Here are your Manchester City morning headlines for Saturday, November 21.
Guardiola hits back at Mourinho jibe
Pep Guardiola has responded to Jose Mourinho’s claim that Raheem Sterling will feature against his Tottenham Hotspur team on Saturday after the winger returned to City when he suffered an injury without playing an international game.
Three Spurs players played at least two games during the international break and, when complaining about the number of games his players played, Mourinho could not resist aiming a dig at Guardiola and City, saying: “Of course, we all know that Sterling is going to play.”
However, Guardiola hit back at Mourinho’s claim. “Mourinho has to speak to the doctor for the national team of England and the doctor for Manchester City,” the City boss said.
“He has to go to the doctors of the national team and Manchester City. Except maybe Mourinho is a doctor, I don’t know.”
Guardiola asked if he will stay beyond 2023
Guardiola conceded that his future beyond 2023 will depend on the success he enjoys in the two-and-a-half years before then.
Guardiola signed a new deal earlier this week, extending his stay at the club until the end of the 2022/23 campaign. He was asked about whether he would remain at the Etihad beyond his new deal, to which he said it will depend on how results fare.
“I don’t know, when I arrived here I didn’t expect to be seven years. I don’t know what is going to happen. It depends on the results, to be honest,” he said . “If we have success and we are happy, why not? If we don’t have success, we will be less happy and I think we are going to change. It’s simple.
“I’m here and will continue to try to have incredible success. Last year we won two titles, we won eight titles in three seasons and we want to do it again but no more than this.
“For sure it’s going to happen [keeping the motivation], still I’m enjoying this job. What happens in two years I cannot answer you. I didn’t know what would happen 10, 15 days ago.”
Laporte praises Foden after “mistake”
Aymeric Laporte has praised the reaction of Phil Foden , who scored twice in England’s 4-0 win over Iceland in midweek.
The City midfielder was sent home from international duty after he breached COVID-19 protocols earlier in the year. Gareth Southgate recalled him to the England squad, though, and Laporte has heralded the response of the 20-year-old.
“I can't compare him to another player because he has his own style and I think he's very, very good,” Laporte told Sky Sports . “He shows every day in the training sessions and games, he gives everything for the club and is one of the best.
“He knows what he's done and he's now a bigger man, he will learn. Everyone can make a mistake but he has learned from it.”
