Manchester City - BBC Sport (2024)

The end of another year is almost upon us - how much do you remember about Manchester City over the past 12 months?

Test yourself with a question from every month of 2023.

Have a go here

The Christmas spirit and the deluge of games that come with it is upon us.

For a player, it’s a crazy time. What’s mad is everything is happening festive wise and you want to enjoy it in some way – like a party for the lads if you can fit it in. It means you feel you have some kind of Christmas.

But the games keep coming, especially at the top end if you’re in several competitions. Then you have the training load and training on Christmas Day. I won’t lie, that is psychologically a challenge not to feel a bit sorry for yourself. Sometimes you think everyone is having a good time, but you have to think how many people would swap with your position. You have to realise and think about what you are doing.

But when you have your kids there playing with their new toys and you have to go training, that is a big sacrifice It’s not about money, it’s just human nature.

What I think they should do is make it compulsory that you cannot train as a club on Christmas Day. That way, no one gets an advantage. What happens is you see is the owners will question why you didn’t train if you lose on Boxing Day.

Boxing Day is brilliant to play on. You can see the bigger crowds and feel the festive spirit. I used to love having Christmas Day off and playing on Boxing Day. But only a few managers will trust you to have that day off, Neil Warnock was one of them.

It’s a tiring spell and I will admit, I have been set to play on Boxing Day and wondered if I’ll get through the game as I’d had too much Christmas dinner.

Playing in this spell, you have to take it as a privilege. You are playing so everyone else is able to watch football at that great time of year.

Tommy Doyle has been speaking to BBC Radio Manchester's We're Not Really Here podcast about his loan journey.

The midfielder is currently at Wolves with an option to buy clause included.

You can listen to the whole episode here.

We asked for your comments after Manchester City beat Fluminense 4-0 to win the Club World Cup.

Here are some of your comments:

Craig: Superb end to a superb year. I have watched this great club for 49 years. None of the green eyed detractors can claim that such an achievement is the result of cash. Coaching teamwork and great management makes for great teams. This City team is one for the ages.

Pat: Excellent performance from the champions which will have boosted their confidence for returning to the Premier League. They looked solid throughout and controlled the game well. Another major trophy in the cabinet and with Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku set to return soon, 2024 is already looking bright. Obvious concern over Rodri but time will tell.

Mick: Sensational, and without two of our best players. City continue to re-write the record books. Some fantastic individual performances too, Walker, Foden and Grealish were the engine room.

Steve: A wonderful, controlled display and fully deserved. Remember this was without Haaland and Doku, out standout performers this season.

Pep Guardiola was beaming with pride after Manchester City's triumph in the Club World Cup.

City beat Brazilian side Fluminense 4-0 in Saudi Arabia to add to their trophy collection.

In doing so, they made history by becoming the first English side to win five trophies in a calendar year.

"I am so proud of this club," said Guardiola. "What we have done is an outstanding achievement.

"To win this trophy is to be the best team in the world and our players, our coaches, our backroom staff, all of them work hard every single day to bring us this success.

"As a manager what I am most proud of [is] that we are always there. No matter how much we win, no matter what trophies we lift, we are there again to fight for the next one.

"To win the Treble was truly special but to win two more trophies and now hold these five major titles shows the unique mentality of this team, of the club and its fans.

"It is something no other English team has ever achieved and we will always remember this incredible time we spent together."

Julian Alvarez scored twice as Manchester City won the Club World Cup for the first time by beating Brazilian side Fluminense in Saudi Arabia.

Pep Guardiola's side, who were taking part in the tournament after winning last season's Champions League, made the ideal start as Alvarez struck inside the first minute, chesting in from close range after Nathan Ake's strike from outside the box had hit the post.

They added a second before the break when Nino turned Phil Foden's cross into his own net.

Foden then got on the scoresheet himself in the second half when he darted through the middle to prod in Alvarez's cross, before the latter got his second of the game with a clinical strike into the far corner.

The win means City become the fourth English club to win the Club World Cup after Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

But some of the shine was taken off the victory by the sight of Rodri - so influential for Guardiola's side - going off with an injury towards the end of the second half.

Meanwhile, Egyptian side Al Ahly secured third place with a 4-2 win over Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from home?

City fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

Follow all the reaction here

Mike Minay, BBC Radio Manchester

There's a song at that Manchester City fans sing wherever they go.

"City. City. The best team in the land and all the world."

They were singing it 20 years ago as the Blues finished 16th in the Premier League. It's part of the self-deprecating humour that City fans have. Just like the chant that's re-emerged of "City's going down with a billion in the bank".

Only now, it's different. Tonight, Manchester City can really be the best team in the land and all the world. English champions. European champions. Beat Fluminense and it's world champions too.

It'll complete the set. It'll top off what's been an incredible 2023. Some 20 years ago it was Dunne, Wright-Phillips and Anelka. Now it's Dias, Rodri and Alvarez. Both sets of players mean something special to the fans, and it's all part of the journey.

It's an important game - I think for pride more than anything. Losing tonight would still mean there's a stick that rival fans can poke at City. But it shouldn't take away anything of the achievements of this calendar year.

The highs have to be savoured. City fans know this more than most. And that self-deprecation? As they stand in Jeddah I'm sure a few will laugh and remember that almost 17 years ago, City were about to embark on an eight-month journey without scoring at home.

Just like Manchester City, Friday's opponents Fluminense are contesting their first Club World Cup final.

The Brazilian outfit qualified for the competition by winning the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history and booked their place in the final with a 2-0 win over Egyptian side Al Ahly.

So what can City expect against the South American continental champions?

Fernando Diniz's side like playing out from the back and Pep Guardiola said Fluminense's style is one "we have never faced".

He added: "I love it. I love the build-up. I love how they associate between each other."

Fluminense have former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo in their ranks, with other key men at both ends of the pitch.

They are not short of experience at the back. Goalkeeper Fabio is 43 and former Inter Milan defender Felipe Melo is 40, but the two were imperious in Monday's semi-final, with the keeper making six saves to preserve a clean sheet.

In attack, the star of their Copa Libertadores triumph last year was Jhon Arias, who regularly turns up in BBC Sport's daily gossip column in links to mid-table Premier League sides.

A 26-year-old Colombia international, Arias hugs the right touchline but packs a punch off his right foot and has scored in each of his past three games.

Finally, last year's top scorer German Cano will also pose a threat.

In the 2021-22 season, he scored 44 goals in 69 games for Fluminense, and while not quite as lethal at 35, his pace and impressive pressing will make him one for City to watch.

South American football expert Tim Vickery says Fluminense "have never faced anything like" Manchester City before.

And he is concerned for the Brazilian outfit.

Live commentary of the Club World Cup final on BBC Radio Manchester from 18:00 GMT on Friday

I think the Club World Cup is a big competition.

Manchester City have never even been in it so the players want to lift the trophy and say ‘we won that also’. There is a hunger in that dressing room and Kyle Walker is desperate to hold the cup with the captain's armband on.

I think the issue they have got is with all the travelling. Added to that, it’s Christmas and playing Everton away will be a dangerous game for them. When you look at all of January and the way it is spread out, that will be decent for them to get a bit of rest, get a bit of time away from the norm of games every Saturday and every Wednesday.

Of course they are capable of putting a winning run together as they challenge for the title. We have seen a massive upturn of results around this time in recent years. Whether they can do that again I don’t know. Generally they have gone and done that after the turn of the year.

So far, they will be disappointed to be conceding goals from good positions in games. They have five points to chase, but they will not be too worried. We have also seen clips of Kevin de Bruyne out on the grass and he will be a welcome addition when he gets up to speed.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Ellie Thomason

Juventus have entered talks with Manchester City over a loan deal for England midfielder Kalvin Phillips. (ESPN), external

The 28-year-old has told City that he wants to leave the club next month, with Newcastle United also interested in a loan move. (Guardian), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

Kyle Walker feels Manchester City's opportunity to win the Fifa Club World Cup is to reward fans who have followed the side to this point.

The Champions League winners face Copa Libertadores champions Fluminense in the final in Jeddah on Friday after beating Urawa Reds in the semi-final on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola's side are looking to win the tournament at the first attempt of being in the competition.

Speaking in the pre-match news conference on Thursday, the captain said: "For me it's about this club and putting it where it wants to be.

"This is the first time the club has been in this competition. The fans have travelled from Maine Road to the Etihad and the processes of being where this club is going to be. It's mainly for them.

"It's fantastic when you see blue shirts in the stadium cheering you on and celebrating goals with you. It's a great feeling and the more we keep winning, the more we are going to get in the stadium."

Walker, who has already won 12 major honours since joining Manchester City in 2017, believes winning the Club World Cup would be one of his "greatest achievements".

"Would it be the best moment of my career? I don't know because I have experienced a lot of highs, especially with this club," added the defender.

"But it would be the icing on the cake and really top off the great season we had last season. I think it would definitely be on a par with the greatest achievements."

Tommy Doyle has praised former manager Pep Guardiola in an interview with BBC Radio Manchester.

The 22-year-old midfielder is on a season-long loan at Wolves from Manchester City with an option to buy.

Listen to the whole episode of We're Not Really Here on BBC Sounds.

Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Manchester City's Club World Cup final match against Fluminese on Friday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Guardiola refused to comment on the European Super League ruling from the European Court of Justice on Thursday: "I will not talk about that. We will have time to reflect [later]. The club and the lawyers will decide what they have to do."

• On what he has told his players in preparation for the final: "The players are ready and they know how important it is. The pleasure is to have done it. We won the semi final. We have tried try since the semi-final to assess the quality that Fluminense have."

• He dismissed suggestions they need to control their emotions for playing in the final: "How do you play a Club World Cup final without emotion? Emotion is there - it's how you handle it and how long it stays in your mind. That's the big target in finals."

• He praised the "talent" and "quality" of Brazilian side Fluminese: "[I know] what they can do. They have beaten teams from Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay. I know the players and respect them for what they do. It's really good the way they play."

• He said they remind him of Brazil World Cup teams from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s as they "play lots of short passes, [are good] one-v-one and have good physicality. We have to be aware how much they will try to run in behind."

• He added: "We have to be precise with the ball and accept they will play the way we never face. It is not positional - they move a lot. The ball moves side to side."

• To win the trophy, he feels his Manchester City side will have to "impose our rhythm and do a good performance and be resilient in the bad moments".

Live commentary of Manchester City v Fluminense on BBC Radio Manchester from 18:00 GMT on Friday

• Manchester City can become the fourth English side to win the Fifa Club World Cup, after Manchester United (2008), Liverpool (2019) and Chelsea (2021).

• Julian Alvarez can become the third player to win the World Cup, Champions League, Copa America, Copa Libertadores and Club World Cup, after Brazilians Cafu and Dida.

• Pep Guardiola is the second manager to have guided as many as three different clubs to the final of the Club World Cup, after Rafael Benitez (Liverpool, Inter and Chelsea).

• Mateo Kovacic can become the first person to play and win the Club World Cup final with three different clubs. The Croatian midfielder won the competition with Real Madrid (2016, 2017) and Chelsea (2022). Kovacic did not play in the 2017 final.

• City will meet Fluminense in a competitive fixture for the first time.

• The reigning Champions League winners won 15 of the previous 19 editions of the Club World Cup, including each of the past 10.

• All previous five Club World Cup finals involving an English team were decided by a single-goal margin.

Steven McInerney, Esteemed Kompany, external

What do Man City fans want for Christmas? Well, as Mariah Carey once famously sang...

"I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need. I don't care about the presents, underneath the Christmas tree.

"I just want you for my team, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is youuuuu, De Bruyne."

She was right, too. Come back, Kev.

Things are still pretty good for City fans right now, but there is unquestionably a large De Bruyne-shaped hole in our midfield. A little of his magic in the new year would be a wonderful boost for City fans, and a pretty scary one for the rest of the league.

We need to see that De Bruyne and Erling Haaland link-up again. Santa, we could do with an assist, mate. Deliver us a De Bruyne!

South American football expert Tim Vickery has been speaking to BBC Radio Manchester about how much the Club World Cup means to Brazilian side Fluminense.

Vickery describes the final as "the biggest thing" in the Brazilian club's calendar and how it is "the dream of any South American club" to go on and win it.

Live commentary on BBC Radio Manchester from 18:00 GMT on Friday.

The full-back is arguably the position that has evolved the most in football in the past decade.

There has been an increasing demand on what full-backs do in possession of the ball, both during build-up play in their own half and also contributing to attacking patterns in the final third.

Former Germany and Bayern Munich full-back Philipp Lahm was one of the first players to be used as an 'inverted full-back', and he helps us look at the rise of the modern-day full-back.

An inverted full-back refers to coaches altering the positioning of a full-back when their team have possession, so they are playing centrally as part of the midfield unit.

Pep Guardiola was a pioneer of this trend at Bayern. He inverted Lahm from right-back into midfield and he even switched him to a midfield role, such was his fluent adaptation to playing in central areas.

"At the beginning of the 2000s this position was interpreted much differently, in some cases much more defensively," said Lahm.

In forward play, it was all about orientating yourself on the touchline and crossing. Gradually, this position has changed due to the influence of coaches such as Pep Guardiola. The role of the full-back is now more variable and also more impactful for the team. The role has taken on a new meaning.

"When defending, it's about making as little space as possible for the opponent, taking up a lot of space and occupying it. When attacking, it's about utilising the space, creating as much space and as many opportunities for others as possible. And Pep was always trying to create new opportunities."

Read more of Lahm's opinions on Premier League full-backs here

Juventus could hold a slight advantage over Newcastle United in their attempts to sign Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The 28-year-old wants to know about the playing time he would get before deciding which club to join, with potentially more opportunity to play in Italy. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

The annual feast of festive Premier League football is about to get under way.

So what is your best memory of following City at Christmas?

Mince pies on the train for a Boxing Day away trip? Squinting through the snow to see your team score a late winner? Ending the year with a Christmas cracker?

Let us know here

A Club World Cup during the summer brings a new challenge for players in making sure they avoid injuries and the perils of the treatment table.

Both Chelsea and Manchester City will feature in Fifa's new tournament from 2025, so former Premier League defender Wes Morgan gave his views on player overload to The Football News Show.

Watch The Football News Show in full here

And if you need an explainer on what the 2025 Club World Cup is all about, watch BBC Sport's Ben Croucher below.