City still just on course for UCL
MANCHESTER City can look forward to a run of three successive home games after just doing enough to remain on track for a place in next season's Champions League following Sunday's 2-2 draw away to Premier League strugglers Middlesbrough.
Pep Guardiola's men had to twice come from behind to earn a point at the Riverside, with the draw helping them remain fourth – the last Champions League qualifying spot on offer to English clubs – in the table, a point and a place above Manchester United.
City manager Guardiola deserved to take much of the blame for an unconvincing display in the northeast, with the Spanish boss making changes that included leaving Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling on the bench until the 50th minute.
It was a bold move by Guardiola and he almost paid a price as City, lacking the pace and mobility of the missing pair, struggled to make an impact and were trailing midway through the second-half to a goal from their former forward, Alvaro Negredo.
The game changed dramatically, though, when referee Kevin Friend awarded a penalty for a challenge by Marten de Roon on Sane, who “went down very, very easily”, according to Boro caretaker-manager Steve Agnew.
De Roon, the Dutch midfielder, was far less diplomatic. “It was an unbelievable decision from the referee,” he said. “It was never a penalty. I go to him, but I don't step into him. I stayed in the same place.
“It was clever, but I think a referee has to know if someone is clever or someone tries to get something out of it. If the ball went past me, and he walks through me and the leg is there, it's probably a clearer penalty.”
He added: "I have been fooled. Of course it feels unfair. I couldn't do anything else. The ref had a clear view. I told him he would watch it back and he would see it's not a penalty."
Sane told Guardiola that it was definitely a foul, but the manager would only say: "I don't complain about the penalties that have happened to us in the season. It could be a long list, so we are fair in our judgements."
Sergio Aguero's goal from the spot set up a tense 20 minutes when Calum Chambers put Middlesbrough ahead again before Gabriel Jesus, one of the players drafted in by Guardiola, earned a point with an 85th minute header.
“I think we deserved to win – definitely. In the second half we made absolutely everything and they only crossed the line twice while we created a lot chances,” said Guardiola.
"Now we will try until the last game and we have three at home now and they will decide if we deserve to be in the Champions League next season."
Those home games are against Crystal Palace, Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion before City finish their season at Watford. It is a run-in that should offer them enough chances to confirm a top four finish.
Middlesbrough, in contrast, remain in the bottom MANCHESTER — Jose Mourinho described Manchester United’s jammed-packed schedule as “not human” after a growing injury list threatened to wreck hopes of a place in next season’s Champions League.
A 1-1 draw with Swansea on Sunday was a sixth stalemate in eight games at Old Trafford and harmed hopes of finishing in the top four.
To make matters worse for United, Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly also suffered game-ending injuries, leaving Mourinho with a major personnel crisis ahead of Thursday’s Europa League first leg semi-final visit to Celta Vigo.
The pair joined fellow defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, who have been out since late-March, on the injury list and their absence means United will travel to Spain without a recognised centre-back.
“I don’t know about the injuries,” said gloomy United manager Mourinho.
“I think Luke Shaw’s must be a big injury, because to leave the pitch after 10 minutes I am expecting a very big injury,” added the Portuguese boss, who has publicly criticised the left back several times this season.
“I prefer not to speak about Phil Jones and Chris Smalling. I don’t think they will play, that is my personal opinion. I prefer to speak about Juan Mata giving everything to be available. I am grateful for that.”
Sunday’s draw saw United set a new club record of 25 consecutive games without defeat in the same top-flight season.
But it was also the team’s 57th game of an exhausting campaign. In comparison, Swansea have played 19 games fewer - exactly half an entire league season.
“We lost players and we lost points, so yes today was a bad day,” said Mourinho, whose side ended the weekend just outside the Champions League places in fifth spot, a point and a position below Manchester City.
“We did not look tired and exhausted, we are tired and exhausted,” he insisted.
“You cannot isolate the performance out of the context. This is the ninth match of April, it is not human. We have a squad of 22 that is reduced to 13 or 14 players. The players are very tired.”
Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini will return
three and, by the time they go to leaders Chelsea a week on Monday, may need to win to avoid relegation.
"I think this performance just showed the determination and the fighting spirit of the squad. That was evident against one of the top teams in the country," Agnew said. "We are looking forward to Chelsea," he added. "Six points behind with three games left and a good goal difference. I think the players will take a lot of against Vigo, from injury and suspension respectively, and Mourinho will have to explore emergency defensive options which could include veteran midfielder Michael Carrick and untried youngster Axel Tuanzebe.
“I know that the players I choose they give everything,” said Mourinho. “So it doesn’t matter if I go with (Matteo) Darmian central defender, if I go with Carrick or Axel Tuanzebe.
“I trust the boys, the spirit is amazing, the group is phenomenal. Fellaini and Pogba will be back for that game, so a bit more options and we try with everything we have and we go again,” the former Chelsea boss added.
Gylfi Sigurdsson equalised late for Swansea with a magnificent free-kick that cancelled out a controversial first half penalty scored by Wayne Rooney.
That decision came after Marcus Rashford went down under a challenge from visiting goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, an incident that infuriated Swansea manager Paul Clement.
“I’m not saying he cheated, I’m using the word ‘deceived’,” said Clement of Rashford’s behaviour.
“Maybe cheat is a word I’d use another time, but on this occasion I think he deceived the ref.
“The replay showed the player deceived the referee, there’s no other way to look at it. You can say he dangled his leg to make contact but he actually went down before that. The keeper pulled out of it.” — AFP.
confidence going into Chelsea having played so well against Manchester City."