Saturday Gossip

by MCFC Editorial
Pique targets City Champions League showdown


Spurs talk, title chatter and Champions League dreams – they’re all up for discussion in Saturday’s Media Watch.

Hugo Lloris and Danny Murphy have both had their say on this weekend’s game, while Raheem Sterling and Gerard Pique are the men reflecting on the other two topics.

We’ll start with the latter, after Pep Guardiola’s former centre-half expressed his desire to test himself against his former boss on the grandest stage of all.

Pique told The Independent: “For me, he [Guardiola] is one of the best coaches in the world.

“What he is doing at City his year is amazing. He is breaking all the records.

“They are playing great football, they are strong favourites to win the Premier League.

“I hope they win the cup as well and if we can play them in the Champions League final that would be good."

To domestic matters now and Sterling has urged his team-mates keep their foot on the throttle as they look to lift the Premier Leaugue trophy.

The Daily Star have the City winger’s quotes, who said: “If we win all our games we win the title.

"So if you put it that way, it's ours to lose. But it's still only December and we've got great opponents in this league.

"United are not going to rest for one moment, they are going to be doing everything they can to try and catch us and hope that we slip.

“We just need to keep that mentality going."

Meanwhile, Spurs ‘keeper, Lloris, is expecting an enthralling game between two attack-minded teams at the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking to the Daily Star, the Frenchman said: ““Definitely our philosophy is that attacking is the best way to defend and to keep the ball is the best way to defend too.


“City is a team that likes to play. They like to create space but they concede a lot of space too.

“City at the moment is the best team in the Premier League so it is going to be a good test for us.

“They are going to be champions, probably, because at the moment they are unstoppable.

“It is going to be a great challenge to go there and take our chance to try to get something from the stadium.

“Both teams will be dominant, will try to create chances and will try to attack. But I think we will have enough space to produce a good performance ourselves."

Former Spurs midfielder, Murphy, is also believes Saturday’s late kick off will provide an intriguing contest.

Writing in his Evening Standard column, he suggests: “It will be fascinating tactically to see what both camps will do.

"It is hard stopping City because they are playing with a confidence and an arrogance that has rarely been seen in the Premier League, and they have got quality all over the place.

“They have got Silva flying, De Bruyne and then Sane, Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Aguero.

“If you stop Silva then De Bruyne can have a good day. Stop De Bruyne then Sane and Sterling can have a good day.

“Stop them and there is Jesus or Aguero. You cannot isolate one player and think if you stop them you stop City. So it is about the shape of the team."