Erling Haaland has refused to rule out a move from Manchester City despite stressing his happiness at the club.

The prolific Norwegian was linked with Real Madrid earlier this season and he did not dismiss the idea he may one day move at a press conference on Tuesday.

Showing an awareness of media operations, the 23-year-old even said this could be the main news line to come from his appearance in front of reporters to preview Wednesday’s Champions League clash against FC Copenhagen.

He was therefore especially keen to point out how satisfied he is with life at City, for whom he has scored a staggering 80 goals in 84 appearances since joining in the summer of 2022.

Haaland said: “I’m really happy, especially with the people that I’m surrounded with – the manager, the directors, the board, they are a group of amazing people and I’m really happy, I have to say.

“If I say this now it’s probably going to be a massive headline – tomorrow you never know what the future brings. But I’m happy. You can write this but you also have to write everything I said before! I’m happy.”

Haaland is contracted to 2027 but refused to comment on whether he might sign a new deal.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker said: “My focus mainly now is on the pitch, there’s a lot of games.

“Two days ago was the Manchester derby, now Champions League. Sunday is Liverpool. I think I should focus on that. I don’t think I should focus on anything else at the moment.”

Haaland helped City win a glorious treble in his remarkable first season at the club but getting his hands on so many trophies has not dulled his appetite to win more.

He said: “You can think about it in two ways. One thing, I came here and won it all, and the other thing, I’m 23 years old and I won everything and I got the taste of it, how it is to win everything.

“How I work is that when I feel this is, I want to win it again. Easy as that.”

Such has been Haaland’s stunning impact at City that him missing a chance can now create headlines.

This was the case on Sunday when he contrived to volley over an open goal from close range against Manchester United, although he did later get on the scoresheet in a 3-1 win.

Haaland said: “People say I’m good at scoring goals but I missed the biggest chance in the world ever a couple of days ago.

“Yes, I’ve been missing, I missed a lot of chances. I will still keep on missing chances, but I will still keep on scoring goals.

“I’ll probably miss a big chance in the future as well, and people are going to criticise me, but what can I do then? Should I think of that? No, just focus on scoring more goals and to help the team.”

Haaland admitted when he was younger such a miss would have bothered him a lot but now he has learned to bounce back from disappointments.

“It’s been a challenge for me,” he said. “I remember when I was young I would start crying if we lost and I missed a lot of chances.

“I’ve been working on it a lot and in the end everything is in here (taps head).”

Declan Rice knows in-form Arsenal cannot afford any slip-ups as they continue to fight with Liverpool and Manchester City in an almighty title tussle.

Having ended 2023 with back-to-back defeats to West Ham and Fulham, the Gunners have responded with a run of seven straight Premier League victories.

The latest came on Monday as shambolic Sheffield United were humbled 6-0 at Bramall Lane, moving Mikel Arteta’s third-placed side back within two points of leaders Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds host fellow title contenders City on Sunday – a match both sides will start bumped down the standings should Arsenal beat Brentford the previous day.

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“I think it has been a hell of a comeback since the Christmas period, when we lost two in a row,” big-money summer signing Rice said. “I think there was a lot of talk when we had the winter break.

“We came back and that full week in Dubai was just full focus on Palace and winning that game, getting the momentum back swinging our way.

“Since we have had that game, we have really done that and we are looking really strong, really positive.

“But it is the Premier League, you need to be on it every single game. You can’t have any slip-ups. We are really enjoying and relishing winning football matches.”

Rice and his team-mates have to maintain that focus for 11 more matches, with Arteta suggesting 90 points may be needed to win the Premier League.

“I think if you look at the two other teams at the top, they don’t look like they are going to slip up anytime soon,” the England midfielder said.

“Obviously we were the last to play, so it is always on our mind that we have to win if we want to stay in it.

“There is such a long way to go, anything can happen, 11 games of football is a really long way.

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“Hopefully we can keep winning matches, but it is one game at a time.

“We have been in this position before and I think it is just stay humble. Wait for the games to come and attack them when the day arrives.”

Those comments underline the cutting edge, maturity and swagger about Arsenal, which saw them enter the record books at Bramall Lane.

Never before had an English league side won three straight away matches by five goals or more – and there was even talk of a potential record-breaking Premier League win during a stunning first half.

Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Rice’s efforts were complemented by a Jayden Bogle own goal during Monday’s wild opening period against the beleaguered Blades.

“I think when you come to a team like Sheffield United, who are fighting for their lives, it can always be a sticky game,” Rice said.

“But it is about mindset, it is about mentality, body language, pushing each other and straight from the first whistle it was on our mind.

“The manager has been on at us all week, that we have to go out and give it absolutely everything to get three points. It was a beautiful first half.”

A referee welfare charity fears Mark Clattenburg could be used as a “puppet” by Nottingham Forest.

Former Premier League official Clattenburg is working as a referee analyst for Forest on a consultancy basis, and spoke out at the weekend after Paul Tierney’s dropped-ball error in the home defeat to Liverpool.

Martin Cassidy, the chief executive of Ref Support, believes referee analysts at clubs could in principle be a positive move, and hugely admires Clattenburg, who has now also found fame with a new audience as a referee on the reboot of the television programme Gladiators.

However, he fears such appointments could become “a partisan tool to justify ref abuse”.

“I genuinely fear that Clatts may be used like a puppet to give illegitimate behaviour credibility and by proxy justify ref abuse,” Cassidy told the PA news agency.

“I feel more clubs should call upon referees’ experience to explain law, etc, at every level of football.

“Football is a sport where the majority of those who play it don’t know the laws of the game they play. This is particularly relevant at pro level, which has always been a concern of mine, so I welcome such a role.

“The worry for me is if this role is then used as a partisan tool to justify ref abuse, and if the referee (analyst) has the freedom to say the referee was correct and the players were wrong.

“There is no doubt that Clattenburg has huge credibility in this field and is someone I hugely admire, but the question that needs to be asked is: Has Clattenburg got the freedom to question publicly the behaviour of Forest as a club for their unacceptable response to this incident?

“Would anyone be expected to believe that Clatts has a free rein to say that, or would it be fair to presume that he must deliver the message that the club wants him to deliver, whether the club’s opinion is right or wrong? Only time will tell.”

Clattenburg is believed to be the only referee analyst working with an English club that Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) is aware of.

Forest have been contacted for a response to Cassidy’s comments.

Tierney failed to award a dropped ball to Forest in an attacking position after stopping play for a head injury to Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate.

Forest did regain possession after Tierney’s error but conceded a 99th-minute goal which cost them a valuable point in the race for Premier League survival.

Tierney will not referee a match this weekend but will be the VAR for Arsenal’s match against Brentford on Saturday evening. Sources close to PGMOL insist Tierney has not been dropped, and say he regularly alternates between being a referee and a VAR.

Clattenburg told BBC Radio 5 Live after last Saturday’s match: “(Forest) should have had the ball back. If the referee stops the game, he has to give the ball back to the team in possession. That was Forest.

“When (the ball was) given to the keeper, with Liverpool scoring afterwards, you can see why (Forest) are aggrieved.

“I haven’t spoken to the referee – I’ll leave that to the club. I went to go into the referee’s dressing room (after the game) but he (Tierney) wouldn’t allow it.”

PGMOL is understood to be unaware of any further contact from the club over the incident beyond Clattenburg’s comments. Forest have not commented on whether there has been further contact.

Jorginho believes relentless Arsenal are approaching the Premier League title race with more maturity than last season.

The Gunners were top of the table for a total of 248 days last term before ultimately slipping behind Manchester City in the run-in.

Pep Guardiola’s men are again in the running this time, with the holders sandwiched between leaders Liverpool and Arsenal as the season enters the final straight.

Just two points separate the table-topping Reds and third-placed Gunners, who ran amok at sorry Sheffield United in a 6-0 Monday mauling.

“The performance of the squad (was great) and the mentality to start strong and carry on the momentum,” Jorginho said.

“It was really, really good to see a team playing forward and want to keep going.”

Asked what is different about the team this year compared to the one that just fell short last season, the Italy international added: “I think the maturity.

“We are way more mature how we compete and how we manage the games. I think that’s it.”

That mentality led Mikel Arteta’s side to race out of the blocks, racking up a five-goal lead quicker than any away side in Premier League history – Declan Rice making it 5-0 in the 39th minute.

Ben White’s second-half thunderbolt completed the rout, scoring the club’s 10,000th goal on a night they became the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals.

“We are pleased that we are doing all this good stuff, but we need to carry on,” Jorginho said.

“Because if we just think ‘oh yeah, nice, it’s done’… no, we just need to put your head down and keep pushing, being humble and keep going.

“We need to not be just happy for what we are doing. Of course, we are happy but we want to keep being happy.

“So, to be like that we just need to keep pushing and working hard.”

Arsenal’s seventh Premier League win on the bounce pushes shambolic Sheffield United further towards an immediate return to the Championship.

The Blades also made history on Monday, becoming the first English side to lose three consecutive home league games by at least a five-goal margin.

It was the kind of performance that raises questions over Chris Wilder’s future but the United boss says it only strengthened his drive to rebuild his boyhood club.

“It cements it,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned in a way I’ll wake up tomorrow and it’ll strengthen my resolve to get this right because it’s a big job, we understand that.”

What the papers say

Manchester United and Paris St Germain have emerged as the frontrunners to land the signature of Victor Osimhen in the summer. According to The Independent, Chelsea and Arsenal are also interested in the Napoli forward.

The Telegraph reports Newcastle are edging closer to inking a new deal with midfielder Joelinton. The 27-year-old has little over a year left on his current deal, but the two parties are believed to be on similar terms with negotiations proving productive thus far.

Tottenham have reportedly taken an interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand. The Sun, citing Portuguese paper Record, says Spurs sent scouts to watch the Denmark international in action as Sporting beat rivals Benfica 2-1 last Thursday, with a view to a potential summer move for the 24-year-old.

And the i says Newcastle intend to send 19-year-old winger Yankuba Minteh out on loan for a second successive season. Minteh has been at Dutch side Feyenoord this season.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Alphonso Davies: Real Madrid are willing to offer as much as £43m for the Bayern Munich defender, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Archie Brown: HITC reports Chelsea, Leeds and West Ham are all monitoring the English defender, currently playing for Belgian side Gent.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described his side’s 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United as “a great night” as they climbed to within two points of leaders Liverpool.

The Gunners dominated from start to finish against a Blades team who looked well beaten after Martin Odegaard, Jayden Bogle’s own goal and Gabriel Martinelli had put them 3-0 behind inside 13 minutes.

Kai Havertz and Declan Rice put the irrepressible Londoners 5-0 ahead at half-time and Ben White crashed home their sixth before the hour mark.

Arteta, whose side’s seventh straight league victory saw them become the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals, said: “It was a great night.

“The way we started made a difference. We were really aggressive and positive and we showed real quality in the final third to take the game into a great position for us.

“Then we maintained the rhythm, maintained the hunger and I love that about the team.”

Arsenal struck their fifth goal in the 39th minute, the earliest an away side has had a five-goal margin in Premier League history.

But Arteta warned his side they cannot afford to drop any points between now and the end of the season if they are to pip Liverpool and Manchester City to the title.

“The fact that we’re scoring many goals and not conceding is a great sign, but it’s about winning every game now,” the Spaniard said.

“That’s the demands these two teams have set over the past few years and that’s the task ahead of us.”

Arteta confirmed Bukayo Saka was withdrawn at half-time due to illness, while Martinelli was replaced by Gabriel Jesus in the 64th minute after cutting his foot.

“We need to wait and see how it is,” added Arteta on Martinelli’s setback, which was the only downside to the evening.

Rampant Arsenal made history with a 6-0 win away to shambolic Sheffield United as Mikel Arteta’s side moved back to within two points of the Premier League summit.

Having seen title rivals Liverpool edge past Nottingham Forest and Manchester City defeat Manchester United, Mikel Arteta’s men knew they had to respond at the Championship-bound Blades.

Arsenal did so in style and could easily have struck more than the five first-half goals they managed at Bramall Lane, where the Monday evening mauling was completed by a Ben White thunderbolt.

This was the Gunners’ seventh straight Premier League win and saw them become the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals.

By contrast, the Blades have now conceded five or more in four successive home games in all competitions – not exactly the fight boss Chris Wilder promised from his rock-bottom side.

Instead, United fans watched one the most humiliating first halves in Premier League history, with a Jayden Bogle own goal coming between efforts from Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli in the opening 15 minutes.

Kai Havertz and Declan Rice made it five by the half-time, which was greeted by boos from the Blades fans who had not already headed for a pint or an early exit.

White brilliantly fizzed home Arsenal’s sixth – the 10,000th goal in club history – as Arteta rung the changes, including taking off injured Martinelli after withdrawing Bukayo Saka at the break.

Ruben Dias admits Manchester City cannot rely on experience alone as they bid to repeat last season’s stunning treble success.

The champions moved back within a point of Premier League leaders Liverpool with a 3-1 derby win over rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

That sets up a huge showdown with the Merseysiders at Anfield next weekend and they face the other team in the title race, Arsenal, later this month.

While they will also hope to progress in the Champions League and FA Cup, City’s impressive track record over the course and distance could be a significant – but Dias insists there is far more to it than that.

The City defender said: “Every new year it is a new challenge and every new year we must overcome what we’ve done before.

“Even though what’s done is done and it’s beautiful, we know if we want to do it again we’ve got to go strong and deep again.

“We are the same people. We are the same players being treble winners or not, that’s why we became treble winners last season. That’s why we want to win again.”

City dominated the derby but the first half proved a frustrating experience after Marcus Rashford fired United into an unexpected lead with a stunning strike in the eighth minute.

It was not until after the break Pep Guardiola’s side were able to turn the game around with two superb goals from the outstanding Phil Foden while the irrepressible Erling Haaland added a late third.

City manager Guardiola hailed Foden, who has now scored 18 goals this term, as one of the best players in the Premier League after the game and Dias could understand why.

The Portugal international said: “I must agree he’s one of them for sure. He’s always been special, he keeps on being special.

“It’s no surprise for me and for all of us in the team and in the world of football. I’m very happy for him and let’s allow him to continue.

“He’s obviously got a special ability. That’s why he’s Phil Foden and that’s why we all recognise the kind of player he is.”

City are next in action when they host FC Copenhagen in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, a game they go into with a 3-1 aggregate lead.

Dias wants to get that assignment out of the way first before switching his attention to the battle with Liverpool.

He said: “The derby was definitely important. Obviously it was a special one for us, but more than anything else it’s the three points and we move forward.

“Now Champions League, focus on the next one, that’s the most important. Then we’ll focus on next weekend.”

Bruno Fernandes admits it is “going to be hard” for Manchester United to qualify for the Champions League after Manchester City’s “individual quality” led to an 11th Premier League loss of the season.

An unbeaten start to 2024 came to an abrupt halt at home to Fulham last weekend and, having edged past Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, was compounded by another league defeat on Sunday afternoon.

Marcus Rashford put unfancied United into a shock lead at the Etihad Stadium, only for fabulous Phil Foden’s brace and a stoppage-time Erling Haaland strike to seal City a 3-1 derby win.

“Obviously we’re disappointed,” skipper Fernandes said after the defeat. “I think we could have got something from the game.

“I think the effort from the team was there. Everyone tried really hard to get the result today, but it wasn’t possible.

“I said at half-time I felt that the team was doing everything we could to defend our box.

“We know that at moments we had to defend deep and be together and be compact and help each other.

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“We did it but obviously I think today the difference was the individual quality from the players of City that made them win this game.”

The gulf in quality was clear to anyone watching, although under-fire boss Erik ten Hag believes the gap would be closer if United were not beset by injuries.

Such issues have undoubtedly hurt the Red Devils in a second season to forget for the Dutchman, whose side are an eye-watering 19 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool with 11 matches remaining.

If that was not bad enough, Ten Hag’s side are facing an uphill battle even to secure a return to European football’s top table.

United sit sixth, 11 points off fourth-placed Aston Villa and six points behind Tottenham – who have a game in hand – in fifth spot, which could yet be enough for Champions League qualification.

“We need to look forward,” Fernandes told MUTV, as attention now turns to the Saturday lunchtime encounter with embattled Everton.

“We don’t depend only on ourselves to get in the positions we want. We’re not hiding from that.

“We want to be in the Champions League, we want to try until the end of the season to get into that fourth place.

“That gives you the possibility to be in the Champions League, so we know it’s going to be hard, but we have to do everything that is on our hands that we can do.

“Going to the next game at home, we know that our fans will be there again, over and over again.

“They’re being behind us, they push us and next game we have to go there and win that game.”

What the papers say

Brentford are reportedly keeping tabs on Norwich’s in-form American striker Josh Sargent. The Sun says the Bees view the 24-year-old, who has scored 11 goals in 17 matches this season, as an ideal replacement for Ivan Toney, who is expected to be sold in the summer.

Miguel Gutierrez is on the radar of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, according to The Sun. Citing a report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, the paper says the 22-year-old defender is a high priority transfer target for the United boss, though Gutierrez’s former club are thought to Real Madrid retain 50 per cent of his rights and a buy-back clause and could prove a substantial roadblock for the Red Devils.

And the Daily Mirror reports Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all had scouts in attendance to watch Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres net his 31st goal of the season against Benfica last week.

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Andy Robertson: Football Insider says Liverpool are set to open contract talks with the defender, who has been linked with Bayern Munich in recent days.

Francesco Camarda: Gazzetta dello Sport, via Football Italia, reports Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund are monitoring the 15-year-old AC Milan forward.

On this day in 2012, Andre Villas-Boas left Chelsea as former midfielder Roberto Di Matteo was appointed interim manager until the end of the season.

Villas-Boas, 34, lost the job he had held for just eight months less than 24 hours after a 1-0 defeat at West Brom which left the Blues sitting in fifth place in the Premier League table and having won just five of their previous 15 games in all competitions.

The Portuguese had been recruited at great expense – around £13.3million – as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement by then Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in June 2011 and handed the task of overhauling an ageing squad after winning a remarkable quadruple with Porto.

However, he quickly found himself under pressure and reports of dressing room unrest coupled with faltering form prompted the club to act ahead of an FA Cup trip to Birmingham and an impending Champions League showdown with Napoli.

In a statement, they said: “Unfortunately the results and performances of the team have not been good enough and were showing no signs of improving at a key time in the season.

“The club is still competing in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup, as well as challenging for a top-four spot in the Premier League, and we aim to remain as competitive as possible on all fronts.

“With that in mind, we felt our only option was to make a change at this time.”

Assistant Di Matteo was placed in temporary charge and made rather a good fist of it, at least initially.

The Italian guided Chelsea to FA Cup final victory over Liverpool and then famously at the Allianz Arena, a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final as Didier Drogba, whose late header had taken the game to extra time, converted the decisive spot-kick to complete Abramovich’s quest for European glory.

Di Matteo’s reward was a permanent two-year contract, although his reign too proved short-lived when he was sacked after just five months at the helm.

Mikel Arteta is not setting a points total he believes will deliver the Premier League title – but the Arsenal boss has warned the rest of the season may have to be perfect if they are to do so.

The Gunners travel to bottom club Sheffield United on Monday night knowing victory will once again see them close to within two points of Liverpool at the summit.

Reigning champions Manchester City are also locked in the three-way tussle for the title as Arteta aims to bring the Premier League crown back to Arsenal for the first time in 20 years.

Asked how many points might be required to win the league this season, the Spaniard replied: “You always ask me this question and I never get it right.

“The demands, you might have to win every game. I don’t know. I have no clue.

“There are a lot of games and we are all going to have crazy schedules and this league might be different to last season. Anything under 90 points I think it (winning the league) would be very difficult.

“We have to improve in every aspect, that is all, all managers try to be better in what we do.”

Arsenal were top of the table at this stage last season and led the pack for a total of 248 days before ultimately slipping behind City in the run-in.

“I think we are where we deserve to be,” Arteta said on Arsenal’s current standing.

“We could probably be a little bit better in terms of the points that we have deserved in the league

“Being (back) in the Champions League is another step – that makes obviously the challenge more difficult and the amount of injuries that we had I think we are going good but we want to do better.

“The target is clear. It’s to be better every day so that when it comes to the weekend, earn the right to win and do everything you possibly can to win the game.

“This is the focus and the way I see them training every day gives me  more confidence and more reasons to believe that we have a good chance because they really want it.”

Pep Guardiola praised fantastic Phil Foden and said the Manchester City midfielder is developing into a world-class player after his wonderful, derby-winning display against Manchester United.

Nobody expected anything other than embarrassment at the Etihad Stadium for Erik ten Hag’s stumbling Red Devils, yet Marcus Rashford’s scorcher gave them a shock half-time lead.

United were under the cosh for large periods before and after the break, finally buckling as 23-year-old Foden scored a superb leveller in the 56th minute before then firing City ahead 10 minutes from time.

Erling Haaland added gloss in stoppage time but there was no doubt who the star of the show was in Sunday’s important 3-1 victory for Guardiola’s title-chasing team.

“He is right now this season (one of the best players in the Premier League),” the City boss said of man-of-the-match Foden.

“He’s been the best so far. I always had the feeling he would score goals, in training sessions, always I had the feeling but now he is winning games.

“To become a world-class player at that age you have to win games and he always played good, always had an incredible work ethic. Doesn’t matter what position, he doesn’t complain.

“He lives to play football but now he is winning games. He played a false nine at Bournemouth and was unbelievable. Today after he missed the first chance against (Andre) Onana he became a little bit anxious. That is for his age, he will learn on that.

“But Rashford scored an unbelievable goal and Phil scored an unbelievable goal too.”

Foden helped the treble winners get out of a hole on Sunday after City fell behind for the 12th time in the league this season.

It was their first-ever Premier League comeback win against United and means they have recovered 21 points from losing positions this term.

The result put them back within one point of leaders Liverpool ahead of next weekend’s mouth-watering battle between the sides at Anfield.

“We have Copenhagen on our mind and we will have time after to talk about Liverpool,” Guardiola said ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

“We have a lot of points still to play for and different places to go.”

United bowed out of Europe before Christmas so there are no distractions before Saturday lunchtime’s return to Premier League action at home to embattled Everton.

The injury-hit Red Devils have regressed during Ten Hag’s second season and sit an eye-watering 19 points behind leaders Liverpool, who they face in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Similarly concerning is the fact that sixth-placed United are 11 points off Aston Villa in fourth and six behind fifth-placed Tottenham, which could yet be enough for Champions League qualification.

But Ten Hag does not believe United are that far behind City when not beset by injuries and felt key decisions hurt his battling side on Sunday.

“On defining moments, we didn’t have it on our side because just before the 1-1, I think Rashford was on another break,” Ten Hag said.

“And just before 2-1, there was (Alejandro) Garnacho in a breakthrough. I think we were really close to win or at least get a draw here.

“I will not say it was a tackle (on Rashford) from Kyle Walker. They both run, but Rashy confirmed to me it was contact.

“I saw it back, it was very soft, but you will understand when you are on a full-speed run, if you get a little touch then you are out of control and I think that is what happened.”

Asked if this match highlighted a chasm between the teams, under-fire Ten Hag said: “No, I don’t think so. Absolutely not. We have many problems in injuries and, still, we had an opportunity because it was really small margins.

“We could have scored a second goal in a debatable moment and in the second debatable moment, so you see it’s not that big. Especially when we have everyone on board we can be competitive.

“I think also we showed, for instance, in the cup final against them when it’s really close but don’t forget City, in this moment, are the best team in the world.”

Manchester City captain Kyle Walker lauded “sniper” Phil Foden after his brace helped secure a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.

Foden cancelled out Marcus Rashford’s brilliant first-half opener with a fine strike of his own 11 minutes after the break.

And the Stockport-born playmaker added another finish in the 80th minute before Erling Haaland wrapped up a Manchester derby victory in stoppage time.

Walker, asked about Foden’s stunning equaliser, told Sky Sports: “You know when he comes in on his left foot…we call him the sniper, because he likes to shoot.

“He likes a shot, so when he comes in on that left foot, you know he has the quality and the calmness and composure to pick his spot and I thought he took his goal fantastically well.”

Foden then switched over to the left side, from where he scored his second and earned City a big victory in their Premier League title challenge.

Walker added: “The second, probably coming off the left-hand side, you don’t really see Phil in that position but for him to find the corner as he has done, I think that just shows his flexibility.

“He’s even been trusted down the middle as well this year, which I think is a big part of the responsibility he has taken on. We lean on him and we need important players like him.

“He loves a shot, he practices, he puts in the work and he’s always doing extra shooting. His goals are coming, he’s reaping the rewards and he needs to keep these standards up.

“I think this season he’s been nothing short of first class. That’s the standard he sets for himself, that’s the standard we set for him, the manager (Pep Guardiola) and that’s the standard he has to keep up now.”

Foden, who now has 18 goals in all competitions for City this season, said: “That’s my aim, to turn up in the big games.

“That’s what I want to do and I think this season I’m proving that. I just need to keep working hard on the training pitch and keep putting performances like that in, keep working hard.

“I understand what it means for the fans, a derby at the Etihad, it means everything for me. To score as well is even better, but overall to get the win was the most important thing today.”

Phil Foden scored twice in the second half as title-chasing Manchester City came from behind to claim a crucial 3-1 win over rivals Manchester United.

The champions were stunned by a brilliant strike from Marcus Rashford after just eight minutes but were otherwise the dominant force in a keenly-fought Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Their pressure eventually paid off as Foden levelled with a long-range effort in the 56th minute and then put his side ahead 10 minutes from time. Erling Haaland put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time.

Victory took City one point behind leaders Liverpool ahead of the two sides’ eagerly-anticipated meeting at Anfield next weekend.

Foden, also last week’s match-winner at Bournemouth, is rapidly becoming City’s star of the season but prior to his intervention it seemed Rashford could steal the headlines.

The England forward this week defended himself against suggestions he was not fully committed to United and his blistering opener was an excellent way to do his talking on the pitch.

It came from a route-one punt upfield by Andre Onana which was taken under control by Bruno Fernandes and laid off to Rashford 25 yards out.

He seized the chance as he hit a thunderous first-time shot which flew in off the underside of the bar.

It could even have got worse for City with two more United breaks catching them out.

A Ruben Dias slip allowed Rashford another run at goal but the bounce wrong-footed him and Kyle Walker cleared. Rashford was then unable to make clean contact with a shot after a low ball was whizzed into the area.

Yet these were rare forays in a first half City otherwise dominated, racking up a remarkable 18 shots – their most without scoring in an opening 45-minute period under Pep Guardiola.

Haaland was guilty of their most glaring miss. The prolific Norwegian, who scored five at Luton in midweek, remarkably volleyed over in front of an open goal from a well-cushioned Foden header.

Prior to that Foden and Rodri were both denied by Onana while Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland all failed to make the most of half-chances.

The equaliser came early in the second half as Foden connected with another fine effort from outside the area that curled into the top corner.

United protested, feeling Rashford had been fouled by Walker moments earlier and a furious Erik ten Hag was booked for his reaction on the touchline, but that contact had been deemed minimal by referee Andrew Madley.

The leveller reignited an atmosphere that had become subdued and play was held up after a blue flare was thrown onto the pitch and landed close to Onana.

City continued to probe with Walker shooting at Onana but United retained a threat on the counter-attack and Alejandro Garnacho broke clear only to be denied by an Ederson tackle.

The decisive moment came 10 minutes from time as Foden combined with Julian Alvarez and beat Onana with a low drive across goal.

Haaland wrapped up the scoring with a precise finish – his 28th goal of the campaign – late on.