Manchester City may have missed out on the signing of Riyad Mahrez after a late transfer window drama emerged with the Leicester City player but they did manage to make Aymeric Laporte, their club record signing after paying Athletic Bilbao his buyout clause worth over £57m earlier this week.
Poor defending as Manchester United slip-up at Wembley under Tottenham assault
TOTTENHAM 2, MANCHESTER UNITED 0
With Manchester City racing off into the horizon with the league this season the race for the top four took a twist at Wembley after Manchester United went down to a poor defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in front of a record Premier League crowd of 81,978.
A goal from the kick-off by Christian Eriksen and an own goal by Phil Jones deflated the Reds who couldn’t prevent wave after wave of Spurs attacks despite testing Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal themselves although less effectively.
Relegation battle looms as listless Terriers overrun by Liverpool
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0, LIVERPOOL 3
Liverpool scored two first half goals through Emre Can and Roberto Firmino and a second half Mo Salah penalty to strengthen their grip on fourth place and leave Huddersfield Town teetering on the brink of the bottom four tomorrow after a poor performance at the John Smith’s Stadium – the first time Town had suffered a second consecutive home league defeat of the season.
It was Liverpool’s first league visit to Huddersfield since February 1972 – almost a 46 year gap. They lost an FA Cup tie in 1999 and were well beaten at Anfield last October and if they continue to put out listless performances like tonight they will certainly be dragged into the relegation mire if they continue to be goal shy.
Wigan get another repeat of FA Cup final against Manchester City in Fifth Round draw
Revenge could be on the minds of both Manchester clubs following the draw for the Fifth Round of this season’s Emirates FA Cup as the remaining Premier League sides were kept apart.
Wigan Athletic and potentially Huddersfield Town could be on the horizon for the Manchester clubs.
Leroy Sane injured during Manchester City’s FA Cup win at Cardiff City
CARDIFF CITY 0, MANCHESTER CITY 2
Manchester City cruised into the Fifth Round of the FA Cup despite losing winger Leroy Sane to a nasty challenge on the stroke of half time against a physical Cardiff City side.
Kevin De Bruyne gave City the lead with a clever free kick after just eight minutes, and Bernardo Silva had a goal questionably disallowed before Raheem Sterling doubled the lead with a rare header.
The Bluebirds were lucky not to get reduced to ten men on the stroke of half time after Joe Bennett cynically hacked down Leroy Sane on the edge of the box with a dangerous tackle after the German had run almost the length of the pitch on a swift break.
Bruno Manga was also in the book for a nasty follow-through on Sergio Aguero, Sane’s replacement, after both sides had tried to add to the scoresheet in the second period before Bennett was finally handed his marching orders in stoppage time for a nasty challenge on Brahim Diaz.