Here is the latest Man City news today, as Enzo Maresca remains the leading candidate to replace Pep Guardiola, Rayan Cherki discusses working under Pep, and City rename their stadium for Saturday’s Brentford clash.
Below is all the key information from each of today’s Manchester City news stories, which can be found in more detail on our home page.
Pep Guardiola shares the latest on Rodri
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Guardiola has shared how close Rodri is to making his return for Man City.
The manager is not yet able to say if his midfield maestro will be fit for the Brentford clash, but he has provided a hint.
“We will see this afternoon,” Guardiola said when asked if Rodri would be available to play on Saturday evening.
He then went on to insist that Rodri’s absence was not the reason Man City conceded three goals against Everton.
Guardiola added: “We have survived without him for many months. He doesn’t feel completely comfortable. We do not depend on Rodri not being there.”
Pep Guardiola named Premier League manager of the month
As a result of Man City’s performances in April, Pep Guardiola has won the manager of the month award.
The City boss is thoroughly deserving of the honour, and he also helped his side reach the FA Cup final, which of course is not reflected by this particular achievement.
Guardiola has now won the award twice this season, having been presented with it back in February for the first time since December 2021.
Forest’s European elimination will help Man City sign Anderson
On Thursday night, Anderson’s Nottingham Forest side were knocked out of the Europa League semi-finals by Aston Villa.
Forest had led their Mindlands rivals 1-0 after the first leg, but were beaten 4-0 at Villa Park as the hosts showed why they are fifth in the Premier League and Forest are 16th.
That result ended Forest’s Europa League campaign, and any hope of participating in European competition next season.
Had they won the competition, they would have qualified for the Champions League and may have been able to tempt Anderson to stay another season.
However, their elimination has played perfectly into City’s hands, with the Carabao Cup winners now able to offer Anderson elite level competition that he will not get at Forest.
Erling Haaland predicted to score in Golden Boot race
In his weekly predictions for BBC Sport, pundit Chris Sutton was joined by WBO heavyweight boxing world champion Fabio Wardley.
The pair were in agreement that City would beat Brentford, with Sutton also predicting Haaland would be on the scoresheet.
Sutton said: “The title is out of Manchester City’s hands now after their 3-3 draw at Everton, but their late equaliser on Monday could still turn out to be huge. City getting a point means Arsenal still have to win their final three games to be sure of being champions, so it is not over yet.
Pep Guardiola’s side definitely have to win this game, though, and to do it they will have to be more ruthless in front of goal. Brentford are in the mix for the top six and only lost narrowly to City earlier in the season.
“I am being selfish here, but just for my Fantasy team I need Erling Haaland to have a strong finish to the season so I am going for City – and him – to get among the goals on Saturday.
Wardley added: “City’s draw with Everton was such a mad game. I turned it on midway through the first half, and it looked like City were pretty comfortable, but then the game just took
Ian Wright discusses Manchester City 115 charges
Ex-Arsenal man Ian Wright has been discussing the 115 charges facing Man City. The former striker has indicated that Arsenal have been unfairly disadvantaged in this year’s title race.
Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Wright suggested that City have been able to build title-winning squads in a way that Arsenal could not, despite the alleged financial breaches.
Wright said: “We’re [Arsenal] chasing down a City side that we’re still talking about charges with them. How have they come to this? How have they done that? And still no outcome. We still don’t know what’s going on, and we’re chasing down that team.
“We can’t talk about it, people will probably slaughter me for mentioning it now. There’s bearing on the amount of money and the way they’re able to buy these great players. Listen, we’ve got Semenyo, and Guehi came in the [January] window. Arsenal can’t construct their team like how City have, and pay what they paid to get these players and be able to get those players.
“I don’t know how they get their money, but they’re able to get these top-quality players. We bought [Viktor] Gyokeres for nearly £70M, [Tijjani] Reijnders doesn’t even get on the pitch. What I’m trying to say is, we’re chasing down a team that has got carte blanche to do what they’re doing, and there are 115 charges. We can’t say anything about it and it’s still not resolved.”
How would Vinicius Jr fit in at Manchester City?
Primarily a left winger, Vinicius has played across the forward line during his career. Although usually on the left, he is right-footed and frequently cuts inside to create shooting opportunities.
With 127 goals and 100 assists in 372 games for Madrid, the Brazilian’s goal contributions are among the highest of any winger in Europe’s top five leagues.
Were he to join City, he would likely be competing with Jeremy Doku for the left wing spot, though Vinicius’ flexibility means he could also slot in on the right or through the middle.
Rayan Cherki praises ‘extraordinary’ Man City boss Guardiola
Speaking in a recent interview with Men in Blazers, Cherki discussed his footballing philosophy, as well as his vital goal against Arsenal in last month’s 2-1 win.
He also praised Guardiola, citing the Catalan coach’s vision of football and how closely the two are aligned on how to play the game.
Cherki said: “It’s about inventing, creating, doing things that nobody else sees or understands – that’s my philosophy!
“Working with Pep [Guardiola] is extraordinary because he has a vision of football that is very similar to mine; always having the ball, always wanting to attack, always wanting to create chaos, so it’s really extraordinary to work with him.”
On his goal against Arsenal, he added: “For me, it was something normal. I was thinking more about my celebration than what I’d just done in the box. I was just enjoying the moment. Enjoying the celebration in front of the Arsenal fans.
“Football is my whole life. I talk about football every day. There’s not a minute when I’m not thinking about football. It’s hard to fall asleep when I put in a bad performance. It’s always been my life. Football is my life, and I hope it stays that way for as long as possible.”
“I hope I can leave my mark on the Premier League in my own way.”
Enzo Maresca seen as Man City’s man if Guardiola leaves
Maresca was already one of the front-runners to take the job at the Etihad. However, now reports claim that an executive in the game sees the Italian as ‘Manchester City’s man’.
Likewise, the former Chelsea manager has become a difficult candidate for other clubs due to his connection to Man City.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid are expected to make managerial changes this summer, and they probably see Maresca as a viable option.
However, City’s position makes it difficult for other clubs to pursue the FIFA Club World Cup winner. Chelsea especially might be off the table for Maresca due to his history with the Blues.
Man City podcaster explains why Omar Marmoush may struggle for game time
Speaking on The City Social podcast, content creator LNobbins has explained why Marmoush’s game time at the Etihad could become an issue.
He suggested that Guardiola now views Marmoush and Erling Haaland as alternatives to one another instead of a duo.
“If Haaland’s fit for a season, he starts at least 32 games in the Premier League. So Marmoush is never going to play,” the content creator said.
City did try to use Marmoush as an inside forward, allowing him to operate as a second striker alongside Haaland. However, injuries and AFCON disrupted that experiment prematurely.
“Whenever Pep has a press conference or an interview, he’s always very careful to not mention Marmoush’s name when he brings up the wide players. And when he’s bringing up forwards specifically, he brings up Marmoush and Haaland,” LNobbins added.
Man City to rename Etihad Stadium for Brentford game
Manchester Evening News reported that Man City will rename the Etihad Stadium as The City in the Community Etihad Stadium when they host Brentford.
The change is part of the clubs’ annual Community Matchday initiative. It is used to celebrate the work done by their charity arm, City in the Community.
Additionally, the City players will walk out in jackets carrying the charity’s branding. Ruben Dias has also recorded travel announcements for fans using matchday buses and trams.
The club’s social media graphs for the game were drawn up by local schoolchildren, adding to the community focus. Furthermore, the men’s squad recently made a financial donation to CITC for the second year in a row.
“Community Matchday is a moment in the season where everyone connected to Manchester City comes together to celebrate the impact of City in the Community,” Mike Geary, CEO of City in the Community, said.
