Football: Man City raise the bar as Man Utd suffer more misery

MANCHESTER -- Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes his side have raised the bar in the Premier League after edging one point back ahead of Liverpool in a titanic title race with a 2-0 win at Manchester United on Wednesday.

Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane struck for the visitors in 12 second-half minutes at Old Trafford to inflict a seventh defeat in nine games on United, who remain three points adrift of the top four.

City cannot match their record 100 points tally in romping to the title last season, but victories over Burnley, Leicester and Brighton will clinch the title on 98 points and ensure Liverpool's 29-year wait to win the league continues despite already posting a club record points tally in the Premier League era.

"We increased the level for the Premier League last season with 100 points. That's the level Liverpool are chasing. What they have done is incredible but it's in our hands," said Guardiola.

"Both teams deserve the title. But it can be just one. The team that is going to lose can't have regrets because they have given everything."

City's trip to Old Trafford was billed as the last big hurdle left for Guardiola's men to clear despite United's terrible run of form.

However, Guardiola warned of the tight turnaround before a very different type of test at Burnley on Sunday.

"Normally with this kind of victory you can it enjoy it the most but we have to be calm," added Guardiola.

"Now we go to Burnley and we know how tough it will be. It's important to be calm. We are still not champions with three games left -- it's incredible with the points we have and Liverpool have.

"I told the players don't read tomorrow, don't watch the television, just rest and sleep a lot."

- City the standard bearers -

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer slammed his players' attitude after a 4-0 thrashing at Everton on Sunday and was rewarded with a far more energetic and committed performance, even if City's greater quality eventually shone through.

"They've set the standard in the last couple of seasons. They have been the best team in the country and that's the standard we want to get to," admitted Solskjaer.

Yet, Arsenal's defeat at Wolves means the Red Devils are still very much in the race for Champions League qualification, should they beat fourth-placed Chelsea at home on Sunday.

"I'm concerned about the lack of results," added Solskjaer. 

"The strange reality is that we are still in with a shout for the top four. We need more quality on Sunday because we need to win that game and, if we win it, we have two games to get those points and goals we need."

Solskjaer has bemoaned United's fitness levels in recent weeks and again after an early burst, they started to flag as City created a spurt of chances either side of half-time.

"We know what's been going wrong, it's mentality and willingness to run for your team," said United striker Marcus Rashford.

"Forget the top four and the Champions League. We have to get to the bottom of it and start playing like Manchester United for ourselves."

Raheem Sterling shot too close to David De Gea after weaving through a host of United bodies inside the area before Sergio Aguero dragged well wide when unmarked at the edge of the box as City went through the gears towards the end of the first-half.

But it was an enforced change early in the second-half that swung the game City's way as Guardiola boldly introduced Sane when the more defensive-minded Fernandinho went down injured.

De Gea has been a rare model of consistent brilliance as United have fallen behind City in recent seasons.

But the Spaniard's dramatic dip in form of late continued as he could have done better for both goals.

Guardiola's positive change was instantly rewarded when Bernardo cut inside onto his favoured left foot and beat De Gea at his near post.

Sane has been scarcely used by Guardiola of late, but the German, whose winning goal inflicted Liverpool's only league defeat of the season in January, again showed his capability to make a difference in the biggest games.

Sterling led a City counter-attack before feeding Sane, whose powerful shot De Gea could not keep out.

"I like to be critical of him because I know his potential," said Guardiola of Sane. "The way he came in was incredible."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Sterling winner caps late Man City comeback at Schalke

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany -- Raheem Sterling sealed a dramatic 3-2 Champions League win for 10-man Manchester City at Schalke on Wednesday as the English champions scored twice in the last five minutes.

Sterling tucked away the winner at the Veltins Arena in the 90th minute just after substitute Leroy Sane fired home a stunning free-kick for the Premier League leaders against his former club in the last 16, first leg.

"I waited for my chance and wanted to shoot from there as I had previously scored from that position and it restored our confidence," a delighted Sane told broadcaster DAZN after his equaliser.

Schalke led 2-1 at half-time as the video assistant referee (VAR) twice intervened to award penalties, both converted by Nabil Bentaleb, cancelling out Sergio Aguero's opener in Gelsenkirchen.

City were in real trouble with 22 minutes left when Nicolas Otamendi, who gave away the controversial first penalty, was sent off for a second yellow card before Sane's moment of brilliance and Sterling's winner.

"We will not go far in this competition unless we improve," said City manager Pep Guardiola.

"At the end the quality of Sane and Sterling made the difference."

However, City still have some work to do in the return leg on March 12 with Fernandinho, who was booked when conceding the second spot-kick, and Otamendi both suspended.

Schalke are just above the Bundesliga's relegation places and winless in their last four league games, yet they gave Premier League leaders City an almighty scare.

The hosts initially struggled to get out of their half as Man City dominated the opening 30 minutes, until the game swung dramatically Schalke's way with the two penalty decisions.

Schalke shot themselves in the foot for City's opening goal on 18 minutes when a lazy pass from goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann to Salif Sane was snapped up by David Silva.

The Spaniard drew Faehrmann and selflessly served up a simple tap-in for Aguero to claim his 10th goal in his last seven City appearances.

- Schalke sparked into life -

However, falling behind sparked life into Schalke.

Striker Mark Uth fired wide, then ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Bentaleb got the better of Ilkay Gundogan in midfield.

Likewise, a cheer went up when US international Weston McKennie nicked the ball off Kevin De Bruyne.

Schalke drew level after Daniel Caligiuri fired in a speculative shot which clipped Otamendi's arm.

There was a delay of nearly three minutes for a VAR review, which Sky reported was caused by a technical problem as referee Carlos del Cerro Grande could not view the replay.

Despite City's furious protests, the spot-kick was duly awarded, which Bentaleb tucked away to the delight of the home crowd on 38 minutes and they would be celebrating again soon after.

The Germans took the lead when Fernandinho pushed Senegal defender Salif Sane when a free-kick flew into the box, and VAR again intervened and another penalty went Schalke's way.

Bentaleb stepped up to smash the spot-kick past Ederson and put Schalke ahead.

The second half was a much more even affair with Schalke no longer intimidated to be playing star-studded City.

In turn, the visitors' problems were compounded on 68 minutes when Otamendi clattered Schalke's replacement forward Guido Burgstaller and was dismissed.

Guardiola reacted by swapping midfielder David Silva for veteran centre-back Vincent Kompany to settle the defence.

In a bid to turn the match with 13 minutes left, Leroy Sane came on for Aguero and the Germany international produced the goods against the club he left in 2016.

Then Sterling latched onto goalkeeper Ederson's long clearance as the home defence hesitated and slotted in.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Five-star Manchester City edge thriller with Monaco

MANCHESTER, England - Manchester City came out on top in an epic Champions League battle against Monaco as late goals by John Stones and Leroy Sane secured a 5-3 victory in a last 16 first-leg thriller on Tuesday that had goals galore and a missed penalty.

City took the lead through Raheem Sterling but were then playing catch-up as Monaco drew level thanks to Radamel Falcao's header and then went ahead with a powerful finish from 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe five minutes before halftime.

South American poachers Sergio Aguero for City and Falcao, who also missed a penalty, then traded blows with Aguero equalizing for 2-2 and then 3-3 after Falcao's exquisite chip gave Monaco the lead for the second time at The Etihad.

City, however, then pulled clear as Stones tapped in at the far post and Sane rolled the ball into an empty net to give City a two-goal advantage ahead of the return on March 15.

City manager Pep Guardiola had called Monaco "killers" in the box before the game and while they showed just why they are European football's most deadly assassins, they were embarrassingly fragile at times at the back.

They were behind after 26 minutes when Sterling tapped home after Sane dazzled down the left and teed up the England winger.

ROUTE BACK

Monaco were handed a route back into the match after 32 minutes following an error by City's Willy Caballero, the first of the night's goalkeeping blunders.

He gave the ball away with a poor clearance and the visitors worked it to Fabinho whose devilish cross was headed home by former Manchester United and Chelsea striker Falcao, who has found his best form again since returning to France.

City were denied a penalty by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz when Aguero appeared to be upended by keeper Danijel Subasic before Monaco grabbed the lead through Mbappe.

The 18-year-old was released through the middle and lashed his finish into the top corner past Caballero.

The visitors should have extended their advantage soon after the restart but Falcao's tame penalty was saved after Nicolas Otamendi had been penalized for catching the Colombian as he tried to convert Benjamin Mendy's cross.

City swiftly made Monaco pay as Aguero ended a six-game goal-drought thanks to a Subasic howler. Sterling slid the ball through and the Argentine fired straight at the keeper but it squirmed out of his hands into the net after 58 minutes.

Parity was short-lived, however, as Falcao turned City defender Stones before lifting an exquisite chip over the stranded Caballero to make it 3-2 to the principality club.

Aguero levelled once more when he volleyed home from 12 metres after a corner and City took the lead when Kevin De Bruyne's set-piece was turned in by Stones at the far post.

The final twist in one of the most entertaining encounters in the competition's recent history came when Aguero rolled the ball into the path of Sane who tapped into an empty net.

(Writing by Toby Davis; editing by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com