Fifth time lucky for Kovacic? published at 11:31 13 May
11:31 13 May
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic spoke to BBC Radio Manchester about the prospect of winning the FA Cup on Saturday: "If we end up in the top four and win the FA Cup, I think it is a positive [season] in the end. I have been in the Premier League for a lot of years and it is never easy to be in the top four - when you are at Manchester City you take it for granted because the consistency is so high.
"This year has been a different journey but it is part of the growth and character of the team. We have shown lately that we can deal with the pressure, we now have to secure our spot in the Champions League and win the FA Cup.
"The FA Cup is the oldest cup competition in football and it would mean a lot to win it. I have been in the final four times and never won it, which shows how difficult it is to win. We will try our best to show we are a great team and we can win a trophy in an average season."
Transfer Q&A: Is Wirtz the man to replace De Bruyne?published at 11:31 13 May
11:31 13 May
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter Simon Stone has been answering your questions on the transfer window.
Franek: Kevin de Bruyne leaving has been a big hit for us Manchester City fans. What I want to know is who can City buy to replace the huge hole that he's left? The ideal option for me would be Florian Wirtz but I want your opinion.
Simon: I think Wirtz would be a great option, Franek.
With Xabi Alonso leaving Bayer Leverkusen for Real Madrid, there is a deal to be done, although Bayern Munich are also keen and they have a long history of buying big names from German rivals.
Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White is also on Pep Guardiola's radar, although it remains to be seen how easy it is to deal with Evangelos Marinakis.
De Bruyne will leave a huge hole but the reality is he is not the same player as he was and City need to move on.
Man City unveil 2025-26 home kitpublished at 09:21 13 May
09:21 13 May
Image source, Manchester City on X
Manchester City have revealed their home kit for the 2025-26 season.
"For the first time in the club's history, the home kit features the famous 'sash' - the diagonal stripe design made iconic on previous City away days," a club statement said.
The club added that the new kit will be worn when City participate in the Fifa Club World Cup this summer.
Gossip: AC Milan demand £57m for Man City target Reijnderspublished at 07:15 13 May
07:15 13 May
Manchester City will target a summer move for 26-year-old Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan, who will only consider a bid in excess of club record £57m. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Napoli have held talks with Kevin de Bruyne's camp about g on a free transfer when his contract expires with Manchester City in the summer. (Sky Switzerland - in French), external
Will Haaland be ready for the FA Cup final?published at 16:06 12 May
16:06 12 May
Image source, Getty Images
Erling Haaland's return from injury did not go to plan.
The Norwegian had just a single shot in Saturday's goalless draw against Southampton – a header from a corner in the 92nd minute - as Manchester City slipped up against the league's bottom side.
This was his first game since suffering an ankle injury in the FA Cup quarter-final against Bournemouth on 30 March.
Haaland scored an equaliser in that game but his return was much more underwhelming, with an xG of just 0.05.
Only once has he had fewer shots in a Premier League game this season – that came at Wolves in October when he failed to a single shot in City's 2-1 victory.
And with the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace to come on Saturday, Haaland will be looking to bounce back to form at Wembley.
Media caption,
How Man City's poor service frustrated Haaland
Despite Haaland's disappointing return to the City starting XI, he has still managed 21 Premier League goals this season.
Only Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak have outscored the 24-year-old and Saturday was only the second time since January that he has played for City and not been involved in a goal.
Former Swansea City defender Ashley Williams spoke on Match of the Day about the lack of help Haaland received from his teammates, stating:"I think it was a frustrating afternoon for him [and he will] be disappointed.
"He looked hungry and he needs the service. The quality wasn't there for him and there is not much he can do.
"He looked sharp and he's only as good as the service he's got."
Mubama ready to take next steppublished at 13:27 12 May
13:27 12 May
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester City striker Divin Mubama will not be part of the club's Premier League 2 squad next season but it is not clear whether he will be sent out on loan or granted a permanent move.
The jewel in West Ham's FA Youth Cup-winning team in 2023, 20-year-old Mubama ed City the following year after his contract expired at the London Stadium.
Mubama made two senior appearances for City this season - adding to his 18 under David Moyes at West Ham - and scored against League Two Salford in the FA Cup third round in January.
However, he has spent most of the campaign in PL2 and took his tally in the end of season play-offs to five with two second half efforts in Friday's semi-final win over Manchester United.
City's Elite Development Squad head coach Ben Wilkinson knows Mubama will not be around next term. But he is also aware the next steps for any young striker are hazardous.
"We've got players in our team we'd expect not to see next year because they're ready to make that step and he's probably one of them," said Wilkinson.
"It's trying to help with that next step and guide them in the right direction.
"We've had it the last three, four, five years with some real high potential players from the 18s and 21s and now they're playing on our TV screens every other week.
"The problem is it has been notoriously hard for young strikers to go out on loan and succeed in the Championship or League One. You used to have someone next to you and now you're a 19, 20-year-old number nine up against two big centre halves and the service might not be great."
Wilkinson cites the example of Liam Delap, who had patchy loan spells at Stoke and Preston around the same age Mubama is now, before going to Hull last season, where he scored eight times in 32 appearances.
That persuaded Ipswich to take a chance by g him permanently in a £20m deal last August, since when Delap has gone on to become one of the most coveted young strikers in the Premier League.
Wilkinson added: "Liam was outstanding at this level, then had two or three loans and his numbers weren't outstanding.
"Now he has grown into his body and has been outstanding in the Premier League this year.
"Often the first move isn't as successful as you'd like it to be but that is a good thing because here they live in this bubble of academy football where we are successful and have a lot of the ball - Divin tonight had four good chances to score but will he get that in a Championship game? It's a tough one."
Southampton 0-0 Man City - the fans' verdictpublished at 12:05 12 May
James: Finally something to cheer about. I think Simon Rusk is helping us grow with the team so I think he should give it a shot as a full-time manager.
Mark: So, Ruben Dias didn't like the way we played. It isn't our job to make life easier for Man City. They have a squad worth six or seven times ours but they weren't good enough on the day to win. Well done, lads.
Ryan: A combination of us being resolute and City not moving out of first gear. Nice to sur the lowest ever Premier League points tally, but still wouldn't mind being a bit more forward thinking. Hard to pick a MOTM after that display.
Steven: We fought, we cared and we were worthy of the point. If only we could have set up and played with that much heart all season. Who knows where we could have been?
Man City fans
Tony: Dreadful display. Guardiola played a safety side instead of going for it from the first minute, with Jeremy Doku or Savinho and Omar Marmoush in from the start. Foden is away with the fairies and Erling Haaland is hopeless in tight spaces.
Mark: I think us ers deserve an apology for that performance, by the manager and the players. What was Haaland doing? Was he actually playing, because he was totally anonymous throughout the game. The ers deserve better.
Nigel: Fair play to Southampton - they had a task and stuck to it irably. Our team selection was questionable but I guess understandable given the final next week. But we didn't offer enough going forward. Teams know how to set up against us and our set-pieces are predictable and almost always terrible, Pep needs a change of set-piece coach I think. Perhaps with Marmoush starting or brought on earlier it may have yielded greater reward. A huge opportunity missed to apply pressure on Arsenal for second place and practically cement a Champions League spot.
Rory: Underwhelming is an understatement. Pep got his tactics all wrong today. Rushed back Haaland when a fully-fit Marmoush was always the better option. It's difficult to it given all he's done for the club but I worry making the same selection (Haaland over Marmoush) in our final two league fixtures may cost us Champions League football next season.
Gossip: Napoli silent in De Bruyne pursuitpublished at 07:23 12 May
07:23 12 May
Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna is remaining silent about a move to sign Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, 33, on a free transfer when he leaves Manchester City at the end of his contract this summer. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola speaking to BBC Sport after the goalless draw with Southampton: "Difficult. We had chances but unfortunately couldn't score. [Southampton were] playing to defend and defend and defend and waste time. We take that point still, it's in our hands.
"Didn't expect them to defend so deep. Defensively we were so good but unfortunately we missed the last actions.
"He [Erling Haaland] didn't expect to play as many minutes but the way the game was played we needed people in the box.
City's Champions League chancespublished at 17:51 10 May
17:51 10 May
Image source, Reuters
It's going to be tight at the top.
After unexpectedly dropping two points at Southampton, Manchester City's place in next season's Champions League does not look so secure.
City ended the game in third place but just two points above Newcastle and Chelsea - who meet on Sunday - with Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa also in close attendance.
City end their league season with games against Bournemouth and Fulham and could need maximum points to make sure of a top-five finish.
"That point was really important," said Pep Guardiola.
"We take that point still, it's in our hands."
Did you know?published at 17:39 10 May
17:39 10 May
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester City have failed to score in four of their last 11 Premier League games, as many blanks as in their previous 55 in the competition. City have failed to score in six Premier League games this season – their most in a single top-flight campaign since 2015-16 (8).
Southampton 0-0 Man City - send us your thoughtspublished at 16:57 10 May
Sutton's predictions: Southampton v Man Citypublished at 14:09 10 May
14:09 10 May
Manchester City have got the FA Cup final to look forward to next weekend but they also have a top-five place to secure, so there is no danger they will not be fully focused on that on Saturday.
After winning their past four league games, City also have some real momentum for the first time in a long while. You have to go back to August and early September for the last time they managed a run like that.
So I can only see one outcome at St Mary's Stadium, and it is going to leave Southampton stuck on 11 points for at least another week. The only question here really is how many goals City score.
Alonso's impact at Leverkusen 'unbelievable' - Guardiolapublished at 18:09 9 May
18:09 9 May
Shamoon Hafez BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Pep Guardiola does not tend to give much away in his news conferences and it is often difficult to tease a decent top line out of him.
However, shortly before he faced the media on Friday, breaking news flashed up on the television screens at Manchester City's training ground saying Xabi Alonso is set to leave Bayer Leverkusen.
Guardiola signed his fellow Spaniard for Bayern Munich in 2014 and the pair won two Bundesliga titles together.
Last year, former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Alonso led Leverkusen to the double of a Bundesliga title - without losing a game - and the German Cup in his first full season as a senior club manager.
Guardiola was full of praise when asked to give his reaction to the news.
"Wow, his impact on Leverkusen has been unbelievable," he said. "I think all the managers who had the opportunity and the pleasure to have him as a player always realised that he would be a manager.
"Going to and fighting with Bayern Munich is always so difficult. Last season they were unbeaten except for the last game against Atalanta in the Europa League final.
"The way they played, the way he improved the players - I think Leverkusen themselves have to be so proud of the partnership that they had for just three years."
Why Man City will make the top five and what happens if they don't...published at 16:42 9 May
16:42 9 May
With the race for Champions League football reaching the final few hurdles, we asked our fan contributors of five clubs involved to let us know if their team will make the top five and if not, what happens next.
🎧 Trent, a title and a tight racepublished at 16:40 9 May
16:40 9 May
On the latest episode of his BBC Sounds podcast, Kyle Walker talks about Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool's title, the race for the Champions League and dealing with injury at AC Milan.
Image source, Getty Images
