News about Manuel Akanji

GRAEME SOUNESS: Never in my 50-odd years in this game have I heard a player say he had to come off the pitch because he was too tired. So I was surprised to hear Pep Guardiola say that Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji had asked to be substituted against Real Madrid the other night because they 'could not continue'. That's something I've never witnessed. I can only presume that Guardiola was protecting De Bruyne and Haaland, that they were feeling something or carrying knocks, as that's the only explanation surely for taking off your most creative player and top goalscorer when chasing the game in a Champions League quarter-final.

The Premier League has had better weeks. A right old bruising in the Champions League. Won't somebody think of the coefficient? There were wry smiles across the continent on Thursday morning when the self-proclaimed Best League in the World saw its remaining Champions League hopes extinguished. There will be no English club in the semi-finals for the first time in four years. Bayern Munich are enduring their worst season in recent memory and gently eased Arsenal on to the hard shoulder. Real Madrid taunted Manchester City into a penalty shootout and, with their voodoo in this competition, prevailed as everybody inside the Etihad Stadium expected them to once it came down to nerve and kicking stationary balls from 12 yards.

Kevin de Bruyne has been benched for Manchester City's Champions League game at Real Madrid on Tuesday after feeling unwell. Pep Guardiola's side made four changes from the side that beat Crystal Palace on Saturday, but the most eye-catching is the omission of the Belgian. Rico Lewis, Julian Alvarez and Oscar Bobb also miss out, with Manuel Akanji, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic coming in for the Bernabeu clash.  

Manuel Akanji, a Manchester City defender, has sluggishly referredee Anthony Taylor after the reigning champions' goalless draw with Arsenal on Sunday. Man City and Arsenal lost ground on Liverpool in the championship race as a result of the stalemate at Etihad Stadium. During the match against Arsenal players, man City became adamantly in the case of a series of fouls that ended the game.

By sports analytics firm SofaScore, Manchester United's only had one player selected in the FA Cup team of the round. The Red Devils came from behind to win by 4-3 over Liverpool in extra time over the tournament's semi-finals. In a game just as action packed, Coventry defeated Wolves 3-2 in a game that was still packed, while Chelsea made life miserable for themselves in a 4-2 victory over Leicester. So who made Sofascore's team of the quarter-finals? Mail Sport takes a look at what the sport has to offer.

Alexander-Arnold was arrested in City ahead of their match last Sunday, implying that the city's financial stability means their triumphs are worth less. It was an incendiary blow aimed at the heart of the City administration, and it left fans on both directions stunned - Liverpool supporters with pride and City supporters with a point to prove. Akanji has released a sarcastic put-down, as well as advising him what he needs to do to chirp up again.

Manchester City has progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals and is gearing up for their showdown against Liverpool in style after defeating Copenhagen. With the weekend's pivotal ride to Anfield just around the corner, Pep Guardiola rang the changes as his team continued to build on their 3-1 last-16 aggregate lead. Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez, and the ever-ruthless Erling Haaland were all on target in the first half, with Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez, and the ever-ruthless Erling Haaland all on target. JOE BERNSTEIN of Mail Sport has rated their players' results...

JOE BERNSTEIN: After leaving Nottingham Forest on loan in January, defender Scott McKenna may have been cursing over his Kryptonite, Erling Haaland, for the second time in a row. Haaland thrashed Forest in a 6-0 thrashing on McKenna's last visit to The Etihad in 2022. On Wednesday night, things weren't any simpler for the Scotland international wearing a Copenhagen shirt. The center-half was bamboozled by Haaland's running at him shortly before halftime and then beat the turf in rage as the opportunity was converted. McKenna's only consolation is that he may be representing his country at the Euros this summer. Since Norway has failed to qualify, Haaland will unquestionably be unable to say the same.

During Chelsea's Premier League draw at Manchester City on Saturday evening, Raheem Sterling did not celebrate scoring Chelsea's goal. Mauricio Pochettino, the Blues' manager, had asked Sterling and Cole Palmer, two former Man City players, to celebrate if they scored at the Etihad in the pre-match press conference. But Sterling did not celebrate his goal when he came within Manuel Akanji before curling a shot around Ederson into the bottom far corner after 42 minutes.

On February 25, Liverpool will face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, putting the Reds versus Luton and Blues versus Tottenham postponed. Both Manchester City's match against Brentford was postponed due to the champions' participation in the Club World Cup. That means four teams will play twice in the week, raising the chance for more points. Mail Sport has chosen ten of the best double gameweek picks out of ten.

Everton is hoping to return to winning ways after losing two games in the Carabao Cup and Tottenham in the Premier League on a bounce to Fulham. Manchester City has, on the other hand, fallen off the pace of Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League, with Pep Guardiola's team now eight points behind Jurgen Klopp's side in fifth place. Both teams will be looking for a victory at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening to return to winning ways, and Sky Bet is giving several 'RequestABets' for the match.

After cruising into the FIFA Club World Cup final, Manchester City will cap off a memorable 2023 with a fifth title. This was supposed to be a regular semi-final against Urawa Red Diamonds in Japan, and so it was. City was set on a skepticism before Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva's goals added to the win in Jeddah. After Sunday night's 3-0 victory, Mail Sport's Jack Gaughan gave his numerical estimates from Saudi Arabia, while Nathan Salt delivers verdicts.

Pep Guardiola's half-time tactics during Man City's victory over RB Leipzig on Tuesday night have been lauded by Owen Hargreaves after the Cityzens overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat the Bundesliga team 3-2. The Premier League outfit was stunned by their opponents in the first half, with Lois Openda relying on two defensive mistakes from Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias to score twice in 33 minutes. It was a frustrating first 45 minutes, with City looking shaky at the back while the home team failed to convert their hopes. Guardiola opted to bring Nathan Ake, Jeremy Doku, and Julian Alvarez, who admitted after halftime that he reformed how his team pressed on their opponents.

After Manchester City conceded two early goals in their Champions League match against RB Leipzig, Glenn Hoddle slammed Manuel Akanji for "switching off completely." In the first 35 minutes of the match, Lois Openda stunned Cityzens by scoring twice, with both goals coming from defensive mistakes. He made his first appearance in the 13th minute, capitalizing on a long ball form goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, before rushing through the Man City defense to smash the ball past Stefan Ortega.

Akanji and Alisson had made contact while sprinting for the ball from the corner, prompting the goalkeeper to miss it. City had 2-0 up, but the game eventually ended 1-1 after Trent Alexander-Arnold's late strike cancelled out Erling Haaland's first-half attempt.

Manchester City and Liverpool outlined the main points in an exciting match at the Etihad, after Pep Guardiola's side finished top of the Premier League, which was shown in this video. Erling Haaland began the scoring with a solid finish, and with it, Norwegian Viktor Andree broke Andy Cole's record for the fastest player to 50 Premier League goals. When Ruben Dias came home from a corner, the city thought they were 2-0 up, but Manuel Akanji was found to have fouled Alisson in the buildup.

On Sunday evening, Chelsea and Man City fought out an enthralling match in west London as the spoils were divided in a pulsing 4-4 draw. Thiago Silva had started the scoring for the Blues until Erling Haaland equalised, and Raheem Sterling followed the home team against his former club. Manuel Akanji brought the scores up to a halt of half time just as Haaland snagged his brace to make it 3-2 to Pep Guardiola's guys. With his fourth goal in two games before Rodri's deflected goal seemed to have won it for the visitors, Nicolas Jackson made it even more stevens.

Following Manchester City's 3-0 victory over BSC Young Boys, Pep Guardiola announced that John Stones and Manuel Akanji are likely to be on the sidelines for a spell. Kyle Walker was brought to a halt just before the Champions League group stage match began, with John Stones being led off at halftime. Guardiola's men won by a narrow margin, with two goals from Erling Haaland sandwiching a Phil Foden strike to guarantee their last 16 qualifications.

Another clash over VAR in the Premier League this weekend. At least one club is upset about the decision made by the video assistant referees who have gone against them right now, and it appears we won't get through a series of top-flight fixtures without at least one team getting mad about them. Arsenal had been left frustrated after Newcastle United's winning goal against them on Saturday night featured not one, not two, but three tense VAR calls.

In a one-sided match at the Etihad Stadium, Doku opened the scoring and then had a hand in the next four goals. It maintained the good vibe the 21-year-old has created since his £55.4 million transfer from Rennes, but Doku himself was modest about his output.

The holders won by 3-1 over the Swiss side in their Champions League Group G match at Bern's Wankdorf Stadium, with Haaland striking twice twice in the second half. Meschack Elia had cancelled out Switzerland international Manuel Akanji's opener with a spectacular shot, so the game was in the balance. Haaland's goals were his first in six Champions League games, but his victory over Brighton on Saturday brought an end to a three-game scoreless run - relative barren spells for a player who plundered 52 in total last season.

After Manchester City's match against West Ham on Saturday, basketball superstar Mamadou N'Diaye dwarfed Erling Haaland 6ft 4 inch. During his ride to the London Stadium, the former UC Irvine player stands at a magnificent 7ft 6 inches, putting Haaland and his colleagues in the shade. Haaland is one of the Premier League's most versatile players, and coupling his imposing presence with ferocious speed played a vital part in his record-smashing goalscoring form for Man City last season.

Despite Manuel Akanji being in an offside position and obstructing play as he approached Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno, VAR Tony Harrington and assistant VAR Adam Nunn were found to blame when City took their 2-1 lead through Nathan Ake. Referee Michael Oliver allowed the goal to stand, and that was not criticized by his coworkers, but Howard Webb, who spoke with Match Officials Mic'd Up, admitted it was a mistake. On the PGMOL's latest monthly report, Webb says, 'We think it's a clear case of offside.'

The first international break of the new season is here, but Premier League players will not be given any time for rest and relaxation as they represent their respective nations. Any English top-flight player is residing in the United Kingdom, and the air miles are racking up for people traveling around the world to compete in international tournaments. When the Premier League returns, players will be able to travel for shorter trips abroad for European Championship qualifiers against Ukraine and Scotland, but others will have to face long-haul flights that could cause wreak havoc on their body clocks.