Man City boss Pep Guardiola sent Phil Foden message after Chelsea win

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola was left hoping on Wednesday night that the injuries that forced Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne off against Aston Villa will not be too serious.Manchester City continued their good form, winning their sixth straight league game and ninth in all competitions to reach the Premier League summit for the first time this season thanks to late goals from Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.However, they had to make do without two of their starting XI for long spells.

direct to your inboxPep Guardiola called upon an answer he has used before when asked how he will spend his 50th birthday today.The Manchester City boss saw his side produce a professional performance mixed with moments of individual quality on Saturday to beat Crystal Palace 4-0 and move up to second in the Premier League with a game in hand over leaders Manchester United.United had earlier drawn 0-0 with Liverpool, allowing City to move above Liverpool and to within two points of United with a

straight to your inboxJohn Stones has opened up about his Manchester City transformation - and revealed how Micah Richards helped him.Stones has come in from the cold to form a blossoming central defensive partnership with Ruben Dias in Pep Guardiola's side. The pair kept another clean sheet as City beat Crystal Palace 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday night.

straight to your inbox every day for freeMicah Richards and Roy Keane were in disagreement at half-time over Manchester United's performance against Liverpool after the former Man City defender claimed they were overly negative.In a low-key opening 45 minutes, Liverpool started the game brightest with Thiago Alcantara and Xherdan Shaqiri pulling the midfield strings.United grew into the half and continued to pose a threat on the counter-attack, although Marcus Rashford was penalised several

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola could not rule out a January transfer for Eric Garcia but hopes that Manchester City will be able to keep hold of the player. Garcia stunned the Blues last year when he opted not to extend his contract at the Etihad and decided that he wanted to return to Barcelona.

straight to your inboxFormer Manchester City defender Micah Richards has hailed Phil Foden as a 'superstar' following his latest eye-catching performance. The England international netted the only goal of the game in the 1-0 victory over Brighton, which moved City four points off the top with a game in hand.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola queried how effective the new protocols for Covid-19 can be in preventing contact on the pitch after Manchester City's FA Cup win over Birmingham. With more regular testing introduced recently across clubs following outbreaks including Newcastle, City, and Fulham, the PFA this week reminded all players not to celebrate with teammates at goals or swap shirts at the end of games in a bid to reduce contact and keep infection rates down.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola is not sure when he will be able to call on Sergio Aguero with the Manchester City striker isolating after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

straight to your inboxRaheem Sterling's record against Manchester United since the start of last season stood at three defeats and one draw from five starts going into this week's derby.Sterling had started each game on the left wing, and failed to score or assist in any game. He is still to score past United in 22 appearances, and his quest to break that deadlock has been even more difficult since the arrival of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Old Trafford.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola asked his Manchester City side for the same level of intensity in the second half of their Carabao Cup semi-final win over Manchester United to book their place in a fourth successive final.City and United had exchanged blows in the opening 45 minutes, with both sides having goals ruled out for offside and both goalkeepers making superb saves.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola is confident that Kevin De Bruyne will sign a new contract at Manchester City despite the absence of a breakthrough in negotiations. The Blues are keen to tie the 2019/20 Premier League Player of the Year down to a bumper deal that will commit him to the club beyond the terms of his current contract that expires in 2023.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola admitted he didn't know when his Manchester City side kicked off at Chelsea if they would have lost their Premier League momentum. The Blues boss was elated after the 2-0 win over Boxing Day not just with the result but with the way his team played in the victory over Steve Bruce's Newcastle.

straight to your inbox Pep Guardiola has told Benjamin Mendy's critics to look themselves in the mirror after suggesting the Manchester City defender wasn't the only person to break Covid-19 rules on New Year's Eve. City have launched an investigation after Mendy's breach of protocols when he invited a small number of friends and family around to celebrate the New Year.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola insists Benjamin Mendy will learn from his mistake after he was forced to apologise for breaching Covid-19 protocols on New Year's Eve. A report in The Sun said Mendy hosted friends for New Year's celebrations in a move that was against regulations concerning the virus.

straight to your inboxRoy Keane says Manchester City cannot be written off in the title race.City had something of a slow start to the season by their usual standards and they find themselves seven points off the top ahead of facing Chelsea this afternoon, albeit with two games in hand over most teams around them.

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola is in 'constant contact' with Lionel Messi ahead of a potential transfer in 2021, according to reports.Messi shocked the world last summer when he declared his desire to leave Barcelona and City were immediately installed as the favourites to sign him.However, after two weeks of wild speculation, Messi announced he would stay in Catalonia to avoid a legal battle with the club over a clause in his contract.The Argentine's relationship with the hierarchy at the

straight to your inboxPep Guardiola trusts the Premier League to make the right decision on a potential circuit breaker as Manchester City prepare for their game with Chelsea without five players or a fully open training ground as a result of Covid-19. Having already seen one match this week postponed, the Blues need to hope that the additional testing done on Thursday and Saturday gives them the all-clear to go ahead with the Chelsea game on Sunday.