Manchester City

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan believes the club can only truly cement themselves as an elite side by winning the UEFA Champions League. 

The German spoke ahead of City's clash with Real Madrid in the last 16 of the competition on Wednesday.

Per Goal's Jonathan Smith, he said:

"The Champions League is maybe the most prestigious competition in the game, and if you don't win it, as much as we are a great team, you feel like there's always something missing.

"Obviously, we try to do our best, but it's not something that you can talk about and then it comes. It’s something you have to try to achieve."

City have been one of the dominant forces in English football over the last decade, in which they've won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and four League Cups.

Last season, they won all three as part of an unprecedented domestic treble in men's English football.

However, European success has continued to elude them. They've reached just one Champions League semi-final, even after bringing in Pep Guardiola, who has won the competition twice, as manager.

This season could be their last experience of Champions League football for some time after UEFA hit them with a two-year ban from European football for breaching financial fair play regulations.

Guardiola has been quick to reassure fans and players of his intention to remain at the Etihad Stadium despite the ban, though:

"Unless they sack me, I will stay here" 🔵

Pep confirms he is 100% staying at Man City! 👍 pic.twitter.com/5I7YeZ7cm9

— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) February 19, 2020

Pep Guardiola has told Man City players: “Whatever league we are in, I will still be here. Even if they put us in League Two, I will still be here. This is a time for sticking together." City CEO Ferran Soriano told players: “Trust me like I trust you, this will be dropped.”

— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) February 17, 2020

The coach believes City's lack of historical success in Europe has made it more difficult for them to compete with the likes of Madrid and other giants.

City's only European trophy is the Cup Winners' Cup they won in 1970—a far cry from Real's 13 Champions League titles and two UEFA Cups.

However, they've qualified for the tournament every season since the 2010-11 campaign, so the club should have plenty of experience by now.

Gundogan believes a statement result against a side like Real could help them resolve the issue:

"It's so difficult to explain it—I think we need a big game that we win. And to get through thinking 'this was so hard today,' where we need to struggle as well. We have to overcome difficulties, something like that is needed."

City should fancy their chances of getting a result at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Real have failed to win three of their last four matches in all competitions, having lost to Real Sociedad and Levante and been held to a draw by Celta Vigo. In the Champions League group stage, they drew two of their home matches, one of which was against a Club Brugge side who finished the match with 10 men.

What's more, Los Blancos will be without Eden Hazard for both legs after he was diagnosed with a fractured ankle on Sunday.

Manchester City can expect to have key centre-back Aymeric Laporte fully fit and raring to go for the first leg against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

City chief Pep Guardiola substituted Laporte three minutes before the hour mark during Saturday's 1-0 win away to Leicester City in the Premier League. The change sparked some concern about the fitness of a defender who missed around five months with a knee injury earlier this season.

However, Guardiola revealed the decision to sub Laporte for Nicolas Otamendi was merely a precautionary measure, one dictated by the player himself, per Press Association (h/t MailOnline): 

"He asked me to be subbed. He's not injured. We cannot forget he has been out for four or five months injured. They run a lot, (Jamie) Vardy, Kelechi (Iheanacho), (Harvey) Barnes, they are all so fast. It was quite different against West Ham (on Wednesday) where there was only one striker so it was easier to control, but he's OK."

When asked directly whether Laporte would be able to complete the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, Guardiola offered an emphatic "yes" in response.

Laporte's availability could well be the single most important factor in determining whether City can overcome the 13-time winners. The former Athletic Bilbao star is the best natural defender in Guardiola's squad, with the 25-year-old aggressive in the air, quick across the deck and competent in possession.

City's attempt to win a third-straight domestic title crumbled during his absence. A threadbare back line featuring mistake-prone duo Otamendi and John Stones, along with converted midfielder Fernandinho, was found wanting.

Laporte returned for the 1-0 win over Sheffield United on January 21. He played 78 minutes at Bramall Lane and has appeared in two league games since, including Saturday against the Foxes.

43 - Aymeric Laporte has won 43 of his first 50 Premier League games, overtaking the record previously jointly-held by Ederson, Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba (42 wins from 50). Authority. pic.twitter.com/GfkLYzkYka

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 19, 2020

Significantly, City have kept three clean sheets with Laporte in the lineup. He's restored the secure base the Citizens need to afford greater freedom to artful playmakers Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.

City have steadied the ship at the ideal time ahead of facing a Real team in a state of flux. Poor results have been logged in back-to-back games in La Liga, with a 2-2 draw at home to struggling Celta Vigo preceding Saturday's 1-0 loss away to Levante.

Those dropped points have seen Los Blancos relinquish top spot to rivals Barcelona. The defeat in Levante also came at a further cost, with winger Eden Hazard leaving the pitch after fracturing his ankle.

Hazard has already been ruled out for Wednesday:

BREAKING: Real Madrid have announced that Eden Hazard has fractured his right ankle.

He will miss Wednesday’s Champions League clash against Man City and next Sunday’s Clasico. pic.twitter.com/5htKCDAmAs

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 23, 2020

His absence should make a Real forward line overly reliant on prolific No. 9 Karim Benzema easier to defend. Gareth Bale has found consistency and regular starts hard to come by, and the Welshman was sent home from training this week while suffering a bout of gastroenteritis, per MailOnline's Oli Gamp.

Isco and James Rodriguez are options, but the latter hasn't started a league game since October 19. Meanwhile, Rodrygo has been left out of the last three matchday squads, omissions Zinedine Zidane explained to the 19-year-old Brazilian, according to Mario Cortegana of AS.

Los Merengues are depleted in forward areas, but Zidane has proved he can find solutions in Europe before. He lifted this trophy three seasons in a row as manager during his first tenure in charge.

It's the kind of record City and Guardiola can only dream of emulating after failing to get past the quarter-final in each of the last three seasons. The club is under greater pressure to produce at this level after being hit with a UEFA-imposed ban from the tournament for the next two seasons because of financial fair play irregularities.

Laporte played down the impact of the ban on the mentality of the squad following Wednesday's 2-0 win over West Ham United, per BBC Sport: "We are professionals, a big team with big personalities in the dressing room, and I think we just think about football, nothing else. We are professionals and have to do our job. That's all."

More than any sense of desperation or defiance regarding events off the pitch, Laporte's fitness will be the catalyst for how far City will go in the Champions League.

Manchester City increased their lead over Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday with a 1-0 win at the King Power Stadium. Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to net the only goal with 10 minutes remaining.

The Brazilian replaced Sergio Aguero, who missed a penalty in the second half, and scored shortly after.

City now lead the Foxes by seven points.

City started by monopolising the ball, playing perfectly into Leicester's strategy of sitting back and waiting for the counter. It nearly led to an opener inside the first 10 minutes, with Jamie Vardy doing all the hard work before striking the post:

Vardy has to score that. 1 v 1, Fernandinho totally out of it and not even trying, Ederson waiting...and Vardy hits the post.

— Deji Faremi (@deejayfaremi) February 22, 2020

Kevin De Bruyne drew a fine save from Kasper Schmeichel with a strong shot, and he tried his luck again minutes later but bent his effort wide.

A James Maddison free-kick took a deflection and didn't bother Ederson, but he had better luck after 37 minutes, drawing a fine save from the Brazilian.

The former Benfica stopper was involved in a controversial incident with Kelechi Iheanacho a few minutes before half-time when he clattered into the forward in the penalty area. Per the Athletic's Rob Tanner, he landed a good shot:

Neither Tyson Fury of Wilder will land a better punch tonight than Ederson has just landed on Iheanacho. No penalty either. #LCFC

— Rob Tanner (@RobTannerLCFC) February 22, 2020

Inexplicably, VAR didn't even look at the incident, despite Leicester's penalty claims.

Ricardo Pereira drew another save from Ederson, and Riyad Mahrez fired a free-kick wide.

Manchester Evening News' Stuart Brennan thought City didn't do nearly enough with the ball in the first half:

HT #LCFC 0 #MCFC 0. City dominating possession, not doing enough with it.

— Stuart Brennan (@StuartBrennan63) February 22, 2020

The Foxes started the second half well, but the first big chance fell to the visitors, with De Bruyne testing Schmeichel after a good counter. 

Leicester fans were increasingly infuriated with VARafter a possible handball by De Bruyne, and just past the hour mark, their fury took on new proportions when it did intervene to award the visitors a spot-kick for a handball on Dennis Praet.

Aguero fired his effort straight down the middle, and Schmeichel made the adjustment to keep it out. 

WoW fantastic penalty save by Schmeichel from Aguero!!

— Mark Worrall (@gate17marco) February 22, 2020

The Argentinian also hit the side netting shortly after as City increased the pressure and took the upper hand. Nicolas Otamendi had to make a great block to deny Pereira after a great counter, however, with the outcome of the match still on a knife edge entering the final 15 minutes.

Jesus replaced Aguero and made an immediate impact, opening the score in the 80th minute. The Brazilian finished off a fine counter orchestrated by former Leicester man Mahrez.

Once again, the VAR check didn't go Leicester's way:

The VAR image we have just seen shows Jesus was just on side. Couldn't quite see the ball at the point of Mahrez's pass but you would imagine they would have checked that with other angles. 1-0 to Man City. #LCFC

— Rob Tanner (@RobTannerLCFC) February 22, 2020

Leicester's push for an equaliser lacked venom, with City looking more likely to add a second goal. Jesus nearly returned the favour to set up Mahrez, but Schmeichel intervened, and Bernardo Silva fired a shot narrowly wide before the final whistle blew.

         

What's Next?

The Citizens visit Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, and Leicester's next outing will be away to Norwich City in the Premier League on Friday.

Raheem Sterling talking up Real Madrid hasn't started alarm bells ringing for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who thinks Sterling's interview with the Spanish press is nothing to worry about.

Guardiola was asked about Sterling's comments, but he brushed off their significance, per BBC Sport: "We're not here to tell them what they have to say. It's normal in the Madrid media to speak about Madrid, that's normal."

Passing off Sterling's words as routine is somewhat surprising since the winger has lauded Real less than a week before City face the Spanish giants in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

The first leg takes place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, and Guardiola is adamant all of his players, including Sterling, will be fully focused on City's cause: "I'm completely sure (of) the commitment of our players, it's about what they've shown for many years, nothing changes. At the end of the season, nobody knows what is going to happen."

That last note may fuel rumours Sterling will swap Manchester for life in the Spanish capital this summer. The player himself has inadvertently started the rumour mill churning again by lauding Real during an interview with Mario Cortegana of AS.

Sterling was asked if he thinks he'd fit in Real's best XI, an idea he quickly endorsed: "Right now I'm at City and I'm really happy. But I say Real Madrid are a fantastic club, when you see the white shirt you know exactly what the club stands for, it's massive."

In isolation, those words may read like little excuse for any furore. However, the idea of Sterling joining Los Merengues is not a new one.

Sky Sports News reported in November how Real wanted to put together a package including out-of-favour Gareth Bale and £70 million to offset Sterling's £150 million price tag.

At the time, the notion of City parting ways with a player as prolific as Sterling seemed fanciful at best. Things have changed since, particularly in light of the Premier League club being hit with a UEFA-imposed, two-season ban from the Champions League over financial fair play discrepancies.

Guardiola has already declared City's intention to challenge UEFA's disciplinary measures:

Pep on ban: “It’s not finished. It’s not over. The club is going to appeal because they think it’s unfair”. #mcfc

— Stuart Brennan (@StuartBrennan63) February 19, 2020

City will fight, but there is no denying the impact being out of Europe's top tournament might have on a player approaching his prime. Sterling is approaching his best, having superbly refined his game on Guardiola's watch.

He's added a varied and subtle range of movement to his natural pace and also become a more efficient finisher. Those qualities have helped Sterling become arguably City's most important player, despite a recent barren run in front of goal.

The former Liverpool forward has scored just three goals since the start of December. He's also been out with a hamstring injury suffered during the 2-0 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur earlier in February.

Raheem Sterling has had at least 46 more touches in the opposition box than any other player in Europe's top five leagues this season.

Wilfried Zaha makes the top five. pic.twitter.com/Pl0qenP0w5

— Squawka (@Squawka) January 27, 2020

Real could use Sterling's clever off-the-ball runs from wide areas and keen eye for goal. Bale is still struggling for form and appearances on Zinedine Zidane's watch, having completed 90 minutes in La Liga just once so far in 2020.

Bale could miss the City game having been sent home from training because of a bout of gastroenteritis, per Oli Gamp of MailOnline.

Meanwhile, James Rodriguez hasn't started a game in the league since a 1-0 defeat away to Real Mallorca on October 19. His absence has been compounded by 19-year-olds Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo struggling for consistency.

Gareth Bale's last goal at the Santiago Bernabéu was against tonight's opponents Celta Vigo on March 16, 2019 (335 days ago) - Marca.

— Get Spanish Football News (@GSpanishFN) February 16, 2020

Signing Sterling would complete a devastating front three along with Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard. The trio wouldn't be short of chances thanks to a midfield defined by the craft of Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde.

Sterling is happy at City now, one reason why Guardiola is unmoved by the latest comments, but the club's situation could shift dramatically in the next few months. If so, major changes to the playing squad might follow.

In the meantime, links between Sterling and Real are likely to gather pace.  

Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has suggested he would be open to a transfer to Real Madrid "in the future" amid rumours the Spanish powerhouses are interested in his signature. 

The England star has been touted as a target for Los Blancos in the past, with speculation building after UEFA banned City from the Champions League for the next two seasons after breaching financial fair play rules.

Mario Cortegana of AS pressed Sterling on whether he'd like to represent Real, reading an old quote from the player who once said: "Everyone's dream growing up is seeing themselves in an away kit somewhere in a sunny country."

The City forward laughed and replied: "How do I answer that one? Is the camera live or is it just taking pictures? No one knows what the future will hold. I am a player, and I am always open to challenges, but right now my challenge is at Manchester City. In the future, hopefully, who knows."

The two teams are set to face off in the last 16 of the Champions League and open their two-legged affair at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Sterling was asked whether he envisioned himself playing in Real colours and said: "It's one of those things. … Right now I'm at City, and I'm really happy. But I say Real Madrid are a fantastic club, when you see the white shirt you know exactly what the club stands for, it's massive. But at the same time, I have a contract with City now, and I have to respect this. But it's a fantastic club."

His deal at the Etihad Stadium isn't due to expire until June 2023, giving the Citizens some cause for calm during what's been a rocky period.

Sterling enjoyed a prolific start to this season and has scored 20 goals in 35 total appearances this season. However, he's sidelined after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of February.

But his form has tailed off, and the player failed to score in eight successive appearances prior to his injury. Analyst Ben Dinnery appeared on Love Sport Radio in early February and stressed the need to not rush Sterling back from his absence:

🗣️ @PremierInjuries' @BenDinnery thinks that it's vital Raheem Sterling takes his time during his recovery from his hamstring injury.#MCFC

📻 Tune in - National DAB
📲 Listen - https://t.co/XWhRQh9myF pic.twitter.com/dfzRBvgE1z

— Love Sport Radio (@lovesportradio) February 7, 2020

The forward was also complimentary of Real manager Zinedine Zidane for his "winning mentality." Pep Guardiola's side are set to lose their Premier League crown as they sit 22 points behind leaders Liverpool  with 12 matches to go, but Sterling reiterated he's content in Manchester:

"It's something that you see all the time, but I'm a City player, and I'm enjoying it at the moment, even if things haven't gone quite planned in the league. We now have a massive opportunity in the Champions League, but I keep saying Real Madrid is a fantastic club, there's lovely weather, but I keep saying that I am quite happy at City."

Virgil van Dijk was named Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year after helping guide Liverpool to second last season, while Reds team-mate Mohamed Salah swept the awards in 2017-18.

Sterling hinted at his frustration that team-mates such as Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and former City star Yaya Toure had never won England's main individual award. Sterling said it's "something everyone can see" when asked whether he thought about that inequality a lot:

"It is impossible to win the league for four or five times and none of the players were Player of the Year. Every team which wins the league has a player who wins Player of the Year, for sure. So, this year Liverpool win the league and a Liverpool player will win the Player of the Year for sure. We win the league for five times, and we were not treated with the same respect."

The Citizens had lost two of their past three games but got back to winning ways with a 2-0 home win over West Ham United on Wednesday when Kevin De Bruyne notched one goal and one assist:

3️⃣ points
2️⃣ goals
1️⃣ clean sheet

The best bits from our victory over the Hammers...

🔵 #MCIWHU #ManCity pic.twitter.com/dEZyxXO8ZV

— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 20, 2020

It was reported by Sky Sports News in November that Real—who lead La Liga by one point—were willing to offer former Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale plus £70 million in cash to recruit Sterling.

The Spanish giants are likely to have only increased their interest in the player since City's two-year European ban came to light, perhaps sensing an opportunity to capitalise on the potential chaos.

City published a statement responding to UEFA's recent punishment and confirmed their intent to appeal the suspension through the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Sterling took a positive stance on the ban that "has not been confirmed," adding: "The club has a long way to go, and we just have to wait and see what happens, but I have full confidence in the club."

Much of City's success this season could rest on how far they go in the Champions League, with Sterling hoping to return in time for their round-of-16 first leg away at Real on Wednesday.

Aymeric Laporte has opened up on Manchester City's players' responses to the club's two-year European ban for breaching financial fair play (FFP) laws, saying they're professionals who "have to do our job."

UEFA published a report on February 14 announcing that City will be banned from the next two Champions League campaigns and fined €30 million (£25.1 million) for overstating sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016.

Laporte, 25, recently returned from a four-month spell out of action with a serious knee injury, and he said the Citizens have enough motivation to bounce back from the punishment, per the Mirror's David McDonnell:

"We are professionals, a big team with big personalities in the dressing room, and I think we just think about football, nothing else.

"We are professionals and have to do our job. That’s all. We don’t need more motivation for anything.

"Every game is tough and we have to be focused. The Champions League is important for us and we want the best campaign we can do."

Pep Guardiola's side are second in the Premier League, 22 points behind Liverpool with 12 matches remaining. However, they are set to face Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup final on March 1 and are still in the running for this term's Champions League and FA Cup.

Laporte looked back to his reliable best when City beat West Ham United 2-0 on Wednesday. Kevin De Bruyne assisted Rodrigo for their first goal before bagging the second himself in a decisive win:

City issued a statement in response to UEFA's decision to suspend them from Europe's premier club competition, saying their case was "initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA."

Guardiola, 49, said after the win against West Ham that he was confident their ban would be overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as Omnisport shared:

https://twitter.com/OmnisportNews/status/1230436320566218752

City looked resolute in their first match since the ban was announced, dominating with more than 75 per cent possession and preventing their guests from having a shot on target, per WhoScored.com.

The team sorely missed Laporte during his stint on the sidelines, and OptaPro's Adam Bate pointed to some of the centre-back's elite qualities when compared with those of his peers:

Stepping out from the back – in this Sky Sports feature, @ghostgoal uses OptaPro’s progressive carries metric to highlight Aymeric Laporte’s importance to @ManCity in possession. Territory. https://t.co/PIhRjCzthc pic.twitter.com/4Tx5W8NXNs

— Stats Perform Pro (@OptaPro) February 20, 2020

There is a question of how a European suspension could affect City's players, some of whom might question their place at the Etihad Stadium if it means missing out on featuring in the Champions League.

Raheem Sterling's agent, Aidy Ward, told the Mirror's John Cross soon after the UEFA ban was announced: "Raheem is solely focused on Manchester City and will not be distracted by any talk of transfers to any club at the moment."

The initial response has been good, but City face a major test to advance in the Champions League when they travel to face Real Madrid for the first leg of their last-16 clash on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola has advised former employers Barcelona "don't talk too loud" about Manchester City's breach of UEFA's financial fair play regulations in response to comments made by president Josep Maria Bartomeu. 

City were banned from the UEFA Champions League for two seasons and fined €30 million (£25.1 million) after European football's governing body said the club overstated sponsorship revenue between 2012 and 2016.

Barca chief Bartomeu told reporters on Tuesday that he wanted to "thank UEFA regarding FFP" and praised the organisation for its "fantastic work" in recent years, per Reuters (via ESPN FC).

Guardiola, 49, was asked about those remarks after his side defeated West Ham United 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, and he hinted Barcelona could be found guilty of similar offences, via Sky Sports:

"Don't talk too loud, Barcelona"

Pep Guardiola responds to Barcelona backing UEFA over FFP work

More: https://t.co/A3mNuyMIXT pic.twitter.com/lqimuhc8sA

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 20, 2020

City's press officer attempted to block the journalist's question regarding Bartomeu's comments before Guardiola intervened and replied:

"If they are happy we are suspended, I say to the president of Barcelona, let us appeal.

"The people [at City] right now trust what they have done, so that is what we are going to do. We're going to appeal and maybe it happens, but don't talk too loud, Barcelona.

"That is my advice because everybody is involved sometimes in situations. We are going to appeal and hopefully in the future we can play in the Champions League against Barcelona."

The Catalan coach came through Barcelona's academy as a player and spent 17 years at the Camp Nou, going on to manage the first team in a hugely successful spell between 2008 and 2012.

Bartomeu served as Barcelona's vice-president from July 2010 until January 2014, when he was elected Sandro Rosell's successor in the head role.

City chief executive Ferran Soriano has said the allegations "are simply not true," via Reuters:

.@ManCity’s CEO Ferran Soriano said the allegations of financial wrongdoing made against the club are baseless and politically motivated. The English soccer club has been banned for two seasons for alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules https://t.co/iQDvcCKo41 pic.twitter.com/2n63AxENcx

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 19, 2020

Guardiola has backed the club's decision to appeal their punishment through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, telling Sky Sports he will "100 per cent" remain at the Etihad provided he isn't sacked:

"It is unfair and we will appeal. It is not over"

Pep Guardiola 'trusts' Manchester City in their battle with UEFA and promises to stay with the club no matter what

More: https://t.co/N85znUzZ73 pic.twitter.com/k4eGdPoiPf

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 20, 2020

As things stand, City will be prevented from competing in the Champions League again until the 2022-23 campaign.

The Citizens are set to face 13-time European champions Real Madrid in this term's round of 16 and travel to the Santiago Bernabeu for the first leg on Wednesday.

Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp has backed Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne to win the Premier League's Player of the Year award, saying he's a long way ahead of the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson. 

Per MailOnline's David Wood, Redknapp made the comments after the Belgian's starring display in the 2-0 win over West Ham United on Wednesday:

"When he's on the pitch he's head and shoulders above anyone else. I didn't think [Bernardo] Silva could be beat, but KDB is taking it to the next level.

"It was like he had a force field around him today―no one was allowed to tackle him. His passes are always so inviting, cutting open defences. 

"It was also what he did without the ball – his all round game right now is on another level. He's not in the team of the year but for me he's the player of the year. The contenders VVD―amazing season, Henderson―big fan, even Mane―but look at KDB's numbers― 20 assists―miles ahead of those around him. He is the best player in the country right now by a mile."

Former City defender Micah Richards also said De Bruyne is the best player in the Premier League but added the award should go to a Liverpool star because of their dominant season.

De Bruyne scored and assisted in the 2-0 win over the Hammers, setting up numerous chances:

The 28-year-old has enjoyed a fine season, putting up some incredible numbers:

Kevin De Bruyne has now been directly involved in 24 Premier League goals this season, his best-ever return in the competition.

⬢ 2016/17: 6 goals, 18 assists
⬢ 2017/18: 8 goals, 16 assists
⬢ 2019/20: 8 goals, 16 assists

And he's done it three times. 😅 pic.twitter.com/ut1apKtlp9

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 19, 2020

His strong play has guided City to second place in the Premier League standings, but the Sky Blues trail the Reds by a record-setting margin. The gap sits at 22 points after 26 matches, with Liverpool winning all but one of their outings.

That incredible run makes it highly likely one of the Reds players will take home the Player of the Year award for the third season in a row. Mohamed Salah took top honours after the 2017-18 campaign, and Van Dijk is the holder.

Both won it despite not playing for the title-winners, but if the Reds finish the season unbeaten and with a lead of more than 20 points to the second-placed side, it's hard to see anyone else claiming the award.

Van Dijk is enjoying another fine season at the back and has been on a phenomenal statistical run since being paired with Joe Gomez:

Joe Gomez and Virgil Van Dijk’s record since being restored as a partnership in the PL on December 14.
0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0.
Raul Jiminez the only player to score against Liverpool in the last 990 PL minutes ⚽️ 🔴

— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) February 16, 2020

Mane is the team's second-best scorer in the league after Salah, and Henderson is the leader in midfield. The England international has also been in great form of late:

Jordan Henderson has directly contributed towards five goals in his last four Premier League games:

⚽⚽
🅰🅰🅰

Leading by example. 💪 pic.twitter.com/ayOQdqnqn6

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 15, 2020

The Reds will face their next hurdle on the road to an unbeaten Premier League campaign on Monday, when they take on West Ham. City face third-place Leicester City on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola has said he will stay at Manchester City past the end of the season despite their recent UEFA ban. 

Speaking after the Sky Blues' 2-0 victory over West Ham United in the Premier League on Wednesday, Guardiola confirmed he will continue at the Etihad Stadium:

Pep: "If they don't sack me, I will stay."

— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) February 19, 2020

Pep: "I trust my club 100%."

— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) February 19, 2020

Last week, City were hit with a two-season ban from European club competition and fined €30 million (£25 million):

Full details of Man City being banned from Champions League for TWO SEASONS for "serious breaches" of UEFA financial rules pic.twitter.com/sYVG5orSRt

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) February 14, 2020

Per Dan Roan of BBC Sport, City are preparing to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

However, in the aftermath of the announcement of City's ban, it was reported Guardiola could leave the Premier League champions at the end of the season, per Marca.

Guardiola's contract at City runs to the end of next season, and the Spaniard has now made it clear he plans to at least honour that deal.

Wednesday's win over West Ham was the Sky Blues' first match since their ban was announced, and the Etihad faithful made their displeasure clear:

Fans now singing "We'll see you in court, we'll see you in court - F*** off Uefa, we'll see you in court!" #MCFC

— Stuart Brennan (@StuartBrennan63) February 19, 2020

The dissent towards UEFA is likely to be even more obvious next week when City return to UEFA Champions League action for the first leg of their last-16 tie against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

Guardiola, 49, has broken numerous records with City as they have won back-to-back Premier League titles, but in his three seasons in Manchester, he has failed to lead them past the quarter-finals in Europe's elite competition.

The Champions League already had added significance for the Sky Blues this term given they have all but lost the league title to Liverpool, and there will now be even greater focus on it as it could be their last European campaign until 2022-23. 

Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano has denied wrongdoing on the club's behalf after UEFA hit the Premier League side with a two-year ban from European competition on Friday.

Per Rob Harris of the Associated Press, UEFA found City guilty of inflating their sponsorship revenue and said the club did not cooperate with their investigation:

Full details of Man City being banned from Champions League for TWO SEASONS for "serious breaches" of UEFA financial rules pic.twitter.com/sYVG5orSRt

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) February 14, 2020

Soriano issued a response on Wednesday via City's official website.

MailOnline's Jack Gaughan provided a full transcription of the interview.

"The fans can be sure of two things," Soriano said. "The first one is that the allegations are false. And the second is that we will do everything that can be done to prove so."

The chief executive added that owner Sheikh Mansour has not injected any money into the club "that has not been properly declared."

Per the Guardian's David Conn, leaked emails from City published by German outlet Der Spiegel appeared to show that Mansour's company, Abu Dhabi United Group, paid £59.5 million of Etihad Airways' £67.5 million annual sponsorship deal for the 2015-16 season.

Soriano also said the club did cooperate with the investigation but "in the end, this FFP Investigatory Chamber relied more on out of context stolen emails than all the other evidence we provided of what actually happened."

The Citizens have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport following their two-season ban, which is set to keep them out of Europe from the start of the 2020-21 campaign. Soriano is hoping their appeal will be resolved "before the beginning of the summer."

As for manager Pep Guardiola and the players, he said they are "calm" and "focused."

Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News summarised the interview:

Important that Soriano has spoken, but also from perspective of tonight/matchdays allows players and Guardiola now to just point to this whenever they're asked about it should they wish not to speak about it

— Simon Bajkowski (@spbajko) February 19, 2020

The Athletic's Sam Lee gave his take:

So a very bullish response from Soriano (also including a little bit of an olive branch for ‘UEFA’ as a whole, rather than the FFP chamber). Without wanting to be a broken record, City will again have to provide this evidence they say they’ve submitted to UEFA, so we can all see

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) February 19, 2020

City's rivals will also take a keen interest in the progress of the Sky Blues' appeal to CAS.

If the ban is upheld and City finish in the Premier League's top four—which they're almost certain to given they're 11 points clear of fifth with a game in hand—then the team who finishes in fifth will take their Champions League spot for next season.

The Citizens play that game in hand against West Ham United on Wednesday. In the Champions League, they'll take on Real Madrid in the last 16 on February 26.