As a child growing up in the Ukraine Aleks Zinchenko would dream of a career in professional football, but when he walks out at Wembley for one of the most famous cup finals in the game it will be an occasion beyond his wildest fantasies. Having made the left-back slot his own for the Blues recently Zinchenko would appear a certain starter against Watford in the FA Cup final this weekend. If he is included in Pep Guardiola's team it would be the first time in his City career that he's started six successive games and would be the latest milestone in his remarkable rise. The 22-year-old played all 120 minutes of City's Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea at Wembley in February, but walking out for the FA Cup final will be another level entirely for Zinchenko. The converted left-back was fascinated by the FA Cup as a youngster and for Zinchenko winning the oldest cup competition in world football this weekend will mean just as much as those back-to-back Premier League titles. … [Read more...] about Zinchenko explains why Man City cup final is more than a dream
Man city cup
Introducing Boro’s gifted youngsters ahead of Man City cup final
Middlesbrough’s run to the final of the Premier League Cup is a “fantastic achievement” according to Academy manager Craig Liddle, who wants his players to now go one step further and with the trophy. Boro Under-18s will host Manchester City at the Riverside Stadium tonight (kick-off 7pm) looking to achieve the club’s greatest youth team cup success since 2004. That year a Middlesbrough team coached by Mark Proctor lifted the FA Youth Cup. Now it’s the turn of Mark Tinkler’s side to try and replicate that silverware success. Assessing the cup run, Liddle said: “First and foremost it is about development but when you get to the semi-final stage and the final stage the result becomes a little bit more relevant. “From the boys’ perspective, individually it’s a fantastic achievement for them to get to a final of this magnitude playing against some of the best players, not just in the country, but in the world at the same age … [Read more...] about Introducing Boro’s gifted youngsters ahead of Man City cup final
Newport County 1-4 Man City: Cup dream over for Brave Exiles
The road ends here for Newport County's FA Cup dream, but boss Mike Flynn, and indeed the club's magnificent fans have every right to hold their heads high after this brave defeat to the Premier League champions. Some 80-odd places separated the Exiles and Manchester City in the domestic football pyramid heading into this one, but for 50 minutes or so, they succeeded where the mighty Chelsea coudn't and kept Pep Guardiola's galaxy of stars out. Indeed, Maurizio Sarri's men had conceded four goals in the time it took for Leroy Sane to finally break the deadlock at a rocking Rodney Parade, which duly lapped up an absolutely pulsating feast of cup football. The entire place would have been sent into the stratosphere midway through the first half had Tyreeq Bakinson's close-range header not been kept out, but ending their first fifth round appearance in 70 years with victory was always going to be a big ask. While star striker Sergio Aguero was left at home, Guardiola named a very … [Read more...] about Newport County 1-4 Man City: Cup dream over for Brave Exiles
Man City star claims winning the title is not their priority this season
Bernardo Silva believes that winning the Champions League must be Manchester City’s No 1 target. The Portuguese midfielder insists that Pep Guardiola’s men will give it their best shot as they bid to make history in their quest for the Quadruple. Champions City have hunted down a Liverpool side who could have gone seven points clear last week as they look to retain the Premier League title, will defend the Carabao Cup in the final against Chelsea in a fortnight and meet fourth-tier Newport next Saturday in the fifth round of the FA Cup. But Silva feels that becoming European champions for the first time must be their priority. City visit Germany's Schalke a week on Wednesday in the first leg of a last 16 tie, and Silva said: “In my opinion, the Champions League is the most prestigious competition in the world — and this club has never won it. “I don’t like to choose between competitions. You cannot decide what you want to win and what doesn’t … [Read more...] about Man City star claims winning the title is not their priority this season
Man City’s David Silva fires Liverpool a warning as title-race hits crunch time
David Silva has been here before. In 2012 and again two seasons later, the little Spaniard was part of the Manchester City team that held their nerve when the title race went to the wire. He has no doubts they can do it again. As Pep Guardiola’s men have started to crank up the pressure on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, the noise coming out of Anfield recently has resembled that of a widening crack. Meanwhile, victories over Huddersfield and Everton have catapulted the reigning champions back into a contest that looked over when they lost at Newcastle at the end of last month. And for Silva it has evoked memories of his first two title successes. “I think that since I arrived, every time we have had this sort of pressure of having to fight for the Premier League trophy until the end, the team has always worked well," he said. “Hopefully, this season we’ll be able to do it again. “We have a squad full of great players with a lot of quality, … [Read more...] about Man City’s David Silva fires Liverpool a warning as title-race hits crunch time