Man City boss Pep Guardiola explains Sergio Aguero selection vs Arsenal

straight to your inbox Pep Guardiola believes seven teams could yet be involved in this season's Premier League title race, but the Manchester City boss insists Liverpool are the favourites to retain their crown.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola took notice of Liverpool's result against Atalanta in the Champions League ahead of their visit to Manchester City this week.The Premier League champions have not been as mean at the back this season and a serious injury to Virgil van Dijk will not help their efforts to keep opponents out over the course of the campaign.Guardiola again wished Van Dijk well in his recovery and would rather have two fully-fit teams to be able to put on the best spectacle

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola has dismissed the idea that Sunday's Etihad fixture with Liverpool is going to have a major impact on the Premier League title race. The two sides meet an early stage of the season and while Jurgen Klopp's side are already top of the table, victory for Manchester City Sunday afternoon will close the gap to two points and they still have a game in hand.

straight to your inboxOwen Hargreaves says Sergio Aguero should come back into Manchester City's starting line-up when fit even with Ferran Torres' impressive form up front.The summer signing has been deputising in a rather unfamiliar role up front due to injuries to Aguero and Gabriel Jesus but has impressed, scoring in three successive Champions League matches.With Aguero not far off fitness, former City midfielder Hargreaves says the iconic striker needs to come back into Pep Guardiola's

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola says Virgil Van Dijk's injury is a blow to the whole Premier League.Liverpool defender Van Dijk requires surgery on an ACL injury in his knee after being forced off in the Merseyside derby last weekend following a challenge from Jordan Pickford. The influential defender, who played every minute of Liverpool's impressive Premier League title win last season, is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines and could miss the whole of the season.

straight to your inboxJuventus manager Andrea Pirlo has admitted he's hoping to follow in the footsteps of Pep Guardiola, who is an 'example' to all coaches.The former Italian midfield maestro is embarking on his first full season as a manager, having been appointed by Juventus after they sacked Maurizio Sarri last season following their Champions League exit at the hands of Lyon.Pirlo has been tasked with ending Juve's 24-year wait for success in Europe, having dominated in Serie A over the

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola thinks that Sergio Aguero still has to earn a new contract at Manchester City just like he does.The club record scorer is in the final year of his deal at City, but after so many years of consistently high performances the Blues will not be pushing him out of the door.However, Aguero’s appearance against Arsenal was his first since June and the club are keen for him to show that he is over his injury problems, while the possibility of signing Lionel Messi on a

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola has warned against comparing new signing Ruben Dias with club legend Vincent Kompany.The arrival of Dias, a club-record signing this summer, ended a two year search for a high-profile central defensive signing after Kompany left the club after a glorious 11-year spell.With Nathan Ake also signing, City finally appeared to have solidified their defensive options.

straight to your inboxManchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been criticised after making contact with assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis in the club's 1-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday evening after disputing a throw-in.Despite regulations banning players from touching officials, the striker’s actions are expected to go unpunished and the incident has left supporters and pundits questioning what they saw.

straight to your inbox Pep Guardiola played down an incident involving Sergio Aguero and official Sian Massey during Manchester City's 1-0 victory over Arsenal. City got back to winning ways on their return to Premier League action on Saturday night after losing to Leicester and drawing with Leeds in the previous two league matches.

straight to your inbox Manchester City fans are unsurprisingly delighted to see Sergio Aguero return to the starting XI against Arsenal.City return to domestic action following the international break and Pep Guardiola will be hoping to see his side return to winning ways.

straight to your inboxManchester City fans believe Joao Cancelo should replace Benjamin Mendy at left-back for today's Premier League clash against Arsenal.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola is hoping his Manchester City side can rediscover "who we are as a team" when they face Arsenal today.The Blues have been inconsistent so far in the Premier League, following an opening weekend win at Wolves with the 5-2 defeat to Leicester City and the 1-1 draw with Leeds before the international break.Guardiola has seen his side put together performances in patches so far, rather than over a full 90 minutes, and the challenge against the Gunners will be made

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straight to your inboxManchester City could welcome Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero back to face Arsenal.Kevin De Bruyne has added to Pep Guardiola's injury worries with the Belgian joining Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines after picking up a problem on international duty.However, Sterling has trained "much better in the last few days" after pulling out of the England squad with a minor hamstring injury and should be in contention for the Premier League game against Mikel Arteta's side.And there

straight to your inboxThere will be no Kevin De Bruyne for Manchester City on Saturday. That will likely come as a relief to Arsenal, but it’s undoubtedly a blow for Pep Guardiola despite the strength and depth of his squad.“I don't think it is serious, but the next games I think he will be out,” Guardiola said.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola is expecting the Premier League to return to more normal levels of goals as teams 'take a little more care'. Manchester City are used to racking up scores in their matches but there have been more goals and shocks across the league in the opening four rounds of games than ever before with an average of nearly four goals a game plundered.

straight to your inbox every day, freeManchester United fans want to see Alex Telles start against Newcastle on Saturday, even though he only arrived at the club on Thursday.Telles was one of four deadline day signings for United - alongside Edinson Cavani, Facundo Pellistri and Amad Diallo - as he arrived from Porto in a 13.5million deal.United fans are excited by the acquisition of the left-back as he promises to bring a new attacking dimension to the team, after scoring 26 goals and claiming

straight to your inboxManchester City will face Arsenal on the weekend as master meets apprentice; Pep Guardiola will have to overcome his former assistant in Mikel Arteta, who left Manchester to take over at the Emirates in December.Arteta has improved the Gunners since making the move, but one major problem still persists and it tends to drift under the radar.

straight to your inbox Pep Guardiola says football matches behind closed doors leave him feeling empty. The Manchester City manager had said that playing without fans would be pointless when talk of games behind closed doors first emerged, but as the shocking impact of the pandemic swept the country there was an understanding that it would be a necessity to finish the 2019/20 campaign.