It’s a fascinating set of City-centric stories across this morning’s back pages!
Let’s start with Yaya Toure, who says Pep Guardiola is a manager capable of helping players reach their maximum.
Toure, who left City in the summer after a eight-year association with the Club, says he has turned Raheem Sterling into a “complete” forward.
“He is a top manager,” Toure told the Mirror. “Pep is the type of guy who can take a talent and get it to its maximum level.
“Raheem, my little brother, joined when Pellegrini was at the club. Since Pep arrived Raheem is in another world. He is complete.
“Pep came and improved him and Aguero. De Bruyne. Walker who was already a good player became different class. For players like that, as a manager Pep is fantastic.”
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Stuart Brennan, writing in the Manchester Evening News, says City are in pole position to win this season’s Premier League title because of the firepower in Guardiola’s ranks.
He believes goalscoring will be the decisive factor and says City trump title rivals Liverpool in that area.
“The closing stages of the season are usually tense, tight, nervous affairs, with opposing teams generally preying on the anxiety by sitting deep and frustrating,” he writes.
“As we saw again with Liverpool at the weekend, unless one of their fabulous front three find the net, they struggle, and they were reduced to relying on a goalkeeping error to claim the three points.
“If City’s front three don’t bag a goal, their midfield three are always liable to pop up with something, and they have options on the bench.
“In Aymeric Laporte they also have the highest-scoring defender from the two teams.
“The ability to produce a goal from so many different positions could be a trump card for the Blues.”
And, finally, City U18s made it through to the FA Youth Cup final after a 4-2 win over West Brom on Monday evening – and Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News was there.
“Felix Nmecha was unfortunate to see his shot on the run crash back off the crossbar but Knight made no mistake when he found space to turn in from a corner with 15 minutes remaining,” he writes. “While Rayhaan Tulloch got West Brom back in the game after Doyle was caught dawdling on the ball, substitute Henri Ogunby went straight down the other end of the pitch and crossed for Nmecha to make it 4-2.
“City will be looking to win the competition for the first time since 2008 when they take on Liverpool in the final before the end of the season.”
That’s all for this morning’s Media Watch – but stay with us throughout the day as we bring you all the buildup to Wednesday’s game at home to Cardiff.
