguero have been out on a school night?
We’ve all been there. Well, most of us have anyway. Out on the razz with work looming the next morning. Facing work with zero hours sleep, and praying the day will end without a meltdown of Fukushima sized proportions.
Last Thursday it was Sergio Aguero’s turn to feel the guilt of a late night session gone long, after the taxi he was travelling in crashed into a lamppost, breaking his rib. But it was Sergio’s day off and his manager, Pep Guardiola, doesn’t seem to care, so what’s the big deal?
For starters he wasn’t in Manchester, he was in Amsterdam, ingesting copious amounts of Columbia’s finest…music. Obviously, Manchester on a Thursday night didn’t appeal to Aguero.
Various “experts” and “pundits” say Aguero was unlucky because there are taxis in Manchester and sometimes they crash into lampposts, the same as they do in Amsterdam. That’s fair enough, but at least if Sergio was in Manchester, he wouldn’t be 300 miles away from the office.
Aguero came to City via Atletico Madrid, he arrived with a big reputation and a hefty price tag, but has more than lived up to the hype. He is the 2nd fastest player to score 100 Premier League goals (behind Wor Al), he’s helped Man City to the Premier League title twice (which City fan would have thought that, when they were cheering on Jamie Pollock) and is two goals away from breaking the all-time City scoring record, which isn’t held by Uwe Rosler or Paul Dickov but some guy called, Eric Brook.
This makes his late night antics all the more frustrating. What if he never gets to break that record? He will be cursing that taxi driver for the rest of his life, who no doubt is an evil genius, Man Utd fan.
He is not the first player to be out late on a school night. In the early noughties, I worked in a night club in Newcastle and would frequently see NUFC’s finest, out on the Toon, wasting their talent, surrounded by groups of girls, drinking steadily until the early hours. Of course none of those players were ever two goals away from any kind of goal scoring record. But by the looks of them, they had no trouble scoring in other ways.
To be fair to Aguero, it was his day off and he has been in sublime form recently so who am I to judge. I am actually over the moon with this unfortunate turn of events because I have Gabriel Jesus in my Fantasy League team and the guy in first place has Aguero .Maybe this was divine intervention from Jesus, who after all, is the son of God. In Aguero’s absence, he will surely play every game in Pep Guardiola’s and my Fantasy team.
Further evidence of divine intervention comes in the form of Aguero’s ex-wife, who is none other than Diego Maradona’s daughter. Maradona isn’t Sergio’s biggest fan, describing him as a “wimp” when the marriage ended 4 years ago. Was the Amsterdam taxi crash “the Hand of God’s” handy work?
Maybe if Aguero was still married, things would have been different. If I told my wife, I was going to Amsterdam with a bunch of Columbians but I would be back in time for work the next day, she wouldn’t let me go. Next time Sergio, get down Nando’s in Alderley Edge.
Pep Guardiola praises selfless Fabian Delph as England man adapts to left-back role
The 27-year-old central midfielder has been out of the City team but now is taking his chance in an unfamiliar position
Pep Guardiola has praised the resilience and selflessness of Fabian Delph, expressing admiration for how the 27-year-old midfielder has adapted to left-back for Manchester City despite never having previously played there and having played little football in the last year.
Delph only played seven times in the league under the Catalan last season, and had seemed to be out of favour, only to instantly impress when recalled to fill in for long-term injury absence Benjamin Mendy. Delph was again solid in the 1-0 win over Chelsea, and Guardiola complimented for how his work allowed City to move better as a team.
“He showed us,” the City manager said. He showed us, he showed me, he showed his teammates a lot. It's not easy when, for a long period you don't play and, OK, a manager gives you an opportunity and play one position you never play before, in Champions League and here, so it means a lot, it means a lot for all of us and normally that happens when you are a good guy. Some guys, they only want to play in one position, 'in the other one I am not comfortable', so he's a guy who always tries to help. Last season we didn't play always with his voice in our locker room, so I am so satisfied, so happy for him. Especially for him.”
Guardiola revealed that they had been working on the position with Delph in training.
“Yeah, sometimes when we make a training session or games, always we use him here, yeah. And we go there, close to him, OK, in this situation, some drills, to be comfortable, and afterwards the ball is wide, inside, like his midfield play, has the quality, it's not scary to play but sometimes under pressure, put the ball, he tries always to play, and give us an extra pass, an extra pass, an extra pass; let the opponent run, and help us a lot to have this kind of pace.”
Guardiola was also impressed with the tactical discipline of Raheem Sterling, who he said was similarly important to pinning Chelsea’s wing-backs back. It marked yet another solid performance after the young forward received criticism for his performance for England against Malta at the start of the month. There was even talk he may leave City, having been mentioned as a potential swap in Guardiola’s move for Alexis Sanchez, but the Catalan similarly praised his resolve.
“Rash is a young guy, he has to know that that job is not easy, so he cannot expect it always going well. I want to see him when it's going bad in national team how he react. He mustn't complain. Ideally, he'd say 'OK I'm here, manager, coach', 'Gareth Southgate/Pep, I show you how good I am, and that is the only way to become a better player. We know that is a guy we discover last season, or this season too, he likes to play more in the middle, attack more central defenders, than be wide wide on the line, but today the way we want to play, it was so necessary to be wide, go, make an action, the wingers.
"The wingers' influence today Rash was maybe minimum, but helped us from his positions to keep their full-backs in the position for more space when we need to attack, that's why both of them were so generous and of course they have the quality in the last moment for the counter-attacks, both of them they are so so fast, so quick. But he's young. It's the same. He's so young, he have a lot of [space?] to improve, in the last pass, the last assist, to be more clear in the last action. When he's able to get that, he will become a top, top, top, top player.
“These kind of players have to know, when you win, you're happy but then the next day another test, and they play bad, OK, new chance in two-three days again, so football is marvellous for that. So improve in the good things and bad things and, again, and do it again. So he's young, Rash like everybody we try to help them, to try to understand the game, his strength points, to benefit the team.”
Hart: Pep snub makes no difference to my life
The England goalkeeper insists he does not care about the manager's decision, as he spends the season on loan at West Ham United
Joe Hart insists he does not care about Pep Guardiola’s reasons for axing him from his Manchester City team, as “it makes no difference to my life”.
The England international played just once under Guardiola, in a Champions League encounter with Steaua Bucharest, with the Catalan deciding that he did not want Hart as his No.1.
Hart subsequently moved on loan to Torino, but the goalkeeper – who had previously been dropped at City by Mark Hughes – did not feel he was given a chance to prove himself.
“When I was 22, when Hughes did it, it made me a lot angrier than it did this time. I didn’t know how to deal with or how to cope with it,” he is quoted as saying by The Offside Rule Exclusives.
“So when this happened I was all up for a fight, and a fair fight is good for me and if I lose I will shake hands with my opposition, but I realised this wasn’t going to be my opportunity for a fair fight so I looked elsewhere.
"There was no point getting upset or irate because there was only ever going to be one winner and that was going to be the guy who Manchester City had put in charge.”
Hart spent a year in Italy, but did not do enough to earn a permanent move and is now on loan at West Ham United.
The Hammers do not have an option to buy Hart at the end of his loan, but the 30-year-old does not appear to have any desire to return to City.
"He has a lot of power and City fought like hell to get him as their manager and he had decisions to make and he made that with me,” he added.
"That's life and that's football. We all want a fair chance at everything but that's not how it works. I'm not going to second guess why he wanted to get rid of me.
"The only thing that came of it is that I had to leave. Why he did it or what his intentions were I don't really care because it makes no difference to my life."
WAG OF THE DAY
OTHER BOLLOX
Everton manager Ronald Koeman is on the verge of being sacked following his side's 1-0 home defeat by Burnley on Sunday. (Sun)
The Dutchman says his future at Goodison Park is out of his hands. (Daily Mirror)
And Koeman says striker Wayne Rooney, 31, was "really positive" despite being dropped for the 1-0 loss. (The Times)
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic will get until the end of the season to prove his worth at the Hammers. (Daily Mirror)
Everton will not renew their interest in Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud, 31, when the transfer window opens in January. (Daily Star)
Crystal Palace are considering a move for former AC Milan striker Alberto Gilardino. The 35-year-old is a free agent after leaving Pescara. (ESPN)
Aston Villa are keen on signing Manchester United loanee Sam Johnstone, 24, on a permanent basis in January. (Manchester Evening News)
And Villa boss Steve Bruce has said midfielder Conor Hourihane, 26, will not leave unless the club are offered "ridiculous sums of money". (Birmingham Mail)
Financial entrepreneur Amanda Staveley was at St James' Park on Sunday amid speculation she could be involved in a Newcastle takeover attempt. (Sun)
Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 29, says this could be his last season with the Bundesliga side. (Telefoot)
Former West Ham striker Carlton Cole, 33, would be open to a move to Crystal Palace. (Sky Sports)
Striker Neymar, 25, was told to turn down a world-record move to Paris St-Germain and stay at Barcelona by his father. (Telefoot)
Juventus CEO Beppe Marotta says the Italian club had a bid rejected for Liverpool midfielder Emre Can, 23, in the summer. (Premium Sport)
Watford boss Marco Silva says he convinced the Hornets' board to sign 20-year-old Brazilian winger Richarlison in the summer. (Squawka)
Former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue, 34, is set to resurrect his career with Cypriot side Turk Ocagi Limassol. (Sun)
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says his old club did not fix their problems in the transfer window and are not title contenders. (Liverpool Echo)
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 35, is recovering well, says his surgeon, but they will not rush his return from a serious knee injury. (Manchester Evening News)
Birmingham City are interested in signing Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams, 23, who is on loan at Sunderland. (Birmingham Mail)
West Brom boss Tony Pulis has been given a unique look in the new Fifa 18 video game. (Stoke Sentinel)
A Crystal Palace fanzine set up a goal of the month vote for September, when the Eagles scored one goal. (Twitter)
Manchester United forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 35, should only return to action "when he is fully fit" amid talk of an early comeback, according to his surgeon. (South China Morning Post)
Kilmarnock are prepared to search "globally" for their next manager after Lee McCulloch's exit. (Daily Record)
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has admitted defending the league title in his native Italy was easier than in England. (Telegraph)
Former England captain Bryan Robson says Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, not Tottenham striker Harry Kane, should skipper the national side. (Daily Mail)
GOLDEN BOLLOX
On this day in 2013
Pep gives City the dreaded vote of confidence
THERE will be those at Manchester City who still envisage the day when Pep Guardiola, resplendent in club attire, is sitting in the bowels of the Etihad extolling the virtues of the team’s Champions League prospects.
For the time being, however, the plaudits offered up by the Spaniard as a rival manager will suffice.
He has already maintained his Indian sign over Jose Mourinho and Chelsea by winning the European Super Cup in Prague this season. And Guardiola’s tour of his suitors continues tonight when he seeks to extend what is an even more formidable record over Manuel Pellegrini with new club Bayern Munich, who are joint top of their group, alongside City, after victory in the opening engagement against CSKA Moscow.
Yet whatever the outcome of this mouth-watering Group D showdown, he was confident enough to predict City will not only progress into the knockout stages for a first time, but also leave their mark on the competition.
“I bet you this year will be the first time they qualify for the next stage, I have a strong feeling they will do that, I am 100 per cent confident,” said Guardiola. “They are one of the biggest teams in Europe and they have made massive steps forward, winning the Premier League and other titles.
“And in my view, if they qualify, then Manchester City will be one of the toughest, toughest teams in the next round.
“It can be like Dortmund. Last year was the first time they qualified through the group stage and they were strong enough to go to the final. It can be the same for City. I don’t know why, but I have the same feeling it can happen.”
The Bayern Munich squad training in Manchester ahead of their game against City [GETTY]
Perhaps such kind words were proffered due to links with City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, and chief executive, Ferran Soriano – forged during all their successes together at Barcelona – or simply due to his fondness for Pellegrini.
He once described City’s manager as a “wonderful coach” and when Barca beat Real Madrid to La Liga success in 2009-10 – 99 points against 96 – he graciously suggested that Pellegrini’s side had deserved to be champions.
There were more accolades last night as Guardiola purred: “I am really impressed with Manuel, and I would like to be like him. No matter which team he is training – Villarreal, Malaga or Real Madrid – his footsteps and trademark are always there. If I beat them, it was because I was training one of the best teams in the world.”
And it was there that the rub comes for Pellegrini. Those frothy accolades are all well and good , but, this is a one-sided rivalry which reads P8 W7 D1 L0, with 23 goals scored against just eight in Guardiola’s favour.
On club football’s grandest stage, there is no better time for Pellegrini to break his duck, though.
But he said: “It is always about the players. I will not be playing against Pep Guardiola. It is Bayern versus Manchester City. Football is always different, and the past is the past. Now we will see the future. The key will be the performance of the important players. That normally makes the difference.”
Whether Pellegrini will discover the playing field is any more level now than when he was being confronted by Guardiola’s all-conquering Barca is debatable, despite the undercurrent that followed the reigning European champions to Manchester.
Outspoken sporting director Matthias Sammer has been critical of the early season performances under Guardiola, prompting captain Philipp Lahm, who has been redeployed from left-back to the base of the midfield to avert an injury crisis, to bite back.
“Bayern is a very strong team, but we also are in a good moment,” said Pellegrini. “I am sure we will see a good game.”
And, he hopes, one with a different outcome to when Guardiola is usually in charge of the opposition.
Dzeko: I never wanted to leave City
Edin Dzeko has dismissed suggestions that he was close to leaving Manchester City during the summer transfer window.
City striker Edin Dzeko has firmly denied suggestions that he was close to leaving the club in the summer.
The Bosnian was strongly linked with a departure from the Etihad Stadium after starting just 16 out of 38 Premier League games for two consecutive seasons under Roberto Mancini.
However, Dzeko remained with City following the arrival of new boss Manuel Pellegrini, and has looked revitalised under the stewardship of the Chilean.
The 27-year-old has started four of his side's six outings in the English top flight this term, grabbing two goals in the process.
And he has now dismissed the notion that he was ever close to an exit, while citing Pellegrini's influence on his improved form.
"I think there was a lot of speculation from journalists but I never heard from the club they wanted to sell and you never heard from me that I wanted to leave," he said.
"I've said it before; the manager is very important and for every player it's important to know the manager believes in him. He gives confidence that can change everything."
City are preparing to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, with the fixture serving as a reminder of one of the club's recent low points.
Carlos Tevez refused to come off the bench during an away meeting with the German champions when the sides last met in the group stages of the competition - with the fixture at the Allianz Arena ending 2-0 to the hosts.
But Dzeko believes Bayern will face an entirely different side when they travel to the Etihad this time around.
"We've played a few years together and we also have four new players and they've improved the squad," he said.
"We're definitely better this year than last. We don't have to think about the last two years because it's done.
"We didn't get out of the group but we have started this season in the Champions League very well and that's important for the team and the confidence.
"Now (we are) at home against the big rival in the group and we want to beat them and stay in the first position."
Three Key Battles: Manchester City vs Bayern Munich
The fact that this is Manchester City’s easiest Champions League group in three years yet it has Bayern Munich in it, says something about their difficulty in previous years.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side play host to the current holders of this competition today, with both teams the favourites to make it through to the knockout stages from Group D.
During his time with Villareal, Real Madrid and Malaga, Pellegrini came up against Pep Guardiola eight times but never got the better of his Barcelona side.
But the two clubs’ last Champions League meeting bodes well for the Chilean. Goals from David Silva and Yaya Toure secured a 2-0 win for City, but it did not stop them from finishing third in their group. Bayern meanwhile made it to the final that year, losing on penalties to Chelsea.
Sergio returns
The good news for City fans is that Sergio Aguero is fit to return after missing Saturday’s defeat to Aston Villa, but new signing Martin Demichelis is still on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, visiting Bayern will be without Spanish midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez, as well as defender Holger Badstuber, who has a knee ligament injury.
The Germans have won five of their last six games, including a 3-0 over CSKA Moscow on Matchday One of this competition two weeks ago.
City also won 3-0 on the same night, against Viktoria Plzen, but both sides will face tougher tests today.
So click on the link below to find out which three battles could decide the outcome of this exciting game.
Arjen Robben: 'Manchester City are more than just a rich club'
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has played down suggestions that Manchester City have only become a big name on the European stage because of their wealth.
The oil-rich Citizens have become regulars in the Champions League since they were bought out in 2008, but Robben feels that there is more to City's success than just having money.
"They are not the only club with a lot of money in Europe," Robben is quoted as saying to Sky Sports News.
"You can't just buy quality; you have to build a team. Having enough good players will give you a chance of hitting the jackpot at some point.
"They have the potential to progress well [in the Champions League] this time."
The European Champions visit Pellegrini's side this evening.
Malmo and Sweden midfielder Jiloan Hamad, 22, is wanted by four Premier League clubs, according to the player's agent. Daily Star
Liverpool face competition from AC Milan as they pursue Paris St-Germain playmaker Javier Pastore, 24. talkSHIT
Tottenham are lining up a move for Leyton Orient winger Moses Odubajo, 20, ahead of the January transfer window. Metro
Long-time Tottenham target Miralem Pjanic, 23, has hinted he will look to extend his stay at Roma as the attacking midfielder enters the final 18 months of his current deal at the Stadio Olimpico. talkSHIT
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, 52, believes he is on "borrowed time" and it is "inevitable" director of football Joe Kinnear will take over as Magpies boss, according to a fans' spokesman. Daily Mirror
Everton defender Phil Jagielka, 31, admits he tries to steer clear of team-mate Romelu Lukaku, 20, during training because the on-loan striker is such a handful. Daily Mirror
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has urged his old club not to offer striker Luis Suarez, 26, a new contract. Metro
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup is excited by the potential of Spanish playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo and claims the 22-year-old can make the same impact as Philippe Coutinho has at Liverpool. Wales Online
Stoke chairman Peter Coates has banned his players from publicly criticising former manager Tony Pulis. Sentinel
A cafe on the outskirts of Paris has created a £25 burger in homage to Paris St-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Jean-Phillipe Grandin, manager of Doddy's Cafe, has created 'Le Zlatan' burger, which apparently has the 'power and strength' of the 31-year-old Swedish forward. DSSC
