Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland
Pep Guardiola has no doubt “goal machine” Erling Haaland is ready to fire in Manchester City’s two upcoming finals. The prolific Norwegian’s output has slowed in recent weeks with just one goal in his last six games. For someone who has plundered 52 in a remarkable season that is a relative drought but that is hardly troubling Guardiola ahead of the FA Cup and Champions League finals. Premier League champions City face Manchester United at Wembley next weekend before travelling to Istanbul to take on Inter Milan for the European crown seven days later. City manager Guardiola said: “I’m not going to doubt about the scoring machine, Erling, right now. “We had the chances. Maybe he’s waiting for the right moment. He will be ready in the right moment to score the goals. He’s ready. “I’m very pleased he’s achieved all he’s achieved, and the goals and the records. “Then he goes to Brighton and plays the way he played. He still did damage (without scoring). “He could say, ‘I’m waiting for the two finals’ but it’s completely the opposite and I like that.” Guardiola has been impressed by how Haaland has dealt with expectation in his first season in English football. “I don’t feel he’s felt much pressure,” Guardiola said. “I think he’s handled it really well. He laughs, I think, when people (mention) expectations. “I remember in the Community Shield, we lost 3-1 and he missed one clear chance – all the memes, all the people talked about that. “I was close to him and he said, ‘Don’t worry, I will score goals’. He’s this type of guy. He has incredible self-confidence in himself that all he needs is the chance to score the goals. “It doesn’t matter what happened, he’ll never lose confidence. You define the football players and the athletes in the bad moments. It’s how you react.” City, who secured the title last weekend, wrap up their Premier League campaign at Brentford on Sunday. The Bees inflicted City’s only home defeat of the season when they won 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium with an Ivan Toney double in November. Toney will not be involved this time after the striker was banned for eight months for breaching betting regulations. Guardiola hopes the player bounces back after he has served his punishment. Guardiola said: “Everyone has problems. If he made a mistake, you accept it and learn from that and (take) a new opportunity. I’m pretty sure he will be (back) better.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win Roberto De Zerbi wants to help Jason Steele follow Lewis Dunk into England squad I am on my phone all the time – David Moyes finds it difficult to switch off
2023-05-28 05:53
'Anatomy of a Fall' wins top prize at Cannes Film Festival
Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” won the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in a ceremony Saturday that handed the festival’s prestigious top prize to a twisty French Alps courtroom drama
2023-05-28 05:52
Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win
Rob Edwards’ delight at Luton ending their 22-year wait for Premier League football was nothing compared to the relief he felt at the news captain Tom Lockyer was all right. Saturday’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final went the distance at a packed Wembley, where the Hatters rallied after their skipper’s worryingly collapse early on. Jordan Clark put Luton into a deserved lead that Coventry midfielder Gustavo Hamer cancelled out in the second half, with the match ending 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra-time. Joe Taylor saw a winner ruled out just before spot-kicks, with Fankaty Dabo’s sudden-death miss sealing a 6-5 shoot-out triumph that propelled Luton back into the top-flight for the first time since 1992. The dramatic triumph means the Hatters will welcome Manchester City and Co just nine years after facing the likes of Salisbury and Hyde in the Conference Premier. Luton boss Edwards said: “I felt a bit numb. I just made sure I shook Mark’s hand and his staff. “I don’t want to be that guy that just starts running off and celebrating before I’ve seen the other manager. “I just felt very numb. I still do. It hasn’t sunk in quite yet. It might take a few days, but it’s great. It does feel good. “It was mixed because of Locks (Lockyer), that’s why I couldn’t really go for it celebrating.” This is a day that will live long in the memory of anybody connected to Luton, whose players held a Lockyer shirt throughout the celebrations. The Hatters captain collapsed when running back to defence in the early stages of the final, leaving the field on a stretcher and being taken to hospital for tests. Luton confirmed Lockyer was “responsive and talking to his family”, with his dad posting an image of him in a hospital bed celebrating the shoot-out win. Edwards cried with delight when he saw that image and hopes to soon celebrate with the much-loved skipper. “If we can we will (see him in hospital),” he said of Lockyer, who is expected to be kept in overnight. “But I don’t want to get in the way and if I’m not allowed then I won’t. “If I’m allowed I would love to go and see him, but then I think we’re so tight as a group that I’m not sure if 40-odd people are allowed to go and see him in hospital. “We will have to check on that, but I’m just so thankful that he’s OK because that’s all that matters. “I wasn’t really able to enjoy any celebration at the end because all I cared about was Locks.” As for Coventry, it was a heartbreaking end to a memorable season. Bottom of the table in October and taken over at the start of the year, boss Mark Robins was agonisingly close to leading the Sky Blues from League Two to the top flight. “Firstly, congratulations to Luton because once the game is over and done with you’ve got to congratulate the winners,” the long-serving Coventry boss said. “They’ve come out on top today, however tight the game may have been. “Congratulations to them and their supporters. I think they have been outstanding all season and good luck to them moving forward. “I think for us, certainly the opposite of their joy is pain. “You certainly feel a bit of pain, but once that pain starts to dissipate in however long it takes for it to go, we’ve got to reflect on what an unbelievable achievement it’s been just to even be here today in a play-off final. “The division is very, very tough as we all know and unfortunately we couldn’t make that next step.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Roberto De Zerbi wants to help Jason Steele follow Lewis Dunk into England squad Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland I am on my phone all the time – David Moyes finds it difficult to switch off
2023-05-28 05:51
Mikel Arteta: Timing of injuries at Arsenal ultimately cost Premier League title
Mikel Arteta believes the timing of injuries that hit his squad late in the season ultimately cost Arsenal in their bid to hold off Manchester City and win the Premier League. The team’s collapse largely coincided with a back injury sustained by defender William Saliba during their Europa League exit to Sporting Lisbon in March, with stand-in centre-back Rob Holding struggling to match the standard set by his team-mate. Arsenal were also without strikers Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, defenders Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu and midfielder Mohamed Elneny for large parts of the season as they were eventually chased down by City despite leading the table for 248 days. It hands the club the unwanted record of the most number of days spent top of the league without becoming champions. Collecting just nine points from their last eight games extinguished the challenge from Arteta’s side, but the manager pointed to three draws in April – away at Liverpool and West Ham and at home to bottom-side Southampton – as the period where critical damage was done to their title hopes. The Gunners threw away two-goal leads at Anfield and the London Stadium before gifting Saints a 3-1 lead at the Emirates, from which they could not recover to win. Arteta felt his team should have beaten all three opponents in spite of Saliba’s absence, but noted that the title was usually won by sides that did not suffer the bad luck with injuries that hit Arsenal this season. “There were a few things (that caused the collapse) because we could have won at least three of the games that we drew without Willy and two of them really comfortably,” said Arteta. “But we didn’t. “We had some critical moments where we didn’t maximise the opportunity that we had in front of us. You have to arrive at this stage with 24 fit players in the best condition, ready to go. “It happened last season. In the last stages we lost three or four key players and it’s happened this season. “It’s a big lesson, because when you look who wins and how doesn’t win, they have the 24 of them with the knife in the teeth, ready to go physically and mentally, all going for it and they can have real momentum. We didn’t have that again. “Timing is everything. Moments define the season in your own way and for opponents. That’s dictated by many, many, many factors and you have to acknowledge that. There are certain things you don’t control and certain other things not. “We fail in certain (moments) in our control, but I’m sure there are things we could have done different or better.” Arteta was asked whether he feared for Arsenal’s prospects of challenging again next season, given the difficulties that Liverpool have endured this campaign after pushing City to the final day last May. Jurgen Klopp’s team have failed to make the top four despite finishing a point behind the champions last season after a pulsating title race. As well as the loss of key players and feeling the impact of an ageing team, it had been suggested that there had been a mental hangover at Anfield from last year’s pursuit of Pep Guardiola’s side. “Whatever we do now in the last game and what we’ve done in the last week is just to build into what is going to happen afterwards,” said Arteta. Let's move on and let's have a great season again Mikel Arteta “Painting a very clear picture of where we want to go and who wants to be part of that journey.” The manager also reiterated his commitment to the club after a year in which his personal stock has risen greatly. He added: “I am very happy here, I’m very happy with my contract. Let’s move on and let’s have a great season again.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rob Edwards relieved to hear skipper Tom Lockyer is doing okay after Luton win Roberto De Zerbi wants to help Jason Steele follow Lewis Dunk into England squad Pep Guardiola has no concerns about ‘scoring machine’ Erling Haaland
2023-05-28 05:51
'The Little Mermaid' featuring Halle Bailey is on track for $100M+ weekend and Disney fans are loving it
Halle Bailey’s red hair as Ariel in 'The Little Mermaid' cost a whopping $150,000 to make it look realistic and natural
2023-05-28 05:28
Justine Triet: French director takes top prize at Cannes
French director Justine Triet became the third woman to win the top prize Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday with her gripping...
2023-05-28 05:25
Extinction Rebellion protest in Netherlands ends with 1,500 arrested
Officers used water cannon to try to disperse the crowds at the Extinction Rebellion protest
2023-05-28 05:21
Possible reason for Cowboys not going after DeAndre Hopkins is very lame
The Cowboys may bow out of the race to sign former Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins because of a roster management excuse that couldn't be more weak.Half of the league perked up on Friday when the Cardinals released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins after months of unsuccessfully trying ...
2023-05-28 04:57
KCP's championship pedigree was missing link in Nuggets' drive to Finals
The Denver Nuggets knew they had all the ingredients for this run to the NBA Finals last summer when Jamal Murry and Michael Porter Jr. were regaining their health, Nikola Jokic was coming off another MVP season and Aaron Gordon was stepping up his game
2023-05-28 04:48
Nigeria Raises Limit on Central Bank Borrowing to 15% of Revenue
Nigerian lawmakers increased the legal limit on government borrowings from the central bank in an emergency sitting of
2023-05-28 04:47
Marlins vs. Angels prediction and odds for Saturday, May 27
The Marlins and Angels continue a weekend series out west after Miami scored a 6-2 win to start the three game set on Friday.However, Miami will face a stiff test on Saturday night with Shohei Ohtani working double duty as a dangerous hitter and Cy Young caliber pitcher. The Marlins will counter...
2023-05-28 04:46
US Jobs Report Is Set to Provide Some Solace to the Fed
US employers are gradually dialing back the pace of hiring and hourly earnings are moderating, offering some solace
2023-05-28 04:27
