1. ‘Why should I not express what I feel?’
A resolute Pep Guardiola has defended his right to speak out against Israel’s attacks on Gaza after being urged to refrain by a Jewish group in Manchester. The Manchester City manager, who voiced his views earlier in the week, remains steadfast in expressing his opinions.
“I didn’t say anything special. I don’t feel that. Why should I not express what I feel? Just because I’m a manager,” said Guardiola.
“I don’t agree but I respect all opinions. What I said basically is how many conflicts there are right now all around the world. I condemn all of them. If innocent people are killed, I condemn them all – not this country being more than the other one.”
On Tuesday, Guardiola referenced Sudan, Palestine, and Ukraine when discussing the killing of innocent victims in conflicts.
“The genocide in Palestine, what happened in Ukraine, what happened all around the world – in Sudan, everywhere. What happened in front of us? Do you want to see it? It’s our problem as human beings,”he stated.
He also delivered a speech supporting Palestinian children at a charity event in Barcelona. However, the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region issued a statement on X and its website, saying:
“We have repeatedly asked for prominent individuals to be mindful about the words they use given how Jewish people have had to endure attacks across the globe. Pep Guardiola is a football manager. Whilst his humanitarian reflections may be well-intentioned, he should focus on football.
“Manchester City is being let down by him repeatedly straying into commentary on international affairs. This is the second time in a week he has decided to offer his controversial views on the Middle East conflict.
“It’s especially galling given his total failure to use his significant platform to display any solidarity with the Jewish community subjected to a terrorist attack a few miles from the Etihad Stadium or the Barcelona community reeling from anti-Semitic violence close to where he once engaged in remarks we believe to be provocative.”
Guardiola’s City side will face Liverpool in Sunday’s late kick-off. Erling Haaland has scored only once from open play in 10 appearances and was dropped for Wednesday’s 3-1 Carabao Cup semi-final win over Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium, where he again failed to score as a late substitute. Omar Marmoush, who replaced him, scored twice. Guardiola, however, continues to back Haaland, stating:
“Erling is the best striker in the world.”He added,
“I don’t know if he plays at Liverpool but I always say Erling is the best.”
Antoine Semenyo aims to extend his scoring streak of four goals in six appearances since joining from Bournemouth in January. The forward has scored 14 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions this season and aspires to match Haaland’s prolificacy.
“I have expectations for myself so coming here I knew there was going to be that pressure of scoring the same goals as Erling, but I feel like I’ve given myself those goals at the start of the season to compete with players of his stature. Being on the same team [as him] is a blessing. It’s [goalscoring] something that is in my blood and my DNA and I just want to keep going.”
Bernardo Silva faces a fitness test ahead of City’s match at Anfield. Jamie Jackson
2. Arteta says sorry for crossing the line
Mikel Arteta has apologized to Liam Rosenior for any disruption caused to Chelsea’s warm-up before their Carabao Cup semi-final and affirmed he will not engage in a war of words with managers who might seek to unsettle Arsenal’s title bid.
Rosenior was filmed expressing frustration towards an unidentified Arsenal staff member who he believed had encroached into Chelsea’s half during the warm-up at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. Chelsea’s head coach later commented that his team was not at fault and emphasized the importance of observing “certain etiquettes in football.”
“I don’t know, it’s his opinion and obviously we respect everybody,” said Arteta when questioned about the incident. “If at any point one of the staff members went through that, we apologise and that’s it. It’s very common in football, especially with the keepers because they have to keep long balls and all that, so nothing left to comment.”
Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard remain doubtful for Arsenal’s upcoming game against Sunderland on Saturday, where the team has a chance to extend their lead to nine points before second-placed Manchester City face Liverpool 24 hours later.
Last week, Arteta dismissed claims that Pep Guardiola might attempt “mind games” to influence Arsenal and reiterated the importance of ignoring external distractions to achieve their goals.
“I would engage with the things that, in my opinion, are relevant for the team, and what is the best for the team and the club,” he said.
Arteta received a booking against Chelsea for disputing a referee’s decision, marking only the second yellow card he has received this season. When asked about managing emotions as a Premier League manager, he responded:
“I don’t know. Sometimes it’s difficult because you cannot be aware constantly about everything, and we are human beings, and we react to things, so I think it’s normal. I try to be the right example always, and if that’s the intention, that’s OK.”
3. Howe: ‘My future isn’t relevant’
Eddie Howe has addressed speculation about his potential departure from Newcastle at the end of the season following a disappointing run of results. The Carabao Cup holders were eliminated on Wednesday when Manchester City secured a 5-1 aggregate semi-final victory. Newcastle currently sit 11th in the Premier League heading into Saturday’s fixture against Brentford.
Following a poor first-half display at the Etihad Stadium, social media buzz suggested Howe had reached his limit at the club and might replace England manager Thomas Tuchel this summer, despite Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson’s recent statement affirming mutual satisfaction between club and manager. Howe responded firmly:
“That’s a surprise to me. I give my best to the football club every single day, to all the players and the staff. I try to be the best version of myself to inspire the team to win games. That’s my only thought. I don’t tend to look too far ahead, but I try to prepare and plan for the club to move forward in every sense.
“My individual future isn’t really relevant. Who knows? I don’t know my length of time here, I’ve got no idea. I just try to do my best every day until told differently.”
The departure of £130m striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool in the summer has had a lasting effect, and Howe acknowledges that the £219m spent on Nick Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Anthony Elanga, and Jacob Ramsey has yet to yield full returns.
“For me, it’s too early to make strong conclusions from that transfer window. At this moment in time, I’d probably say let’s see where we are at the end of the season, and then even six months into next season, too. I think you’ll have a clearer idea then because you can look back at Lewis Hall’s transfer and go: ‘Well that didn’t work initially,’ but for me that was always a long-term signing.
“That’s also true of various other players we’ve signed through the years – Anthony Gordon also took time to become the player that he is now. Patience is needed, although it’s a rare commodity these days with transfers. I understand that with the outlay, people will go, ‘You shouldn’t need patience and understanding’. But I’d say with most transfers these days, I think there has to be an element of that.”
4. Carrick pleased with Mainoo impact
Michael Carrick has commended Kobbie Mainoo’s influence at Manchester United and encouraged other young players to emulate the midfielder’s progress. Mainoo has played every minute of the three matches under interim head coach Carrick, having not started any of the first 21 Premier League games under former manager Ruben Amorim.
Mainoo is expected to start again when United host Tottenham on Saturday lunchtime, as Carrick seeks to maintain his unbeaten record. Despite his interim role lasting only until the end of the season, Carrick has involved several academy prospects in training to demonstrate a pathway to the first team, contrasting with Amorim’s reluctance to select homegrown players.
“I’ve known Kobbie to start with, and what he can bring to the team,” Carrick said of the academy graduate. “It was just my thoughts to put him into the team and I thought he would give us an awful lot. From the club’s point of view, it’s an ideal scenario to bring players through the academy and have them in the team and have them go through their career at this club and stay in and around it.”
Carrick recently called up 15-year-old JJ Gabriel to train alongside Jack Moorhouse, Yuel Helafu, and brothers Tyler and Jack Fletcher. These players train under assistant coach Travis Binnion, who was the Under-21s manager until Amorim’s departure and has overseen the development of the club’s top talents, including Mainoo and Shea Lacey.
“I’m not putting everything on Kobbie’s shoulders,” Carrick said. “He’s doing terrific at the moment and I’m sure he’ll continue to be that way. We want more of that; we want more players to come through the system and to get into the first team. For me, there’s no better feeling than giving younger players a chance.”
The new backroom staff was assembled quickly, but Carrick noted:
“It feels like we’ve been together an awful much longer than just these three weeks.”The most notable appointment was former Chelsea and England assistant Steve Holland, who, like Carrick, worked under José Mourinho.
“I learned a lot from José in the five months when I was coaching, even in that, when you see how he works, how he thinks and how he sees players and things and they end up coming off like he predicted at certain times,” Carrick said. “He had a real good eye for that, so there’s certainly that connection.”
Carrick said of Holland: “There’s definitely the common kind of factors that help us work together.”
5. Moyes urges Dibling to ‘get angry and make an impression’
David Moyes has stated that the arrival of Tyrique George at Everton should motivate Tyler Dibling to increase his efforts and compete for a starting position. Dibling has struggled to establish himself since his £35m transfer from Southampton last summer and now faces competition from 19-year-old George, who joined on an initial loan from Chelsea on deadline day.
George could replace the injured Jack Grealish on Everton’s left flank but is versatile enough to play across the front line. When asked how Dibling should respond to George’s arrival, Moyes said:
“I’d be thinking: ‘I better get my finger out and show the manager what I was really all about.’
“Tyler is young and he is a quite a quiet boy who might take more time to settle in. Might. But he needs to show when he gets the opportunities. There are little glimpses of him just beginning to get angry, which I am enjoying, just beginning to be someone who might have to get angry to show what he wants to do.
“What we want from him is being direct, taking people on, committing people or the way Jack Grealish does it where he drags the ball and brings people to him and finds a way of not releasing. Are you going to get us some assists, are you going to score some goals? He is just showing little signs that he is heading towards that a bit better.”
Dibling was substituted at half-time during his last start, a 4-2 home defeat by Brentford, and has mostly made brief substitute appearances since.
“I think he is more angry with himself,” Moyes said, “because he is realising that ‘If I don’t get my finger out than I am going to get pushed aside here.’ He has more competition but that is what happens in football. If you want to be at the elite end of football then the competition is stiff and you have to live with that.”
6. Watkins in Villa frame for Vitality
Unai Emery has confirmed that Ollie Watkins is available after recovering from a hamstring concern as Aston Villa aim to return to winning ways at Bournemouth. The 30-year-old, who has scored eight goals in 33 appearances across all competitions this season, was substituted 35 minutes into last Thursday’s Europa League match against RB Salzburg due to injury.
Watkins missed the unexpected 1-0 home defeat to his former club Brentford but is expected to lead the attack at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon. When asked about Watkins’ availability, Emery said:
“Yes. He rested last week because he had a small injury and he was not ready to play. But this week progressively he was joining us, training normally, and today he trained normally.”
John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara, and Andres García remain sidelined for Villa, who enter the weekend third in the Premier League, seven points behind leaders Arsenal. January signing Alysson is not yet ready to debut, but Amadou Onana could start after being an unused substitute against Brentford.
7. Iraola says performances not transfers are key
Andoni Iraola dismissed suggestions that Bournemouth’s January transfer activity would influence his future at the club, with his contract due to expire this summer. The Cherries lost Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City last month but signed Alex Toth, Rayan, Ademide Solanke, and goalkeepers Fraser Forster and Christos Mandas.
With the club continuing to develop a young core, Iraola was asked before Saturday’s match against Aston Villa if the transfer window would affect his decision to stay. He responded:
“You are making it sound like I am like almost testing the club, sign very good players so I can stay,” Iraola said.
“And from my side, it’s not like this. I think I try to help the club to sign the better players we can. And we’ve tried to do this in the winter market. Some players we haven’t been able to sign, others yes, like in every market. And now the market is not the important thing for me. The important thing is the performances, how we build a team, how we play games, how we can continue getting points. And this is the substantial part.”
