Manchester City VS West Brom Preview

After the midweek travails in Catalonia that ended Manchester City’s Champions League dreams at the hands of Barcelona for a second successive year, West Brom’s visit allows Manuel Pellegrini’s beleaguered team to get back on track. That is the hope, of course. But with a record of three wins in their last 12 outings, City’s confidence is low and Albion are sure to make this an awkward early kick-off for the champions.

Kick-off Saturday 12.45pm

Venue Etihad Stadium

Last season Man City 3 WBA 1

Referee N Swarbrick

This season G17, Y72, R1, 4.3 cards per game

Odds H 1-3 A 11-1 D 9-2

 Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion: probable starters in bold, contenders in light. Photograph: Guardian

Manchester City

Subs from Caballero, Wright, Boyata, Kolarov, Pozo, Dzeko, Jovetic, Lampard, Sagna, Mangala, Navas

Doubtful Kolarov (knock)

Injured Touré (achilles, 4 Apr), Milner (knee, 4 Apr)

Suspended None

Form LWLWWD

Discipline Y62 R2

Leading scorer Agüero 17

West Bromwich Albion

Subs from Rose, Mulumbu, Wisdom, Baird, Anichebe, Davidson, Pocognoli, Gamboa, Nabi, Roofe

Doubtful None

Injured McManaman (ankle, 4 Apr), Foster (knee, 18 Apr)

Suspended Yacob (last of two), Brunt (one match)

Form WLWDWD

Discipline Y50 R1

Leading scorer Berahino 12

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Sunderland 'eyeing Liverpool defender Tiago Ilori'

Sunderland are reportedly considering a move for Liverpool defender Tiago Ilori at the end of the season.

Ilori joined the Reds from Sporting Lisbon almost two years ago, but is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Merseyside outfit.

After spending last season on loan at Granada, the Portugal Under-21 defender has caught the eye of Sunderland during a stint at Bordeaux.

According to the Sunderland Echo, the Black Cats sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old in action in Bordeaux's 3-2 win against Paris Saint-Germain.

However, Sunderland are expected to face competition for Ilori from Real Sociedad, who are also thought to have had the London-born player watched last weekend.

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Javier Pastore: 'Keep having a go at Zlatan Ibrahimovic'

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore has urged Zlatan Ibrahimovic's critics to 'keep having a go at him', as the Argentine believes that it is the perfect motivational tool for the Swede.

The 33-year-old striker scored a hat-trick in PSG's 3-1 win over Lorient on Friday night, answering criticism after recent performances against Chelsea and Bordeaux in the past two weeks.

Ibrahimovic received a red card in PSG's Champions League tie with Chelsea and recently went on a foul-mouthed rant after his side's 3-2 loss to Bordeaux, forcing him to apologise in a statement a few hours afterwards.

However, the Sweden international has bounced back and has now scored six goals in three games, with his teammate believing that the criticism he is getting fuels him.

"It is true that Zlatan has been criticised but I do not mind if you continue to speak ill of him, so that he will keep scoring three goals!" Pastore said, according to Goal.com.

"The international break will do us some good before all the cup matches we have coming up."

PSG go top of Ligue 1 after their 3-1 victory but have a game in hand over their title rivals, who play on Saturday.

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Tony Pulis: 'Manuel Pellegrini under immense pressure'

West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Pulis has insisted that he is not surprised by the criticism Manuel Pellegrini is receiving, due to the immense pressure there is on Manchester City to succeed.

After being knocked out of the Champions League in midweek to Barcelona, City now sit six points behind Chelsea in the league with a trophiless season becoming a real possibility.

However, the Chilean revealed that he is "not concerned" about his future.

Pulis's side face Pellegrini's team this Saturday and the 57-year-old believes that expectations on his opponents is high.

"This is a world league now, not just a league in England. All over the world there are supporters following the Premier League," Pulis told Sky Sports News.

"There are a lot of fair-weather supporters as you know. Abroad there is a generation of supporters who have just started watching the Premier League. That new generation, 99.9% will pick a team that's been successful.

"So Man City need to be successful over the next four or five years to get a generation of supporters, like Liverpool did, like Man United did. They need the generations to support them for all sorts of reasons, it's money in the bank for them."

West Brom travel to the Etihad for their Saturday afternoon kickoff, with a victory for the Midlands side potentially pushing them up to 11th.

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Emre Can: 'I'm doing a good job for Liverpool'

Emre Can believes that he is doing a good job for Liverpool since becoming a regular fixture in the first team.

The German star joined the Reds from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, but initially struggled to break into Brendan Rodgers's side.

However, the 21-year-old has said that he was keen to earn his place in the team rather than "make a big fuss" about being dropped early in the campaign.

He told the Daily Mail: "I was injured at the beginning of the season and then played against Chelsea [in November]. Then I was out of the team until December when I came on [at half time] against Burnley.

"My attitude was not to moan or make a big fuss about it but to keep calm and work hard so that when I got the chance against Burnley I could break into the side. I feel very good feel I have the trust of the manager. I believe I'm doing a good job and that is why I am playing. I'm happy."

Liverpool can move into the top four in the Premier League table by beating bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday.

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Laurent Blanc unhappy with Paris Saint-Germain's finishing

Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc has revealed that he is disappointed with his side's finishing skills, despite having scored three times in the 3-1 victory over Lorient to go top of Ligue 1.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a hat-trick on the night, converting a penalty in each half.

However, Blanc appears unimpressed with his side's attacking abilities after a host of chances were wasted throughout the match.

"We had 11 chances in this game. Eleven! You tell me there were three goals but two of them were penalties," the 49-year-old told reporters in a press conference.

"We can't always say the keeper has had a great game, even when that is true. We have to work on that. We had some demons resurface in the defensive areas, especially when we didn't have the ball.

"The three points is the most important thing but I do not think we did all that was necessary to have a simpler game."

PSG currently top the French league but have played a game more than their title rivals, who still have a game in hand.

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Pele praises Wayne Rooney ahead of Liverpool, Manchester United clash

Brazil great Pele has praised England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney ahead of the Red Devils' clash with Liverpool on Sunday, saying that the player 'would be in his team'.

The World Cup-winning striker will be attending this Sunday's Premier League fixture and, despite refusing to be drawn on who he would like to win, Pele was full of praise for Rooney.

"Rooney to me is one of the players who is excellent for the team," Pele told Sky Sports News.

"He has patience, guts, and he plays nice football. If I have to select for my team, he will be in my team."

Rooney isn't the only English striker that Pele has been admiring, as Harry Kane has also caught the eye of the footballing icon, who described the 21-year-old as "excellent".

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Louis van Gaal: 'Wayne Rooney fine with playing at Anfield'

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has insisted that Wayne Rooney does not suffer from a "mental block" when it comes to playing at Anfield.

The England striker has only scored once at Liverpool's ground, and that was over 10 years ago on his first appearance for United in Merseyside.

The Dutchman believes that playing away to the Red Devils' fierce rivals would be the perfect time to score and end debates over his mental strength.

"I don't think that Wayne has a [mental] block, he's a very experienced player," Van Gaal told Sky Sports News.

"He has played on all the grounds in the world, so I don't think that he shall be influenced by the fans at the stadium, or something like that.

"It's strange but it can be like this, and I hope I can change it with Wayne."

United have won once in their last seven visits to Anfield and will be looking to maintain their top-four status as the two sides lock horns this Sunday.

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Atletico Madrid coach Oscar Ortego admits interest in signing Edinson Cavani

Atletico Madrid coach Oscar Ortega has admitted that the reigning Spanish champions are interested in signing Edinson Cavani from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

After failing to score in his last eight league appearances, the Uruguayan is being linked with a move away from France, with compatriot Diego Forlan claiming that the 28-year-old would be "perfect" for Atletico.

Ortega, one of Diego Simeone's coaching staff, has revealed that the club are showing interest in signing the attacker.

According to Goal.com, when asked about signing Cavani in an interview, Ortega said: "Yes, there is [interest] and I would love to be able to sign him. For us, and for him, too."

Cavani is also being linked with a move to Juventus, as several clubs reportedly enquire about his availability.

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Arsene Wenger: 'Referees deserve more respect'

Arsene Wenger has insisted that match officials need 'more respect' and believes that he needs to behave better when it comes to referees.

Referees have become a hot topic as of late in the footballing world, after Chelsea players were seen surrounding official Bjorn Kuipers after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's red-card offence on Oscar in their Champions League tie.

The Arsenal boss believes that the problem should be tackled collectively and admitsthat he will have to curb his behaviour on the touchline.

"With the team I don't think we have had too much of that problem, we have never been reproached for doing it, but I question myself on my individual behaviour, that is true, because I am sometimes keen to as well," Wenger told Sky Sports News.

"We want everybody to be respected and the referees are part of everybody. You want players to be ready to fight for each other. But how far has that to go in the behaviour? You have to draw a line somewhere, you cannot go after every decision of the referee.

"Sometimes it helps you to get your frustration out, but I don't think it is right, honestly. That doesn't mean I don't do it. I do. I have looked back on the tape sometimes, and even sometimes at half time I think 'come on, stop that, my friend', and then I think in the second half I will not say a word to him any more."

Arsenal come up against Newcastle United at St James' Park this Sunday, as they look to secure a top-four finish this season.

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Manchester United 'lead race to complete Roberto Firmino signing'

Manchester United are reportedly leading the race to sign Hoffenheim star Roberto Firmino this summer.

The 23-year-old has also been linked with a move to Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal in the past few months, although Louis van Gaal is said to have lined up a big-money move for the Brazil international.

The Metro claims that a bid of around £18.6m will be made for the youngster's services, which Van Gaal hopes will be enough to fend off interest from elsewhere.

Firmino, widely regarded as one of the hottest properties in European football, has scored six goals and assisted a further seven in 25 Bundesliga games for Hoffenheim this season.

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Tottenham Hotspur weighing up Kevin Wimmer move

Tottenham Hotspur are apparently contemplating a move for FC Koln defender Kevin Wimmer as they begin to formulate their summer transfer plans.

Spurs targeted the 22-year-old Austrian in January but abandoned their pursuit after they failed to offload either club captain Younes Kaboul or Vlad Chiriches.

Both Kaboul and Chiriches will be up for sale again at the end of the season as Mauricio Pochettino looks to replace them with a centre-back who is a better fit within his young and hungry squad.

Sky Sports News claims that Wimmer has caught the eye of the Spurs manager during his 25 Bundesliga appearances this season and that the Premier League club are weighing up a fresh move for him.

Reports in Germany earlier this week claimed that Tottenham had already had a bid accepted and reached an agreement over personal terms with Wimmer, but those suggestions are believed to be premature.

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Jose Mourinho: "Confrontational leadership" style has been shelved this season

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that his players remain fully motivated heading into the final weeks of the season, despite their Champions League campaign recently coming to an abrupt end.

The Blues are on course to lifting the Premier League title for the first time in five years this season having built up a six-point advantage at the top of the table with a game in hand to spare over their closest challengers.

At times this year Mourinho has rallied against officials, claiming that there is a "campaign" against his side to stop them winning the league.

However, the Portuguese has made clear that he has not been forced to get tough with any of his current squad ahead of the end-of-season run-in.

"Confrontational leadership is when you are ready to provoke your players to try to create some confidence," he is quoted as saying by Goal.com. "Criticise a player in the media. Criticise a player in front of you and try to provoke a reaction from him of of anger, of not being happy with his manager, of trying to show I'm not right.

"The intention is to bring out the best in them. At this moment, I don't think I need to do that because things are going in the direction I want. This season I don't need confrontational leadership. Last season I felt I needed it at times. I didn't think there were many of them that were ready.

"This season I don't need that because everything is going in relation to the team and players. On motivational terms and responsibility terms, I am happy with them. Obviously, you can say you lost in the Champions League or you lost to Bradford City. But generally the way they work and behave, their motivations, the way they react to negative or positive moments, it is all going well."

Chelsea are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they take on Hull City at the KC Stadium.

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Pele hails "excellent" Harry Kane

Tottenham Hotspur hitman Harry Kane appears to have been given the seal of approval by football icon Pele, who hailed the "excellent" youngster.

The 21-year-old has emerged as arguably Spurs' most influential player this term after netting 26 times in what has proven a remarkable breakthrough season.

Kane has seen his talismanic form rewarded by England boss Roy Hodgson, who handed him a first call-up to the senior side for games with Lithuania and Italy later this month.

Three-time World Cup winner Pele has now weighed in on the starlet's evolution, but warned that he must remain humble as his profile continues to grow.

"I think he is an excellent player, he could be a good one for the English team," the legendary Brazilian told reporters at a promotional event in London.

"First of all, he has to take care of his physical condition. I used to say, 'God give me the gift to play football, to do something', but you must always be in good shape.

"That is one thing, and tell him never think he can be the best. Always he has something to learn. That is my advice."

Kane will look to edge closer to the 30-goal mark when he and the Lilywhites face Leicester City at White Hart Lane tomorrow.

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Jose Mourinho predicts "nice and quiet" summer at Chelsea

Jose Mourinho has claimed that he expects Chelsea to be "nice and quiet" in the summer transfer market.

The Blues have been linked with moves for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba and Atletico Madrid's Koke, but Mourinho has insisted that he is happy with his squad.

The Portuguese has, however, suggested that their recruitment policy in the next window will be dictated by who leaves the club, with left-back Filipe Luis and striker Loic Remy having been tipped for exits this week.

He is quoted by Sky Sports News as saying: "Our transfer policy doesn't need a lot of funds, because we don't need a lot of things. We like our squad, we like our players and with a couple of exceptions we have a young squad.

"And once more, I think our transfer policy will be nice and quiet and will also be a consequence of the players we sell and the funds we make from the players we sell. I think we are getting great credibility from the players we sell, because we sell good players. So let's see what happens. But at this moment if you ask me am I happy with the players I have here, I am happy with the squad I have.

"If you ask me 'you say zero movement in and out', I say I don't believe because we always want to improve and there are always a couple of changes to be made. But nothing really important. I am not worried about funds because they are fine."

Chelsea completed the £23m signing of Colombian international winger Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina in January.

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