Pep Guardiola

The Premier League will not postpone reigning champions Manchester City's opening games of the 2025-26 season to give players recovery time after the FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S., manager Pep Guardiola said.

Elite clubs are increasingly concerned at the impact of an expanding global football calendar on wellbeing of players, some of whom say they are struggling with the physical strain despite the enormous salaries they can earn.

MANCHESTER — Manchester City midfielder Rodri will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, manager Pep Guardiola confirmed on Friday in a big blow to his team's quest for a fifth consecutive Premier League title.

Rodri underwent surgery for the injury earlier on Friday, Guardiola said.

Pep Guardiola Rodri update

"This season is over." ❌

Former Everton and United States men’s national team goalkeeper Tim Howard says that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and his tactics have had a negative impact on the sport. The Tim Howard Pep Guardiola comment has garnered plenty of attention.

Howard shared his opinion during an appearance on the new podcast “It’s Called Soccer” with Rebecca Lowe, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville.

LONDON — Champions Manchester City beat FA Cup winners Manchester United 7-6 on penalties to win the Community Shield at Wembley on Saturday after the traditional season curtain-raiser finished level at 1-1.

United created a host of chances to take the lead and were rewarded when 20-year-old substitute Alejandro Garnacho ran through the City defence to slide the ball into the bottom corner of the net in the 82nd minute.

Manchester United did the unthinkable and stunned their biggest rival Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final on Saturday to end a tumultuous season on a high note.

Guardiola had won four Premier League titles in-a-row and was looking for a second straight FA Cup, however a feisty, scrappy and determined Red Devils side pulled off the biggest shock in the final in over a decade.

LONDON — Erling Haaland's double put Manchester City within touching distance of an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 away on Tuesday.

The Norwegian tapped home his side's opener early in the second half and settled City's nerves in stoppage time when he blasted home a penalty for his 27th league goal of the season.

City had failed to earn a point or score a goal in their first four league visits to Tottenham's new stadium but ended that jinx in timely fashion to the joy of their supporters.

LONDON — Manchester City hit the top of the Premier League with one week of the season remaining as two goals by Josko Gvardiol and one each for Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez sealed a 4-0 demolition of Fulham on Saturday.

City's stroll in the London sunshine, their seventh successive league win and 16th consecutive victory over Fulham in all competitions, moved Pep Guardiola's a step closer an unprecedented fourth English title in a row.

LONDON — Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said he will miss his old sparring partner Jürgen Klopp when the Liverpool manager calls time on his reign at the end of the season.

Klopp stunned the soccer world on Friday when he announced this would be his last season at the Anfield club he took over in 2015 and led to multiple trophies.

Manchester City will again have to do without their leading scorer Erling Haaland when they face Newcastle United in the Premier League this weekend, but Kevin De Bruyne could make his first start of the season since Aug. 11, Pep Guardiola said on Friday.

Haaland, with 14 league goals in 15 games is joint top scorer in the Premier League alongside Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, but has missed City's last eight games in all competitions with a foot injury.

BIRMINGHAM — Aston Villa overran Manchester City with a fully-deserved 1-0 win on Wednesday thanks to a deflected shot from Leon Bailey, leaving the reigning Premier League champions in an unfamiliar fourth position and six points off the top.

Unai Emery's Villa, enjoying their best season for years, oozed with confidence and dominated the game throughout, leap-frogging City to third in the table.