Manchester City shift focus to cup glory
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will not retain their Énglish Premier League soccer title barring a spectacular Liverpool implosion, but the form book suggests the Catalan could still end up celebrating a trophy-laden season.
The defending league champions have won nine of their past 10 games in all competitions, their only defeat since early December coming when they were reduced to 10 men and lost 3-2 at Wolves.
Crystal Palace on Saturday is followed by a trip to face Sheffield United before they take on Fulham at home in the fourth round of the FA Cup and Manchester United in the second leg of their League Cup semifinal.
City hold a 3-1 lead in that tie in a competition in which they have not lost a game since October 2016, an extraordinary run that makes them overwhelming favourites to win the League Cup for a third consecutive season.
Guardiola, whose side won a domestic treble last season, will be relishing the return of influential centre-half Aymeric Laporte
City hold a 3-1 lead in that tie in a competition in which they have not lost a game since October 2016
following a knee injury at the end of August.
The French international’s absence has been a major factor in City’s difficulties this season, although he has been making impressive strides in training.
An original prediction of a February return has been brought forward slightly, with Laporte now tipped to be back before the end of the month.
The 25-year-old’s return would allow Brazilian Fernandinho to move to his holding midfield role, bolstering City in two areas of the pitch. Even more good news is on the horizon, with German international winger Leroy Sane making a rapid recovery from a knee ligament injury that has sidelined him since the first week in August.
The return of Laporte and Sane could be crucial as City prepare for the return of the Champions League, which they have never won. City face a two-legged last16 tie against Real Madrid, with the first leg taking place in Spain on February 26.
With a top-four finish in the Premier League all but guaran teed, Guardiola can afford to rotate his squad in Premier League games and focus on the three cup competitions still within his reach.