Foden stops history repeating for Guardiola and Man City

By Sports Desk April 14, 2021

Liverpool, April 2018:

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn't scored for three months since he smashed home a long-range strike against Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola's Premier League champions elect are back at a bloodthirsty Anfield and Mohamed Salah already has the Reds in front, so why not have a go?

Oxlade-Chamberlain larrups it beyond Ederson and before the half hour Sadio Mane has made it 3-0.

There would be no way back for City, who would finish the Premier League season 25 points better off than Liverpool, as they threw caution to the wind in the second leg but lost 2-1.

Guardiola talked himself into a half-time red card when Leroy Sane had a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside before UEFA were using VAR. The competition the Catalan threatened to make his own at the start of the decade had already become a nagging irritation.

 

London, April 2019:

After losing three consecutive semi-finals at Bayern Munich, not to mention two out of four on the occasions his Barcelona didn't win it under his leadership, Guardiola is wary of a pressure-cooker Champions League night.

Embroiled in a titanic title battle with Liverpool, he rests Sane and Kevin De Bruyne and picks an unusually cautious line-up. Nevertheless, VAR intervenes to award them a dubious penalty against Tottenham, granting Sergio Aguero a punt at a priceless away goal.

Hugo Lloris saves from City's all-time record goals scorer and there will be no away goal as Son Heung-min gives Spurs a 1-0 win thanks to an Ederson mistake

At the Etihad, all hell breaks loose as the sides trade goals and Aguero puts City 4-2 ahead on the night to lead the tie for the first time. Then Fernando Llorente bundles home and survives a VAR examination for handball. Raheem Sterling has a stoppage-time winner ruled out because replays show Aguero's heel to be offside in the build-up.

Guardiola crumples to his knees. City are out on away goals to a team that would finish 27 points behind them in the Premier League.

 

Lisbon, August 2020:

No away goals to bother City this time, as the pandemic-delayed final stages of the Champions League take place as one-off matches in Lisbon.

After seeing off 13-time European champions Real Madrid, Guardiola has to reckon with Lyon – a team who finished seventh in Ligue 1 in 2019-20.

However, one point from two games against the same opponent in the previous season's group stage spooks the City boss into a rarely used 5-3-2.

They fall behind to a Maxwel Cornet goal, their attack disjointed. De Bruyne, who appears to be fighting a lone hand, equalises but Gabriel Jesus and Sterling miss glorious chances and Ederson is culpable as Moussa Dembele's brace ensures City's biggest European humiliation to date.

Phil Foden, so impressive in the second leg against Madrid, looks on as an unused substitute.

 

Dortmund, April 2021

The last time Guardiola won the Champions League, his present tormentor was seven years old.

Jude Bellingham's slick footwork and cool 15th-minute finish at Signal Iduna Park is the sort of thing City players do quite a lot but not on these occasions.

Here was the fear, it was happening again. Everyone just stay calm… no, Kyle Walker, don't shoot from all the way over there in Gelsenkirchen.

De Bruyne is in no mood for stage fright to kick in and tears at Dortmund, rattling the crossbar. Ruben Dias, unscarred by City's previous failures, is colossal in neutering Erling Haaland. Still, at half-time they are going out.

The big occasions do strange things to even the most seasoned performers, but Emre Can deciding to break out an elephant impression while heading a cross clear is a new one.

Handball. Penalty. VAR. Still a penalty.

Oh God, a penalty. City don't tend to be great at these, as Aguero showed at Tottenham.

Up steps Riyad Mahrez. Remember the Anfield loss? Well, the next time Guardiola's men visited the red side of Stanley Park, the Algeria winger put one into orbit from 12 yards.

Not this time. Having fought long and hard to become one of his manager's go-to attackers, Mahrez emphatically clatters home.

Nerves are dissipating but have never been a problem for Foden. They never are, as he showed with the winner after Dortmund equalised in Manchester last week. He and Bellingham might have a very exciting future together in their national team.

The boyhood City fan draws back his left boot to send home the decisive blow and makes a beeline for Guardiola in the dugout, grabbing his boss' head. It feels like an exorcism.

After sharing a post-match chat with the man of the moment, Haaland now towers in Foden's rear-view mirror. PSG and Kylian Mbappe are up next. Foden arguably belongs in their conversation, as an individual good enough to dominate for a decade.

Of course, such dominance is easier forecast than achieved. Guardiola's quarter-final problem is no more. Now, how is his Champions League semi-finals record?

Related items

  • Leicester’s promotion bid hit again as Anis Mehmeti nets Bristol City winner Leicester’s promotion bid hit again as Anis Mehmeti nets Bristol City winner

    Anis Mehmeti’s brilliant strike put another dent in Leicester’s stuttering bid for automatic promotion and gave Bristol City a 1-0 Championship win at Ashton Gate.

    The winger accepted a square ball from Mark Sykes on the edge of the box and sent a sweet left-footed shot into the roof of the net to settle a closely-fought game in the 73rd minute.

    Leicester had arrived looking to reignite their promotion push after just one win in five Championship games but paid for missed chances, with Jamie Vardy twice denied by outstanding Max O’Leary saves.

    Both sides had scoring opportunities in an even first half packed with positive attacking play, with Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen making early saves from Jason Knight and Tommy Conway in a bright Bristol City start.

    Hermansen faced a bigger test on 15 minutes when diving to parry a Conway shot and then reacting brilliantly to keep out Scott Twine’s follow-up effort.

    Conway had a strong penalty appeal rejected by referee Andrew Kitchen after going down under an 18th-minute challenge from behind by Wout Faes.

    But the visitors grew into the match and James Justin sent a low shot wide.

    Two better opportunities came Leicester’s way around the half-hour mark when first Faes headed wide from a Harry Winks free-kick and then Vardy fired just the wrong side of a post from Stephy Mavididi’s pass.

    Mavididi was causing problems on Leicester’s left flank but the Robins continued to threaten and Twine had a 37th-minute shot blocked after Mehmeti’s penetrating dribble had set up the opening.

    Vardy shot across goal and wide of the far post before the half-time whistle brought applause from both sets of fans.

    O’Leary defied Leicester with a brilliant double save at the start of the second half, blocking Vardy’s shot after he broke clear down the middle and recovering his footing to stop the rebound effort from Mavididi.

    Leicester looked sure to take the lead on 62 minutes when Bristol City were caught trying to play out from the back. Zak Vyner’s pass was cut out by Vardy with the goal at his mercy but O’Leary produced a stunning fingertip save.

    At the other end, Sykes fired into the side-netting five minutes after replacing Twine but Leicester were on top and Abdul Fatawu shot narrowly wide before Mehmeti’s superb finish gave the Robins the lead.

    Sykes was denied by Hermansen with the home crowd in full voice while Kelechi Iheanacho, on as a 74th-minute substitute for Vardy, had the ball in the net for Leicester five minutes later but was foiled by an offside flag.

    From then on the home side managed the game well and had chances on the break.

  • Stefano Pioli urges AC Milan not to get ahead of themselves Stefano Pioli urges AC Milan not to get ahead of themselves

    AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli is refusing to look any further ahead than Saturday’s Serie A trip to Fiorentina as he targets a rousing finish to the season.

    The Rossoneri, who have won their last five games in all competitions, head for the Stadio Artemio Franchi sitting in second place in the table, 14 points adrift of derby rivals Inter, but only three clear of Juventus in third.

    With the prospect of Europa League glory still very much alive – they face compatriots Roma in the quarter-finals – the campaign could yet end on a high note, although Pioli, who will be without the suspended Theo Hernandez, will not allow his players to get ahead of themselves.

    He told a press conference: “A decisive period is about to begin. We’ll need to focus on playing the best football we can as we look to improve the level of our performances with two very important months in store.

    “We have nine league matches remaining and we hope we’ll also be involved in five more Europa League fixtures. Every game will be important, starting from Fiorentina. They’re a team that have often caused us problems.

    “It’s only normal to talk about the future when there’s an international break, but I’m focused on doing the best I can in the next 60 days so we can finish the season in the best way possible.

    “Conclusions can only be drawn at the end, so we’ll take it one game at a time.”

    Fiorentina have proved tricky opponents in recent seasons – in the last six league encounters, the sides have been separated by just one goal, and La Viola have won the last two games they have hosted.

    Milan’s latest visit to Florence comes with the home team still mourning the loss of general manager Joe Barone, who collapsed and died at the age of 57 as the Fiorentina party prepared to leave the team hotel for their league clash with Atalanta earlier this month.

    Pioli, whose side won the reverse fixture in November 1-0, said: “It’s not the first time that Fiorentina have experienced a complicated situation. Florence and the team’s fans are fantastic when there is a need to come together to overcome difficult moments like a bereavement.

    “We expect a special atmosphere at the start in memory of a person who did so much for the club.”

    Vincenzo Italiano’s side, who head into the weekend in eighth place and four points adrift of the top six, have not played since a 1-1 Europa Conference League draw with Maccabi Haifa on March 14 with the Atalanta game having been postponed after Barone was rushed to hospital.

    Italiano said: “We need to restart and honour our director with all the things that were his: passion, love and attachment to this city, these colours and this club.”

  • John Stones and Kyle Walker to miss Manchester City clash with Arsenal John Stones and Kyle Walker to miss Manchester City clash with Arsenal

    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that key defensive duo Kyle Walker and John Stones will miss Sunday’s title showdown with Arsenal.

    Walker suffered a hamstring injury in the early stages of England’s friendly with Brazil last weekend, while Stones completed that game but then picked up an adductor problem 10 minutes into the draw with Belgium.

    Goalkeeper Ederson could return to the side for the first time since suffering a thigh injury when conceding a penalty against Liverpool and Manuel Akanji has recovered from a knock on international duty with Switzerland, while Guardiola will make a late decision on the fitness of Kevin de Bruyne.

    “Ederson is much better but Kyle and John are out,” Guardiola said. “It is what it is.

    “For Kyle it will be more tougher than John (in terms of recovery), but I don’t know for how many games he will be out.”

    Asked if he was surprised that Stones had started both England friendlies, Guardiola would only say: “I don’t have any comments on that.”

    Sunday’s game is the last of the season between any of the top three, with Arsenal top of the table on goal difference from Liverpool and reigning champions City a point behind.

    Guardiola’s side remain in contention for a repeat of last season’s treble, with Real Madrid their opponents in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea also to look forward to.

    “It’s good to be here and in contention for three titles after what happened last season,” Guardiola added. “We made incredible work.

    “Right now every game is so important. If we are able to do it (against Arsenal), the next game will be important as well.

    “We played really good the last month but the international break, the first game after you think what will happen? Yesterday we trained good and we have two more training sessions and will be ready for it again.”

    City won all three games against Arsenal last season, including a 4-1 victory at the Etihad, but the Gunners have turned the tables this campaign with victory on penalties in the Community Shield and a 1-0 win at the Emirates in October.

    Asked what the difference is between Mikel Arteta’s side then and now, Guardiola said: “Same manager, same players.

    “They control many aspects of the game and every time they are better and better.

    “When you have consistency in terms of ideas and the same manager, you always improve. If you change manager and players, it is more difficult.”

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.