Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte is hopeful of their treble chances as he believes Pep Guardiola’s side “deserve many things”.
If City beat Real Madrid on Wednesday they will be in their second Champions League final in three seasons, and that will quickly be followed by the chance to lift a fifth Premier League title in six years on Sunday with a victory over Chelsea.
A first all-Manchester FA Cup final awaits on June 3 and, after a key weekend in which Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton gave City the opportunity to win the Premier League at home with two matches to spare, Laporte admits the focus is narrowing.
View this post on Instagram“It’s massive for us and important for the season,” he said of the 3-0 win over Everton on Sunday which set up next weekend’s potential celebration at the Etihad Stadium.
“We deserve many things. Hopefully we can get the treble, but we have to be focused in every single game, do what we have done in the last few weeks even more.”
A key figure in recent matches has been midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who scored twice for the second successive game while also providing an assist for Erling Haaland in the win at Everton.
Guardiola has praised his captaincy skills, admitting the German does not say a lot but when he does his team-mates listen with the 32-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer, preferring to lead by example.
It is why Gundogan is probably the most grounded of the treble-chasing squad as, when asked what is required from them for the rest of the season, he said: “To keep the group calm and not get too over-excited.
“It’s a game every three or four days so there’s not a lot of time to recover so we have to try to make the most out of it.
“We know in the final stages of the season we need every single player. It doesn’t matter who’s playing, it’s about the group and the support for each other.
“If we can keep the spirits in that way, it can be an amazing end to the season for us.”
Serie A side Genoa confirm sacking of head coach Gilardino
Serie A side Genoa have confirmed the departure of their head coach Alberto Gilardino, with Patrick Vieira reportedly on his way in.
Gilardino, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, leaves the club with them sitting just one point above the relegation size with 10 points from 12 matches this season.
A former striker who played for clubs including Genoa, Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina, Gilardino took charge of Genoa in 2022 and helped them earn promotion to the top division before a 11th-place finish during the 2023-24 season.
"The club thanks Gilardino for the goals achieved together over the years and wishes him the best for his career," Genoa said in a statement.
The 42-year-old saw his side salvage a late 1-1 draw against Cesc Fabregas' Como in their last match before the international break.
Genoa were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the second round following a defeat to Sampdoria on penalties in September.
Arsenal legend Vieira is set to replace him, according to multiple reports.
The former France midfielder has been out of work since leaving Strasbourg by mutual consent in July.
Rogers pens long-term Aston Villa deal
Morgan Rogers has signed a new contract to keep him at Aston Villa until the end of the 2029-30 season.
Rogers, newly minted as a full England international after making his debut against Greece last week, joined Villa in February from Middlesbrough.
He swiftly established himself as a regular in Unai Emery's set-up, and has played 22 times in the Premier League, making 19 starts.
The 22-year-old has netted six goals and provided three assists in the top flight.
Rogers has also started each of Villa's four Champions League matches this season.
His tally of nine chances created in the Champions League is the most of any player in Villa's squad, five more than next-best Ollie Watkins.
Doncic backs Mbappe to turn fortunes around at Real Madrid
NBA superstar Luka Doncic has backed Kylian Mbappe to "figure it out" after his underwhelming start to life at Real Madrid.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 16 games for Madrid in all competitions since joining as a free agent following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
He has gone four matches without a goal – a run that includes losses to Barcelona and Milan – and has been left out of France's latest squad.
However, Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic – a Real Madrid supporter due to his previous ties with the sports club – can see Mbappe turning things around.
"Obviously [their season] could be better," Doncic told Managing Madrid after the Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
"But when you get a guy like Mbappe, it takes some time to get used to it. We'll figure it out."
Mbappe has scored six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances for Madrid but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.
The forward is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes for PSG in his last of seven seasons in Paris.
Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 last time out in the league to return to winning ways but still trail leaders Barcelona by six points.
Asked about his connections with Madrid, former Los Blancos basketball player Doncic said: "I follow Real Madrid every time.
"I grew up there. They taught me everything, so it's a part of my life. You can call it a secondary home.
"I learned a lot of stuff there and, especially, they gave me a way to be here right now [in Dallas]. I always appreciate that 100%."
Madrid return to action after the international break with a trip to Leganes on Sunday.
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