Manchester City

What was once an inevitability is now a reality. Manchester City is the 2020-21 Premier League champion.

The title was affirmed with Manchester United's 2-1 loss to Leicester City on Tuesday.

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎 🏆

🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/5T678GGPnO

— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 11, 2021

City had a chance to clinch the title on Saturday but fell 2-1 at home to Chelsea. With the club leading 1-0 in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Sergio Aguero failed to convert a penalty and subsequently apologized for his poor attempt at a Panenka:

Agüero attempted the panenka, and he missed. pic.twitter.com/iIAhvj99Z0

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 8, 2021

I would like to apologise to my teammates, staff and supporters for missing the penalty. It was a bad decision and I take full responsibility.

— Sergio Kun Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) May 8, 2021

Pep Guardiola's squad opened up a sizable gap on United and the rest of its title rivals as the season drew to a close, but early in the campaign, it looked like the club was on shaky ground.

Through eight matches, Manchester City was in 13th and eight points off Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, which both had 20 points in nine fixtures. Guardiola signed a contract extension in November, so his future wasn't in doubt. However, City appeared to need a squad refresh in order to mount another title challenge.

But after a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Dec. 15, the Sky Blues went on a 15-match winning streak. Following the last of those 15 victories, they had climbed to the top of the table, 14 points clear of United in second place.

Ruben Dias is widely viewed as the player most instrumental during Manchester City's dominant run. City surrendered the second-fewest goals (35) during the 2019-20 season, but it tended to panic a bit when it did concede.

Dias has been the top defender in the Premier League and the kind of imposing presence who could lead the back four right out of the gate. With three matches remaining, City has conceded 26 goals.

Pep Guardiola strongly wanted Ruben Dias last summer as “the perfect centre-back” suggested to the board, that’s why Manchester City agreed to spend €54M + Otamendi to sign him... and what a signing. 🔵🇵🇹 #MCFC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 4, 2021

The Ruben Dias effect at Manchester City:

▪️Average a goal conceded every 2 games
▪️Won 37 Drawn 6 Lost 3 in games he’s played
▪️EFL Cup 🏆
▪️Premier League ⏳
▪️First #UCL final appearance in club’s history

Wall. pic.twitter.com/tLM7KryeVg

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 5, 2021

The Citizens have also been the most prolific offensive team in the league, tallying 72 goals across a balanced attack led by Ilkay Gundogan's 12 goals. Raheem Sterling has added 10, and Riyad Mahrez has scored 10. Sixteen players have scored for City in the league this season, picking up the slack for Aguero. He has only scored twice in 11 games after tallying 12 or more goals in each of his first nine league campaigns and reaching the 20-goal mark six times.

Manchester City's domestic superiority is largely a given with three titles in four seasons. A Champions League triumph has continued to prove elusive, though. That could finally change with City and Chelsea matched up in the Champions League final May 29.

As great as supporters are feeling Tuesday, the 2020-21 campaign might be considered disappointing if the English giants once again fall short of lifting a European trophy.

Manchester City star Sergio Aguero apologized after missing a penalty in the club's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, a result that delayed City from clinching a Premier League title.

I would like to apologise to my teammates, staff and supporters for missing the penalty. It was a bad decision and I take full responsibility.

— Sergio Kun Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) May 8, 2021

With Manchester City up 1-0 thanks to a Raheem Sterling goal, Aguero had the opportunity to double the lead in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Instead, he provided a reminder of the risks of the Panenka penalty.

Agüero attempted the panenka, and he missed. pic.twitter.com/iIAhvj99Z0

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 8, 2021

Aguero's apology is probably unnecessary.

Pep Guardiola's side is still up 13 points on second-placed Manchester United, which has two games in hand but only 15 points left to earn. Barring a total collapse from City, the Premier League title race remains a fait accompli.

Guardiola remained circumspect about the situation:

More Pep on Aguero pen: "Always I say to the players in the penalties take one decision, panenka, right, left, short, whatever you want, but commit. He was committed, if he miss it, he miss it. Everyone is disappointed but the first disappointment is him, you know that." https://t.co/y2ZXhQgdt4

— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) May 8, 2021

Aguero, who's departing the club at the end of the season after a 10-year stay, also has another opportunity to end his City tenure on a high note when Manchester City and Chelsea meet again May 29 in the UEFA Champions League final.

Having thoroughly conquered England, the Champions League is the one trophy City covets more than any other. Aguero is already a club legend to the point that a statue of him will go up outside the Etihad Stadium. A victory over Chelsea later this month would be the perfect capper.

The UK Government is in talks with the Football Association and UEFA about hosting the 2021 Champions League final in England because of concerns about traveling to Turkey.

Turkey has been added to a travel red list for England, meaning anyone who travels there must quarantine for 10 days upon returning.

As a result, the UK Government is open to moving the UEFA Champions League final from the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul to England.

A pair of English Premier League teams, Manchester City and Chelsea, are set to square off in the tournament showpiece on May 29.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the following with regard to the situation, per Paul MacInnes of The Guardian:

"We are having to be cautious about this. I'm afraid we’re having to put Turkey on the red list and it will have ramifications. Fans should not travel to Turkey. The FA are in discussions with UEFA already on this and we are very open to hosting the final.

"Ultimately it's the decision of UEFA. We have a successful track record of matches with spectators. I've spoken to the sport's minister, we're very open to it and in the end it's a decision for UEFA but given it's two English clubs in final we're waiting to hear what they have to say."

Shapps' announcement came on the same day that UEFA was expected to reveal that 8,000 tickets to the UCL final would be allocated to Manchester City and Chelsea fans.

With the UK Government advising fans against traveling to Turkey, however, things are now in flux regarding where the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final will occur.

Manchester City is set to play in its first-ever UEFA Champions League Final, while Chelsea will be appearing for the third time and seeking its second title.

Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling was the target of racist abuse on Instagram just two days after English football clubs and players held a boycott of social media.

The Athletic provided a statement from Facebook, which owns Instagram and removed the racist comment Tuesday:

"The racist abuse sent to Raheem Sterling is unacceptable and we do not want it on Instagram. We have removed the comment and taken action against the account that posted it. As part of our ongoing work in this space, we'll soon be rolling out new tools to help prevent people seeing abusive messages from strangers.

"No single thing will fix this challenge overnight but we're committed to doing what we can to keep our community safe from abuse."

Sterling is already the third player who's received racist messages on social media since the start of the boycott, joining Stoke City's on-loan winger Rabbi Matondo and Swansea City's Morgan Whittaker, per The Athletic.

Abuse of the Manchester City star has led to several bans in recent years.

In July 2019, Chelsea banned six fans, including one for life, following an investigation into racist abuse directed toward the England international in a December 2018 match at Stamford Bridge.

In January 2020, the Manchester Magistrates' Court banned two City supporters for five years for racist abuse of Sterling during a December 2018 fixture against Bournemouth.

Sterling spoke out against racism in an interview with the BBC's Emily Maitlis (via Jack de Menezes of The Independent) in June.

"I know this might sound a little bit cheesy, but the only disease right now is the racism that we are fighting," he said. "This is the most important thing at this moment in time because this is something that is happening for years and years. Just like the pandemic, we want to find a solution to stop it."

The Premier League announced a six-point plan Friday at the start of the social media boycott, which included getting tech companies to ensure "real-life consequences for online discriminatory abuse."

EPL Chief Executive Richard Masters also made a statement about the boycott:

"The Premier League and our clubs stand alongside football in staging this boycott to highlight the urgent need for social media companies to do more in eliminating racial hatred. We will not stop challenging social media companies and want to see significant improvements in their policies and processes to tackle online discriminatory abuse on their platforms.

"Football is a diverse sport, which brings together communities and cultures from all backgrounds and this diversity makes the competition stronger. No Room For Racism represents all the work we do to promote equality, diversity and inclusion and tackling discrimination."

Manchester City clinched a berth in the UEFA Champions League final with a victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the semifinals Tuesday.

Sterling and the Citizens return to action Saturday to face Chelsea in Premier League action. The clubs will meet again May 29 in the UCL final.

It's an all-English final in the Champions League.

Chelsea beat Real Madrid by a 3-1 aggregate score in the semifinals Wednesday, one day after Manchester City secured a 4-1 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain to reach the first Champions League final in club history.

For the eighth time, two teams from the same country face each other in the Champions League final ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/dmtwp4ubBT

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 5, 2021

Now, the Premier League sides have a date in Istanbul.

---

Champions League Final Information

Date: May 29 at 3 p.m. ET

Venue: Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul

TV Info: CBS, Paramount+

---

Manchester City will likely enter as the favorite since it has been arguably the strongest squad from Europe's five major leagues. Nineteen points also separate City from Chelsea in the Premier League table.

But the Blues came away as 1-0 victors when they met in the semifinals of the FA Cup. Hakim Ziyech's 55th-minute goal was the decisive moment in the match.

⚡ HAKIM ZIYECH STRIKES ⚡#EmiratesFACup @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/vRv1D8gUy9

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 17, 2021

That result, along with Chelsea's run to the Champions League final, are evidence of how much things have improved at Stamford Bridge under the watch of Thomas Tuchel. The German's impact on the side has been immense.

https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1390048684918902786

Chelsea rode its luck in a big way when it won the 2011-12 Champions League, best illustrated by Fernando Torres' 92nd-minute winner in the semifinals against Barcelona and Didier Drogba's equalizer in the 88th minute against Bayern Munich in the final.

This time around, the club is one of the most in-form in Europe alongside Manchester City. Chelsea's collective strength going forward is balanced by a stifling defense, with N'Golo Kante the invaluable fulcrum between the two.

Having said all of that, City and Pep Guardiola are on the precipice of achieving the primary objective Guardiola assumed when he arrived in 2016.

Against PSG in the semifinal, Manchester City struggled in the opening 45 minutes of the first leg. From halftime of that fixture on, it was a far different story as the Parisians wilted in the face of City's patient, sustained attack. PSG, which was without Kylian Mbappe, didn't have a single shot on target in the second leg.

The arrival of Ruben Dias has almost single-handedly addressed what was City's most glaring problem as well. The Sky Blues conceded the second-fewest goals (35) in the Premier League last season, but too often their back four would get exposed in critical moments.

With Dias leading the line, City has surrendered just 24 goals in 34 PL fixtures.

The Ruben Dias effect at Manchester City:

▪️Average a goal conceded every 2 games
▪️Won 37 Drawn 6 Lost 3 in games he’s played
▪️EFL Cup 🏆
▪️Premier League ⏳
▪️First #UCL final appearance in club’s history

Wall. pic.twitter.com/tLM7KryeVg

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 5, 2021

City hosts Chelsea on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET in the Premier League. In light of Wednesday's outcome, it could be a fascinating chess match between Tuchel and Guardiola if either manager chooses not to reveal too much about his preferred strategy for the Champions League final. Guardiola in particular can afford to play his cards close to the chest with the league title all but sewn up.

Later this month in Istanbul, the return clash is a toss-up.

If this were written for the silver screen, Timo Werner would cap off a frustrating campaign in heroic fashion by scoring the winning goal to bring home Chelsea's second UCL title.

Given both the club's performance the stakes of the occasion, it's impossible to look past Manchester City.

Manchester City is through to the Champions League final for the first time in club history.

Thanks to a brace from Riyad Mahrez, the Premier League leader advanced past Paris Saint-Germain by a 4-1 aggregate score following a 2-0 second leg Tuesday at Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

MAN CITY REACH THEIR FIRST #UCL FINAL 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Dun0T6ymhQ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 4, 2021

Conditions for the fixture were less than ideal after a hailstorm hit Manchester:

Never seen anything like this before!!! pic.twitter.com/TnVACkoz4u

— Julien Laurens (@LaurensJulien) May 4, 2021

Man City v PSG... pic.twitter.com/oL2VSWJmM5

— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) May 4, 2021

Paris Saint-Germain experienced a setback in the form of an injury to one of its best players. A calf problem forced Kylian Mbappe to watch the start of the match from the bench. The French forward remained there for the duration of the evening.

The state of the pitch made it a little more difficult to string together passes for quick attacking moves. Ederson found the way to solve the problem when he launched a long ball ahead to Oleksandr Zinchenko. That triggered a sequence culminating in an 11th-minute goal from Mahrez.

Get yourself a goalkeeper who can pass like Ederson 🤤 (🎥 @UCLonCBSSports) pic.twitter.com/mmVv8gM9j7

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 4, 2021

Time and again, City got in the way of PSG's attempts on goal, blocking nine shots and holding its opponents to zero attempts on target. Ruben Dias in particular was excellent as the tone-setter for the back four. The Portuguese defender has had a massive impact in his first season at the club, not unlike how Virgil van Dijk almost single-handedly raised Liverpool's leaky defense when he arrived.

Mahrez removed any doubt about the outcome when he got himself into acres of space for a simple finish from a cross by Phil Foden on 63 minutes.

IT HAD TO BE RIYAD MAHREZ 🤯 pic.twitter.com/0Ey2UTBbM1

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 4, 2021

Angel Di Maria added to Paris Saint-Germain's woe as he earned a red card for stamping on the foot of Fernandinho in the 69th minute.

By unraveling in the second half of the first leg, Paris Saint-Germain left itself with a difficult task Tuesday night. That still would've been true if Mbappe started from the outset, and his absence only added to the struggle.

Mauricio Pochettino tabbed Mauro Icardi to operate out of the No. 9 role. While the Argentine star has scored seven goals across 18 Ligue 1 appearances, this was a match in which PSG was unable to play to his strengths.

Mauro Icardi had fewer touches (13) than any other player on the pitch in the first half against Man City, including both goalkeepers. 👻

And none of them were in the opposition box. #UCL pic.twitter.com/IdmzE5ELV0

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 4, 2021

https://twitter.com/DreCordero/status/1389672656820133894

Keeping Edinson Cavani instead of allowing his contract to expire was probably unrealistic given how tough it would've been to appease everyone in the attack. But one can't help wonder whether PSG would've been better Tuesday with Cavani leading the line in Mbappe's place.

Losing in the semifinals is a bitter pill to swallow given how desperate the club is to taste European glory for the first time. Between a tighter-than-expected title race in Ligue 1 and the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, this has been a tough season for the Parisians, though.

With the benefit of a full offseason to work with his players, Pochettino should have the squad in a much stronger place next year.

Manchester City, on the other hand, are on the precipice of achieving what ownership desired when it brought Pep Guardiola aboard in 2016. City's dominance in England has yet to fully translate in the Champions League, and that might finally change.

             

What's Next?

City awaits the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between Chelsea and Real Madrid. The Blues earned a 1-1 draw with Madrid in the first leg, which gives them a slight edge on away goals.

Manchester City are one of 12 clubs involved in the breakaway Super League, but manager Pep Guardiola believes it goes against the spirit of competition.

"It is not a sport where success is already guaranteed or it doesn't matter if you lose," Guardiola said Tuesday, per Rob Dawson of ESPN. "I said many times—I want the best competition. It is not fair when one team fight, fight, fight at the top and cannot be qualified because it is just for a few teams."

Under the current UEFA format, teams have to qualify for the Champions League based on results in their domestic leagues the previous season. The newly proposed system would have 15 permanent members in a 20-team competition, with the "founding clubs" remaining at the top level regardless of standing.

While his club would benefit from the new system as a permanent member, Guardiola remains critical.

"It is not a sport where the relation between effort and success does not exist," he said.

Manchester City is at the top of the Premier League table and one of the four semifinalists for the 2021 Champions League title. However, the Premier League has proved its parity this season, with Leicester City and West Ham United each entering Tuesday in the top four trying to earn a spot in next year's UCL.

Meanwhile, Manchester City must be concerned about the blowback following the Super League announcement, both from fans and the sport's governing bodies.

Jesper Moller, a member of the UEFA executive committee, said this week Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid would all be thrown out of the current Champions League semifinals, per DR Sport (via Joe Prince-Wright of NBC Sports).

UEFA President Alex Ceferin also said the players who take part will be banned from competing for their national teams in the FIFA World Cup and European Championship.

For the first time in five years, Manchester City is headed to the UEFA Champions League semifinals after a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday. 

City won 4-2 on aggregate and will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinal. 

Phil Foden sealed the team's spot in the next round with a go-ahead goal in the 75th minute. 

PHIL FODEN. COMES UP CLUTCH AGAIN. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/qnyc613qmY

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 14, 2021

Manchester City scored both of its goals in the second half. The first was not without controversy, as Dortmund's Emre Can was whistled for a penalty in the 55th minute when the ball appeared to simultaneously hit his head and outstretched arm. 

Did Man City deserve a penalty? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/E9JYrNsa4a

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 14, 2021

Riyad Mahrez converted the penalty kick to draw level. 

RIYAD MAHREZ. FROM THE SPOT. 💥 pic.twitter.com/phNSBF7EXA

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 14, 2021

City found itself in a bind early after Jude Bellingham got Dortmund on the board with a goal in the 15th minute, making history in the process. 

⚫️🟡 Jude Bellingham (17 years, 289 days) becomes the second-youngest player ever to score in a knockout game, after Bojan Krkić in 2008 (17 years, 217 days)#UCL pic.twitter.com/yzRvgZ4ign

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 14, 2021

The first-half score was also a nice bit of payback for Bellingham, who had a goal disallowed in the first leg when Dortmund was whistled for a penalty in the lead-up.

Since Dortmund also got a goal in the first leg on the road, Bellingham's score would have been enough to send the team into the semifinal if the score had held. 

City got off to a slow start before turning on the jets late in the first half. They had an opportunity to even things in the 32nd minute when Riyad Mahrez got a shot past Marwin Hitz, but Bellingham was able to clear the ball before it crossed the line. 

The first half was an onslaught by City as it had 61 percent possession and nine shot attempts, but only one was on target. They were moving at a rapid pace and tried to catch Dortmund's defense off guard. 

All the numbers from the first-half in Dortmund: pic.twitter.com/5C36Dk98qc

— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) April 14, 2021

Manchester City was moments away from settling for a tie in the first leg last week until Foden's goal in the 90th minute made it a 2-1 final. 

Trailing at the half is an unusual place for City to be this season, but the few times it has happened before Wednesday, they've struggled to make up the deficit coming out of the intermission:

🆚 West Ham 🤝
🆚 Tottenham ❌
🆚 Manchester United ❌
🆚 Leeds ❌
🆚 Borussia Dortmund ❓

😐 Manchester City have been behind at the break just 5 times this season... pic.twitter.com/cx5ElcHM65

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) April 14, 2021

Dortmund tried moving back on the offensive after Mahrez's goal tied the score 1-1. Mats Hummels had a header attempt from the center of the box that sailed just over the top of the goal. 

Time eventually ran out for Dortmund, though it put forth a terrific effort against a juggernaut opponent. 

Coming into this match, City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged there was no way for him to end the day on a high note. 

“This is a business, and business is business. Business is winning,” Guardiola said during a Tuesday press conference. “If we don’t win, I will be a failure. If we win, it will be ‘Oh, how good is Pep.’”

That's a byproduct of being in charge of a team with as much talent and resources as the Sky Blues. 

Wednesday was the biggest hurdle for Guardiola to clear as he seeks his first Champions League title with City. 

With the Dortmund job done, focus will turn toward PSG in the semifinal at the end of the month. 

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What's Next?

Dortmund/Manchester City will play Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal on April 27 or 28. 

It was stressful, but Manchester City got the first step of the job done and is well on its way to the Champions League semifinals.

Kevin De Bruyne scored in the 18th minute and Phil Foden added the winner in the 90th for City to earn a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. The two sides will meet again April 14 at Signal Iduna Park.

Dortmund give it away and Kevin De Bruyne makes them pay 💀 pic.twitter.com/WEAyN2kddY

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 6, 2021

De Bruyne's goal carried the match deep into the second half before Marco Reus tied the score in the 84th. It seemed Dortmund would be able to escape with a draw, but Foden found the back of the net on City's last deep attack to salvage the win for the favorites.

While City controlled the match and held possession for 62 percent of the match, Dortmund will walk away with some hope after scoring an away goal against the Premier League club. 

Many supporters of the German side may even say Dortmund should have walked away with a draw. An official made a controversial foul call on Jude Bellingham in the first half that wiped away a sure goal. On replay, it was clear Bellingham made contact with the ball to get it past City keeper Ederson and then was free to strike the ball through the net.

However, the official called Bellingham for a foul, saying he contacted Ederson when in fact the opposite was true. It was Ederson who made contact with Bellingham when he was attempting to play the ball.

It was a frustrating result for a Dortmund side that likely could have gotten some momentum with a win over a red-hot City. Dortmund entered Tuesday with just one win in its last five matches, and it currently sits a disappointing fifth in Bundesliga as a result.

City is running away with the Premiership, sitting with a 14-point lead in the table and now winners of six straight matches. 

Dortmund's frustration carries a little less merit after it gave up the final goal in the waning seconds, but there is nevertheless still hope heading into the second leg. 

Manchester City announced Monday that its scheduled matchup against Everton for later in the day has been postponed after "a number of positive cases" for COVID-19 "in addition to the four already reported on Christmas Day."

Per that press release: "With the security of the bubble compromised, there posed a risk that the virus could spread further amongst the squad, the staff and potentially beyond. Based on strong medical advice the Premier League, in consultation with both clubs, have decided to postpone the fixture."

Fullback Kyle Walker and forward Gabriel Jesus were among the four members of the club to test positive over Christmas.

"[It is] unfortunate that it happened, but it has happened all around the world, with many cases," manager Pep Guardiola told BT Sport regarding Walker and Jesus' positive tests (h/t Chris Watson of the Manchester Evening News). "So nobody is safe to [not] get it. Unfortunately, it happened, but hopefully they recover well, and we'll play the game with the guys that we have."

He added: "We are sad for them. Before we had Riyad [Mahrez] and [Ilkay] Gundogan suffer it. Hopefully, they can recover without the problems and get back as soon as possible. But unfortunately, it can happen."

Manchester City noted its first-team training ground would be closed "an indeterminate period" and that the club would undergo the requisite bubble testing before any decisions were made about the resumption of training.

It is unclear if the situation at City could also force Jan. 3's matchup vs. Chelsea to be postponed.

The Premier League has generally avoided any postponements this season because of the coronavirus. The first came in early December for a match between Aston Villa and Newcastle. But as a new variant of the coronavirus spreads throughout England, one believed to be up to 70 percent more contagious than previous versions, more postponements could be on the horizon.