The Netherlands have taken the lead in their Group D clash with Poland at Euro 2024 with Wout Weghorst netting the potential winner for Ronald Koeman’s men. 

The Dutch fell behind in the match within the opening 20 minutes but have turned the game around to earn what will be a huge three points in the tournament’s toughest group.

Cody Gakpo equalised for the Netherlands just before the 30-minute mark with the Liverpool star being assisted by Man City’s Nathan Ake.

The defender would also play a part in the winner as the City star played the ball to Weghorst before the big striker finished off the move clinically to make it 2-1 with 83 minutes on the clock. This is a big result for the Netherlands, who face tournament favourites France in their next match.

Ake will be delighted with his role in the victory as the Dutch defender continues his good season. The 29-year-old played his part in Man City winning the Premier League and will now want to earn a medal with his country in Germany this summer.

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Watch: Man City’s Nathan Ake assists Netherlands winner

WOUT WEGHORST!

He LOVES the big occasions! ??#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #POLNED pic.twitter.com/E6EaRLJTvZ

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 16, 2024

THERE IT IS!! ??

The Netherlands take a late lead over Poland thanks to Wout Weghorst ? pic.twitter.com/GeRzCYtDvn

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 16, 2024

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Manchester City’s pursuit of another historic treble is facing a significant hurdle as injuries continue to plague the squad, leaving manager Pep Guardiola in a predicament.

The recent admission by Guardiola regarding the team’s fatigue and injury concerns highlights the challenges they face as they compete on multiple fronts.

Following their hard-fought 3-3 draw against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinal, City midfielder Rodri made a plea for rest, underscoring the toll the relentless fixture schedule has taken on the players.

With crucial matches looming and little room for error in the Premier League title race, Guardiola is left grappling with a depleted roster.

Pep Guardiola on Manchester City’s injury struggles

“Big, big, trouble,” that’s how Guardiola described Manchester City’s predicament, in his pre-match press conference, due to the fitness issues mounting up.

“I need to rest the centre halves also but in [England’s] friendly games, [John Stones and Kyle Walker] got injured so they get cannot rest. We are in big, big trouble.

“I had the feeling we were tired in the last games. We will decide tomorrow what we have to do.”

The absence of key players such as Nathan Aké, Phil Foden, and Kyle Walker due to injuries only compounds City’s woes. Foden’s late exit from the draw against Real Madrid further emphasises the fragility of the squad, while the ongoing fitness concerns of Aké and Walker add to the manager’s selection headaches.

As City prepares to face Luton Town, a struggling opponent, Guardiola faces a delicate balancing act. The need to secure three points while also managing the fitness of his squad presents a formidable challenge. The outcome of this balancing act could have far-reaching consequences for City’s season and Guardiola’s legacy at the club.

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Manchester City could be without three key defenders for Tuesday night’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie against Real Madrid.

Preparing to host the defending champions, Carlo Ancelotti’s Los Blancos have been handed a potential boost ahead of Tuesday night’s blockbuster at the Santiago Bernabeu.

According to Sky Sports News, Kyle Walker, Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake were all absent from team training on Monday.

Although unconfirmed, the trio are likely to miss out on Pep Guardiola’s matchday squad.

Man City team news: Pep Guardiola suffering defensive crisis ahead of Real Madrid

Gvardiol featured against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday but was withdrawn at half-time, and although initially suspecting the defender had been replaced for tactical reasons, Guardiola later confirmed the Croatian had picked up a knock.

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Ake injured his calf against Arsenal and missed last weekend’s game at Selhurst Park. The Dutchman remains a doubt for Tuesday’s tie.

And Walker, who picked up an injury while on the recent international duty with England, has not played for his club since, and like his two defensive teammates, remains a major doubt to play Real Madrid.

Gvardiol travels but no Walker or Ake

Adding to these recent reports, leading transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, confirmed Gvardiol is the only player out of the three to travel to Spain.

Tuesday’s glamorous quarter-final in Madrid will see two of Europe’s heavyweights go head-to-head for the chance to take control of the tie ahead of the reverse leg on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

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Man City have advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup after the Premier League champions scored a late goal to beat Tottenham courtesy of Nathan Ake. 

The North London club have been a tough team for the Manchester club to beat throughout the years and it took them 101 shots before finally scoring a goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

That came in the 88th minute of their FA Cup clash on Friday night as Nathan Ake tapped in a ball that was dropped by Spurs goalkeeper Vicario.

Ange Postecoglou’s men protested the decision to allow the goal but it was never overturned by VAR.

LATE DRAMA ???

Nathan Aké gives @ManCity the goal they've been waiting for at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ?#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/jsCvFVBtBe

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 26, 2024

MANCHESTER CITY HAVE FINALLY SCORED AT THE TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM! ??

Nathan Aké has surely won it for Manchester City ??#ITVFootball pic.twitter.com/GJgGv1ntO7

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 26, 2024

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The latest Premier League team of the week from Garth Crooks is in, and of course there’s a place for Alejandro Garnacho after his stunning bicycle kick goal for Manchester United in their 3-0 win away to Everton.

The young Argentine stole the show and arguably stole the whole weekend with his memorable strike, which has been compared to classic goals by legends such as Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

Still, Crooks also found room for some classy performers from the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle and Crystal Palace in this week’s team for BBC Sport, with a full picture of the team below…

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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Erling Haaland were certainly stand-out performers in the big game of the weekend between Man City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, while Declan Rice put in another solid display to help Arsenal to a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Brentford.

All in all, it’s a strong line up, even if Crooks’ formations continue to be a little baffling, with two very attack-minded players in Anthony Gordon and Michael Olise lining up as wing-backs here.

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Nathan Ake has been forced to withdraw from international duty due to injury.

The Manchester City defender picked up an injury that kept him out of contention for the Cityzens’ Premier League blockbuster against Chelsea on Sunday.

And now the Dutch national team have confirmed the 28-year-old, whose injury has not yet been specified, will miss their crucial European Championship qualifiers against Ireland and Gibraltar.

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“Nathan Ake will not join Oranje’s training camp in Zeist tomorrow due to an injury, get well soon,” a statement read, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

Ake’s injury setback is the latest in a long list for head coach Ronald Koeman who is also without  Matthijs de Ligt, Micky van de Ven, Sven Botman and Jurrien Timber.

The Netherlands’ first qualifier against Ireland, which will take place at the Johan Cruijff Arena, is scheduled to kick off at 7.45 p.m. (UK time) on 18th November.

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Manchester City beat Young Boys in the Champions League 3-1 to retain top spot of Group G, with goals from Manuel Akanji and Erling Haaland (x2).

City dominated throughout, having 26 shots (14 on target), holding 69% possession and making 723 total passes. However Young Boys made it difficult equalising in the 52nd minute to make it 1-1, and then holding City out until the 67th minute when Haaland made it 2-1.

Read on for our City player ratings, and who stood out for the Citizens…

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Ederson – 7 – Ederson made three saves, two of which were inside his box and also made two high claims. However did get lobbed for the goal.

Nathan Ake – 7 – Solid defensively down his left side, made two clearances, two tackles and one last man tackle. Also made two key passes from left back.

Ruben Dias – 7 – Was very important in build up for City, making 94 of his 97 passes and playing six of his eight long balls. Dias also made two clearances and one block.

Manuel Akanji – 8 – Scored the opener for City, as well as doing his part defensively with two clearances and a block. Also made two key passes.

Rodri – 8 – Was a huge positive for City having Rodri back in the side, so calm on the ball, got an assist and made 103 of his 110 passes, with four key passes.

Rico Lewis – 7 – The energetic youngster covered a lot of ground both defensively and in central areas, made one key pass and made two out of two long balls.

Jack Grealish – 7.5 – Very direct down the wing, completed three out of three dribble attempts and took three shots (two of which were on target). Also made three key passes and created two big chances.

Mateo Kovacic – 6 – Played slightly higher up on the left side for City in central zones, played one key pass but wasn’t creative enough in that area of the pitch.

Matheus Nunes – 7 – Played slightly higher in midfield too but on the right, made two key passes, completed three out of four long balls and competed three of his five dribble attempts.

Jeremy Doku – 7 – Did well in his 72 minutes, was looking to be direct and ask questions of the Young Boys defense. Completed two key passes, seven out of eight dribbles and had two shots on target.

Erling Haaland – 9 – Scored a brace to secure the victory for City, did what he does best and scored the goals. Had a whopping eight shots, five of which were on target.greali

Subs: Bernardo Silva 6, Julian Alvarez 7, Kalvin Phillips N/A, Sergio Gomez N/A.

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Manchester City lost 1-0 to Arsenal in a game that looked set to end 0-0, however a late goal from Gabriel Martinelli meant Arsenal snatched all three points from Manchester City in a big title challengers clash early on this season.

City lost to Arsenal for the first time in the Premier League since 2015, and this could be a monumental moment in this years title challenge, after City pipped the Gunners to the title last season. One of the big reasons the Citizens managed to beat Arsenal to the Premier League title last campaign, was their 3-1 and 4-1 victories over them, giving them that six point swing at the top.

Read on for our Manchester City player ratings, and who really didn’t show up in this clash for City…

Ederson – 6 – There wasn’t much Ederson could do about the goal due to the deflection, he also made a big save inside the box which equated to a 0.81 x/G. He did pick up a yellow card at the end when trying to retrieve the ball quickly whilst Gabriel Jesus was trying to run down the clock.

Josko Gvardiol – 7 – Gvardiol was Manchester City’s main attacking threat, whether this was by design or the defensive set up from Arsenal is unsure. There was a lot of space for him to attack on the overlap down that flank, and it looked like if City were going to score that was going to be the route they took.

Nathan Ake – 6 – Ake was good defensively making three tackles and two clearances, but unfortunately the goal deflected off of him and past Ederson to give Arsenal their 1-0 lead.

Ruben Dias – 6 – Dias barely had any defensive actions in this game, only making the one clearance. He also made a few errors playing out from the back, making 77 successful passes out of 89, giving him an 87% pass accuracy which isn’t as good as it usually is for the defender.

Kyle Walker – 6.5 – Walker offered some attacking threat on the overlap down the right flank, and made a decent amount of defensive actions in the game with two clearances, one interception and two tackles, however maybe could’ve challenged Havertz for the header that led to the Arsenal goal.

Mateo Kovacic – 5 – Was very lucky to be on the pitch after two poor challenges in quick succession in the first half. Was taken off in the 68th minute, and looked like he lost his head in that first half.

Bernardo Silva – 7 – Silva played his role well, dropping deeper than the other midfielders of Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic to receive the ball and help City progress the ball. Silva had a pass accuracy of 95%, making 63 successful passes out of 66.

Rico Lewis – 6 – Lewis was the highest presser for Manchester City, and clearly Guardiola selected him to do this job, which he did well. Lewis pressed up high really well on the Arsenal pivot players, forcing the ball to go long instead of allowing them to play through the midfield lines.

Phil Foden – 6 – Foden looked to create in this game, but the lack of options hurt him in this game. Foden made two key passes, and had one big chance created, however the lack of runners in wide areas due to the narrow nature of City meant that Foden was running into brick walls.

Erling Haaland – 5 – Struggled to get into the game, didn’t manage to take a single shot and lost the ball eight times in his 23 touches. There was a lack of service for Haaland too, but overall just didn’t offer enough.

Julian Alvarez – 5.5 – Alvarez worked hard, and looked to deny Zinchenko the ball in advanced areas, however along with Haaland, he struggled to get into the game. He managed two shots but both of these chances came from his workrate and effort as opposed to linking up with his teammates.

Subs: John Stones 5, Matheus Nunes 5, Jeremy Doku 4.

The post Manchester City player ratings: City miss two key stars as they lose three on the bounce appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester City have just been awarded one of the most scandalous goals you’ll see this season.

Foden whips a brilliant corner into the box and Ake is left completely unmarked who powers in a header towards goal but Akanji who is in an offside position seems to obstructing Leno. The goalkeeper had to delay his dive because of Akanji.

Despite a VAR review for an offside check, the goal was given leaving Fulham boss Marco Silva and the players absolutely furious.

Watch the controversial decision below:

Akanji stood in an offside position and jumps over the ball. But the goal is given.

Be shocked if Marco Silva doesn't have another yellow card over this one.

VAR refs making it up as they see fit for whoever they want. #MCIFUL pic.twitter.com/agSkZPL9Uq

— Ginger Tonali (@GingerPirlo_) September 2, 2023

Should Akanji have been given offside for Man City’s 2nd goal? ? #MCIFUL pic.twitter.com/OJHgIhYiNB

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) September 2, 2023

Akanji “not interfering with play”
?????????? pic.twitter.com/sqSHi5bc1y

— FPL Bunk (@FPLBunk) September 2, 2023

The post Watch: Scandalous goal awarded to Manchester City despite blatant offside and VAR review appeared first on CaughtOffside.

There can’t be too many greater achievements in a footballer’s life than winning a treble, and that has to be a major reason why one Man City star has happily put pen to paper on a contract extension.

The new deal with keep the player at the club until 2027 and provide Pep Guardiola with a little more stability after the departure of Ilkay Gundogan and the consistent noise around Bernardo Silva.

Though he might be one of the more unsung heroes in the squad, it’s clear that Nathan Ake plays as important a part as any other squad member, and he’s delighted to be staying at the Etihad Stadium.

“This is the best club in the world, I have no doubts about that,” he was quoted as saying by The Athletic (subscription required).

“Being a Manchester City player makes me incredibly proud every single day.

“It’s a football club that expects excellence in every area, which makes for the perfect environment to improve. It drives me on and makes me better. I am at the stage of my career where I want to keep developing and I can definitely do that here.

“Pep is the best manager in football — a genius who has made me see the game differently — so to be able to work with him for longer is a real privilege. I am so grateful to him for everything he has done for me, both personally and professionally.”

Alongside the likes of John Stones and Ruben Dias, Ake has been rock solid when called upon by Guardiola.

If all championship winning teams are built on the foundation of a decent defence, then the Catalan has an embarrassment of riches in that regard.

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Given the way in which Guardiola likes his centre-backs to play too, rather than hump it long the manager gives the defence the ability and confidence to play football out from the back.

If not quite revolutionary, it’s certainly a change to what’s gone before in the English top-flight. One can definitely pinpoint a ‘before and after Guardiola,’ simply because of the amount of teams that appear to have copied his way of working.

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