Here are your Manchester City evening headlines for Monday June 15th.
What City have lacked without Leroy Sane
When Manchester City return to action this week, starting with Wednesday night’s home match versus Arsenal, they will have German winger Leroy Sane back in the fold after he missed the entire season to this point due to tearing his ACL in the Community Shield in August.
And former City midfielder Michael Brown believes that the wide attacker’s absence has been hugely significant this season, also stating that his return will provide Guardiola with a slightly different attacking weapon to the players already in the squad.
“I think he's been a big miss for Manchester City,” Brown told Sky Sports. “You see [Raheem] Sterling coming in off the lines from one side, you've seen Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva out in those wide areas but what Leroy Sane gives you is that pace, that power, that direction.
“He wants to push it past the full-back and get in the wide areas getting crosses in so he's certainly been missed. I think he'll be key for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola to give them another option in forward areas.”
What happened the last time City played behind closed doors?
On Wednesday, City will host Arsenal in a behind-closed-doors Premier League match. This is one of the many safety precautions the Premier League has introduced to ensure that Project Restart runs smoothly. City will be thinking back to a behind-closed-doors match six years ago.
The setting was a 2014 Champions League affair against CSKA Moscow. Manuel Pellegrini was the manager and three City players remain at the club from the 18-man matchday squad, Fernandinho, Sergio Aguero and David Silva.
CSKA were forced to play behind closed doors due to several racist incidents from their fans, including racist slurs aimed at Yaya Toure the year prior, fascist banners raised in a match against Viktoria Plzen, and racist chants against Roma.
Controversy struck when CSKA fans were allowed into the stands as a result of the stadium sponsor’s tickets. Several hundred CSKA fans attended the match and there were audible cheers throughout. Vincent Kompany was angry.
“It is little things like, there aren't meant to be any fans there, but there are still 500 fans there for [CSKA]. That isn't a problem, but I don't understand where our fans are. Why can't we bring our fans in?" he fumed to TV afterwards.
“The only team being punished here is Manchester City...Little things where I feel we need to speak up sometimes, because it's nonsense. They are the team that got done for racism, not Man City, so why can't our fans come?”
City also endured a difficult time on the pitch, too. After taking a 2-0 lead, they succumbed to two second-half goals to draw 2-2. While the issue of fans sneaking into the stadium should not be a problem, Guardiola and his players will be hoping for a better performance and result on the pitch.
Southgate issues Foden warning
Amid the expectation that Phil Foden will inherit David Silva’s midfield role alongside Kevin de Bruyne following the Spaniard’s departure this summer, England manager Gareth Southgate has issued a warning regarding the young midfielder’s playing time at Manchester City.
“Phil is definitely a different sort of player, with attributes that are rare in our game, and we’ve had such high hopes for him in the England system for quite a while,” Southgate said. “It’s great that we are developing these players, but the obvious thing is that he has got to play. If he’s not playing regularly, it’s going to be more difficult for him.
“But if he can break into City’s team, he will clearly be playing at a very high level – and he will be in our squad, without a doubt.”
At 20, Foden is reaching a crucial stage in his career. Playing regularly is critical to his development, and he will hope that Silva’s impending exit provides him with a chance to claim a first-team spot.
