While Man City fans are no doubt nervous ahead of tonight’s massive game against Real Madrid, a couple of key stats will no doubt give them plenty of confidence, as not only have they won every home game in 2023, but they haven’t lost in the Champions League there in five whole years.
I mean, City have put up some seriously impressive statistics over the past few years but wow.
The Blues are back on top of the Premier League after Arsenal’s title charge seemingly came to an on Sunday and a big part of that recovery over the season is down to their home form, having won every single home game this year and only dropping points on two occasions all season.
The last result at home that wasn’t a win came on New Year’s Eve when they drew 1-1 with Everton and before that was a 2-1 loss to Brentford. Since then, they’ve been unstoppable at the Etihad and as if that wasn’t impressive enough, their performance at home in the Champions League is equally remarkable.
– City have lost only 1 game at the Etihad this season. – The last time City lost a Champions League game at the Etihad was in April 2018. – Real Madrid have never won at the Etihad. pic.twitter.com/EpL7PvC7JG
Yeah, Man City’s UCL record at home is pretty solid.
Rather unbelievably, Pep Guardiola‘s side haven’t lost a single home in the UCL since 2018 when they were beaten 2-1 by Lyon in their opening match of the group stages. That’s 25 home games unbeaten on the biggest stage in Europe. Crikey.
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In the years following that blip, they’ve gone on to reach the round of 16, quarter-finals and semis three times each, as well as the final in the 2020/21 season when they narrowly missed out on the trophy after a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.
It’s also worth noting that Real Madrid themselves have never won on any of their four visits to the Etihad Stadium — a stat that City fans will no doubt be pleased to hear, especially in such a rich vein of form overall, let alone when playing at home.
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As for Pep, he knows not only how massive this game is for the club who are still chasing that first Champions League, but both him and City as they could potentially win the coveted treble which would put them up there as one of the greatest sides of all time. However, he does not believe these next few games with “define [their] legacy”.
🗣 "Our legacy is exceptional already." 💪
Pep Guardiola does not believe the next month will define his or Manchester City's footballing legacy pic.twitter.com/bKqylEirhp
It might have been a close run affair away at the Bernabéu, with both sides taking just one goal into the decisive second leg, but City still have time to not only win but even live up to Wayne Rooney’s prediction and “blow Madrid away” in tonight’s home tie.
Stranger things have happened.
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Pep has already promised he has no plans to ‘overthink’ this one or try any new tactics with this one either. His game plan, as far as he would let on, is simple: play “fluid” and “play a little better” than last time”.
What do you reckon, is this the year Man City final win the Champions League?
Featured Image — Manchester City (via Twitter)/UEFA
Sport
Wigan Warriors make history after yet another Super League Grand Final victory
Danny Jones
Wigan Warriors have made Super League history after winning yet another Grand Final following what can only be dubbed a spellbinding season.
Beating Hull Kingston Rovers 9-2 in what was their 13th Grand Final, not only have they now lifted the trophy for the seventh time but they have also become the first team in the Super League era to win the hallowed quadruple.
To make things even more special, the landmark evening in Manchester saw them match the same achievement of winning all four major pieces of silverware 30 years on from their famous Wigan predecessors in 1994, and are one of just a handful of teams to ever do so.
Matt Peet’s side signed off on an incredible year after winning not only the Challenge Cup and World Cup Challenge but by lifting the League Leaders’ Shield and retaining their Grand Final.
Star-man Bevan French put them ahead in the game before Harry Smith gave them breathing room before half-time and despite Hull KR answering back with a penalty in their first-ever visit to the final, Adam Keighran’s kick helped make sure the Warriors made it over the line.
That’s a couple of Challenge Cups, two lots of League Leaders’ Shields, a World Cup Challenge and a pair of successive Super League Grand Final wins in just 99 games over eight months as head coach for Peet too. Generational.
While the likes of Bradford and St Helens have won all four prizes up for grabs over the course of two seasons, a record like this is simply sensational and well and truly puts them up there as one of if not the greatest rugby league side ever – as if they weren’t in the conversation already.
You can see how much it meant when they lifted the trophy:
Things look to be only getting better for the Cherry and Whites under the Wigan local and they seem to be more fitting of their Warriors title under his watch than arguably ever.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, winner of the inaugural Rob Burrow Player of the Match award French said: “It’s been an emotional week. We knew history was on the line, with the chance to be the first to win all four in a calendar year.
“This one just meant more. The club went above and beyond to surprise me by flying my brother and uncle over, so this is special. I might not ever get to feel like this again. I’ve got to take it all in.”
Winning the quadruple in the modern era doesn’t just beckon Wigan Warriors into the history books, it could signal the start of a new period of dominance as was seen in the 1980s and 90s. Are the Saints about to make way for a new Northern super-power?
You can watch the highlights from the 2024 Betfred Super League Grand Final and see how Wigan completed the quadruple down below.
Wigan Warriors are now third in the table of all-time Super League Grand Final winners too.
Bolton boss Ian Evatt charged with misconduct by FA after squaring up to Shrewsbury player
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt has officially been charged with misconduct for squaring up to a Shrewsbury player following the full-time whistle.
Evatt was sent off as a result of his reaction which began with his complaining to the referee about the eight minutes of added time that were tacked on to the end of the game which ultimately ended up in a 2-2 draw.
The 42-year-old was unable to contain his frustration and although multiple players on both sides were trying to defuse the situation, the incident unfolded all too fast and the Bolton manager suddenly found himself pressing his forehead against Shrewsbury defender and captain Morgan Feeney.
You can see the moment he saw red (quite literally) here:
Ian Evatt charged by the FA for misconduct after this.
This isn’t an isolated incident either. He has a history of letting his emotions take control when things don’t go his way.
Following an investigation by the FA, Evatt has now been charged with “improper and/or violent” misconduct for leaning his head against Feeney’s and was given until Thursday, 10 October to respond.
Although he has yet to issue an official statement following the decision, Evatt did speak to BBC Radio Manchester shortly after the altercation, admitting: “I’m disappointed and I’m not happy with how things turned out.”
“There wasn’t an issue with the referee [Declan Bourne] at all, we were discussing the timing situation”, he clarified, going on to add: “There was context to my actions. Their player grabbed me and was saying some not-nice things and I reacted in a way I shouldn’t have done.”
Nevertheless, many fans have remained enamoured with the Coventry-born coach’s passionate albeit sometimes overzealous behaviour on the touchline even if recent results have been very up and down for the Wanderers.
It was only last season that the Greater Manchester side narrowly missed out on promotion after losing the playoff final to Oxford United, having also fallen foul in the previous season’s knockout stages.
The Trotters missed out on the next round of the EFL Trophy competition following a tense but wasteful draw against Aston Villa’s under-21s before losing 4-1 on penalties in their previous game.
As for what’s up next following Evatt and the misconduct charge, his side have the international break to gather themselves and prepare to take on Burton Albion FC back in League One on Saturday, 19 October, where a win feels all but essential given the current atmosphere of the club.
What do you reckon, Bolton fans – Evatt in or out?
Danny Jones -
17th May 2023 
