Sport
Pep Guardiola explains why he took off record-breaking Haaland before he had the chance to smash another
The big, blonde freak of nature reached another record last night, but he was only one goal away from an even bigger one.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has explained why he chose to substitute Erling Haaland following their 7-0 obliteration of RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Sky Blues slotted seven goals past the Bundesliga side to progress to the quarter-finals of the one competition that has eluded Pep since he arrived in Manchester, with Haaland grabbing a first-half hattrick and then another two all in the space of 35 minutes. Sheesh.
Even before finishing five, Haaland’s hattrick saw him break the record for the youngest player to reach 30 goals in the Champions League (22 years, 236 days), beating fellow young phenomenon Kylian Mbappe by 116 days. However, his manager chose to sub him off before he could reach another.
Speaking to media afterwards, Pep explained that beyond giving him a rest or making sure he didn’t pick an unnecessary injury, he chose to withdraw Haaland because the game was over and he wanted “[them] to play”, as well to avoid any unreasonable criticism given the ridiculous bar he has set himself.
The 52-year-old went on to explain that while his numerous hattricks this season and now five goals in one game are obviously thrilling, “the problem is every time we don’t score two or three he will be criticised. This is the reality.”, insists Pep.
Unfortunately for City fans and neutrals alike watching on in disbelief, if Haaland had stayed on and scored just one more — a double hattrick (silly that they were even considering these phrases) — he would have beaten Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano’s record for most goals in a single UCL match.
Alas, it wasn’t to be and while many joked that the Spaniard was protecting Messi‘s record by not letting his star man score six (Pep insisting he had no idea of the stat), even he quipped that “if he achieves this milestone at 22, 23, it will be boring his life. He wouldn’t have a target to reach in the future.”
The goals began to dry up after the Norwegian number nine was hooked off and one thing’s for sure, he certainly didn’t want to be taken off, noting to BT Sport that he told Pep when he went off, “I would love to score a double hattrick, but what can we do? I have to go”.
Ah well, he still managed to reach multiple milestones on the night. As well as becoming the youngest to reach 30 UCL goals, he also did it in the fewest amount of games in history (25), beating Ruud van Nistelrooy who did it in 30.
As if that wasn’t enough, his fifth goal also saw him well surpass Tommy Johnson for the most goals scored by a City player in a single season (38), not to mention the only player to ever score that amount in the Champions League for the club and just third player to ever do so in the tournament.
Truly unbelievable stuff.
Now on 39 goals and five assists in just 36 games across all competition this season, our early season prediction of Haaland scoring more than 50 goals now seems almost too conservative. The better question is how many records will he end up breaking before the year is out?
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Man City now progress into the Champions League quarter-final yet again with the draw set for 11am on Friday, 17 March. They could face any one of the following teams:
- Chelsea
- Benfica
- Milan
- Bayern Munich
- Inter
- Napoli/Frankfurt
- Real Madrid/Liverpool
Guardiola was once again asked if he thinks his side can finally win their first Champions League, having admitted earlier in the week that he will be judged by many “as a failure” if he does not win it.
In a rather unusual moment, Pep said that even winning wouldn’t make up for the time his “idol” Julia Roberts came to Manchester and watched United over City in 2016. Guess he’s just a really big Pretty Woman fan?…
You can watch his full press conference HERE.
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Featured Image — Manchester City/BT Sport (via Twitter)/Beanyman Sports (via YouTube)
Sport
Everton manager Sean Dyche randomly pops up in the music video for Blossoms’ new single – and he’s great
Danny Jones
Did anyone else think they’d ever see Sean Dyche make his acting debut in the role of a Northern crime boss in a silly little music video for the Blossoms?
No, us neither but that’s the bizarre alternate reality we’re living in, apparently.
Blossoms are currently working on the fifth studio album and have already released their lead single entitled, ‘To Do List (After The Break-Up)’, but now they have a new song out as well, with a rather amusing music video to go along with it and somehow Sean Dyche has found himself the star.
The Stockport band teased the curious collaboration in April, giving us just short glimpses of the Everton manager and former Burnley boss with very little explanation – all we know is that it looked funny and it was.
Dyche is still busy trying to finish the Premier League campaign as strong as possible after successfully navigating the Toffees to safety even in spite of their points deductions this season, but it sounds like keeping them up has given him enough time to moonlight as an actor.
Sending the indie five-piece on a mission to collect something of value (yes, that’s all the info we have at this point as the story is still to be continued), it looks like the Kettering-born coach has a larger role to play in whatever this narrative turns out to be.
Playing what can only be described as some kind of semi-Manc mafia figure on the hunt for a very valuable piece of art, i.e. a big giant gorilla statue – one that many Stopfordians spotted being lugged around various parts of the borough –
They also shared a little bit of BTS footage from the shoot for the music video last week. Some lovely head-bobbing and unassuming surroundings here:
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As for the track itself, it’s a bit of stylistic change for the lads who’ve mastered their 80s-tinged indie formula over the past decade but it’s an absolute pop and is already stuck in our heads.
Revealing that they’ve collaborated with contemporary funk, disco and electronic icons Jungle on the track, it doesn’t take too long to hear the influences. Look forward to hearing it at Wythenshawe Park this summer.
You can watch the music video for ‘What Can I Say?’ and the ginger-goatee’d football manager extraordinaire in full character HERE.
He’s not the only footballing figure who’s made an entertainment crossover recently either.
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Featured Images — Blossoms (via YouTube)/Virgin EMI
Sport
Tributes paid to former Manchester City winger Ian Mellor, dead at 74
Danny Jones
Tributes are pouring following the death of former Manchester City star, Ian Mellor, who has sadly passed away at the age of 74.
Mellor, from Sale in Greater Manchester, played as a left winger for Man City as well as the likes of Norwich City, Brighton, Chester, Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford.
With his family and former club confirming the death on Wednesday, 1 May, social media has been awash with people paying their respects to the seasoned ex-pro who sadly died following a long battle with amyloidosis, a rare and incurable disease which affects organs such as the heart, brains and kidneys.
Replying to his son and ex-Liverpool turned Sky Sports broadcaster, Neil Mellor, the club paid their respects to the former Blue who made 50 appearances for the club.
Mellor began his career just down the road at Wythenshawe Amateurs before going on to represent City from 1970 to 1973.
A boyhood fan of the club, he scored 10 goals whilst wearing Sky Blue and also went on to win the Charity Shield with them back in 1972.
Eventually nicknamed ‘Spider’ for a good chunk of his career due to his long-legged stature, he remained attached to the beautiful game for years after his retirement and went on to become a committee member for the Former Players Association at City.
Joining the likes of all his former clubs, Chester City said: “Everyone at [the club] is saddened to hear of the passing of Ian Mellor. Sending all our love to you and your family, Neil Mellor.
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His son Neil’s goodbye has touched many online too, calling his dad his “hero” and his “everything”.
He also went on to thank locally-based end-of-life care organisation and charity, St Ann’s Hospice, who have facilities all over Greater Manchester and who helped care for Ian in his final days.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family as well as those whose lives he touched through football during this difficult time.
Rest in peace.
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Featured Images — Manchester City/Neil Mellor (via X)