Sports
EPL: Guardiola rules Man City out of title race, eyes January signings
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Pep-Guardiola-1000x576.jpg&description=EPL: Guardiola rules Man City out of title race, eyes January signings', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Pep-Guardiola-1000x576.jpg&description=EPL: Guardiola rules Man City out of title race, eyes January signings', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
Pep Guardiola has declared there is “no chance” of Manchester City winning the Premier League this season.
This comment follows the club’s 2-0 victory over Leicester City on Sunday— their second win in 14 matches across all competitions.
The win leaves City fifth on the table, trailing leaders, Liverpool, by 14 points.
In a late Sunday statement on the Premier League website titled “‘No chance’ – Guardiola rules Man City out of title race,” the Catalan manager admitted the title is already out of reach.
“Hopefully the new year can help us bounce back,” Guardiola said post-match. “It is not enjoyable right now, it is just relief. We have done incredible things for many years. It is not the best.”
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, he was more blunt.
He said, “We are far away from winning the Premier League. We accept there’s already no chance of that, but we have other things to fight for – FA Cup, top four… and winning games helps.”
January reinforcements needed
With the transfer window opening on Wednesday, Guardiola hinted at incoming signings to bolster his injury-hit squad.
“In some positions we need help,” Guardiola admitted. “When we’re all together, we’re the team we were, but with important players out for weeks and months, it’s so difficult.”
City’s injury struggles, particularly in defense and midfield, have taken their toll.
“I thought central defenders would be fit all season, but we have struggled—holding midfield and central defenders, we need help,” he said.
“The market is the market—it’s not easy, it’s expensive, so we will see what the club can do.”
Guardiola 500 matches at City
Despite City’s struggles, Sunday’s win marked a personal milestone for Guardiola – his 500th match as Manchester City manager. Reflecting on the achievement, Guardiola spoke with pride.
“Yeah definitely [proud],” he said. “It is better to celebrate it with a victory and the new year. I am so proud. I would cry now. I’m so proud to be a part of this club.”
“Today when they told me, ‘You are going to do 500 games,’ I said ‘Wow.’ But we are judged in the last 13. In the other 480 games, they have been an incredible period and yeah, more to come.”
Record of dominance
While City’s form has dipped this season, Guardiola’s legacy at the club remains unparalleled. Since his arrival in 2016, no Premier League manager has come close to matching his achievements.
City have claimed six of the last eight Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four in a row last season. They also completed the Treble in 2022/23, echoing Manchester United’s historic feat from 1999.
Since Guardiola took charge, City have accumulated 45 more points and scored 83 more goals than any other team in the league.
Guardiola is the first Premier League manager to oversee 500 matches since David Moyes hit that landmark with Everton in 2013. As the league’s longest-serving active manager, Guardiola’s reign at City surpasses Brentford’s Thomas Frank by two years.
Only Sir Alex Ferguson, with 13 Premier League titles, has more than Guardiola’s six – but with more milestones ahead, Pep’s chapter in City’s history is far from over.
A Supercomputer has projected the leading countries tipped to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, making it the first World Cup to feature an expanded 48-team format.
The 2026 edition will include 12 groups made up of four nations each, alongside a record total of 104 matches.
The competition is scheduled to kick off on June 11 and conclude on July 19, with the final set to take place at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, United States.
According to the Opta Supercomputer, Spain has emerged as the top favourite to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
La Roja were predicted to lift the trophy in 16.1 per cent of the 10,000 tournament simulations carried out by the Supercomputer.
France, England and Argentina were also ranked among the strongest contenders, with each nation winning the competition in more than 10 per cent of the simulations.
Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium completed the top ten list of favourites tipped to win the tournament.
Meanwhile, co-hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada were considered unlikely to emerge as champions based on the Supercomputer’s simulations.
Arsenal is planning to begin discussions with Atletico Madrid regarding a transfer for Julian Alvarez, as reported by sources in Spain.
Barcelona seems to be leading the race to acquire Alvarez during the summer transfer window, with the Argentine international reportedly favoring a transfer to the Spanish champions.
Nevertheless, Barcelona has yet to reach an agreement on a transfer fee for Alvarez, and RAC1 indicated on Tuesday that their initial offer of €100 million (£86.4m) has been turned down by Atletico.
As per AS, Atletico is dissatisfied with Barcelona’s public pursuit of Alvarez and is now ‘blocking’ the 26-year-old’s transfer to Camp Nou.
The report suggests that Arsenal has been in communication with Alvarez’s agent, and the Premier League champions are set to commence formal negotiations with Atletico, who are demanding a transfer fee of €150m (£129.6m).
Atletico has firmly stated that Alvarez is not available for transfer, and in response to Arsenal’s recent interest in the former Manchester City forward, a representative from the Spanish club informed Libertad Digital on Tuesday: ‘Two weeks ago it was PSG, last week Barcelona, now Arsenal. We are counting on Julian for the upcoming season.’
Meanwhile, Atletico is preparing for the possibility of Alvarez’s departure, and AS reports that the club has already inquired about signing Victor Osimhen from Galatasaray.
After spending a season on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, Osimhen made a permanent move to the Turkish club last summer for €75m (£63m).
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to kick off across the United States, Canada and Mexico, football’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), have approved a series of rule changes aimed at reducing time-wasting, improving officiating and speeding up the game.
FIFA referees chief Pierluigi Collina confirmed that several new regulations will be enforced at the tournament, including restrictions on goalkeeper “tactical timeouts” and expanded VAR powers.
The new rules are designed to reduce time-wasting, discourage gamesmanship and improve decision-making at the World Cup. FIFA also hopes the measures will cut down on excessive stoppage time, which became a major talking point at the 2022 tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition featuring 48 teams, making it the largest tournament in FIFA history.
Here is the full list of law changes that will be used at the 2026 World Cup.
- Five-second throw-in countdown
Referees can begin a visible five-second countdown if players delay taking throw-ins. If the countdown expires, possession will be awarded to the opposition.
- Five-second goal-kick countdown
Teams that deliberately waste time during goal-kicks risk conceding a corner kick. The referee will also use a visible five-second countdown.
- Time-limited substitutions
Substituted players must leave the pitch within 10 seconds using the nearest exit point.
Failure to comply means the replacement player cannot enter until the next stoppage after one minute of play.
- One-minute off-field treatment rule
Players who receive on-field medical treatment must stay off the pitch for 60 seconds after play resumes. Goalkeepers and certain injury situations are exempt.
- VAR can review second-yellow red cards
VAR officials can now review dismissals caused by clearly incorrect second yellow cards.
- VAR can review mistaken identity
Video Assistant Referees can intervene if the wrong player is punished with a yellow or red card.
- VAR can review wrongly awarded corners
Competitions can allow VAR reviews for clearly incorrect corner-kick decisions, provided the review is immediate and does not delay play.
- VAR can review attacking fouls before set-pieces
VAR can now intervene if an attacking foul occurs before a corner or free-kick that directly leads to a goal, penalty or major disciplinary incident.
- Red-card sanction for covering the mouth during confrontations
Players who cover their mouths during confrontational exchanges with opponents can now face a straight red card under new anti-discrimination measures.
- Goalkeeper tactical timeouts restricted
Players will no longer be allowed to leave the pitch for team talks when a goalkeeper goes down injured.
The measure will be enforced at the World Cup as part of FIFA’s anti-time-wasting crackdown.
Youths Flood Ondo City to Honour Akinlaja’s Birthday, Hail Him as Visionary Leader and True Democrat
Supercomputer reveals unpopular Team as topper ahead of 2026 World Cup
Fire security chiefs if insecurity persists in next 90 days– Adeboye urges FG
-
News19 hours agoKano lawmaker rejoins APC after losing return ticket in NDC
-
News18 hours ago2022 train attack: FG re-arraigns Tukur Mamu on amended terrorism charge
-
News19 hours agoOyo Abduction: Tinubu inherited security challenges from PDP govt, says Nuhu Ribadu
-
News9 hours agoWike Assures Protesting Teachers of Rescue Efforts, Warns Against Politicising Insecurity
-
News19 hours agoMajor Border Offensive: Over 200 Terrorists Killed as Troops Crush Camps Along Nigeria-Benin Corridor
-
News14 hours agoSix members of same family shot dead during domestic dispute in US
-
Economy19 hours agoMiddle East Tensions: Oil Prices Jump as Iran Suspends Peace Talks with US
-
Metro19 hours agoPanic in Ayegunle Bunu After Armed Bandits Launch Deadly Night Raid
Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login