BURNLEY (AFP) - Pep Guardiola declared Sergio Aguero "a legend" after the forward became the first player since Thierry Henry to score 20 Premier League goals in five successive seasons.
Aguero struck in the 63rd minute to secure Manchester City's 1-0 win away to Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday (April 28) that saw the English champions return to the top of the table.
City's 12th successive league victory took them to 92 points, one clear of second-placed Liverpool with both clubs still having two league matches each to play this season.
Aguero has managed 230 goals in eight years with City, making him far and away the club's all-time top scorer, and the 30-year-old Argentina striker has played a key role in the three league titles they have won during that period.
"He is a legend; he does that all the time, score important goals for us," Guardiola said. "He is an incredible player."
City remain on course to finish the season with an unprecedented domestic treble; having won the League Cup in February, they return to Wembley to play Watford in the FA Cup final on May 18.
Failure to defeat Burnley would have handed Liverpool the initiative in the title race, but City overcame spirited opposition to keep matters in their own hands.
Aguero, who had seen an earlier chance blocked by Tom Heaton, scored after turning on to Bernardo Silva's low cross and fashioning a shot that Matt Lowton looked to have blocked, only for the ball to loop up off the defender's chest and cross the line before he could clear it - although goal-line technology was needed before the goal was awarded.
Â
Â
Â
City were denied a second by a superb goal-line clearance from Ben Mee, who stretched to clear off the line after substitute Gabriel Jesus had rounded Heaton.
Guardiola was delighted with the solidity of his team, who won without their key midfielder Fernandinho and the creativity of Kevin de Bruyne.
"Here in the most typical English stadium, we didn't concede one corner," Guardiola said.
"It is not easy, especially after our (Champions League) defeat against Tottenham, but our reaction has been outstanding, without Kevin, without Fernandinho, to come here and play the way we played."
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss added: "There are just two games left. It is tough for Liverpool, it is tough for us - with 91, 92 points, still not champions."
Guardiola suggested that City's task at Turf Moor was made tougher by the dryness of the pitch, although he made clear this was not a complaint.
"In the first half, the pitch was so dry and we had problems moving the ball because the grass was so high," Guardiola explained.
"But when the opponents come to the Etihad Stadium, we put the stadium like we want. When we go away, they do what they want. That is why I like the Premier League."
Burnley had little more than 30 percent possession, yet still had the best first-half chance, with Chris Wood failing to control Jeff Hendrick's through ball and allowing goalkeeper Ederson off his line to smother.
City, who piled intense pressure on Burnley's goal in the first 20 minutes of the second half, did sit off to protect their lead after that - a source of pride for Burnley boss Sean Dyche.
"In the closing minutes, I heard Pep Guardiola screaming 'get it in the corner'," said Dyche.
"Even the best sides have to do it. I thought it was refreshing to hear a top manager scream that to his players."
If Gabriel does face an extended spell on the sidelines, Wenger could head into next Sunday's season opener with Liverpool with just new man Rob Holding and Calum Chambers available at centre-back. Arsenal could yet sign a new player to plug the gap in time for the Premier League curtain-raiser or rush Koscielny back earlier than expected.
Koscielny | Up The Arsenal
Croatia were forced to dig deep as they came from behind to beat unfancied Azerbaijan 2-1 at home in their opening Euro 2020 Group E qualifier after forward Andrej Kramaric scored a 79th winner on
Croatia beat Azerbaijan as Kramaric nets late winner
Football: Klopp plays down Liverpool fatigue concerns ahead
Media caption The voice message Emiliano Sala sent on missing plane. The search for a Premier League footballer and a pilot whose plane vanished over the English Channel has resumed. Cardiff City's Argentine striker Emiliano Sala, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson were on the aircraft that disappeared from radar on Monday.
Rescuers ′fear the worst′ in search for footballer Emiliano
Ronaldo avoids jail but hit by hefty fine for tax fraud in Spain (UPDATED) The court sentences Cristiano Ronaldo to a two-year jail sentence that it immediately reduces to a fine of 365,000 euros
Ronaldo fined €18.8m over tax evasion - BBC News
Synonyms of high-stakes gambler | Thesaurus.com
Lure of Italy strong, says Chelsea's homesick Maurizio Sarri Thursday, 6 June 2019 ( 2 days ago ) Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri gave the strongest hint yet that he wishes to return to Italy and probably take the Juventus job by saying he misses his friends and elderly parents.
SINGAPORE - Former Singapore star striker Fandi Ahmad is set for a return to Malaysian football. Fandi will join the Johor FA team as technical director, after an invitation by the crown prince of the Malaysian state, Tunku Mahkota Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim, who took over as president of the Johor FA last week.
Gianluigi Buffon will leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer World Cup winner Buffon to leave PSG. adding to a bulging trophy cabinet that contains just about every honour in football.
World Cup winner Buffon to leave Paris Saint-Germain
It has three main sources of funding to operate: The Mayor's Homelessness Fund which has so far raised over £125,000; Tackle4MCR which has funneled £1m through the donations of Manchester City's Vincent Kompany and, finally, Big Change Manchester (Real Change Manchester in some boroughs) which is open to donations from the public.
Flipboard: He works with the homeless, is incredibly bright
Ikhsan Fandi scored a winning overhead kick in the last minute of play to secure a 3-2 win for his team, Raufoss IL, on Sunday night, May 12, in Oslo, Norway. Five Raufoss IL players crammed into
Ikhsan Fandi scores 1st competitive goal in Europe, and it's
We all have, or have had, people in our lives we think we know. People that we trust, that we put our faith in. People we've invested time and emotion into, who make us feel safe and comforted and cared for. These people are our lifelines and connections in a vast world of disinterest.
0 comments:
Post a Comment