Manchester City’s stunning slump deepened after losing to Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday. Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers at Villa Park consigned the four-time defending champion to a ninth defeat in 12 games in a season that is unravelling. Pep Guardiola’s team has won just once during that run. “We don’t have a defense for the results. They are not good,” Guardiola said. Third-placed Arsenal closed the gap on league leader Liverpool to three points with a 5-1 win at Crystal Palace, but has played two games more. City dropped to sixth in the standings, nine points below Liverpool, and has played two games more. “It’s about what I can do with my people to get the results back and continue,” Guardiola said. “If there is a moment that I cannot overthink, it is right now. Try to be simple, stick to my principles and give certainty to the team.”   Title hopes fading After winning six titles in seven years and an unprecedented four in a row, City’s remarkable fall shows little sign of stopping. Guardiola admitted last week he had not been good enough to turn his team’s form around. City was without a win in any of its last eight away games in all competitions. While it looks unlikely to win a fifth straight title, a place in the top four and Champions League qualification could also be in jeopardy after fourth-placed Nottingham Forest won at Brentford 2-0 to move four points clear of City. Only once under Guardiola has City managed to win the title when losing six times in the league. That was in 2021, when it lost two of its last three games, having already been confirmed as the champion. City lost nine times when Liverpool won the title in 2020, but its sixth defeat didn’t come until February. Guardiola also lost six times in his first season in English soccer in 2016-17 and City finished third. The latest defeat could have been even more emphatic from a dominant Villa, which moved up to fifth. Duran scored his sixth goal in as many starts in the 16th minute from Rogers’ assist. Duran had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half and Rogers hit the post before doubling Villa’s lead in the 65th. Phil Foden pulled a goal back for City in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to spark a late comeback. “We have to stay positive, even though it’s difficult, and we have to keep working hard,” City striker Erling Haaland said.   Jesus streak It’s five goals in a week for Gabriel Jesus against Crystal Palace. After scoring a hat trick in Arsenal’s 3-2 comeback win against Palace in the English League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, the Brazil striker hit another two goals when the teams met again on Saturday. Going into Wednesday’s game, Jesus had only scored once for Arsenal since the end of January. Jesus struck twice in a frantic start at Selhurst Park. He opened the scoring in the sixth, with Ismaila Sarr leveling five minutes later. Jesus restored Arsenal’s lead in the 14th and was denied back-to-back hat tricks when hitting the post and then having another close range effort saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice also scored for Arsenal.   Forest flying high If City’s demise is a surprise story of the season, so is Forest’s rise. After battling relegation for much of last term, Forest is in contention to qualify for the Champions League and possibly more. Facing a Brentford team that was unbeaten at home, goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga secured another statement win on the road for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, having already won at Anfield and Old Trafford this year.   Isak treble Alexander Isak hit a hat trick in Newcastle’s 4-0 win at Ipswich. The Sweden international, who has 10 goals in his last 11 games, wrapped up his treble inside 54 minutes at Portman Road, including one in the opening minute. Jacob Murphy also scored. Brighton was 1-0 up at West Ham through Mats Wieffer, but Mohammed Kudus levelled for the draw.

The 2022–2023 English Premier League season is around the corner. Before that, football fans will witness an exciting match between reigning Premier League champions Manchester City and FA Cup winners Liverpool on Saturday (July 30) at Leicester's King Power Stadium. Apart from the possibility of winning a trophy, this matchup can act as a perfect dress rehearsal for both teams for the upcoming season. The Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 match preview is discussed in this article. FA Community Shield 2022: Liverpool vs Manchester City Probable Lineups Man City’s Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte will be unavailable for selection due to an injury. Apart from him, the rest of the players are available to be included in the squad for the Community Shield match. All eyes will be on City’s blockbuster signing, Erling Haaland, and he is likely to start in Saturday’s big clash against Liverpool. The other new signings, Julian Alvarez and Kalvin Phillips, will most likely have a chance to play against Liverpool. Read UEFA Women’s EURO 2022: Previews for the semifinals Predicted Starting XI (Manchester City): GK: Ederson Moraes; Defenders: Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Joao Cancelo; Midfielders: Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne; Forwards: Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland Liverpool, on the other hand, will miss some of their key players for the Community Shield fixture against Man City. Goalkeeper Alisson has a slim chance to play the game, while Diogo Jota, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Calvin Ramsey are all likely to miss the fixture due to injury issues. Liverpool’s new summer signing, Darwin Nunez, will likely start the match. Predicted Starting XI (Liverpool): GK: Adrian; Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip, Andrew Robertson; Midfielders: Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita; Forwards: Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez. Read Barcelona vs Real Madrid 2022: Pre-season el clasico match preview Match Prediction: Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 It’s well-known that Manchester City Manager Pep Guardiola and Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp have completely different philosophies. Therefore, there is no similarity in their tactics. Guardiola prefers tiki-taka possession-based football, while Klopp demands high-intense, counter-attacking heavy metal football. 4-1-4-1 is very effective in Guardiola’s system, which can become 4-4-2 sometimes. It will be interesting to see how Pep uses Erling Haaland in his system. He is a tall, lethal striker who can provide a lot of goals for the Blues. However, Haaland may have to adapt to Guardiola’s passing system as quickly as possible. Julian Alvarez, another new arrival at Manchester City, may be a better fit for Pep's philosophy. Man City will have the upper hand to beat Liverpool in the match If the team can execute their plan properly. Read Cristiano Ronaldo's Summer Football Transfer 2022: 5 potential destinations On the other hand, Klopp prefers 4-3-3 and uses his two wings for counter-press. In the last few seasons, one of Klopp’s main weapons was Sadio Mane, but he left the club this summer for Bayern Munich. Liverpool bought Darwin Nunez from Benfica to replace Mane in the pressing role. Will he be able to replicate what Mane did during his time at Liverpool? The Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 match would give an idea of how good Nunez is. Liverpool’s wings will play a big part in the match to break through Man City’s defense. Besides, midfielders have to play a major role in taking control of the midfield. Overall, Liverpool have won 15 Community Shields, while Manchester City have won 6. Who will win the 2022 FA Community Shield trophy? The match will kickoff on Saturday at 10 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Read Summer Football Transfer Window 2022: 13 most significant moves so far Prediction:  Manchester City 3 – 2 Liverpool Bottom Line Manchester City and Liverpool have strengthened their respective squads in the ongoing summer football transfer window 2022 to be even more competitive for the upcoming season. Man City clinched the League title on the final matchday last season but missed out on reaching the finals in any of the other three competitions. Liverpool, on the other hand, reached three finals but only won the FA Cup. They also finished second in the Premier League. Both teams will once again be hot favourites to win the domestic league as well as the UEFA Champions League in the 2022-2023 season. Therefore, the Manchester City vs Liverpool FA Community Shield 2022 clash would give an idea of which team is in the best shape at the moment prior to the upcoming Premier League season. Read Summer footballer transfer window 2022: 5 big moves can happen before deadline

Young Brazilian Rodrygo's goals in the 90th minute and in stoppage time have inspired another win for the ages. The 3-1 victory over Manchester City Wednesday gave Madrid yet another comeback and set it up for a showdown with Liverpool in the Champions League final on May 28 in Paris. City were moments away from returning to the final before Rodrygo, the substitute forward, stunned the English team with his back-to-back goals, inspiring Madrid to victory like a bruised boxer who lands a knockout combination. Madrid, who had trailed City ever since minute 2 of their first-leg match in Manchester, were finally level. Pep Guardiola's team still had another half hour of extra time, but they never recovered. It seemed inevitable that once resuscitated there was no stopping Madrid. And fittingly it fell to Karim Benzema, the man who had carried Madrid to the final four with hat-tricks in the previous two rounds, to earn and convert the decisive penalty that clinched a 6-5 aggregate victory. "I couldn't hear what my teammates were saying to me because I couldn't believe what was happening," the 21-year-old Rodrygo said about the mayhem that erupted after his goals. "We were dead, and then what happened was what happened." Perhaps City can take solace in that Paris Saint-Germain and defending champion Chelsea were also zombified by whatever wizardry Madrid somehow conjure up at the biggest moments of the biggest games. All good teams occasionally score against the flow of the game. But most, and especially this City engineered by soccer's top stylist in Guardiola, need to dominate stretches of play to produce lots of goals. Not Madrid. Not when they play in front of their fans. The clock becomes meaningless for Madrid at home. The 13-time European Cup winners produce those magic moments when time is suddenly compressed, the crowd roars, opponents freeze, and the goals just flow in quick succession. Ask PSG how Benzema was able to score three goals in less than 20 minutes of the second leg of their round-of-16 series that Kylian Mbappé's team had once controlled to advance 3-2 overall. Ask Chelsea how it was they could have the momentum going into the final period of their quarterfinal in Spain's capital only for Rodrygo and Benzema to score late for a 5-4 aggregate win in extra time. City entered the second leg against Madrid with the advantage after coming out on top of their 4-3 shootout last week. Riyad Mahrez's goal in the 73rd minute appeared to give them the cushion they needed to avoid any last-minute scares. Jack Grealish then went oh-so-close to padding that lead. But that just set the scene for Rodrygo, who coach Carlo Ancelotti had sent on for a tired Toni Kroos, looking to spark his attack. First, he slipped to the near post to tap in a cross knocked to him by Benzema just when City suffered a momentary drop in concentration. Seconds later, with Madrid seizing the moment, came his header when the slight forward managed to open up a bit of space in a packed area to push in a cross by Dani Carvajal flicked on by Marco Asensio. Once again, faith had trumped reason at the Santiago Bernabéu. "The whole world thought the game was nearly over – it was a little detail, a good combination, the goal of Rodrygo, and from there we put in all the energy we had. You need a bit of luck," Ancelotti said. While Ancelotti embraced his son and assistant Davide Ancelotti, Guardiola was left to run a hand over the top of his head and put on his best sportsman's grin as he shook hands with the players. The Catalan coach had just witnessed his grand design to finally win a European Cup for City succumb before that gift that Madrid have of making their players believe that by donning the all-white shirt they are destined for glory. Only the golden years of Lionel Messi's Barcelona, which Guardiola helped forge, was able to somewhat dim that mystique. Also read: Madrid clinch record-extending 35th Spanish league title

Manchester City's hopes of winning the treble this season were dashed after losing 3-2 to Liverpool in the semifinals on Saturday. The Citizens are now aiming for a double this season, with the Premier League and Champions League titles at the top of their priority list. On the other hand, Liverpool have already won the EFL Cup and they are a strong contender for the FA Cup, Premier League, and Champions League. Manchester City's double or Liverpool's quadruple are the two most likely scenarios. Manchester City's Prospect of Winning the Double Manchester City have won five of the last seven EFL titles, including four straight from 2018 to 2021. However, they were unable to win the EFL Cup this season after succumbing in the fourth round to West Ham United. The Citizens also missed out on a treble opportunity after losing 3-2 to Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinal. Manchester City now have a chance to win the Premier League and the FA Cup this season. They appear to be favourites to win both prestigious trophies. With 74 points, Pep Guardiola's team now leads the Premier League points standings. Manchester City are only one point ahead of second-placed Liverpool with seven games remaining. If Manchester City win the remainder of their games this season, they will be crowned champions. Read Favourites to reach the UEFA Champions League 2022 Finals Manchester City will meet Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. On paper, Manchester City have a better squad than Real Madrid, but overcoming Los Blancos would be extremely challenging. Man City will face either Liverpool or Villarreal in the final if they can defeat Europe's most successful club in the semi-final. Given Manchester City's and Liverpool's recent form, an all-English final is a genuine possibility. Liverpool's Prospect of Winning the Quadruple Liverpool's first trophy of the season came in February when they won the EFL Cup final against Chelsea. They defeated Chelsea 11-10 in a marathon penalty shootout. Liverpool also qualified for the 2022 FA Cup final after defeating Manchester City 3-2 in the semifinal. In the final, Liverpool will face either Chelsea or Crystal Palace. The final against Chelsea would be an intriguing matchup, considering the two teams have previously met in a final this season. The final match is expected to take place on May 14. Liverpool are only one point behind Manchester City in the Premier League. Liverpool have a total of 73 points after 31 games. They will keep pressing Man City until the end of the season, hoping for a slip-up in one of their final games. However, Liverpool must win their remaining matches to stay in contention. Read Bahrain-based investors in talks to buy AC Milan Liverpool also have a realistic chance of winning the Champions League this season. Liverpool will play Villarreal of Spain in the semifinal and will start as favourites. If they qualify, Liverpool will face either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the final. There will be no favourites in the championship game as whoever execute the game plan properly have a fair chance of winning the UCL 2022. Verdict  Both Manchester City and Liverpool have been in excellent form this season, and they made sure to have a good squad depth before the season started. Both teams' squad depth proved to be quite effective as the season progressed. Manchester City will surely want to win the Premier League as well as the Champions League this season. Therefore, the Citizens have the upper hand in the current debate about Manchester City's double or Liverpool's quadruple. On the other hand, Liverpool have the potential to make history by being the first English side to win all four major titles in a single season, and thus surprise everyone. Read AFC Cup play-off: Dhaka Abahani to face Mohun Bagan in Kolkata on April 19

Manchester City dominated the ball possession, but host Paris Saint-Germain won the important UEFA Champions League group stage match 2-0 against the English premier league Champion yesterday (Tuesday, 28 September 2021)) at Parc des Princes. With four points after two games, PSG climbed to the top of Group A's standings. PSG's superstar footballer Lionel Messi scored his first goal for the new club after arriving in the summer transfer window 2021. The match report of PSG vs. Man City 2021 is discussed in this article. Match Report: PSG vs. Man City 2021 Paris Saint-Germain have secured the top spot in Group A with a 2-0 victory against Manchester City at the end of the second match of this round. Club Brugge are in the second position in this group followed by Manchester City and RB Leipzig. Lionel Messi scored his first PSG goal in this match after three appearances, making it a memorable night for the football sensation. Messi has been under pressure to put up his usual master class performance since joining the French club this summer. He is surely now relieved after scoring this goal. Read: Newcomer Sheriff stuns Real Madrid 2-1 in Champions League Lionel Messi’s Stunner Messi remained relatively quiet in the contest until the 74th minute. He ran down the opposition half with his customary dazzling pace and delivered a quick pass to Kylian Mbappe from just outside the D-box. Mbappe didn't make a blunder as he delivered Messi a superb pass. Lionel Messi then did what he does best, smashing the ball into the top right corner of the net with his left foot, netting his first goal for Paris Saint-Germain. Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson had no choice but to watch the ball go into the net. Lionel Messi has a knack for playing well against Pep Guardiola's team, as he displayed with a thunderous goal yesterday. Messi now has scored 27 goals in 35 outings against English clubs. Read: Messi scores superb 1st goal for PSG in 2-0 win against City Idrissa Gueye Strikes Early for PSG PSG had a dream start to the game, scoring in the eighth minute thanks to a stunner from midfielder Idrissa Gueye. Neymar's unsuccessful attempt landed the ball to Gueye just inside the penalty area. Idrissa Gueye found the ball and did the rest. PSG looked confident after equalizing early in the game, and Verrati tried to reinforce the midfield. On the other hand, Man City had a chance to discard the lead in the 26th minute but they utterly wasted it. Raheem Sterling's header from Kevin De Bruyne's cross struck the crossbar. Then Bernardo Silva's shot again hit the bar. It was a big miss for the Citizen. Read: PSG vs. Man City: Preview and Prediction After that, both teams generated chances but were unable to convert on them. PSG's Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma had a fantastic game as well. He made a few saves during the game to keep PSG in the lead. Idrissa Gueye was named player of the match for his first goal of the game. PSG will play RB Leipzig in their third match of Group A on Thursday (October 19) at Parc des Princes. Manchester City will meet Club Brugge at Jan Breydel Stadium on the same day. Read: Arsenal vs. Tottenham 2021: Match Preview and Prediction Bottom Line Mauricio Pochettino's team has struggled to gel as a team since the beginning of the season. Players from Paris Saint-Germain struggled to cope with Manchester City's fluid attack at times during the PSG vs. Man City 2021 match. PSG had excelled in counter-attacking strategy. They had the luxury of adjusting their formation because they have the finest front three in the world. PSG must put forth more effort to develop a solid team. On the other hand, it was a wake-up call for Manchester City. They must identify their weaknesses and come up with the right tactics on the return legs against PSG. Read:Salah, Firmino both score twice as Liverpool routs Porto 5-1

Lionel Messi's superb first goal for Paris Saint-Germain was well worth the wait and delivered a timely reminder of the electric skill that has helped him win a record six Ballon d'Or trophies. It also punished his former coach Pep Guardiola's team as PSG beat Manchester City 2-0 in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday. Messi charged from midfield toward the penalty area in the 74th minute, opening up more space as Achraf Hakimi made a dummy run to his right, and received a clever flick from Kylian Mbappe before curling a fine strike into the top right corner with the most famed left foot in world soccer. The ecstatic crowd rose to their feet. Read: PSG vs. Man City: Preview and Prediction "I’m very happy to have scored. I’ve not been playing much recently and I’m adapting to my teammates little by little," Messi said through a translator. “The more we play together the better it will become. We need to grow together and increase our level." Messi netted an astounding 672 goals for Barcelona but it was his first for PSG in three starts and four games overall since a shock summer move from the Spanish club. “The goal was fantastic," Guardiola said. It was the kind he scored for fun playing under Guardiola at Barcelona. The pair won the Champions League in 2009 and 2011, with Messi scoring in both finals. City had not lost its five previous meetings with PSG, winning 2-1 in Paris and 2-0 at home in last season’s semifinals before losing to Chelsea in the final. PSG started its dream attack of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, but it was unheralded midfielder Idrissa Gueye who opened the scoring in the eighth minute. The Senegal international thumped the ball into the top corner after Neymar’s scuffed shot fell to him just inside the penalty area following Mbappe’s cross from the right. Read: Metz vs. PSG Match Preview: Will Lionel Messi Start? “I get a lot of scoring chances in this team, the forwards make a lot of runs so the second ball often drops to me inside and outside the penalty area,” Gueye said. “As midfielders, we are there to try and finish (chances).” City should have equalized in the 26th, but instead produced a contender for miss of the season. Raheem Sterling’s header from Kevin De Bruyne's cross hit the crossbar and the ball fell to winger Bernardo Silva less than two meters out. But Silva somehow scooped the ball onto the bar with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma beaten. Donnarumma and opposite number Ederson then made a smart save each in an even first half that De Bruyne was perhaps lucky to finish, receiving only a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Gueye's shin. Sterling dragged a shot wide early in the second half as City caught PSG's defense asleep down the left. Donnarumma then kicked away De Bruyne's shot in the 54th as City exposed poor defending on the other flank as the Premier League champion took control. “It was a good performance. We did everything but score," Guardiola said. “We defended well, they defended deep and a counterattack from them is always dangerous.” PSG's glittering attack looked flat, as it did in a 1-1 draw against Club Brugge. Neymar shot into the side netting midway through the second half, with Mbappe in a better position. Read:Messi era begins as PSG beats Reims; Mbappe scores 2 Then Messi lit up Parc des Princes with a glimpse of things to come, at the stadium where he scored his last Champions League goal for Barcelona last season. PSG tops Group A on goal difference and is level with Club Brugge with four points, while City is third with three points. Club Brugge won 2-1 at last-place Leipzig. City is at Brugge, and 2020 Champions League runner-up PSG hosts Leipzig on Oct. 19.

After a lot of excitement in the group stage and knockout rounds, the two teams that will compete in the Champions League final this year were finally confirmed in the first week of May. Manchester City advanced to the final after a 4-1 aggregate victory over Paris Saint-Germain. On the other hand, Chelsea reached the Champions League final for the third time after defeating Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate in the semifinal. Fans all over the world are looking forward to a thrilling final between these two English giants. In this episode, we discuss who will win the Champions League 2021?  Manchester City vs Chelsea: Who is the favorite? When comparing the two teams' performances this season, it's clear that Manchester City are a step ahead of Chelsea in every area. Therefore, Man City are the overwhelming favorite to win the championship. Albeit, Chelsea have improved since Thomas Tuchel took over as manager in January. Apart from consolidating their position in the Premier League, Tuchel proved his worth as a coach by beating Manchester City in the semi-finals to secure the FA Cup final and taking Chelsea to the Champions League final. The strengths of the two teams are analyzed below in quest of the Champions League 2021 trophy.  Read: How European football is badly affected by the pandemic covid-19? Manchester City UEFA Champions League season 2021 Record:W: 11, D: 1, L: 0 |Top scorer: Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres (4)| Top Assists: Kevin De Bruyne (4) Key Players: Kevin De Bruyne, Rúben Dias, Fernandinho Manager:Pep Guardiola Why Man City can win the title?  Manchester City has been the clear favorite to win the Champions League 2021 this season, thanks to Pep Guardiola's brilliant tactics, squad depth, and the desire to win the club's first-ever Champions League trophy. The master of Tiki-Taka football, Pep Guardiola led FC Barcelona to win two Champions League titles between 2008 and 2012. After leaving Barcelona, Guardiola coached Bayern Munich for three seasons and his fifth season is underway at Manchester City but he hasn't won a Champions League in the last 10 years. So, many believe Pep can't win Europe's most prestigious club trophy without the best player in the world, Lionel Messi. Read: Football Transfers 2021: The hot favorites to replace Sergio Aguero at Man City This time Pep Guardiola, who played record eight Champions League semi-finals as a manager, has got a chance to dispel that slander. Manchester City have had to play without strikers since the beginning of the season. Ilkay Gündoğan, Bernardo Silva, and versatile midfielder Kevin De Bruyne all have played as false nine this season. Furthermore, Pep's disciples have mastered a great strategy of scoring goals by repeatedly pressing the opponent's half with a clockwise pass or zigzag pass. Manchester City have been in excellent form since December. Except for a few games, Citizens have won every match this year. To put it another way, they're on an incredible winning streak. As a result, the players' confidence will remain high ahead of the Champions League final. To beat such a team, the opponent must do something extraordinary. Otherwise, Man City will win the Champions League for the first time in their history. Read: Pro Kabaddi Tournament Could Rejuvenate Bangladesh’s National Sport Manchester City probable starting lineup: Ederson; Kyle Walker, Rúben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mundey; Fernandinho, İlkay Gündoğan, Kevin De Bruyne; Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez, Sergio Agüero.  Chelsea UEFA Champions League season 2021 Record:W: 8, D: 3, L: 1|Top scorer:Olivier Giroud (6) | Top Assists: Kai Havertz (3) Key Players: N'Golo Kanté, César Azpilicueta, Kai Havertz Manager:Thomas Tuchel Why Chelsea can win the title?  Roman Abramovich replaced Frank Lampard as Chelsea manager with Thomas Tuchel in the last week of January this year. Tuchel is expected to finish in the top four in the Premier League this season. But he surprised everyone by guiding Chelsea to the FA Cup and Champions League finals. Tuchel has previously shown his credibility as a manager. PSG reached the Champions League final for the first time last season under his guidance. However, Paris Saint-Germain were disappointed to lose the Champions League final match to Bayern Munich. Thomas Tuchel's appointment as Chelsea manager restored the team's confidence. He began his journey by focusing on not losing matches, and as a result, he has developed a strong Chelsea defense. As their focus has turned to win more games, players like Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, and N'Golo Kante have become more aggressive on the attack. After eliminating Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final and Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, Chelsea have gained even more confidence. Thomas Tuchel's team quickly figured out how to destroy a formidable opponent. It will not be impossible for Chelsea to be the best team in Europe for the second time if they can play according to their own strategy in the Champions League final. Read: Potential Young Players Who Could Rule World Football Next Decade Chelsea probable starting lineup: Edouard Mendy, Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Ben Chilwell, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz  UEFA Champion League 2021 final match fixture: 30 May 2021 (1 AM, BST)   -   Manchester City v Chelsea   -   Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul Verdict There are a few things to consider when predicting who will win the Champions League 2021? The teams' squad depth, the overall performance in the current season, whether every member of the team is fit for the finals, the players' performance on a given day, and sometimes luck plays a big factor to win the final. Those who can play the best football have a great chance of winning the final. Overall, a tough battle is anticipated between Manchester City and Chelsea. Read: Summer Window 2021: Five Potential Big Football Transfers

Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the all-time greatest footballers. However, he has not been able to maintain his usual form in competitive football for the past two years. There are two reasons for this: first, Messi is no longer as fit as he once was due to his age, and second, Barcelona and Argentina no longer have world-class footballers. A notable number of new footballers have been included in Barcelona. With whom it is not possible to win big trophies. So in this article, we discuss why Lionel Messi should play for Manchester City next season.  Why Lionel Messi should leave FC Barcelona Helping Barcelona to overcome the economic downturn Barcelona are going through an economic recession. According to various sources, their current debt is estimated to be 1. 2 billion euros. On the other hand, Messi's current annual salary is 71 million euros. Apart from him, the Catalan club also has high-paid players like Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezman.In addition, Barcelona have suffered heavily due to the coronavirus outbreak. Overall, if Messi leaves, Barcelona will save a lot of money. Read: How the European Super League could have ruled Messi and Ronaldo out of the FIFA World Cup 2022? Responding to critics by playing in the Premier League There's a saying about Messi that he doesn't play well outside of his comfort zone. Messi has been a success for Barcelona, but not so much for Argentina. Many believe that he will struggle to succeed if he plays in the English Premier League. That's why Messi should play in the Premier League for at least two or three seasons to respond to his critics. Opportunity to win the Champions League once again Lionel Messi has not won the Champions League trophy since 2015. Along with Suarez and Neymar, Messi won the most coveted club-level football competition in Europe for Barcelona that season. But with the best players leaving the club, Barcelona have been unable to form a competitive squad capable of winning major trophies. As a result, the Catalan club is being eliminated from the knock-out stages every year. Messi will have the opportunity to play for the best team in the world if he joins Manchester City. As a result, Messi's chances of winning another Champions League before retirement will increase. Ending the GOAT debate It will be a strong response to many critics if Messi wins the Premier League and the Champions League for Manchester City. Then there will be no doubt on anyone's mind that he is the real GOAT. Because what Messi has achieved is truly remarkable, and no one is likely to surpass his overall record. Read: How European football is badly affected by the pandemic covid-19? Why Manchester City should sign Messi Chances of reuniting with Pep Guardiola When Pep Guardiola was at Barcelona a few years back, he certainly brought out the best version of Messi. Guardiola was Barcelona's coach from 2008 to 2012. Playing under Pep, Messi scored 211 goals in 219 matches and had a total of 88 assists. Barcelona won a record 14 trophies under his management. So, Lionel Messi can find his best form by playing under Pep again. Man City will benefit a lot if he is included in the squad. Strengthening the forward line of Manchester City Without playing any forward, Pep Guardiola is leading Manchester City to new heights. In short, he is redefining football. Guardiola is bringing out excellent results by playing some world-class midfielders instead of strikers. Manchester City will improve if Lionel Messi joins the squad, then it would be difficult to stop them. There is no alternative to Messi if Man City want to be an irresistible team in Europe. Read: Football Transfers 2021: The hot favorites to replace Sergio Aguero at Man City Manchester City will be hot favorite to win the Champions League Manchester City are yet to win the Champions League despite hiring the best coach in the world, Pep Guardiola, in 2016.That demonstrates how difficult it is to win Europe's best tournament. Apart from luck, winning such a championship requires one or two best football players on the team.They will be the X factors and in that case, Lionel Messi may be the most ideal option for citizens. Manchester City's brand value would significantly increase Manchester City are still lag behind Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United In terms of brand value. The brand value of Man City will increase by several times if they can bring one of the best footballers in history, Lionel Messi to Etihad. The citizens will also benefit financially. Overall, it will be a win-win situation for both Messi and Man City. Read: Potential Young Players Who Could Rule World Football Next Decade Verdict So far, we have discussed some of the key reasons Why Lionel Messi should play for Manchester City. It would be difficult for Messi to leave Barcelona after 21 years and find a new club. Because Messi has a strong emotional attachment to this club. However, Messi should accept the reality and seek a new challenge. In this case, the above discussion explains why Lionel Messi should play for Manchester City next season. Messi will have the chance to cement his place as the greatest player of all time by playing in the Premier League.

Manchester City have withdrawn from the European Super League (ESL) and Chelsea are also preparing to do so, according to reports in the British media. Efforts to leave come just two days after both were announced as two of six English clubs to sign up to the controversial new competition. The ESL has been widely criticised since being announced on Sunday, reports BBC. Around 1,000 fans gathered outside Chelsea's Stamford Bridge home ground before their game against Brighton on Tuesday to protest their involvement. Chelsea and City were part of English football's 'big six' clubs - alongside Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham - to have agreed to join the new league. In total, 12 European clubs announced their intentions to form the breakaway league, which they hoped to establish as a new midweek competition. It was condemned by football authorities and government ministers in the UK and across Europe by Uefa and leagues associations. Chelsea were the first club to indicate they will not press ahead by preparing documentation to withdrawn. City withdrew soon after. Chelsea and City were not drivers of this plan, they were the last to sign and feared being left behind. It is not clear how easy it is or how binding the contracts are. The decision to try and have Chelsea leave was taken by owner Roman Abramovich and the club's board after witnessing negative global reaction to the Super League. There was a fear that it could do reputational damage to the club. Questions were raised internally as to whether fans would respond to the club if it continued with a proposal which has gone down so badly. The decision was made earlier on Tuesday before protests started outside Stamford Bridge. Earlier in the day, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with the Football Association, Premier League officials and fans' representatives, after which the government said it will take "whatever action necessary", including legislative options, to ensure the proposals were stopped. Johnson's stance is supported by Labour and the Liberal Democrats. A statement released after a meeting between the Premier League and the 14 clubs not involved said they "unanimously and vigorously" rejected plans for the competition. It added that it is considering "all actions available" to stop the competition and asked the six teams to end their involvement immediately. Meanwhile late breaking reports suggest Ed Woodward, executive vice chairman of Manchester United, has handed in his resignation in the backlash of the ESL's announcement, putting in doubt whether the club will now go ahead with the breakaway league. In a parallel development TALKSport is reporting that Andrea Agnelli has resigned from his post as president of Juventus, one of 3 Italian clubs involved in the fiasco.

Thomas Tuchel has long admired Pep Guardiola, from his early coaching days watching the great Barcelona team from afar to the night in 2014 when the pair — then rival Bundesliga managers — talked tactics for hours in a Munich restaurant using salt-and-pepper mills as props. With Tuchel now a world-class manager in his own right, Guardiola might no longer be on that same pedestal. The admiration hasn’t disappeared, though, ahead of their first meeting in English soccer. It’s a big game, too: Guardiola’s Manchester City vs. Tuchel’s Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. “The benchmark,” Tuchel said in reference to Guardiola and the City team he has rebuilt this season and that is still on course for an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies. The two teams reached the Champions League semifinals this week — Chelsea after getting past Porto and City by outlasting Borussia Dortmund — but Tuchel said there remains a gap between them. After all, City, the Premier League leader, is 20 points ahead of fifth-place Chelsea and Tuchel still sees his team as a work in progress after joining in January as the replacement for Frank Lampard. That does not mean, he said, that Chelsea should have an inferiority complex going into the cup semifinal. The teams will also meet in the league before the end of the season, and maybe in the Champions League final, too. “It’s important that we accept this without making ourselves too small,” Tuchel said. “From next year on, from day one of next season, we will hunt them, we will try to close the gap between us. “We have to admit there is a gap but, for 90 minutes, we are very self-aware and very self-confident that we believe we can close the gap tomorrow for one game. And this is the target for tomorrow. I arrive happy to compete against the benchmark in England and Europe.” In that well-documented meeting of minds in Munich seven years ago — when Guardiola was with Bayern Munich and Tuchel was between jobs at Mainz and Dortmund — waiters reportedly were too afraid to interrupt the two animated coaches, who were using objects from neighboring tables to demonstrate their tactical ideas. Tuchel has established a reputation as something of a thinker, just like Guardiola, but he doesn’t see their meeting on Saturday turning into a chess match. More a physical battle. “We need to be on them every minute,” Tuchel said, “not allow easy chances and exploitation of spaces between our lines. We need to be very brave, play with courage, be adventurous and do what’s needed. “It’s a big challenge and it’s the right moment for us to face a challenge like this.” Indeed, Chelsea has lost only two of 18 games in all competitions under Tuchel, the latest — 1-0 at Porto, courtesy of a last-minute goal — not being enough to stop the London club advancing to the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2014. Tuchel has rotated his squad heavily amid the fixture pile-up but appears to have landed on a preferred forward line in recent weeks — of Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount — that leaves high-profile and expensively purchased attackers like Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner looking on from the bench. “We have no promises to make, no gifts to give,” Tuchel said. “Everybody has to fight hard for their place. “Once you get any minutes, you fight hard to make the coach make a change. This is the life for a player at Chelsea. It’s big fun and you have to embrace the situation even if it’s a bit harder for some players.” Pulisic, the U.S. international, is finally getting a run of games near the end of another injury-affected season and has three goals in his last two league matches. “He made huge progress, he was fantastic in the last games,” Tuchel said. “He has a huge impact physically and in terms of quality, dribbling runs, arriving in the box in crucial moments. He stepped up and this is what I know from him.” Leicester plays Southampton in the second semifinal match on Sunday, when there will be 4,000 spectators inside Wembley, drawn from local residents as opposed to fans from each club. There will be no spectators for Chelsea-Man City.