De Bruyne inspires Man City 4-2 comeback at Crystal Palace

Kevin De Bruyne brought up his century of goals for Manchester City by scoring twice in a 4-2 win at Crystal Palace that moved the champions level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool.

City had fallen behind after just three minutes at Selhurst Park, but De Bruyne led the response by curling in a beauty to equalise.

Rico Lewis put the visitors in front early in the second half before De Bruyne teed up Erling Haaland to end his goal drought.

And the Belgian rounded off a stunning display by smashing in his 100th City goal.

Pep Guardiola’s decision to hand De Bruyne and Haaland the night off for Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa paid dividends as his side remain on course to defend the treble they won last season.

Just three days ahead of City’s trip to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, Guardiola took the chance to shuffle his pack again.

Phil Foden, the hat-trick hero against Villa, was dropped to the bench alongside Manuel Akanji, Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku.

On paper, City did not appear to be weakened as John Stones and Oscar Bobb came in with De Bruyne and Haaland.

But it was an error from the ring-rusty Stones that gave Palace the perfect start after just three minutes.

Stones was making his return after being injured on England duty last month, but an errant pass was pounced on by Adam Wharton, who released Jean-Philippe Mateta to fire in off the post.

The goal awoke City from their slumber with De Bruyne at the heart of most of their most threatening attacks.

Only a brilliant save by Dean Henderson denied Rodri a quick reply.

But the visitors were level within 10 minutes of falling behind as De Bruyne curled in a stunning strike into the top corner.

Haaland had failed to score in his previous five games for club and country and failed to take advantage of a brilliant De Bruyne through ball as Henderson saved a one-on-one.

Palace, though, could also have been back in front before the break when Jordan Ayew smashed off the bar after a rare Rodri error.

There was little doubt over the outcome once Lewis pounced on some slack Palace defending from Jack Grealish’s deflected cross to make it 2-1 on 47 minutes.

Grealish’s season has been repeatedly disrupted by injury but his return to fitness and form could be a vital component in City’s quest to retain the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

He was also involved in his side’s third goal as Grealish picked out De Bruyne’s, whose cross was touched in by Haaland for a much-needed goal for the Norwegian.

Haaland now has 30 for the season in all competitions but had failed to find the net in 12 of his previous 17 games on his return from a foot injury that kept him out for two months.

Having curled one in on his right foot, De Bruyne then blasted in a piledriver with his left to make it 100 goals in 372 games since joining City in 2015.

At that point City seemed set to win by the four-goal margin they needed to go above Liverpool on goal difference.

But it was Palace who got the sixth and final goal of the game when Odsonne Edouard turned in Jeffrey Schlupp’s cross.

City move two points ahead of Arsenal, who can go top later on Saturday when they visit Brighton.

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Arsenal’s attempt to sign Ollie Watkins failed after Al Nassr’s decision to snub Boniface

Arsenal’s bid to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa was impacted by Al Nassr’s decision to pursue a transfer for Jhon Duran instead of Victor Boniface.

Despite significant injuries to key players Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal failed to add a forward during the winter transfer window. Mikel Arteta had hoped to bolster his attacking options, with Watkins a potential target.

Discussions between Villa and Arsenal began after their Premier League clash on January 18, with Villa looking to sell one of Watkins or Duran due to manager Unai Emery’s difficulty in fitting both strikers into his starting lineup. Villa had been in talks with Al Nassr over a transfer for Duran and were willing to sell Watkins for £60 million.

Watkins, a boyhood Arsenal fan, was eager for the move, and the Gunners submitted an opening bid of £40 million on January 27, which was promptly rejected. Arsenal planned to make a second offer, but Al Nassr’s decision to focus on Duran over Boniface meant that the potential transfer of Watkins to Arsenal was no longer possible.

With the transfer window now closed, Arteta is left with Kai Havertz as his only forward option for the remainder of the season.

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Jose Fonte criticizes Chelsea for missing out on Osimhen

'He Can Only Leave For €75m' - Napoli Reject Official Bid For Victor Osimhen

Former West Ham and Southampton defender Jose Fonte has voiced his disappointment over Chelsea’s failure to secure Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen during the January transfer window.

Despite being linked to the Blues since last summer, Osimhen opted for a season-long loan move to Galatasaray from Napoli.

Fonte compared Osimhen to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, believing the striker could have replicated Drogba’s success at Stamford Bridge:

“Chelsea are crying out for a striker like Victor Osimhen. He could be another Didier Drogba for them. He has pace, power, and technical quality.”

The defender, who faced Osimhen in the Champions League, described the Nigerian international as a “nightmare” for defenders:

“Once Osimhen gets into the Premier League, I think he will bully defenders. He’s aggressive, fast, clever, and powerful.”

Fonte expressed surprise that no Premier League club secured Osimhen’s signature, labeling it a “foolish” decision given his immense potential.

Chelsea’s ongoing search for a clinical striker continues to be a point of concern, with many fans and pundits echoing Fonte’s sentiments.

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Ancelotti confirms Mbappé, Bellingham, and Alaba out for Copa del Rey clash against Leganes

Madrid ‘lacked courage’ against City, says Ancelotti before rematch

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Kylian Mbappé will miss Real Madrid’s upcoming Copa del Rey quarter-final against Leganes due to a bruised calf. Mbappé was injured in the weekend’s 1-0 La Liga defeat to Espanyol after a reckless challenge from Carlos Romero, who avoided a red card. The French striker trained on Monday but will not feature in Wednesday’s match.

Ancelotti also took the opportunity to continue his criticism of Spanish refereeing. Real Madrid sent a formal letter to the Spanish football federation accusing the refereeing system of being “rigged” and “completely discredited” after Romero’s challenge.

The Madrid boss reiterated his stance, emphasizing the need for an explanation regarding the failure to protect players’ welfare during the match.

In addition to Mbappé’s absence, Ancelotti confirmed that Jude Bellingham will also miss the Leganes game with a knock. The manager also announced that David Alaba, who recently returned from a knee injury, will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks with a thigh injury.

Alaba will miss crucial fixtures, including the La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid and the Champions League play-off clash against Manchester City.

Antonio Rudiger is another doubt for the Leganes clash due to a thigh injury, leaving Real Madrid short on defensive options. With Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal already long-term absentees, Ancelotti may have to rely on Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni as center-back partners for the upcoming matches.

Ancelotti acknowledged the difficulty of the current injury crisis, stating: “Unfortunately in the last two days we’ve lost two important players, that’s something we did not contemplate… Alaba was ready to play tomorrow, as he had good feelings.