Friday Gossip

by Paul Handler@Handler_MCFC

Gossip: 'Frightening' City, plus defenders linked

We're four games down, five to go of a hectic December fixture list - but when the team is playing so well, the more matches the merrier!

The press are certainly full of praise for the way Pep Guardiola's men are playing, plus there's speculation over a couple of defenders ahead of the January transfer window being flung open.


First to ESPN and Simon Curtis' column: "To what heights City can take this masterclass is uncertain. Every time you are tempted to think that a performance is unsurpassable, the following week it is bettered.

"This Manchester City side keep pushing back the boundaries to what was thought reasonably possible: play expansive, pass and go football on England's mean pitches? Sure. Keep possession for 50 passes at a time without the burly English stoppers and enforcers smashing you to pieces? Yep.

"History will judge when it is ready"

"Construct a side with so many attacking outlets that you sometimes wonder if they need a defence at all? Certainly. Employ a goalkeeper that plays a little like a creative midfielder and pings the ball long and short as if he has a remote control in his back pocket? Of course. And so on and so forth.

"How this City side will be viewed by history will have to wait a while. History will judge when it is ready. As the records fall - yet another on Wednesday night: the most consecutive league wins in English history - this young, charismatic side's reputation grows."

The big games are rolling in like waves with Tottenham next up at the Etihad on Saturday.

Spurs' defender Danny Rose has been talking about the game, and pointed out his side's strong recent record against City.

"'We'll go there and relish it,' Rose told the Daily Mail. 'At the minute, they do look very frightening - scoring goals, they've kept a clean sheet last night. But we've done alright there in the past couple of seasons and that should give us some confidence at the weekend.

"'We were the first ones to beat City last season, we disrupted Chelsea's unbeaten run. It's a challenge we all look forward to.

"'It's a challenge the manager looks forward to. In these games, he knows he's going to get 100% from everyone. There's going to be a lot of eyes watching us this weekend.

"'We haven't done so well away from home against the top teams this season so we hope to go there with some confidence and keep pushing on after three wins that we've had over the last week.'"

Stats based website Whoscored have had a go at predicting the score and if their crystal ball is correct, fans should be in for a treat.


They declare: "Manchester City secured a record breaking 15th successive Premier League win in midweek and have dropped just two points all season. They have, however, kept only two clean sheets in their last eight Premier League matches and still struggle at the back.

"Tottenham moved back into the top half of the table with a 2-0 win over Brighton and look to have shaken themselves out of a rut to land back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since October. Spurs are unbeaten in their last two visits to the Etihad Stadium and may fancy their chances against an injury hit defence.

"There should be goals in this one, but City have the attacking quality to land a 16th straight top-flight win (City 3-2 Tottenham)."

To the transfer speculation now, and Goal.com and the MEN carry similar lines about targets and transfer tactics this January.

Goal's Sammy Lee reckons: "Manchester City are ready to reignite their interest in Southampton's Virgil van Dijk, Goal has learned.

"The Premier League leaders are also considering a move for Real Sociedad's Inigo Martinez, and are hopeful of signing one of the two during the winter transfer window."

The MEN's James Robson, meanwhile, writes: "Pep Guardiola hopes to land two defenders in January after convincing Txiki Begiristain he needs reinforcements to maintain Manchester City's stunning start to the season.

"Guardiola wants a centre back and a left back when the transfer window reopens in the New Year.

"He has had Real Sociedad’s Inigo Martinez watched closely this season after initially expressing an interest last summer.

"Virgil van Dijk could be another option - but Southampton’s £60m valuation prompted City to abandon plans to sign the Dutchman during the last window."

That's it for today, more at the same time, same place on Saturday!