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Guardiola: I’m Confident We’ll Beat Brugge

Manchester City will host Brugge at the Etihad Stadium in their final UEFA Champions League group game on Wednesday.

As the winners of the tournament in 2023, City can’t afford a loss or a draw at home because winning is their only way to make the playoffs and continue to fight for a place in the round of 16.

Having won only two of their past seven games in the group, City sit 25th in the 36-team table with eight points. In the new Champions League format, the top-eight teams from the group phase will automatically qualify for the round of 16 while, ninth to 24th compete for the other eight spots in the playoffs.

City’s opponents Brugge are five places above them with 11 points. They have to win on the road to guarantee themselves a place in the last 16, but it won’t be easy since the Belgian club has never defeated City in the Champions League. The last time they came to the Etihad Stadium in 2021, the hosts walked over them 4-1.

The good news for City is that they seem to have snapped out of their poor form from the end of last year. From October to December 2024, the club lost 13 games in all competitions. However, they remained undefeated in the past seven Premier League games, making it back to the top-four in the league in impressive fasion. Furthermore, City have not lost any of their 34 home games at the Champions League since 2018.

“Well, the situation that we have, we have no other option – to win the game,” City’s manager Pep Guardiola said. “And if not, we will not continue in this competition. We want to go through to have another chance to play another two games to qualify for the next stage. It’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity, a challenge, and we will face it.”

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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.