The Warm-Up: Manchester 'T2000' City march on mercilessly
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Updated 07/02/2019 at 10:55 GMT
Plus: Mariah Carey, a flying pie and Linda Lusardi. Possibly.
Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones and Bernardo Silva celebrate
Image credit: Reuters
THURSDAY’S BIG STORIES
City march mercilessly on past Liverpool…a bit
There is something slightly cold about Manchester City’s football. Like an artwork you admire rather than like, or a difficult piece of European literature. Thus, it’s slightly tricky to warm to them, to seem them as anything other than a footballing T1000, here for your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle. And to beat your football team.
Everton have their own problems, and they were frankly never going to beat City and do their rivals across town a favour. And they duly did not, losing 2-0 thanks to goals from Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus.
So City march on, back to the top of the Premier League, albeit only on goal difference and with Liverpool having a game in hand. But top they are, and there’s something about them now which suggests a grim determination to see this through, a little something in their collective eye to say they aren’t moving anywhere.
So what do you reckon? Are they going to win another Premier League? Or will Liverpool rediscover some gumption and hold them off for the next three months?
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in the dugout as he chats to assistant Manuel Estiarte prior to the kick off
Image credit: Getty Images
Nantes want their Sala money…now
It’s a bit difficult to know what to make of this. As the world waits for official confirmation that Emiliano Sala’s body has been discovered in the English Channel, Nantes have been onto Cardiff to demand the first instalment of the transfer fee agreed for the Argentinean striker.
On the one hand they’re chasing payment from an agreed upon deal, one that shouldn’t change even after this unspeakable tragedy.
But on the other, sending demanding letters and emails, as they apparently have done, insisting that Cardiff stump up the money they owe pretty quickly, would seem a trifle callous given the circumstances.
Either way, it’s a truly appalling thing and the Warm-Up hopes everyone associated with the club is doing ok.
It’s raining pies
Onto other news and a bloke having a rap on the wrist for throwing a pie at a player.
Adam Cox is the man, a visiting Bournemouth fan to Chelsea when he launched the pastry in the general direction of some Chelsea players just after they had scored.
Perhaps there are more important things to concern yourself with in the wider world, but for those of you unfamiliar with English culture, let us explain something to you: this country will not be known as a place where unwanted foodstuffs are thrown at unsuspecting footballers.
Weird sentence to write, that.
IN OTHER NEWS
We don’t know who this commentator is, we don’t know why he decided to forgo words and instead simply make engine noises, but we’re glad he did.
HEROES AND ZEROS
Hero: Kyle Bartley
Congratulations on scoring perhaps the weirdest goal to grace the FA Cup’s 148-year history.
Zero: Leo Balogun
Don’t think we can’t see you there, Brighton No.14, simply watching Bartley hook the ball into the empty net after the briefest of grapples. You can’t hide from us. He’s basically the football equivalent of…
HAT TIP
It was approaching 6.30 on Saturday evening when Grant Leadbitter walked back down the tunnel at the Stadium of Light. The stands were empty, the noise gone, but the lights were on and the scale of the ground was clear. 'Some place, isn’t it?' Leadbitter said. Stud marks were still fresh in the turf. He looked down and added: 'I feel drained.'”
Grant Leadbitter talks to Michael Walker for the i paper about returning to Sunderland and the place where his father’s ashes are sprinkled.
RETRO CORNER
Ever wondered by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is such a hero at Manchester United? Well, no, you probably haven’t. But it’s for things like this.
COMING UP
No football for you tonight, youth. Well, maybe a bit. The other Copa del Rey semi-final is on, Valencia and Real Betis duking it out to see who gets to face either Real or Barca in the final. But otherwise, no football for you tonight.
Tomorrow’s Warm-Up will be brought to you by Tom Adams: captain, leader, legend.
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