Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne exited the pitch in the 63rd-minute of Manchester City’s victory over Aston Villa on Sunday with his side leading 5-0 and with two assists to his name. As the final scoreline of 6-1 suggests, it was pure perfection from City with Sergio Agüero (three goals, one assist), Riyad Mahrez (two goals, one assist), Gabriel Jesus (one goal, one assist), David Silva (one assist) and De Bruyne putting on a masterclass at Villa Park.

The Carabao Cup semifinals, usually an afterthought in England, has some unusual excitement with a two-legged Manchester Derby on the docket. 

Unfortunately, some fans may find themselves ejected from Old Trafford even with a legally purchased ticket.

In the lead up to Tuesday’s Manchester Derby, United issued a statement saying anyone “visibly or audibly” supporting City outside of allocated visitor’s sections will be ejected from the grounds. 

Back in June after he had just watched England lose 3-1 to the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League semifinals, little-known striker Tom Pope talked shit about defender John Stones’ performance for the Three Lions, calling him weak as piss.

Seven months later, Pope backed up those words.

Pope, a 34-year-old forward who plays for Port Vale in League Two, scored in his first opportunity to go up against John Stones in an FA Cup third-round match with Manchester City.

Even for the best of teams, playing down a man for 80 minutes is a most difficult task. Thanks to an idiotic Ederson red card, Manchester City suffered to a 3-2 defeat to Wolverhampton on Friday.

Despite two first-half goals from Raheem Sterling after City went down to 10 men, Wolves rallied with three in the second half to beat City, further denting Pep Guardiola’s title defense. 

Kevin De Bruyne is not the fastest player. He’s not the strongest nor is he even particularly physically imposing. But De Bruyne vs Arsenal was an absolute joy to watch on Sunday. 

De Bruyne had two goals and an assist in the first half alone as Manchester City ripped Arsenal to shreds 3-0 at the Emirates on Sunday. The redheaded Belgian was at his glorious best, dictating the match and providing fantastic finishes. If not for Gunners keeper Bernd Leno, KDB would’ve had at least three or four goals.

As it turns out, Son Heung-min did not bring about world peace with his brilliant solo goal on Saturday. He couldn’t even bring harmony Man City fans during a Manchester Derby that had no real title implications later in the day.

Manchester United frustrated City for a 2-1 win on Saturday at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola’s side was furious over not being given a penalty kick on two different hand-ball situations while Marcus Rashford converted a penalty thanks to a rare VAR reversal. 

On Saturday, the impossible transpired: Miguel Almirón recorded his first major contribution for Newcastle United (an assist) in his 24th Premier League appearance. Also, EPL strugglers Newcastle recorded a 2-2 draw with the champions Manchester City. 

Joking aside, it was another performance that showcased why Newcastle fans have been so patient with the 24-year-old Paraguayan (apart from the fact that the squad’s not exactly brimming with potential replacements).

Manchester City defeated Chelsea 2-1 on Saturday in an enthralling Premier League match that was ultimately decided by City’s midfield quality. While Jorginho failed to exert his influence for 74 minutes on the pitch, City showcased its style with commanding displays from Kevin De Bruyne, Rodrigo and deputizing center back Fernandinho.

Charged with shutting down one of the Premier League’s hottest strikers — Tammy Abraham entered the match with 10 goals and two assists in 11 games — it’s difficult to explain just how good the 34-year-old Brazilian is at reading the game.