Pep Guardiola has disputed Jamie Carragher’s suggestion that Erling Haaland chose the wrong club when he joined Manchester City, as the prolific Norwegian closes in on yet another goalscoring record.
No City player in the last 51 years has ended a season with more than the 33 goals Sergio Aguero scored in 2017.
Haaland can match that mark at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, as he edges ever closer to the 35 goals scored by legendary Frannie Lee in 1972.
Further down the line stands the club record 38 goals, scored by Tommy Johnson in 1929 – a total which Haaland looks well capable of beating despite Sky Sport’s pundit Carragher’s claims that City’s style does not suit him.
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Duncan Ferguson: 'My trouble was always around booze but now I'm addicted to coaching'18 February, 2023“I understand it. What can I say? I am open to all opinions,” said Guardiola.
“We have his argument but it is important that he feels so happy here. His commitment – not because he has scored 26 (league) goals – is to be incredibly well respected.
“It was a surprise for us – a really big surprise. We know his stats, his numbers when he played in Dortmund, but we are all of us really surprised.
“How we see him as a boy, because he is a boy and that makes us so proud of him. We want to help him.
“All opinions are more than welcome and if Jamie Carragher says that, he will have his reasons.
“We are delighted to have him and we are delighted he choose us because he had all the world in his hands to choose where he was going to play – to stay in Dortmund or go to Madrid or Barcelona or other teams in England but he choose us and that is why we are more than happy.”
Guardiola will also be looking for club captain Ilkay Gundogan to continue his excellent current form – a goal and assist in the last two games – despite it looking increasingly likely the German will leave the summer.
Gundogan has not been offered a new contract and is tipped to move to Barcelona although, after his two-goal, title-winning heroics in the final game of last season, Guardiola is happy for the 32-year-old to make his own decision.
“What Ilkay has done against Aston Villa last season, he can do whatever he wants,” he said.
“So he knows exactly my opinion about him. The club knows it and it is a question for him and his agent.
“What is going to happen I’m pretty sure is going to be good for him.”
Wins will take pressure off Cucurella, says Potter
Graham Potter is backing Marc Cucurella to win over the Chelsea fans who targeted him for criticism during the Blues’ Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund earlier this week.
The Spanish left-back, a £60m signing from Brighton last summer, was singled out as Potter’s team went down to a 1-0 reverse in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
But the Blues boss, who knows Cucurella well after signing him from Getafe when he was in charge at the AMEX Stadium, says the 24-year-old has the strength of character to handle that kind of treatment.
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 17, 2023
“I didn’t hear any of that.”
Graham Potter says he didn’t hear any boos by Chelsea fans towards Marc Cucurella in Dortmund. He also confirms that the player had his house broken into shortly after joining the club. pic.twitter.com/LesCWFAJV1
“Marc’s a big boy, he’s an adult with kids and he knows the situation,” said Potter. “We have to help him to change people’s perspective.
“Chelsea weren’t the only team that wanted to buy him in the summer. There were other teams that wanted him, I don’t think they’d have been interested if he didn’t have the character he has.
“He was Player of the Year at Brighton and I know his qualities. I would say he was the final piece in our puzzle and helped the team function really well.
“At the same time, I understand the frustration with the results that we’re having and where we are in the table. They’re looking for somebody to blame, that’s human nature – but we’re not losing because of one individual.
“Our challenge is that the team has to win games and get some points – that takes the pressure off.”
Klopp: I loved Liverpool’s inensity against Everton, that was us
What a difference a win makes. A week ago Jurgen Klopp accepted that Liverpool were so out of sorts and far away from the top four that most people had written off their hopes of salvaging a Champions League qualification place from a hugely under-whelming season.
But encouraged by their best all-round performance since before the World Cup in the Merseyside derby on Monday, Klopp believes his rejuvenated squad are still capable of putting together the long unbeaten run they need to ensure their place at Europe’s top table next season.
They are the only team to beat Eddie Howe’s side in the league this season – albeit thanks to a controversial 98th minute goal at Anfield back in August – and if they can complete the double today they would move within six points of the Magpies with a game in hand.
Liverpool best winning run so far this season has stretched to only three games but when asked if his current team can match the long unbeaten runs of past seasons he replied: “Yes, I think so, but we have to show that. It won’t be easy but we have to try. It will be cool [if we can repeat what they did in 20220-21] but it’s a long way.
“This is a massive game. Newcastle have the best defence in the league. If you want to reach something this season, we have to chase everybody, especially those who are ahead of us in the table. You need to be stable to go through this kind of winning run and we haven’t had that.
“What I loved most about the Everton game was the intensity was there. That was us. Not how much we were running but how intense we were in these moments. That creates the rhythm for us.
“Now we have games every three days, but we’ve worked long enough again on endurance and everything so we should be ready. Hopefully we can make changes from tomorrow on with people coming back [from injury] and staying fit.”
Van Dijk’s return after six weeks out with a hamstring injury should certainly help to give Liverpool the stability Klopp admits they have lacked while Firmino and Jota will improve his attacking options with the visit of Real Madrid to Anfield in the Champions League last 16 looming on Tuesday.
Stellini: Conte will return to Spurs when he’s ready
Tottenham assistant Cristian Stellini insists he is sleeping well despite the added pressure of leading the team during a key part of their season.
Boss Antonio Conte is back in Italy after doctors told him on Wednesday to rest following surgery to remove his gallbladder earlier this month.
Conte was back on the touchline within two weeks of his operation but in pain during defeats away to Leicester and AC Milan.
A check-up in Italy this week saw him ordered to concentrate on his recovery and with no time set on his return, Stellini could be tasked with trying to keep Spurs on track for the Premier League top-four while fighting to stay in the FA Cup and Champions League during the next month.
“It’s a big responsibility and I feel this but it’s not the first day I am here,” Stellini said ahead of Sunday’s visit of West Ham.
“When I see the players and the team during the training, I feel we are capable to win every game and to progress in the Champions League, to win the next game, to win the game after in the FA Cup.
“I think we can do it. We have a good squad and without Antonio they show to us they take much more responsibility in this way. I sleep well.”
Get well soon, Antonio
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 16, 2023pic.twitter.com/pYPLxLwdrw
Stellini added: “He wants to come back Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday but he has taken an important decision with the club.
“When Antonio is 100 per cent he will come back and not one day before. We made a mistake before and we don’t want to repeat this.
“We have to hope this time arrives as soon as possible. It could be before Chelsea or after Chelsea. We have to accept that and Antonio needs to accept that.
“People around Antonio like our doctor, the doctor that did the surgery, his wife and his family, have to force him (to rest).”
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