Once again, it’s another day of headlines focusing on Sunday’s clash with Liverpool.
Both teams are going for the title and the showdown has captured the imagination of the media as well as the fans, so don’t expect that to change until the whistle blows at Anfield.
Anyway, let us begin with the MEN’s Stuart Brennan, who has written a defence of City’s title credentials following what he deems to be a “media overload” on Liverpool’s qualities this season.
He writes: “The media overload on Liverpool has been astonishing.
“It is true that Liverpool play excellent, attractive football, and purists always prefer a footballing team to a pragmatic, dull outfit like Chelsea.
“But if you look at the season as a whole, and don’t just retain a goldfish-like recall of the last few weeks, City have been the team of the season.
“In the deep midwinter, they were smashing teams – six past Spurs and Arsenal, seven past Norwich, five at Spurs.
“And, while Liverpool have also been scoring for fun, to suggest the Blues’ brand of football does not merit the title is churlish.
“All things being equal, the Blues have the greater quality throughout their team – it is fair to say the only Liverpool players who might displace their City counterparts from a combined team are Martin Skrtel for Martin Demichelis and Luis Suarez for Edin Dzeko.”
Speaking of that man Luis Suarez, and before everyone starts penning their own combined XIs, the striker has been telling the media that Liverpool are ignoring the hype and concentrating on each game as it comes.
The Daily Express quote him as saying: "We're not getting carried away with the talk of a possible trophy. It's obviously nice for the fans to believe and be excited.
"But it's our responsibility as players to concentrate on the next team we face, do our best on the pitch and we'll see what happens in May."
Some May sunshine would be nice to be honest.
Anyway, moving back to the City camp, EPL Index has crunched the numbers and come up with the key stats, battles and players.
It is unlikely to surprise any Blues fan that Yaya Toure is seen to play a pivotal role as to which set of supporters goes home with a smile, alongside Fernandinho.
The article reads: “Toure has by far been Man City’s best performer this season and has shown how vital he is to City with his goals, assists, work rate and ability to move from box to box efficiently. Toure has had his best goals return this season with 18 to his name, with one every 144 minutes.
“With 5 assists, Toure has created 32 chances with seven of them being clear cut. The Ivorian international has worked up a great partnership with summer acquisition Fernandinho and their ability to break up play in the midfield has helped City grind out attacks in many games. The two central midfielders will hope to be on top form on the weekend and when they are, they normally come out victorious.”
Manchester City an Unlikely, Stealthy Backer of Chelsea's Champions League Run
"Come on Chelsea" is normally the last thing you would ever expect to hear Manchester City supporters say.
Until now. City supporters will be pulling vociferously for their London rivals to play courageously and surge toward a trophy.
Not in the Premier League, mind you. In the Champions League.
City fans are not going to be pulling for Chelsea in any of their five remaining Premier League fixtures—with the possible exception of Chelsea's visit to Anfield to play Liverpool on April 27. Indeed, City fans would love to see Chelsea win that match and lose the other four in the league.
That would do fine for City boss Manuel Pellegrini, who was famously disrespected by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho earlier this season, an incident which helped relight the fuse on their longstanding feud.
For the next six weeks, though, Pellegrini and the whole City operation should be firmly behind Chelsea's Champions League run, because each Champions League success for Mourinho's side adds fixtures to Chelsea's slate and diverts at least some of their attention from the chase for the Premier League crown.
And, it must be said, additional Champions League action further wears on a group of players that have already played 50 competitive matches this season. Those added matches can bring unintended and unwelcome consequences, as Eden Hazard would no doubt attest.
Mourinho is basking in the plaudits from many corners following his side's conjurer's act in the dying moments to wrest a Champions League semi-final berth from Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford Bridge.
Giving credit where it is due, Mourinho was masterful in that match, and his unwavering confidence in his tactics and his players paid a huge dividend against PSG.
But the mountain's ascent becomes steeper and acutely perilous the higher Chelsea go in the Champions League. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid remain in the draw; two legs against any of those sides will wring a squad out.
Meanwhile, City and Liverpool have nothing but Premier League matches left to play.
So let Chelsea continue this thrilling (for them) quest for another Champions League trophy.
City would be fine to see Chelsea win the Champions League if it means that Chelsea might drop points in the Premier League.
On second thought, you're right. City would be fine to see Chelsea lose in the Champions League final, dropping Premier League points along the way.
Much better.
Liverpool Prepare Summer Move for Manchester City Defender Micah Richards
Liverpool are favourites to sign Manchester City right-back Micah Richards in the summer after the player told the management that he is willing to leave the club, according to the Metro.
Richards' career at City has been stunted by a series of injuries which has stopped his ascendancy in the City ranks. The England international has made only 12 starts in all competitions for City this season and is looking for a move out of the club to get more game time.
The defender has been in talks with City over an extension but having received no assurances over his future, he is likely to make his way out of the club, with Liverpool looking to bring the player in as backup for Glen Johnson.
Brendan Rodgers is reportedly a huge fan of the player and will make a £7m bid at the end of the season to bring the exciting right-back to Anfield. Liverpool are currently at the top of the league table and need reinforcements in the summer to build a squad to challenge for the Champions League trophy next season.
It will be a major coup for Rodgers, who is looking to build a team resting on the shoulders of Englishmen with Steven Gerrard leading the lines, followed by the likes of Jordan Henderson, Daniel Sturridge and others.
The Reds face Manchester City this weekend in a top of the table clash where the winners will be favourites to lift the Premier League trophy.
John Guidetti: Is his future with the Citizens on the line?
Last January, Manchester City starlet John Guidetti headed south to Staffordshire, to join a Stoke City side with misfiring strikers and a lack of goals across the team. Guidetti was brought in to help keep Stoke in the top division, whilst gaining valuable experience under former boss Mark Hughes.
The move itself was Guidetti’s chance to prove himself, the first time he is allowed to get valuable Premier League experience after a wonderful loan move to Feyenoord in 2011/12 before paralysis of the right leg halted the Swede’s career for 18 months.
Guidetti 21, was in fact tipped to start alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Euro 2012 before the dastardly illness shelved his progress and he had hoped to regain that kind of form again when Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini allowed him to leave the club on loan for the rest of the campaign.
Subsequently, in came a host of offers from the likes of Ajax, Internazionale, Feyenoord, Lazio and Real Betis but City chose Stoke, a place where they felt Guidetti would thrive and mature as a player, to come back next campaign ready for the vigours of a top four side.
They couldn’t have been more wrong.
Guidetti has played just 59 minutes for the Staffordshire club since joining in early January, as the form of Peter Odemwingie and the reputation of Peter Crouch has kept the City youngster out of the starting eleven. In a recent game against Norwich, Guidetti came on, won a penalty and was the player sacrificed as Jonathan Walters was sent off. So much for match experience, eh?
The question really is, why did City sent Guidetti to Stoke? They’d just signed Odemwingie, already had Peter Crouch, Marko Arnautovic and Jonathan Walters and therefore didn’t really look light on attacking options.
The likes of Ajax or Lazio may have been better for the Swedish international but instead City chose to send him to Hughes. The same Hughes, you might recall, that whilst at City, chose to play Ched Evans instead of Daniel Sturridge. Make of that what you will.
Next year, Guidetti’s contract is up and there have been rumours of Feyenoord offering £1.2m to take him off City’s hands. However, it is well-known that Pellegrini likes him (he tried to sign him whilst at Malaga) and may give the Swede a lifeline.
Whether City offer him a new deal I don’t know, but another Premier League loan next campaign, this time with opportunities may be the best thing for him. He is a talent, there’s no doubt about that, a talent that most of us City fans would hate to see go to waste.
Liverpool line up Everton loan star
Liverpool have intensified their interest in Everton’s on-loan Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry, [football] direct news understands.
The title-chasing Reds, who were interested in the 32-year-old prior to his move from Aston Villa to City five years ago, are keen to secure his free transfer signature in June, according to a source close to Anfield.
The insider told FDN manager Brendan Rodgers views Barry’s wealth of international and European experience as vital ahead of next season’s Champions League campaign, which is all but certain after a run of nine successive wins.
Liverpool come up against City on Sunday in what could prove to be a title decider.
Barry will not be extending his contract at the Etihad Stadium after learning that he is surplus to requirements in the eyes of boss Manuel Pellegrini.
The Chilean was happy to lose him on loan when he succeeded Roberto Mancini last summer – in stark contrast, Mancini viewed Barry as a pivotal member of the first team.
Barry, who has impressed for Everton this term, is not permitted to speak to English clubs until his contract runs out, although he can speak with overseas teams immediately.
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Premier League starlet hits 40-yard screamer against Middlesbrough
Remember the name Emyr Huws - because you're bound to be hearing it time and time again over the next few years.
The talented youngster has been spoken about as a huge prospect in recent years - but it seems as though he is ready to show the world what he can do.
Huws is currently out on loan with Birmingham City, but it surely won't be too long before he breaks through with parent club Manchester City if he keeps on doing things like this.
While he couldn't help the Blues secure a victory against Middlesbrough, his stunning 40-yard strike certainly was the highlight of the encounter at the Riverside.
Huws picked up the ball near the right touchline but was initially forced away from goal.
'Boro may have thought the danger was gone but the 20-year-old Manchester City starlet soon turned and bore down on goal, before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the net.
Such was the panache and power of the youngster's strike that it instantly bought to mind similar goals scored by his countryman Gareth Bale.
Indeed, Huws, who won his first cap for Wales last month, can look forward to being compared to the Real Madrid superstar for many years yet.
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini won't mind that of course...
Liverpool v Manchester City tickets selling for up to £5,000 a pair
• Tickets for £52 seat advertised for £2,453
• Cheapest Kop ticket costs £85 more than season ticket
Liverpool supporters desperate to be at Anfield for Sunday's game against Manchester City are being asked to pay almost £5,000 a pair by online ticket vendors.
With Brendan Rodgers's team two points clear at the top of the Premier League table, the demand for tickets was always going to rocket for what has been termed by the Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho as the club's "biggest game in 24 years".
But as of Wednesday afternoon the website livefootballtickets.com was selling tickets for a seat in the Centenary Stand at an extortionate £2,453 per seat but they need to be bought in pairs. A face value ticket for the same section costs £52.
There are other options available on the website including tickets for the Kop, where the cheapest seat is being offered for £795 – £85 more than a season ticket for a place directly behind the goal.
Prices for the away end start at £430 but a face value ticket cost £44.
The cheapest tickets on a Spanish-based website, ticketbis.net, for Liverpool's final game of the season at home to Newcastle United on 11 May start at £2,548.70 with a place in an Anfield executive area costing £5,428.40.
Both websites allow those in possession of tickets to place an advert on the site with their own nominated price. Ticketbis.net "provides a mediation service to their users" according to the site's terms and conditions, while livefootballtickets.com say "availability and prices of tickets are driven by market demand [and] are not determined by LiveFootballTickets".
A spokesperson for the Liverpool supporters' group, Spirit of Shankly, told the Liverpool Echo that the prices were disgraceful and called on the club to take action.
"Fans are being charged well over the odds for a ticket and it's disgraceful. Supporters want to go along and support both sides and it should never be a question of only those who can afford it.
"We call on Liverpool Football Club to try to take action on this. Those who charge such extortionate amounts should be found and challenged.
"These aren't just touts outside the ground, these are on websites. Why can't the authorities, or Liverpool, buy one and find out who it originally belongs to? If they're going to tackle it properly, they need to take action and get to the bottom of this."
This is not the first instance of Liverpool supporters being scammed by touts in recent weeks. In February, free passes for next week's Hillsborough memorial were masked as tickets for the fixture against Swansea and sold for £100.
At the time, a Liverpool spokesperson said "supporters should only buy tickets through official channels and we regularly remind fans about the dangers of purchasing from touts and others.
"The technology deployed at our turnstiles will refuse entry to anyone without an official ticket."
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[/spoiler]Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward will stay in Germany after United's Champions League defeat in a bid to secure a deal for Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos, 24. Daily Mirror
Arsenal are monitoring 24-year-old Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez's recovery from a knee injury having joined the race to sign him before a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament ended his hopes of playing for England at the World Cup. Daily Star
Southampton want to sign Burnley striker Danny Ings following the injury to former Clarets forward Rodriguez. Ings, 22, has scored 20 goals in the Championship this season. Sun
Arsenal are interested in signing Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, 32, according to Gunners midfielder Santi Cazorla, 29. Sport 360
Manchester United are considering a £6m move for PSV Eindhoven's Colombian right-back Santiago Aris, 22. Sun
Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun, 19, says Arsenal and AC Milan have started talks with Russian club Rubin Kazan to sign him.
Daily Star
Tottenham and Arsenal could renew their interest in AC Milan's M'Baye Niang. The French striker, 19, is on loan at Montpellier but the Ligue 1 side are not in a position to do a permanent deal. Sun
Belgium boss Marc Wilmots thinks his country's midfield star Eden Hazard, 23, should leave Chelsea and join PSG in the summer - in order to become a better player. Metro
Sunderland will only recoup half of the £4m they paid for Alfred N'Diaye in January 2013 if the Senegal midfielder, 24, who has spent the whole season on loan, makes a permanent move to Real Betis. Sun
Hull City boss Steve Bruce has backed the club's owners' proposed rebranding to Hull Tigers despite the FA Council rejecting the request. Guardian
Louis van Gaal, 62, is free to hold talks with Tottenham about becoming their next head coach while he finalises Netherlands' World Cup squad. Daily Telegraph
Newcastle will have to hand back nearly £12,000 after overcharging Southampton fans who travelled to St James' Park on 14 December. DSSC
Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla, 29, wants the club to spend heavily on revamping the squad this summer, hinting he may leave if he does not believe they can compete for trophies. Sport 360
Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman, 50, says winning the FA Cup is more important than a securing a place in next season's Champions League. Daily Mirror
Wigan boss Uwe Rosler says the club can go into their FA Cup semi-final with Arsenal at Wembley on Saturday knowing the pressure is firmly on the shoulders of Arsene Wenger and his team as they look to end their eight seasons without silverware. Daily Star
The law should be changed to force football clubs to pay the full cost of policing matchdays, according to one of the country's most senior police officials. Times
Borussia Dortmund are looking at FC Porto's Jackson Martinez, 27, and Fulham's Konstantinos Mitroglou, 26, as possible replacements for Bayern Munich-bound Robert Lewandoski. Bild
Atletico Madrid will not field 21-year-old goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois against his parent club Chelsea if they meet in the Champions League semi-finals as they would have to pay £2.5m (€3m) for each leg. As
Galatasaray manager Roberto Mancini has denied rumours of his return to Inter Milan, saying that his work at the Turkish club is not yet finished. Tuttosport
Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon says current president Florentino Perez is like a sheikh. As
Marseille manager Jose Anigo has hinted at leaving the French club as it is not the right place to "recharge". L'Equipe
Former Premier League midfielder Lassana Diarra, 29, has denied rumours on social media websites that he had become a jihadist in the Syria war. Daily Telegraph
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