Manchester City’s 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules will begin on Monday 16 September. It is further highlighted that City declined to comment on the matter.

Manchester City will be willing to give Erling Haaland the green light over compassionate leave, if requested by the striker in the coming days.

The 24-year-old, alongside messages issued by his father and his leading representative figure, has been mourning the loss of a close friend and crucial component of his camp over the last few days.

Starting XI: Ederson; Walker ©, Stones, Akanji, Lewis; Kovacic, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Savinho, Haaland, Grealish.

Substitutes: Ortega Moreno, Dias, Doku, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Gvardiol, Nunes, Foden, McAtee

Player Ratings

Ederson – 7

Was partially at fault for the opening goal, but made a few more saves and had the excellent assist to Erling Haaland to make up for it. It’s been a shaky start to the season for Ederson but this was a return to form for the Brazilian.

Kyle Walker – 6.5

Fell asleep during the first goal but was mostly solid after the fact. Was much better in the second half and nearly had a goal.

John Stones – 6.5

Wasn’t anywhere close to his best in his first start for the club this season. It’s only one match but definitely something to keep an eye on.

Manuel Akanji – 7.5

Dependable as always.

Rico Lewis – 7.5

Solid as always, didn’t misplace a pass per usual. It’s the same rating every time. The challenge of operating on the left and drifting into midfield was a new system for the teenager to grasp at Manchester City, too.

Mateo Kovacic – 6.5

Wasn’t a poor performance but probably his worst of the season so far. Was pulled for his yellow card and Rodri did much better.

Ilkay Gundogan – 7.5

Hasn’t missed a beat since returning. It’s a shame he ever left to begin with because last season could’ve been even better if he was still in the side.

Kevin De Bruyne – 8

Continues to look like a much better version than who we saw at the end of last season. Creative as always without anywhere near as many turnovers.

Savinho – 7.5

Will be a Manchester City player for a long time. Only 20 years old but has already carved a spot for himself in the squad and has perfectly slotted in to the right wing spot.

Erling Haaland – 9 (MOTM)

Best player in the world. Both goals came from nowhere and there’s maybe not any other player in world football who can do what he can.

Jack Grealish – 7.5

Was excellent throughout, was unlucky to have not picked up either a goal or an assist during the second half attack.

Substitutes

Josko Gvardiol – 7.5

Despite a shaky performance against Manchester United in the Community Shield, the Croatian has improved after every performance this season.

Rodri – 8

Immediately looked back at home, the most important player on the team.

Bernardo Silva – No time to mark

Ruben Dias – No time to mark

Matheus Nunes – No time to mark

This post has been edited by kjs86: Sep 15 2024, 04:16 AM

Player Ratings

Ederson: Not great for the opening goal but brilliant after that with his saves, his decision-making and his distribution - particularly the kick that created the second goal. 8

Walker: All over the place at the back, not picking men up at the far post and getting mixed up with Stones over who should cover what. 5

Stones: Probably the most culpable for the goal and made too many errors in the game for City to be comfortable. 5

Akanji: City's most accomplished defender, solid at the back and happy pushing forward in possession. 7

Lewis: Gave his man too much space for the early goal. Worked hard afterwards, but taken off at half-time. 6

Kovacic: Overrun in midfield as Brentford won every second ball in the opening stages, and a clumsy tackle was one of his last acts before a half-time change. 6

Gundogan: Improved as the game went on, linking well with Haaland in the second half. 7

De Bruyne: Nothing came off as he wanted in the game, with loose touches and rash passes scuppering any chances for glory. 6

Savinho: Always driving towards goal, he gave City purpose in the final third. He was booked for diving needlessly trying to win a penalty though. 6

Grealish: Remains the king of the final pass or shot that nearly comes off, but there was enough intent and quality from him on the left. 7

Haaland: Outstanding. Two brilliant goals and a performance that dragged City to three points - all after a difficult week. 9

Substitutes
Rodri (for Kovacic, 46) Quiet but a calming influence as the second half went on. 7

Gvardiol (for Lewis, 46) Pushed up on the left to allow Grealish to drift inside. 7

Dias (for Stones, 84) No time.

Silva (for Grealish, 84) No time.

Nunes (for Savinho, 90) No time.

This post has been edited by kjs86: Sep 15 2024, 04:17 AM

Player Ratings


GK: Ederson - 8/10 - Made some excellent saves to keep City in the contest, while he also came up with his fourth Premier League assist. Couldn't have asked for much more.

RB: Kyle Walker - 5/10 - A slow start to the season wasn't helped by a rather haphazard display here. Some loose passes and touches threatened to hurt his side.

CB: John Stones - 4/10 - If you were to be kind, the

CB: Manuel Akanji - 6/10 - Made to use his recovery pace early doors when Brentford were in the ascendancy straight out of the blocks.

LB: Rico Lewis - 6/10 - Arguably City's strongest defender in the first half before being withdrawn.

CM: Mateo Kovacic - 6/10 - Spread play well when Brentford were looking to shut up shop and protect their early lead. Like Lewis was taken off at the break.

CM: Kevin De Bruyne - 8/10 - Lacks the power of his younger years but remains one of the world's best passers, ever so effortless with his brilliance. City's best outfielder that wasn't on the scoresheet.

CM: Ilkay Gundogan - 6/10 - Handed his first start for City since the 2023 Champions League final. Slotted back in seamlessly without conjuring up anything spectacular.

RW: Savinho - 7/10 - Had joy trying to break free from the doubling up of Collins and Lewis-Potter. The only real blemish on his record was a tragic dive just after the interval, which earned him a needless yellow card.

CF: Erling Haaland - 10/10 - The only reason people aren't shouting to the heavens that he may be the best player in the world is because everything City achieve comes without the fanfare of other clubs. Astonishingly superb once more.

LW: Jack Grealish - 6/10 - Having been freed from the shackles of discipline while away with England, Grealish returned to his 'cut back, keep possession' leash here. Sigh.

Substitutes
SUB: Josko Gvardiol (46' for Lewis) - 7/10 - City were hardly troubled after his introduction at the break.

SUB: Rodri (46' for Kovacic) - 7/10 - Similarly played on autopilot on his return from injury.

SUB: Bernardo Silva (84' for Grealish) - 6/10

SUB: Ruben Dias (84' for Stones) - 6/10

SUB: Matheus Nunes (90' for Savinho) - N/A

Subs not used: Stefan Ortega (GK), James McAtee, J


This post has been edited by kjs86: Sep 15 2024, 04:19 AM

Player Ratings

Ederson (8/10):

Made three vital interventions to prevent Brentford scoring again, then set up Haaland's second with one of his lethal long kicks.

Kyle Walker (6/10):

Not great for the Brentford goal but quickly showed his usual defensive composure and recovery pace. Inches away from scoring a wonder-goal.

John Stones (5/10):

Made a hash of a simple clearance which allowed Wissa to score.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

His positioning helped stem the early bleeding when Brentford were dominating.

Rico Lewis (5/10):

Less comfortable on the left, where the Brentford goal originated from. Replaced at half-time.

Ilkay Gundogan (7/10):

Lost the ball before Brentford scored, but soon settled back into his usual rhythm and helped City wrestle back control of the game.

Mateo Kovacic (6/10):

Made a sleepy start to the game but then woke up and drove the team forward for the equaliser. Booked for an agricultural challenge on Wissa - which saw the striker hobble off - and subsequently taken off at half-time.

Kevin De Bruyne (6/10):

Worked the ball to Haaland for the equaliser but was often frustrated.

Savinho (8/10):

Twisted his way through Brentford on numerous occasions and dovetailed well with his attackers. Missed one nailed-on chance and was inches away from scoring a tremendous solo goal.

Erling Haaland (9/10):

Scored with his first chance, needing one touch (and a deflection) to equalise. Used his strength for the second. Did everything to get the third, including hitting the post

Jack Grealish (7/10):

Perhaps had his confidence lifted by his fine displays for England and carried on his international form.

Rodri (6/10):

Made his first appearance of the season and was back to his best, dictating the pace of the game and striking up a fine understanding with Gundogan.

Josko Gvardiol (7/10):

His superior strength and experience made him an upgrade on Lewis, defending superbly and providing a big threat going forward.

Bernardo Silva (N/A):

Replaced Grealish in the 84th minute.

Ruben Dias (N/A):

Replaced Stones in the 84th minute.

Matheus Nunes (N/A):

Came on in added time.



Pep Guardiola (6/10):

Will have been furious with early stages, but his two half-time changes gave City control of the second half.

This post has been edited by kjs86: Sep 15 2024, 04:21 AM

Player Ratings

Ederson-8/10: He made several good saves throughout the game. His assist for Haaland’s second was utterly sublime. It was a quality performance from the City’s number-one keeper after a shaky opening.

Kyle Walker-5/10: Walker looked rusty in the first half but was slightly better in the second half. He needs to maintain his concentration at all times as that cost him and City at times today.

John Stones-5/10: He looked rusty in the first half but a lot better in the second half. He should be better going forward after getting through 83 minutes.

Manuel Akanji-7/10: Before Josko Gvardiol’s introduction he was City’s best defender. Another good performance from Akanji.

Rico Lewis-6/10: Not as effective at left-back. He wasn’t City’s worst performer but wasn’t at the high standards he has shown so far this season.

Ilkay Gundogan-6.5/10: It looked like Brentford targeted Gundogan with their press. At times he played well, on other occasions he was caught out by Brentford’s press.

Mateo Kovacic-5.5/10: Replaced by Rodri at halftime. Picked up a yellow card before the interval but not at his best.

Kevin De Bruyne- 7.5/10: He gets such a high mark for his work rate alone. De Bruyne never stopped working for his team. His quality became evident the longer the game went on. In all, another quality performance from De Bruyne.

Jack Grealish-7/10: An almost day from Grealish. Almost scored and almost set up a couple of goals. But he was one of City’s better players on the day.

Savinho-8/10: The Brazilian was brilliant throughout the whole game. He was a constant threat to Brentford’s defence and plays with a maturity beyond his years. The only concern was he may have been substituted with a late injury.

Erling Haaland-10/10: His goals decided the match. Besides his goals, his work rate was outstanding, and on another day could’ve scored 4 or 5. It must be said what he is currently doing isn’t normal. A special mention must be made of his performance, considering the personal loss he and his family suffered during the week.

Substitutes
Rodri-7.5/10: Introduced at halftime with his team needing more control in midfield. He provided that and showed why he is the best midfielder in world football in the second half.

Josko Gvardiol-7.5/10: Like Rodri he helped City gain control of the game after halftime. A superb performance off the bench as he popped up all over the pitch to help his team.

Bernardo Silva-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Ruben Dias-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Matheus Nunes-N/A: Not on long enough to mark.

Why 115 Charges?

There are not 115 wholly different charges. There are essentially three charges:

City overstated their revenue
City understated their expenses
City have failed to comply with various regulatory requirements
The first relates principally to the allegation that the sponsorship from Etihad and Etisalat was in fact disguised equity funding from ADUG

The second relates to the Al Jazira ‘second contract’ for Roberto Mancini and image rights players for (IIRC) Yaya Toure in particular

The third includes a series of allegations that we have not complied with the PL’s FFP rules, UEFAs FFP rules and the PLs requirement that we should co-operate with an ongoing investigation.

It is however alleged that each of these alleged offences is committed across multiple seasons. One separate charge relates to each instance of alleged wrongdoing over each of the 10 seasons or so that the charges cover.

If you want an analogy, imagine you drove from London to Manchester at a steady 100mph and got caught by 12 speeding cameras. Each represents a separate charge, but they are different aspects of the same basic allegation.


Do these allegations amount to fraud?

The allegations that we have knowingly misrepresented the accounts across multiple seasons are tantamount to allegations of fraud. This is because the allegation is that City's directors signed off accounts knowing that they did not represent a true and fair view of City's finances. That is an offence under the Companies Act. So while the PL have not accused us outright of fraud, the conduct they are alleging against the club would, if proved, amount to fraudulent conduct.

"I'm not saying you're guilty of arson, but I saw you set fire to your own house."

Moreover, it is inherent in the charges that other companies who have included the amounts of (say) the sponsorship deals in full must have conspired with City to ensure that the true figure was artificially (and dishonestly) inflated. Or, in the case of Al Jazirah, that the employment contract with Mancini was a complete sham. This too is essentially an allegation of fraudulent conduct.

The allegations of regulatory breaches (eg non-co-operation) are not fraudulent in their nature.


What is the standard of proof?

The standard of proof applied by independent panel will be the balance of probabilities. This means that the tribunal will need to consider whether it is more likely than not that City have committed the conduct alleged against them.

However, because the allegations are serious, the evidence which it would take to satisfy the panel to that standard would need to be correspondingly cogent. It is inherently unlikely that the boards of several large companies would all conspire to commit several legal and regulatory breaches, so to satisfy the panel that this is what actually happened, the evidence of that will need to be particularly cogent.

This post has been edited by kjs86: Sep 17 2024, 10:07 PM

What is the evidence relied on by the PL?

The PL investigation was opened very shortly after the UEFA investigation, and appeared to lie dormant while the case with UEFA/CAS ran its course. It is not known that there is any more evidence available to the PL than was available to UEFA, namely the Der Spiegel leaked emails.

That said, the PL pursued numerous disclosure applications against City which were successful. We simply don’t know what further evidence there may be.



Are any of the allegations time-barred?

Yes. UEFA’s FFP rules had a 5 year time-bar, which had expired in the case of some of the charges. There is no similar time-bar under the PL’s rules but the relationship between City and the PL is essentially that they are both parties to the same contract. English law says that you have 6 years in most cases to bring a claim for a breach of contract.

The charges were brought at the beginning of 2023, so on the face of it, a lot of the claims relating to anything preceding season 16/17 will be time-barred. However, there is a principle that if the breach of contract was knowingly concealed, that six year period will begin not when the breach actually occurred but when the complainant became aware of it (or, if earlier, should reasonably have become aware of it.)

So the question of the seriousness of the charges and the question of what is time barred go hand in hand. The negative, from City’s point of view, is that the time-bar is not necessarily a complete defence to the more historic charges (which is actually most of them). The positive, from City’s point of view, is that to succeed on the most serious charges, cogent evidence will be needed to show that City have committed the breaches alleged. If that evidence is not there, the charges will fail and would be time-barred anyway.



Are City in danger?

It depends on how you define ‘danger.’ Based on the evidence that exists within the public domain (eg the evidence in the 'opens skies' case in the USA) it is very difficult to see how the PL can possibly succeed, at least on the most serious charges. The non-co-operation charges may be less difficult to establish, not least because City took the PL to the courts in a number of respects.

That said, (a) we don’t know what (if any) further evidence the PL may have, and (b) one possibility is that the PL are pursuing us precisely because they think the evidence they can point to will be sufficient to make the charges stick.

What is certain is that if the charges are proved, or substantially proved, the sanctions applied against City would be very very serious. Everton have had a points deduction of 10 points on the basis of one admitted allegation of breaching FFP in one season. If the charges are proved, it is difficult to see that anything short of relegation (whether by means of a massive points deduction or otherwise) AND a massive fine would meet the justice of the case.

If the non-cooperation charge alone was proved but all the others were dismissed, I would anticipate a fine. A points deduction for a non-co-operation charge would in my view be somewhat disproportionate.


Can City appeal to CAS if they lose?


No. There is however a right of appeal to a further Independent Panel. They would not be starting again and looking at all the same evidence from the beginning, however, they would be concentrating on whether the first panel have made an error of law or arrived at a decision that is perverse on the evidence before the first panel.

Thereafter there is no further appeal but there is a right of further legal challenge based on errors of law,

As a practical proposition it is unlikely if City lose at the first stage and their appeal is also dismissed, that (unless both panels have got it disastrously wrong) that there would be much prospect of success in a further legal challenge but you never know.



If fraud is alleged, why haven’t City been charged by the criminal authorities?


It would have been unusual for (say) the Serious Fraud Office to commence an investigation in a case like this where what is alleged is a breach of the PL’s internal rules. However they tend not to announce it from the rooftops when they are commencing an investigation, especially if that would result in (for instance) evidence being destroyed.

If the charges are proved (and there is no appeal), it is quite probable that a criminal allegation would be launched. Given how high-profile this case is, it would be difficult for the SFO to resist the pressure to launch their own investigation.

However, the standard of proof in a criminal case is even higher – it is beyond reasonable doubt – and the age of some of the charges means that it would be very difficult to persuade a jury that the accounts signed off 12 or 13 years ago were knowingly/fraudulently mis-stated. Moreover, if City lost it is almost inevitable that there would be an appeal, which would mean that the events in question were even more historic.

Never say never, but criminal charges seems very very unlikely even if the PL charges are successful.



Who sits on these panels?

About five years ago the PL established a panel from whom the members of any independent disciplinary commission will be appointed. There are about 12 members of the panel. In practice they tend to be practising KCs or retired judges. The chair of the panel is Murray Rosen KC. That does not mean he sits on all the independent commissions or that he will sit on City’s. Usually three will be appointed by the chair of the panel to hear any particular disciplinary case.

Murray Rosen might sit on City's panel, but in the event of an appeal he would have to appoint the members of the appeal panel from a similar but smaller pool. To avoid the argument that he would hand-pick a panel that would be the most likely to uphold his own decision I doubt he would sit on the first panel, though he might sit on the appeal.

The members of the panel tend to be people with an interest in football and they may or may not be match-going regulars at any particular team. I would imagine that the rules under which they are appointed require them to state their team allegiance and they will be barred from hearing disciplinary cases involving those teams.

That said, these are serious players in a game where being a serious player is the norm. They would only be appointed as KCs/Judges having demonstrated outstanding intellect and integrity, and appointment to a high-profile disciplinary panel would require them again to demonstrate those qualities. This is not some Kangaroo Court, it will be an assembly of highly trained, widely experienced and intellectually formidable individuals.

There is sometimes an argument raised along the lines that membership of a disciplinary or similar panel of that sort both constitutes a source of income and is a matter of status, and so there is an inevitable tendency on the part of members of those panels to recognise the hand that feeds them. Whether or not an individual panel member is biased depends on the facts of a case. If these were valid criticisms in themselves every member of every pool of potential members of a disciplinary committee would be biased. In fact, whilst not peanuts, the fees received for hearing a disciplinary case like this would make up only a small proportion of their overall remuneration for the year. Panel members are appointed because of their independence, not because they are likely to surrender it, and many have a tendency to demonstrate that independence.

Of course, everyone gets it wrong from time to time. Sometimes a judge just doesn’t see things the same way that a claimant or defendant does. But there is no reason whatsoever for thinking, at least at this stage, that the hearing will be anything other than full, detailed, scrupulously fair and intellectually rigorous. This panel is to the individuals who made the PL’s charging decision what CAS was to UEFA ‘s first committee.

But on steroids.



This post has been edited by kjs86: Sep 17 2024, 10:10 PM

Premier League clubs are said to be frustrated at the secrecy surrounding Man City's legal case with the Premier League.

According to The Telegraph, the precise location of the meeting being kept under wraps has annoyed clubs. It is likely that little information about the case gets out throughout the process but the report suggests some judgements during the hearing could be shared "as deemed 'appropriate'".

Speaking on Friday, Pep Guardiola said he feels as though all other 19 Premier League clubs want Man City to be sanctioned.

He was responding to comments from La Liga president Javier Tebas, who claimed that the English clubs he had spoken to had indicated a desire to see the Blues punished.

"Maybe he's right. For the fact that all the Premier League teams want us to be sanctioned, that is for sure,"

Rodri on a new contract offer: "Nothing much to say. I have three more years at #ManCity, and when I sign the contract I don't think of other teams, I just think of finishing. So I have three more years at ManCity, and nothing more to say..."

Rodri has admitted that winning the Ballon d’Or this year would be ‘a dream’ for him, with people starting to recognise his work.

Player Ratings

Ederson – 7

Made a few saves in the first half and had an okay game in general.

Manuel Akanji – 7

Played a key role in keeping the high line to catch the visiting attackers offside. Very fast when getting back in position to defend.

Ruben Dias – 6.5

Struggled a little with the pace of Marcus Thuram and was unfortunate to pick up a yellow card in the first half. Communicated well with the other defenders. Took over captaincy when Kevin De Bruyne came off with an injury.

Josko Gvardiol – 7 (MOTM)

Ventured forward to create overloads in the attacking third but still came back to help with the counter-attacks.

Rico Lewis – 7

Still building his relationship with Savinho but looks more comfortable every game in midfield.

Rodri – 7

Caught out of position every now and again as the visitors flew up the pitch to counter. Controlled the game when in possession.

Bernardo Silva – 7

Covered every blade of grass and took joy in flicking the ball around the Inter Milan midfield.

Kevin De Bruyne – 6.5

Was a threat down the left side with Jack Grealish but came off at half-time after hobbling towards the end of the first half.

Savinho – 7

Unfortunate to be taken off at half-time. Looked the most dangerous on the right side and brought the crowd into the game.

Erling Haaland – 6.5

Had a few half chances but is still looking for his 100th Manchester City goal. It was good to see him dropping deeper to be involved in the build-up play.

Jack Grealish – 7

Always looking to come inside the pitch but the low defensive block kept him at bay. Linked up nicely with Kevin De Bruyne in the first half. Came alive in the second half to cause problems.

Substitutes

Ilkay Gundogan – 6.5

Played the ball around the final third and should have scored from his two late headed efforts.

Phil Foden – 7

Should have done better with his effort in the box but was the main man when he came on.

Jeremy Doku – 6.5

Added an element of pace and dynamism on the right side but the Inter defence dealt with his crosses and passes into their penalty area.

Player Ratings

Ederson: Nearly put City into trouble with a rushed clearance out of position but made an important save at the end of the first half. 6

Lewis: Pushed up whenever he could high into the box but wasn't able to get on the ball too much. 7

Akanji: Mostly excellent, using his pace well to keep the Inter line quiet. A few misplaced passes though. 6

Dias: Harshly booked for a meaty but accurate tackle, and defended smartly after that to keep City stable. 7

Gvardiol: Some excellent signs going forward but not good going backwards as Darmian drifted past him too many times. 6

Rodri: Off the pace, getting his pocket picked more than he or anyone else would expect. Felt like a game where he was feeling his way back in. 5

Silva: Played in the middle for the first half before moving to the wing when Foden came on. Unable to have a serious influence. 6

De Bruyne: Not much worked for him, and he took a knock that forced him off at half-time. A bit longer than he lasted in Istanbul but a throwback. 5

Savinho: Another game, another early withdrawal. He looked promising in the first half but it must be a concern if his early bath wasn't tactical. 6

Grealish: City's best player, growing in influence through the game and driving with purpose as he ran at the Inter defence. 8

Haaland: One header that plopped safely into Sommer's hands and barely a peep out of him other than that. 6

Substitutes

Foden (for De Bruyne, 46): Like Rodri, the effort was there but the sharpness wasn't. 6

Gundogan (for Savinho, 46): Missed two decent chances to break the deadlock. 6

Doku (for Silva, 80): Showed intent from the right wing

Player Ratings

GK: Ederson - 6/10 - Inter's finishing was pretty poor, with Ederson having to deal with pretty tame efforts.

RB: Rico Lewis - 6/10 - Rarely operated in the right-back zone as he sought to have an influence from between the lines. Attempted to overload Inter in the right half-space, but didn't have much success.

CB: Manuel Akanji - 7/10 - Had plenty of defending to do, but Akanji defended the counter-attack well. Recovery running and tactical fouls came in handy.

CB: Ruben Dias - 7/10 - Often got the better of Marcus Thuram when the pair battled physically, and commanded his line well to ensure Inter were often caught offside.

LB: Josko Gvardiol - 6/10 - An up-and-down performance from Gvardiol. While his proactivity allowed City to break at times, Inter did have joy breaking down his side in the second half.

CM: Rodri - 7/10 - There was a little bit of rust on his first start of the season. Rodri was efficient without being spectacular in possession, and he wasn't his usual dominant self at transitions.

RM: Savinho - 6/10 - City turned to the Brazilian as their primary outlet in the opening period, but the crafty winger was often met with double- and triple-teams. Inter marshalled him well.

AM: Bernardo Silva - 5/10 - Struggled to affect proceedings from multiple zones and was withdrawn late on for the more direct Jeremy Doku.

AM: Kevin De Bruyne - 4/10 - His half-time withdrawal may have been enforced, but De Bruyne was off-colour in the opening period. The Belgian committed errors in every third of the pitch. Timed his darts in behind well, at least.

LM: Jack Grealish - 6/10 - Another who faced multiple bodies whenever he got the ball, Grealish huffed and puffed without much reward.

ST: Erling Haaland - 6/10 - The big fella started brightly, and came close on a couple of occasions, but he was completely anonymous in the second-half.

Substitutes

SUB: Ilkay Gundogan (46' for De Bruyne) - 7/10

SUB: Phil Foden (46' for Savinho) - 5/10

SUB: Jeremy Doku (80' for Bernardo) - 6/10

Manager

Pep Guardiola - 5/10 - His team were stifled, and, as was the case in Istanbul less than 18 months ago, outplayed. However, City didn't earn the desired result on this occasion.