Manchester City pegged back twice to draw with Brighton
Manchester City missed the chance to return to the Premier League’s top four as they twice surrendered the lead in a 2-2 draw with Brighton.
Man City Sport News
Bayern unpunished for shock loss as Leverkusen fall to defeat
MUNICH: A 10-man Bayern Munich went unpunished for a shock 3-2 home defeat to Bochum on Saturday after title chasers Bayer Leverkusen were beaten 2-0 by Werder Bremen. Despite the loss, just Bayern’s second of the season, the Bavarians still hold an eight-point lead over defending champions Leverkusen with nine games to play. Leverkusen’s woes were deepened with an injury to star midfielder Florian Wirtz, who limped off after a rough challenge having played just 14 second-half minutes. With an eye on Tuesday’s return leg in the Champions League last 16 against Leverkusen, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany named a heavily changed XI, including leaving striker Harry Kane on the bench. Bayern midfielder Raphael Guerreiro’s 14th minute goal, when the Portuguese hammered a loose ball into the net, had Bayern on track before Serge Gnabry missed a 21st-minute penalty. With Kane, who has converted his past 30 penalties in a row, sitting on the bench, Gnabry stepped up but hit the ball against the post. Guerreiro however scored again with a rare header on the 28-minute mark, just three minutes before Bochum’s Jakov Medic pulled one back with an unstoppable rocket. Bochum were given hope when Bayern’s Joao Palhinha saw red for sinking his studs into Giorgos Masouras’s ankle just before half-time. Ibrahima Sissoko headed Bochum level six minutes into the second half and Matus Bero put the underdogs in front 71 minutes in, going the length of the field to knock in a Philipp Hofmann pass. Bochum’s surprise victory, their first win in Munich since 1991, took them three points clear of the automatic relegation placings. Leverkusen were down after just seven minutes when Romano Schmid tapped in from close range. With Leverkusen failing to
Salah fires Liverpool 16 points clear, Forest beat Man City
LONDON: Premier League leaders Liverpool needed two Mohamed Salah penalties to beat bottom-of-the-table Southampton 3-1 on Saturday. Liverpool stretched their lead at the top to a massive 16 points, despite a sloppy first 45 minutes. Fresh from a smash-and-grab 1-0 Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool boss Arne Slot made just three changes. However, the Dutchman was forced into making three half-time alterations to kickstart the champions-elect. Southampton have taken just nine points from 28 games all season, but stunned Anfield when Will Smallbone fired the visitors in front in first-half stoppage time.
Forest cut City down to size to boost Champions League qualification hopes
Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late goal saw Nottingham Forest take a huge step towards Champions League qualification with a 1-0 win over Manchester City, who are now looking over their shoulder.
Pep Guardiola tells Manchester City they need to earn Champions League spot
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says Champions League qualification will not fall from the sky for them after a damaging defeat at Nottingham Forest.
Forest beat Man City in a top four showdown
NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom: Nottingham Forest dealt a major blow to Manchester City’s bid to qualify for the Champions League as Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late winner sealed a 1-0 victory in the top four shoot-out on Saturday. City have been reduced to battling for a place in next season’s Champions League after a dismal campaign. Even that usually routine target is far from assured for Guardiola’s men following their ninth league defeat this term. With six titles in the past seven seasons, City have rarely had to worry about their place in the Premier League’s top four in the Pep Guardiola era. Yet they left the City Ground looking anxiously over their shoulders after a first league loss to Forest since 1997. Fifth-placed Chelsea, just one point adrift of City, will go above the champions if they beat lowly Leicester on Sunday. Finishing fifth could still be enough for City to reach Europe’s elite club competition depend on the results of the English clubs who remain in continental competitions this term. For City to achieve that modest goal, they will have to significantly improve on the latest limp display in a turbulent season. Third-placed Forest are four points clear of City thanks to only their third win in their last eight league games. Enjoying a fairytale season just a year after battling relegation, the former European champions are closing on a berth in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81. After Forest’s former defender Stuart Pearce was rushed to hospital having been taken ill on a flight this week, his old club displayed a big screen message reading ‘Get Well Soon Stuart’, after three minutes of the Premier League game, recognizing Pearce’s old shirt number three. Forest were able to draw on
Pep Guardiola: Jack Grealish can enjoy a night out but must deliver on the pitch
Pep Guardiola insisted he had no issue with Jack Grealish enjoying a night out – but warned he must deliver on the pitch for Manchester City.
Man City boss Guardiola feeling pressure as top-four race heats up
Pep Guardiola admitted Friday he is feeling the pressure as he tries to salvage Manchester City’s poor season by finishing in the top four of the Premier League.