Manchester City - BBC Sport (2023)

Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier misses out with the hamstring problem that caused his substitution last weekend.

David Brooks is nearing a return to full training but remains sidelined, along with Lloyd Kelly, Illia Zabarnyi and Lewis Cook.

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is back in training after sitting out their Champions League fixture in midweek with illness.

Aymeric Laporte and John Stones, who also missed that game, are still out.

For the latest round of Premier League predictions, Chris Sutton is up against Those Damn Crows drummer Ronnie Huxford, who supports Manchester United and Wales.

Sutton's prediction: 1-4

Manchester City were not ruthless enough in their two other away games this week, which saw them draw with Forest and RB Leipzig, but I have a feeling things will be different this time.

City cannot afford another slip-up in the league because if they drop any more points and Arsenal win then the gap grows again and wipes out the work they did when they won at Emirates Stadium this month.

I don't see Pep Guardiola's side coming up short here, though. Bournemouth have been really stubborn in the past few weeks and will make this competitive, but I am backing City to take their chances and get back among the goals.

Ronnie's prediction: 0-2

Bournemouth will make it tough but I don't think they have got enough to stop City.

Find out how Sutton and Ronnie think the rest of the games will go and cast your vote here

Pep Guardiola says Erling Haaland can't be blamed for his lack of touches against RB Leipzig and that it is the responsibility of the whole team.

Much was made of the striker's statistics in the 1-1 draw at RB Leipzig in the Champions League this week, with only one shot on target and his first touch in the opposition box coming in the 68th minute.

Guardiola said: "It’s our fault, not Erling's. Erling has impressive all season.

"I don’t need metrics. When I finish the game, one second later I know if he was involved or not and who should be more involved or not. I don’t need numbers or metrics, I know exactly. He moved well.

"In the last game, you are right [he didn't touch the ball enough] but against Nottingham no. He had the chances against Nottinham in the first and second half.

"Of course he will improve, we talked about that many times, it's going to happen.

"Striker is the most difficult position in the world because they have two players just focusing on him and now with Erling he has more. It’s not easy to do that.

"Lately in the last game I would agree, I said we need more control, more passes than usual. We were really intense in the first half, in the second we dropped a little bit and that's why we struggled a little bit. Against Leipzig you suffer, but in that game we should have looked for him more, but not in the previous ones."

Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Manchester City's Premier League game against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He thinks Kevin de Bruyne will return to training today, but Aymeric Laporte won't. John Stones might "partially" take part.

• On if teams have generally become better at dealing with City, Pep said: "We have done in general really well home and away for many years and this season is no exception."

• On being on a run of five away games, he said: "We have to take energy from I don't know where, but we have to."

• When asked how many teams he sees in the title race, he said: "It's been a two-horse race for many years but now finally there are more."

• On the Cherries, he said: "I saw many good things I liked about Bournemouth. They are so intense. If they have done it away imagine at home."

Follow Friday's Premier League manager news conferences

Last week we asked our fan community writer to pick a cult hero for your club and Pablo Zabaleta got the nod.

It sparked debate so we asked you for your choice. Here are some of your selections:

Steve: Ultimate club legend? Depends on your age. For me it's 'The King' - Colin Bell. I often think what he'd be like in today's team. Genius.

Tom: Paul Dickov. My favourite player growing up, and without that goal against Gillingham, none of what followed would have been possible and we might still be playing in the EFL.

David: Shaun Goater. Seemingly the nicest guy in the world and also a lethal goalscorer. He was a shining light for the club during it's darkest days and forms a major part of my memories of Maine Road. The pick-pocketing of Gary Neville alone should be enough to get him in the debate for cult hero.

John: Has to be Andy Morrison. He only made 48 appearances for the club but was so influential at a difficult time. He was a leader on the pitch and the regard he is still held in speaks volumes.

• Bournemouth have never beaten Manchester City in 17 previous league meetings (D2 L15) - it is the most one team has faced another without ever winning in English Football League history.

• Manchester City have had 515 open play sequences of 10 or more passes in the Premier League this season, over 150 more than any other side and 412 more than Bournemouth who rank 20th.

• No Bournemouth player has been involved in more Premier League goals this season than Marcus Tavernier (seven - three goals, four assists). His seven involvements have come in his past four starts in the competition.

  (Video) 1978: MAN CITY - Football is BIG BUSINESS | Nationwide | Classic BBC Sport | BBC Archive

Former Premier League defender Matthew Upson believes Erling Haaland is more effective for Manchester City in games where they don't dominate possession.

In Wednesday's 1-1 draw with RB Leipzig, City had more of the ball with 62% possession, but it was a quiet display from Haaland on his return to Germany.

Haaland had just seven touches of the ball in the first half and none of those were in the opposition penalty box. His first touch in the Leipzig box came in the 68th minute.

At full-time he had had 20 touches of the ball and just one shot on goal.

Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily: "It’s his job, that’s what his job is. You can’t say he doesn’t do his job when you look at the numbers.

"I know he didn’t score tonight, but that’s his role. That’s how they play. I don’t know if you can say too much more about it. His manager seems happy with it and he seems happy that he scores a lot of goals and is going to be breaking records.

"How can you look at Manchester City and say they aren’t successful at the moment with the amount of goals they are scoring?

"Do you not feel sometimes they are more dangerous and create better chances when they don’t have as much of the ball? It never used to be that way because the dominance of the ball, they would just smother you to pieces without Haaland in the team.

"But with him in the team, they look more dangerous to me when they don’t have the ball. It’s a bit of a conundrum in that way for me."

Manchester City's Steph Houghton added: "I’m a big Haaland fan and I think what he does for the team is something that a lot of people don’t see.

"His work rate defensively is unbelievable and even though we don’t feel he is getting involved a lot with the ball, he is occupying two players all the time because nobody really wants to be in a one v one situation with him running in behind or with the ball at his feet."

Listen to Football Daily on BBC Sounds

Portugal defender Joao Cancelo, 28, says his loan move to Bayern Munich was an opportunity he could not refuse after believing he should play more at Manchester City, while manager Pep Guardiola disagreed. (O Jogo, via Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's gossip column

Gary Rose, BBC Sport

An away draw in the knockout stage of Europe should be considered a very decent result, but City boss Pep Guardiola will likely be frustrated that his side failed to once again make their first-half dominance count.

They had gone into the game looking to respond after they were held by Nottingham Forest at the weekend, once again conceding in the second half after scoring before the break.

They controlled proceedings in the early stages of this game as Leipzig rarely ventured beyond their own half and once Riyad Mahrez scored it seemed only a question of how many more goals City would score.

But despite their possessional dominance, City found it hard to create too many chances, not helped by the absence of Kevin de Bruyne through illness.

Erling Haaland struggled to make an impact on his return to Germany, but really should have scored with one of his few chances in the second half, racing forward before dragging his shot well wide.

But while City may be frustrated not to have come away with a win, they will be confident of getting the job done back at the Etihad where they have won 17 of their 19 games this season.

Kevin de Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte will miss Manchester City's Champions League last-16 first-leg tie with RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

The pair did not train on Tuesday and have not been included in the squad travelling to Germany.

Both have been ruled out because of illness, manager Pep Guardiola said.

Defender John Stones also misses the game as he continues to recover from a thigh injury, but January signing Maximo Perrone has travelled.

Who will make Guardiola's line-up? Predict the City starting XI

Counter-attacking kings RB Leipzig will pose a "real threat" to Manchester City's quest to win a first Champions League, believes former England defender Matt Upson.

City visit the Bundesliga outfit for the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday and Upson has warned Pep Guardiola's team that Leipzig will see them as the perfect opposition given the sides' respective playing styles.

"Leipzig are the best counter-attacking team in Europe at the moment," Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"Their record is great. Playing Manchester City, for them, isn’t that much of a problem because they are OK to not have the ball.

"They welcome teams to come on to them, especially at home, and they’ve got that ability to just hit you on the counter with real quality and pace. It’s going to be interesting to see how Manchester City handle that."

Guardiola has claimed in the build-up that City are taking a more phlegmatic 'what will be, will be' approach in their bid to be crowned champions of Europe for the first time after several seasons of coming up short.

But Upson believes that is just a public facade, adding: "Perhaps he’s having this change of philosophy because the pressure can sometimes be too much.

“Everybody at the club knows Guardiola has a great history with the Champions League but hasn’t won it with Manchester City, so I’m sure he’s desperate to.

"It’s a slightly more relaxed approach... but I’m sure behind the scenes he is his usual intense self."

Hear more City chat from 25'20 on BBC Sounds

Leicester City are trying to persuade James Maddison to sign a new deal, but will look to sell the 26-year-old playmaker in the summer if it does not look like he will stay at the club. Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham are interested in the England international. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Pep Guardiola says he feels "more than blessed" with his achievements in the Champions League and that he has grown to accept "nothing will be enough" in his pursuits of glory with Manchester City.

Guardiola has yet to win the competition with City but won the tournament twice with Barcelona.

His City side lost a dramatic semi-final at Real Madrid last season and resume their knockout campaign this term against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

Public opinion focuses on Europe's biggest prize being the one City desire more than any other and Guardiola feels such expectation creates a scenario whereby criticism can easily arrive.

"I would say if my career finished tomorrow I would be more than blessed with what I've done at Barcelona, Bayern and here," said Guardiola.

"To do what I've done in Europe in such a small amount of time. We want to do our best. In the end destiny is already written.

"I had the feeling what we have done for many years, whatever happens, or what I do personally, I'm going to fail. Nothing will be enough."

Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before his side face RB Leipzig in the Champions League in Germany on Wednesday.

Here is what the Manchester City boss had to say before the first-leg:

• Kevin de Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte will miss the game with illness.

• On Leipzig Guardiola said: "Right after the draw, I knew it, I felt it, that it will be a really tough opponent. We know the quality of them. For many years this club has a culture for young players, recruitment, physicality, clear patterns to play. Huge respect what this club has done. It will be a tough, tough two games. In the first game, we have to try to control emotions and get a good result for the second leg."

• Guardiola says he has come to terms with the fact he will be deemed to "fail" at Manchester City each time he doesn't win a competition.

• He added: "I would say if my career finished tomorrow, I will be more than blessed and grateful with what I have done with Barca, Bayern and here in this competition. I could not ask more. We want to do our best. At the end the destiny is already written."

• Guardiola says there is a "perspective" that "everything is a disaster" if City don't win a competition in which they compete.

• Asked about comments by Thierry Henry that City are more "predictable" since signing Erling Haaland, Guardiola said: "To be less predictable does not depend on Haaland. It’s about how we make the process to arrive in different channels and the final third, not just with Erling."

• Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has scored six goals in four previous appearances against RB Leipzig (all for Borussia Dortmund), at an average of one every 60 minutes.

• Among managers to have taken charge of 50 or more Champions League matches, City boss Pep Guardiola has the highest win percentage (63% - 97 wins from 154 games).

• City have only lost one of their previous 17 matches against German sides in the competition (W14 D2), scoring an average of 2.6 goals per game across these fixtures. Their only defeat was actually by Leipzig in last season’s group stage, though Guardiola's team had already qualified for the knockout rounds going into that fixture.

Nigel Rothband,The Man City Show podcast, external

It is astonishing what a difference three days can make.

On Wednesday, I witnessed a tremendous performance by Manchester City, particularly in the second half, when goals from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland clinched a statement win to take over from Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League.

Despite Arsenal having a game in hand, most of the talk that night was about City going on to win their fifth title in six years.

Fast forward to Saturday, and despite dominating the game with 73% possession and more than 20 shots, the Blues failed to capitalise - before conceding late on to draw at Nottingham Forest.

As a result, Arsenal regained top spot by two points, still with that game in hand, and they are now being talked about as the favourites to win their first title in 19 years.

City played well on Saturday, doing all the things we were asking for when it wasn't clicking just a few weeks ago; moving the ball quickly, taking players on, getting balls into the box and creating lots of chances. OK, we missed a swathe of chances and our finishing left a lot to be desired.

I’m reasonably confident Haaland will find his goalscoring boots and add to the 32 he has already netted to go on not only to break Derek Kevan’s City scoring record of 1964 (36 goals - that I just about remember), but also beat Bobby Johnson’s 38 goals in 1929 - that my dad just about remembers!

It’s going to be a hard-fought title race and it’s certainly not over following the past two results.

The Monday Night Club team have looked into the form of Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and have compared his contribution to a host of strikers, including Manchester City's Erling Haaland.

Listen to the show in full here