Chelsea winger Juan Mata believes victory over Premier League leaders Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Monday night will put his club back in the title race. The Blues have fallen ten points behind City following a spell of poor form but Andre Villas-Boas side have won their last two fixtures 3-0 – against Newcastle United and Valencia – and head into the match full of confidence. A home victory…
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has once again warned that striker Carlos Tevez will not be sold cheaply. Tevez returned to Argentina earlier this month without City’s permission and has yet to return to England, just days after he was punished by the club for refusing to warm up at Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Widespread reports in Italy have linked Tevez with a move to Serie A, with…
A reconciliation between Carlos Tevez and Manchester City becomes “more impossible” by the day. This was the message delivered by Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor on Monday. The club had requested their Argentina striker return to England but he opted to remain at home in South America. And while there is still dialogue between the 27-year-old’s representatives and City officials Taylor thinks the longer Tevez remains out of…
Mario Balotelli says he is not thinking about returning to Serie A as he believes Italian football is in decline. Balotelli, 21, has regularly been linked with a return to his homeland since leaving Inter Milan for Manchester City in the summer of 2010, and Roberto Mancini recently told Corriere dello Sera: “Sooner or later, Balotelli will go back to Italy.” However, Balotelli has said he is now adapting to…
Roberto Mancini says Manchester City are enjoying a high point in their modern history as they prepare to meet Villarreal on Wednesday. An expensively assembled squad has fired City to the top of the English Premier League table, and fans at Etihad Stadium are being treated to the spectacle of Champions League football for the first time. City’s next foray into elite continental competition comes with a visit to Spanish…
Carlos Tevez is reportedly considering launching legal action against Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini for defamation. City announced on Tuesday that they had found the Argentine striker guilty of misconduct by refusing to play in their Champions League match against Bayern Munich on September 27, and fined him four weeks’ wages – believed to be around one million pounds. Mancini said after the 2-0 defeat in Munich that Tevez had…
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli insists he will let his form do the talking in Sunday’s top of the table clash against rivals Manchester United. After a run-in with the Aston Villa fans last weekend, the Italian is determined to keep his cool against a side he has had rows with before. During the FA Cup semi-final in March the hot-headed striker clashed with United captain Rio Ferdinand. But he…
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini claims Sir Alex Ferguson is his inspiration as he prepares to take his team to Old Trafford to face the champions on Sunday. City are top of the table with a two-point advantage over Ferguson’s team after eight matches. They beat United in the FA Cup semi-final on the way to winning their first silverware in 35 years and are expected to launch a sustained…