If Manchester City fans were excited about their club’s announcement of the pending acquisition of Erling Haaland, they were ecstatic about Kevin De Bruyne’s first-half hat-trick against Wolves.
22.04.2022 - 20:11 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho announced that he will leave the club in the summer after playing in England for nine seasons with the reigning Premier League champions.
City are not only losing a club legend when the Brazilian departs, but also a leader within their squad. Fernandinho has been club captain for two seasons after previous captain David Silva’s departure back to his Spanish homeland in 2020.
Along with the gap that will be left behind in midfield after City’s No.25 leaves, the armband will also be vacant with a new leader needed to be selected. One of cornerstones behind City’s recent success is having a strong captain at the helm, steering the team to silverware.
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Vincent Kompany was captain at City from 2011/12 onwards and, during his stewardship, the club won four Premier League titles, four League Cups, two Community Shields and an FA Cup — the latter being in the Belgian’s final game for the club.
Fernandinho was a natural successor after David Silva's stint, adding an extra Premier League title alongside a League Cup in a double last season. He could still potentially add another Premier League title and a first ever Champions League trophy this season under his leadership before he goes.
In short, the role of captain at City shouldn't be taken lightly and demands an equipped leader who can guide the club through the ever-growing fixture list as well as maintain huge pressure from all around to perform at the highest level or face gruelling scrutiny. So who is able to take on this position?
Vice captains in City’s current squad include Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Ruben Dias, who have all had several cracks at leading
If Manchester City fans were excited about their club’s announcement of the pending acquisition of Erling Haaland, they were ecstatic about Kevin De Bruyne’s first-half hat-trick against Wolves.
Pep Guardiola already has the most enviable squad in the Premier League and two big-name transfers during the upcoming summer window could help him achieve his dream Manchester City line-up. But will that be enough for City to end their European hoodoo next season?
Manchester City used Liverpool's win over Newcastle this weekend to motivate them to three important points at Leeds, giving them confidence going into this week's Champions League trip to Madrid.
Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan insists every game is a "final" as title race with Liverpool further intensified on Saturday following wins for each team.
Even the most glass-half-empty supporter would be hard pressed to come up with a Manchester City performance better than what we saw against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
Six years ago Manchester City found themselves facing then 10-times Champions League winners Real Madrid in a first ever semi-final in the competition for the club.
Manchester City booked their place in a second-consecutive Champions League semi-final with a 1-0 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid in the quarter-final.
Liverpool sensation Mo Salah has remained level-headed in his assessment of the title race despite his team's 4-0 destruction of Manchester United on Tuesday evening.
Manchester City and Liverpool are both lauded for their attacking play, with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp each having incredible attacking players at their disposal. But while the prowess of Premier League top goalscorer Mohamed Salah and prolific midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is remarkable, the title race will likely be decided by the ability to stop goals rather than score them.
Manchester City’s summer pursuit of Harry Kane is well documented, as Pep Guardiola identified the Tottenham talisman as his preferred striking target and sought to acquire his services for the best part of three months. City began the season with Gabriel Jesus as their only recognised centre-forward, and Guardiola prefers to play the Brazilian on the wing.
Manchester City will give injury doubts Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker until matchday to prove their fitness for the FA Cup semi-final clash with Liverpool. And that is good news for the Blues' season as it implies that the two respective injuries, both picked up in the goalless draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, are not serious.
Manchester City's recent transfer record suggests they will prioritise a move for Erling Haaland this summer rather than return for Harry Kane, according to former Blues winger Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Last Tuesday, Pep Guardiola’s post-match press conference was dominated by questions about the effectiveness of Atletico Madrid’s dark arts, but the Catalan has a master of his own that he could deploy in the second leg. Stopping counterattacks, faking injuries and even hair pulling, the Champions League quarter-final first leg between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid had it all last week.