LONDON: Pep Guardiola says he is unsure whether to restore Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne to the Manchester City line-up at Crystal Palace on Saturday with Real Madrid looming.
The pair were unused substitutes in midweek as the defending champions brushed Aston Villa aside 4-1, with Phil Foden bagging a hat-trick.
City are third in the Premier League after the midweek fixtures, three points behind leaders Liverpool and one behind second-placed Arsenal.
Top goalscorer Haaland and playmaker De Bruyne could be kept on ice once again this weekend with the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Real taking place in Spain on Tuesday.
“I don’t know yet,” Guardiola said on Friday, when asked about the prospect of Haaland and De Bruyne returning to face Palace. “Playing at 12:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) and playing two days ago, I have to think. There are so many games.
“We play less than two-and-a half-days after our last game. Some players recover quicker than others. A long week is completely different but a short week, you have to talk with doctors, physios and staff.
“We are used to playing every three days over many months and months. For many, many years it has happened that way.
“We play 12:30 pm, it’s perfect. More time to recover for the next game in Madrid. We then play on Saturday against Chelsea in the FA Cup afterwards. It’s not fair but we are going to do it.”
City, who could welcome back goalkeeper Ederson at Selhurst Park but are still without defenders Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake, have not lost in the Premier League since early December.
“If we were at the top of the league it would be in our hands — that’s not the case, so what we have to do is win our games,” said Guardiola. “I hope it happens but we cannot control it.
“The quality of the opponent is why we have to keep going and at the end we will realize which team is there.”
Palace have taken points in six of their past 12 meetings with City, winning in 2018 and 2021, most recently coming from 2-0 down in December with goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olize.
“They’ve always been tough,” said Guardiola. “I think (manager Oliver) Glasner is doing a really good job.
“The quality is there with (Eberechi) Eze, (Jordan) Ayew and Mateta. They have good structure, strong defensively with (Joachim) Andersen leading the back five, the physicality is always there. Selhurst Park is always difficult.”
Guardiola still deciding over Haaland, De Bruyne returns for Man City
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Guardiola still deciding over Haaland, De Bruyne returns for Man City
- City are third in the Premier League after the midweek fixtures, three points behind leaders Liverpool and one behind second-placed Arsenal
- “I don’t know yet,” Guardiola said on Friday, when asked about the prospect of Haaland and De Bruyne returning to face Palace
Newcastle oust 10-man Villa from FA Cup, Man City beat Beckham’s Salford
- Both Villa and Newcastle have failed to win the competition since the 1950s
LONDON: Newcastle beat 10-man Aston Villa 3-1 thanks to a double from Sandro Tonali to reach the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday as Marc Guehi scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2-0 victory over fourth-tier Salford.
Both Villa and Newcastle have failed to win the competition since the 1950s and another opportunity for Unai Emery’s men to end a 30-year wait for silverware vanished after a first half red card for goalkeeper Marco Bizot.
Tammy Abraham had fired the home side in front with his first goal since returning to Villa last month.
But the game swung in the Magpies’ favor when Bizot charged off his line to wipe out Jacob Murphy and deny a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Newcastle’s fightback saved the officials from an embarrassing moment becoming more controversial when Lucas Digne’s handball, that was clearly inside the box, was given as a free-kick instead of a penalty.
With VAR not in operation at this stage of the competition, the decision could not be reviewed.
But Newcastle levelled from the resulting free-kick anyway as Tonali’s strike deflected past the helpless Emi Martinez.
Tonali has been linked with a move to Arsenal come the end of the season and the Italian showed why he is in-demand with a blistering strike from outside the box to turn the tie around.
Nick Woltemade then netted his first goal in 15 games to take Newcastle, who last lifted the trophy in 1955, into the last 16.
Owned by Manchester United legends David Beckham and Gary Neville, Salford were playing in the fourth round for the first time in their history.
The League Two side were humbled 8-0 when they faced City in the third round last season, but pushed Pep Guardiola’s men far closer on Saturday.
“They defended really well, so tight and we didn’t attack the spaces the way we should. The game was flat until we scored the second goal,” Guardiola said.
City took an early lead through Alfie Dorrington’s own goal, but there were only nine minutes left when England defender Guehi delivered the decisive blow with his maiden goal since signing from Crystal Palace in January.
- Burnley gamble backfires -
Third-tier Mansfield produced the upset of the day by winning 2-1 at Premier League Burnley to reach the fifth round for the first time since 1975.
Burnley went into the game bolstered by their first league win since October over Crystal Palace in midweek, but boss Scott Parker made nine changes and the gamble backfired.
Burnley took the lead through Josh Laurent’s 21st-minute goal, but Nigel Clough’s team, who sit in mid-table in League One, staged an impressive fightback in the second half.
Rhys Oates headed in the equalizer in the 53rd minute and Louis Reed capped a fine individual performance with a brilliant free-kick 10 minutes from full-time.
Ten-man West Ham edged through as the in-form Crysencio Summerville clinched a 1-0 win at League One Burton after extra-time.
Freddie Potts was sent off soon after Summerville’s strike in the first period of extra-time, but the Premier League strugglers held on to survive a gruelling fourth round clash.
After eliminating Manchester United in round three, Brighton are aiming to deliver another upset when they visit Liverpool later at Anfield.
