Manchester City

Manchester City beat League Two side Port Vale 4-1 on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium to progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The holders opened the scoring when Oleksandr Zinchenko's shot from range hit the outstretched boot of Leon Legge on its way past goalkeeper Scott Brown.

The visitors shocked Manchester City by pulling one back through Tom Pope after 35 minutes. David Amoo raced down the right and crossed for the striker to head past Claudio Bravo.

Sergio Aguero restored Manchester City's lead three minutes before half-time, tapping home Phil Foden's low cross at the far post for his 15th goal of the season.

The hosts added a third on 58 minutes through 17-year-old Taylor Harwood-Bellis, while Foden completed the scoring to complete a comfortable win for Pep Guardiola's side.

Guardiola rotated his team as expected for Saturday's clash against lower league opposition, making seven changes and naming teenagers Harwood-Bellis and Foden in his starting XI alongside experienced stars such as Aguero and David Silva.

Tyrone Marshall at the Manchester Evening News shared the two teams:

Here’s the teams. Seven changes for City in total #mcfc pic.twitter.com/hJfVx006Kf

— Tyrone Marshall (@TyMarshall_MEN) January 4, 2020

The visitors attacked the holders straight from kick-off. Scott Burgess went close with a shot that was deflected wide after a cutback from Pope.

Foden had a shot blocked by Nathan Smith and then headed straight at goalkeeper Brown at the other end before Zinchenko broke the deadlock on 20 minutes. The Ukrainian drove forwards and let fly with a rasping effort from distance that hit Legge on its way into the back of the net:

360 - Oleksandr Zinchenko's opener was his first goal for Manchcester City in 360 days, since netting in their 9-0 victory against Burton Albion in January 2019. Breakthrough. #FACup pic.twitter.com/kVQgf1ozg8

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 4, 2020

Manchester City should have doubled their lead five minutes later. Silva somehow managed to put a shot on to the crossbar from three yards out with the goal gaping, while Aguero could not convert the follow-up (UK video only):

Actual proof that it happens to the best of us 👀😅#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/Cj9N3wHCp5

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 4, 2020

Port Vale threatened to upset Guardiola's men with a leveller 10 minutes before half-time. Amoo produced a fine delivery from out wide on the right for Pope to beat Harwood-Bellis to the ball and head home:

Port Vale’s Tom Pope just scored against John Stones’ Man City, seven months after tweeting this 😂 https://t.co/FVbIxmZNFa

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 4, 2020

The goal seemed to rouse City, and they did not take long to restore their advantage. The ball was played out to Foden on the right to cross for Aguero to tap in at the far post:

7 - Since joining Man City in 2011-12, Sergio Aguero has scored more FA Cup goals than any other player (19). Seven of these goals have come in third round matches, also more than any player has netted in a single round since he's been in England. Tremendous. #FACup pic.twitter.com/Z6qpSSq5e1

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 4, 2020

Manchester City continued their dominance after the break and extended their lead just before the hour mark. John Stones pounced on a loose ball in the box and tucked home from close range, the ball just taking a touch off Harwood-Bellis on the goal line.

The goal was initially ruled out for disallowed but given after a lengthy VAR check:

Score on your #FACup debut: ✅
Go on @bellis_taylor 😁

pic.twitter.com/WseqbOGUKg

— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 4, 2020

Foden capped off another influential display with his third of the season on 72 minutes. The midfielder converted from Angelino's first-time pass after good work from Gundogan:

Phil Foden has now scored 10 goals across all competitions for Manchester City:

⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ x #FACup
⚽️⚽️⚽️ x Champions League
⚽️⚽️ x League Cup
⚽️ x Premier League

Up for the cups. pic.twitter.com/TdK74Tnzvf

— Squawka (@Squawka) January 4, 2020

The result sees Manchester City begin the defence of their trophy with a comfortable win over Port Vale, who fought hard against the champions but were ultimately outclassed by superior opposition.

     

What's Next?

Manchester City play Manchester United at Old Trafford in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash on Tuesday. Port Vale's next fixture is also on Tuesday against Salford City in the third round of the EFL Trophy.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said John Stones needs to improve his fitness record if he's going to fulfil his potential at the club.

The centre-back moved to the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2016 and was considered one of the most exciting young defenders in European football. However, since making his transfer, he's found it difficult to kick on.

In recent years, Stones has also suffered with a number of injury issues, and he's been unable to help City's defensive crisis this term as a result of various layoffs.

The defender is set to feature in his team's FA Cup third-round clash with Port Vale on Saturday, and Guardiola has spoken of his confusion at the England international's numerous issues this term, per Ian Whittell of the Daily Telegraph:

"He has to be fit. After two or three games he fell down and he cannot play. We tried to help him, we tried to do the best to help him since the first day of the three-and-a-half years we are here. We do everything for him.

"He has the conditions to become one of the best, yeah. He has the conditions to do it, but to be the best central defender you have to play one entire season, every three days being there. He's still young. As a player he has his future in front of him, it depends on him. It's in his hands and in his head to become one of the best."

Per BT Sport, Stones is set to come up against Vale striker Tom Pope on Saturday, who was critical of the defender's performances for England in the UEFA Nations League in the summer:

📆 Jun 7: Port Vale striker Tom Pope has some thoughts on John Stones' performance.
📆 Dec 2: Port Vale draw Man City in the FA Cup third round.

Tom Pope will get his chance. 👊 pic.twitter.com/7eYECruz00

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 3, 2019

Per Whittell, Stones has only played in 13 of City's 30 matches in all competitions this season because of fitness woes.

The absences mean the England defender has missed the chance to cement his place in the City team, with Vincent Kompany leaving at the end of the previous campaign and Aymeric Laporte suffering with a long-term injury.

Stones hasn't impressed when in the team, though. Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News commented on how frustrated Guardiola was with the defender in his last start, the 2-1 loss to Manchester United in December:

Early example of why United should fancy themselves against this City defence. Given how porous both teams are, will be a minor miracle if it's 0-0. Guardiola's already despaired over Stones. #mufc

— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) December 7, 2019

The coming months will be critical for Stones if he is to eventually become an elite defender at the Etihad Stadium.

Not only is Laporte recovering from his injury, the poor defensive performances from City this season will almost certainly prompt the club into spending big on a centre-back at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Provided Laporte returns from his injury layoff as the same high-class operator, any new acquisitions will put huge pressure on Stones for his place. A prolonged run of good performances is needed at this point to convince Guardiola he can build a team around the former Everton man.  

Pep Guardiola has said Aymeric Laporte is back training with the Manchester City squad after four months out with a knee injury.

The Frenchman has been sorely missed in the centre of defence as City have dropped 14 points behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Speaking ahead of City's FA Cup third-round meeting with Port Vale on Saturday, Guardiola said Laporte is some way from being available for selection but has returned to the training pitch:

"Yesterday was the first time he trained 10-15 minutes with the team and today again. The rest individually and he is getting better. He feels good, i think next week he will complete all the training sessions with us. I don't know [when he'll be available]. You think about it but i think he will dictate with how he feels, he has been out for four months and needs time so it is not like he can immediately play 90 minutes. What is important is he has not had any setbacks during his time out—the same with Leroy [Sane]—and that is incredibly good. I'm grateful to the physios."

Guardiola also provided updates on some further injured players, including goalkeeper Ederson, who missed Wednesday's 2-1 win over Everton because of illness:

Guardiola says Ederson "feels better", John Stones "is coming back" and Nicolas Otamendi "is not able tomorrow" #MCFC

— Andy Hampson (@andyhampson) January 3, 2020

City's issues in the back line—which stem from failing to replace Vincent Kompany after his summer departure—have led to Fernandinho's deployment at centre-back for most of the 2019-20 campaign.

Per Bajkowski and Murphy, Guardiola is not expecting the Brazilian to be able to return to his preferred midfield role anytime soon: "Right now I don't think—especially when we have just one or two central defenders—we didn't have many other options. His desire to do it well is incredible."

The Spaniard added he would like Fernandinho to stay at the club amid rumours he could be offered a contract extension.

The cup competitions look like they will be key for City this season because they already look to be out of the race to win a third consecutive league title.

They are the holders of the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, in which they meet Manchester United in the first leg of the semi-finals on Tuesday.

City are also among the favourites to win the UEFA Champions League despite drawing Real Madrid in the last 16:

The draw for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 in full!

Bring. On. February! 🤩#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/4TVSv9GG4v

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 16, 2019

The Sky Blues meet Real in the first leg of their tie at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 26. 

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said he isn't sure if Joao Cancelo will leave the club this month amid recent speculation regarding his future.

Cancelo arrived at City in the summer from Juventus after establishing himself as one of the most exciting full-backs in European football. However, he's struggled for game time at the Etihad Stadium, prompting rumours of a possible mid-season move.

Cancelo was given a rare start on Wednesday, as City were 2-1 winners over Everton in the Premier League. Afterward, Guardiola was asked about the player and was coy over any potential developments over the Portugal international, per Chris Wheeler of the MailOnline:

"This player we bought him for many years, not for six months, but what happens happens. As I said, I don't know what will happen in a few weeks, and in the summer we will discuss.

"If a player wants to leave, it's simple. The agent has to call to the club, arrive at an agreement, and he will leave—and if he doesn't get an agreement, he will stay here.

"The rumours are rumours; they are what they are. Until the agents call or we call, I don't take any interest about that. In the last month, we've had the best Kyle (Walker), and I give continuity to him. Joao is adapting, and he has a special quality, and he can help us in many, many games."

As Wheeler noted, Cancelo has been linked with a move back to his former club Valencia in January.

Guardiola added, per Marca: "At the end, the player has to decide if he wants to fight and stay here with us or not. They decide. Everyone is free to do what you want to do in their whole lives."

City made a number of changes to their XI against the Toffees and were still able to get over the line thanks to a brace from Gabriel Jesus:

Cancelo produced arguably his best performance in a City shirt, as he was a fantastic outlet for Guardiola's side.

From his right-back slot, he got forward regularly and produced some quality deliveries into dangerous positions. He set up Phil Foden with an excellent cross, although the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

Sam Lee of The Athletic commented on how assured Cancelo looked in the defensive side of his game against Everton:

Not a convincing effort by Mahrez, but he has been good so far as well. Like I say, they all have. On Cancelo, a couple of dodgy passes in the past couple of minutes but he's looked defensively solid, just not had a lot to do going forward while City focus on the left.

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) January 1, 2020

The 25-year-old has moved clubs frequently in recent seasons, having already played for Benfica, Valencia, Inter Milan and Juventus. Now he should be in the peak years of his career and would no doubt benefit from some stability.

Cancelo has plenty to offer if he can find form on a consistent basis, and performances like the one against Everton will only earn him more favour with Guardiola as the right-back seeks to add to his five Premier League stars.

Manchester City closed the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to 11 points after beating Everton 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. Two goals from Gabriel Jesus proved enough for City, despite Richarlison getting one back for the Toffees.  

The result means the Citizens stay third and one point adrift of Leicester City. Meanwhile, Liverpool can restore their 14-point lead over last season's champions if the Reds beat Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday.

VAR dominated the key exchanges during the first half, being called into action after Phil Foden thought he'd opened the scoring in the 13th minute. The City teenager tapped in from a Joao Cancelo cross to cap a slick move, only for the review system to deem Riyad Mahrez offside in the buildup:

Again, it was the correct decision, but again it sucks out the spontaneity which is such a big part of the game. #MCFC

— Stuart Brennan (@StuartBrennan63) January 1, 2020

Mahrez was again at the centre of things when he was brought down in the area by Everton left-back Lucas Digne six minutes later. The offside flag had stopped play, but replays showed the winger was onside before the foul occurred.

VAR checked both incidents, and ultimately no penalty was awarded. To add to the confusion, the visitors were awarded a free-kick, despite Mahrez being deemed onside.

What an utter shambles. Offside was given, but because that was the wrong call, a penalty check was made - Digne appeared to tug at Mahrez's arm and the #MCFC player went down. An we ended up with a free kick for the wrong offside. Absolute nonsense.

— Stuart Brennan (@StuartBrennan63) January 1, 2020

Still, the hosts were still firmly in control of play. Everton's best threat came from wide areas, with raiding right-back Seamus Coleman denied when trying to lob stand-in City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

The Toffees' best chance came moments before the break when Yerry Mina headed wide from a corner. It would prove a costly miss because Jesus gave the Citizens their first lead six minutes after the restart with a classy finish after being played in by Ilkay Gundogan:

A beautiful Gabriel Jesus finish!

The ball from İlkay Gündoğan in the build-up might just pip it though 😍

A superb Manchester City goal 👏#BTAllDayer pic.twitter.com/27xFCsAHms

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 1, 2020

Wonderful turn and finish from Gabriel Jesus! pic.twitter.com/vvR2iDKSld

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 1, 2020

Jesus doubled his tally two minutes before the hour mark when he capped a delightful exchange of passes with a low, driven finish beyond Jordan Pickford:

Powerful, first time, left-footed shot from Gabriel Jesus! pic.twitter.com/CXgwLGlLpk

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 1, 2020

The result should have been safe, but reckless play at the back let Everton back in. It was Bravo who made the mistake, gifting the ball to Moise Kean on the edge of the area.

The forward bundled the ball to fellow substitute Theo Walcott, who flashed a shot across the box. His effort deflected off Benjamin Mendy, allowing Richarlison to convert from close range.

City were reeling, and Kean went close when his spectacular scissor kick to meet a Djibril Sidibe cross flashed wide. At the other end, Foden raced clear and thought he'd won a penalty, but nothing was given after Sidibe's challenge, while Jesus crashed a shot off the post after being teed up by Mahrez.

Jesus drew a decent stop from Pickford before Foden made way for a returning David Silva, with City keen to keep the ball better. Ultimately, the home side did enough to just about get over the line after producing some spectacular football in patches.

Meanwhile, Everton showed decent resolve in a tough fixture, offering hope that new manager Carlo Ancelotti will make a quick recovery from his first setback in charge.

      

What's Next?

City host League Two side Port Vale in FA Cup action on Saturday, while Everton travel to Anfield for a Merseyside derby in that competition on Sunday.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed David Silva and John Stones are fit to face Everton on New Year's Day, while Aymeric Laporte is nearing a return to training.

Per Simon Bajkowski and Daniel Murphy of the Manchester Evening News, Guardiola said at his press conference on Tuesday: "I miss all the players that are injured. I like to have all the squad available and training with us. I don't like to see players injured. They are back."

Neither player has featured for City since their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on December 7.

Silva will be 34 on January 8, and City have the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva to fill the creative void left by his absence.

The Spaniard has been an unrivalled playmaker for the Sky Blues, though:

768 - David Silva also created the most goalscoring chances for teammates this decade in the Premier League; 173 more than any other player. Conductor. #Opta2010s pic.twitter.com/fRNmugIM0b

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2019

City are 14 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League, and the Reds have a game in hand, so it's highly unlikely they'll be able to reel them in during the second half of the season.

If they are to have any chance of doing so, or salvaging their campaign via European and domestic cup success, they need to keep important players like Silva fit as they compete on multiple fronts.

The Citizens will hope Stones' return can make them more solid at the back, too.

Fitness issues have restricted the England international to just 12 appearances in all competitions this season. Nine of those have come in the Premier League, in which City have not been nearly as impressive in defence as they were last season:

Manchester City have conceded 23 Premier League goals in 19 games this season - as many as they conceded in the entirety of last season 😰 pic.twitter.com/WMpHoI1Fqs

— GOAL (@goal) December 27, 2019

Laporte's absence has been an even bigger contributing factor to their struggles at the back. He suffered a serious knee injury on August 31 and has not featured since.

He could soon be back in training, though, per The Athletic's Sam Lee:

Guardiola says Laporte and Sane are the only players injured. Laporte is “getting better, training alone but is on the pitch. I think in one week or 10 days he can train with us.”

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) December 31, 2019

It will take some time for the Frenchman to return to full match fitness, but City should be much stronger in the second half of the campaign once he's back.

In the meantime, they'll need to get past Everton on Wednesday with the aid of Silva and Stones.

The Toffees have a 100 percent record under Carlo Ancelotti after picking up back-to-back wins against Burnley and Newcastle United.

City have won each of their last four matches against Everton, though, all by a two-goal margin.

Barcelona legend Xavi has backed Pep Guardiola to get Manchester City back on track again and believes the coach will target UEFA Champions League success in the remainder of the campaign. 

City have dominated English football for the previous two seasons, winning back-to-back Premier League titles. However, in the current campaign they are 14 points behind league leaders Liverpool.

Xavi excelled under the guidance of Guardiola during their time together at the Camp Nou. Speaking about his ex-boss, the former playmaker said he expects City to go all out for Champions League glory this term, per David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror:

"Pep is a born winner. It will hurt him that City are so far behind Liverpool in the league—and he won't give up.

"He will be realistic, though. The gap is a big one, and at the moment it doesn't look likely that they can make it three titles in a row. With that in mind, I think there's a big chance Pep will prioritise the Champions League.

"They will be two big games coming up against Real Madrid—and maybe there will be a chance to rest players before these games that they wouldn't have if they were in a title race."

Although Xavi feels City will not give up in the title race, Guardiola said recently that it is "not realistic" to believe City can catch Liverpool. 

While there have been some murmurings about Guardiola's future, in recent years he has been one of the standout managers in world football. The two Premier League titles he's steered City to have been the gloss on a memorable decade for the club:

📆 #ManCity | The 2010s:

👕 562 Games Played
✅ 365 Wins
🤝 89 Draws
❌ 108 Defeats
⚽️ 1,247 Goals Scored
🥅 534 Goals Conceded

🏆 Premier League [x4]
🏆 League Cup [x4]
🏆 Community Shield [x3]
🏆 FA Cup [x2]

🤯 WHAT. A. DECADE.#MCFC @ManCity pic.twitter.com/fYZe47zfzn

— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) December 30, 2019

City have made history numerous times under Guardiola, accumulating 100 points in the 2017-18 Premier League season and then becoming the first English team to win a domestic treble last year.

The one competition that has escaped the coach since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium is the Champions League title. And with the Premier League gone, this term may be the ideal opportunity to go all out for it.

Sam Lee of The Athletic doesn't believe the team can shift focus away from the Premier League completely, though:

If the points gap is huge in April then I’m sure they’ll do the opposite of what they did for the Spurs away leg, i.e. rest a few big guns for a league game and keep them fresh for the European game. But that’s gonna be April. It’s not even Christmas yet. Focus on playing well!

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) December 8, 2019

Guardiola twice won the Champions League with Barcelona, although his last success came in 2011, when the Blaugrana beat Manchester United.

Already Guardiola is a legendary figure at City given the success he has brought to the club. Even though a successful defence of their Premier League title appears out of reach this season, if he was able to add a Champions League title to his haul of trophies in Manchester, it would complete a remarkable legacy at the Etihad Stadium.

December was a difficult month for Manchester City with the club losing two of five Premier League games and falling to a possibly irreparable deficit in their English title defence. 

There were positives to be found for Pep Guardiola's side, who also topped their UEFA Champions League group and beat Oxford United 3-1 away to book a Carabao Cup semi-final spot.

Gabriel Jesus enjoyed his best month of the season thus far and collected more than half of his 11 goals for the campaign in fewer than 20 days, including a Champions League hat-trick against Dinamo Zagreb.

Kevin De Bruyne was typically prominent in all areas, averaging a little more than one direct goal involvement per game in his six December appearances.

Striker Sergio Aguero also made a welcome return to Guardiola's lineup after a month out due to injury, marking his goalscoring return in Sunday's 2-0 win over Sheffield United.

City end the 2010s sat third in the Premier League, 14 points off leaders Liverpool, but that doesn't mean the final month of the decade came to a close without its share of highlights.

       

Manchester City Statistical Leaders in Premier League

Goals: Raheem Sterling 11, Sergio Aguero 10, Kevin De Bruyne 7, Gabriel Jesus 6, Bernardo Silva 5, Riyad Mahrez 5

Assists: Kevin De Bruyne 12, David Silva 6, Riyad Mahrez 5, Bernardo Silva 4

Passes: Rodrigo 1,270, Fernandinho 1,210, Kyle Walker 1,126, Ilkay Gundogan 997, Kevin De Bruyne 983

Stats via the official Premier League website and WhoScored.com.

       

Jesus Lights the Way

• 5 starts (2 subs), 6 goals, 2 assists (all competitions)
• 16 total shots
• Highest Pass Success Percentage: 92 vs. Arsenal (0-3 win)

There have been some concerns among fans as to whether Jesus can be the long-term successor to Aguero, but the Brazilian went a long way to allaying any such fears in December.

Aguero's injury meant Jesus was given increased responsibilities up front, and he began his December with a run of five goals in three games. That included a European treble against Champions League group foes Dinamo when City ran out 4-1 victors in Zagreb (U.S. viewers only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1204959557685895168

He failed to score in the 3-0 hammering of Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, although it was fitting Jesus collected his first of two December assists in a match where he recorded a 92 per cent passing accuracy.

The Brazil international started the month with a brace against Burnley, but his most important strike came during the dominant 3-1 home win over second-place Leicester City, via NBC Sports (U.S. only):

Kevin De Bruyne is an architect, Gabriel Jesus is a finisher. pic.twitter.com/yPAYLKyOgq

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 21, 2019

Midfield maestro De Bruyne put it on a plate, but Jesus was no less happy to end a home scoring drought dating back almost one year:

⚽️ Gabriel Jesus ends a run of 11 home apps without a goal, dating back to March - his 1st home PL goal since v Wolves on Jan 14
🅰️ Kevin De Bruyne records his 10th assist in PL this season, 3 more than any player pic.twitter.com/PKuusjkZZ8

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 21, 2019

Jesus was absent for Friday's 3-2 defeat away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, though he was part of the team that lost 2-1 at home to rivals Manchester United on December 7.

       

De Bruyne Delights

• 6 starts, 3 goals, 4 assists
• 22 total shots
• Highest Pass Success Percentage: 88.5 vs. Burnley (1-4 win)

It's become commonplace for De Bruyne to feature among City's most impressive performers, and it's amid a tough month for the club that his importance to the team was perhaps clearer than ever.

De Bruyne consistently manages to stand out even among the giants present in the City dressing room. He got on the end of a Jesus cross to open the scoring inside 90 seconds when his side won 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on December 15, via Sky Sports (UK only):

Oh Kevin De Bruyne 🤤

The Man City man's incredible 40mph strike against Arsenal is the @GilletteUK #PrecisionPlayOfTheWeek pic.twitter.com/HtkE5v2Quf

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 16, 2019

The Belgium star was directly involved in each of City's three goals against Arsenal, scoring either side of his supreme assist to Raheem Sterling in north London:

Each of his six appearances in December came in the Premier League after De Bruyne was rested in the Champions League and League Cup, but even his wizardry couldn't prevent their slide to third.

He failed to score or assist in early December clashes against Burnley or United, racking up three goals and four assists in his last four outings.

That Arsenal performance in particular grabbed the world's attention, and Guardiola lauded his playmaker as a unique talent, via Eleven Sports:

🧐 | "He sees passes and actions that normal human-beings cannot see."

Pep Guardiola was full of praise of Kevin De Bruyne after his performance at the Emirates against Arsenal yesterday 👏#PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/OhqPpxF1XO

— ELEVEN Football (@ElevenSportsFB) December 16, 2019

City's slip in the Premier League title race may be too much for them to make up, but De Bruyne has continued to illustrate his quality as the club hope to end 2019-20 with a major title.

Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko has said Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world after the Spaniard set a new benchmark on Sunday.

City's 2-0 win over Sheffield United was Guardiola's 100th victory as a manager in the Premier League in just his 134th game as Sky Blues boss:

Pep Guardiola is the fastest manager ever to achieve 100 Premier League wins 👏 pic.twitter.com/t0CMRTPKRf

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 29, 2019

With City trailing leaders Liverpool by 14 points this term, it seems unlikely Guardiola will be able to match Sir Alex Ferguson by winning three consecutive Premier League titles—the legendary Scot achieved the feat twice with Manchester United.

And Jurgen Klopp pipped the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss to FIFA's Best Coach award back in September.

But Zinchenko believes Guardiola's latest record is proof he remains the best manager in the world, per Jonathan Smith of Goal: "It's unbelievable. He's the best in the world, no doubt. For me, the most important thing is he knows the right thing to say at the right time, and the team feels these type of moments. Of course, he is unbelievable with tactics."

Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne were the goalscorers for City against the Blades as they returned to winning ways following a 3-2 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

On Wednesday, City are back in Premier League action against Everton before they kick off their FA Cup defence with a third-round tie against Port Vale.

Despite having possibly already lost the Premier League title race to Liverpool, Guardiola can still make 2019-20 a success if he can lead City to victory in the cup competitions.

They are already in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, where they will face local rivals Manchester United, and are among the favourites for the UEFA Champions League despite drawing Real Madrid in the last 16:

The Champions League last-16 fixtures are in!

What do you think?https://t.co/MmYmzLksl1 #bbcfootball #UCLdraw #UCL pic.twitter.com/cK5afHllHg

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 16, 2019

City have never won Europe's most prestigious trophy, but Guardiola won it twice during his tenure at Barca.

If he can lead the Sky Blues to European glory this term, he will further cement his legend at the Etihad Stadium while also joining Bob Paisley, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane as the only managers to win the competition three times.   

Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne were on target as Manchester City beat Sheffield United 2-0 in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. 

The Blades went the closest to breaking the deadlock in a goalless first half. Lys Mousset ran through and fired a low shot past Claudio Bravo but saw his effort ruled out for a marginal offside by VAR.

Aguero blasted the opener past goalkeeper Dean Henderson on 52 minutes after being sent through on goal by a pinpoint pass from De Bruyne.

The Belgium international then wrapped up the win on 82 minutes, curling a low strike past Henderson after a good run from Riyad Mahrez.

Manchester City were without suspended goalkeeper Ederson for Sunday's clash, meaning Bravo started in goal with Eric Garcia and Oleksandr Zinchenko also coming into the starting XI.

The visitors also made three changes to their team. Mousset and Callum Robinson were drafted into the attack, while Muhamed Besic replaced the injured John Lundstram.

The Athletic's Sam Lee shared the two teams:

Eric Garcia starts! pic.twitter.com/HgP2NZWJP3

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) December 29, 2019

Both sides had sights of goal in an evenly contested first half. De Bruyne and Zinchenko both blazed shots over the bar for the hosts, while Mahrez saw an effort blocked by John Egan.

Mousset sent an early header wide of target for the Blades but did get the ball in the back of the net on 29 minutes. However, the goal was not allowed to stand as the 23-year-old was ruled to be just offside in the build-up:

Sheffield United's offside against Man City 🙅‍♂️#MCISHU pic.twitter.com/gJpJ0mcChd

— GOAL (@goal) December 29, 2019

Manchester City took the lead early in the second half through Aguero. De Bruyne was quick to latch on to a loose ball and produced a slide-rule pass for Aguero to power past Henderson:

32 - Sheffield United have become the 32nd different opponent that Sergio Aguero has scored against in the @premierleague out of the 33 he has faced (97%); only against Bolton (one app, no goals) has he failed to find the net in the competition. Collection. #MCISHU pic.twitter.com/Nzo8lgx9kr

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 29, 2019

The goal was met by angry protests from Sheffield United, who felt the referee had obstructed John Fleck in the build-up:

The Blades video analysis crew are incensed as they feel the referee obstructed one of their players in the build-up. #MCFC #SUFC

— Stuart Brennan (@StuartBrennan63) December 29, 2019

Manchester City appealed for a penalty on 70 minutes when Mahrez cut inside and saw a shot that appeared to come off Egan's arm, but it was deemed to be accidental.

The hosts had to wait until deep into the second half to make the game safe. A surging run from Mahrez saw the winger release De Bruyne, who nudged the ball on to his right foot and swept a powerful effort home:

19 - Kevin De Bruyne has been directly involved in 19 goals in the Premier League this season (seven goals and 12 assists) - only Jamie Vardy has had a hand in more (20). Freakish. #MCISHU pic.twitter.com/6ltW29igWw

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 29, 2019

The visitors almost pulled one back in stoppage time. Substitute Billy Sharp headed Enda Stevens' cross on to the post and saw it trickle along the goalline and away to safety.

Sheffield United forced Pep Guardiola's side to work hard for their win, but the defending champions were good value for the three points and close to within a point of Leicester City in second place.