Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed James Trafford will be in goal for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley, but Mikel Arteta has refused to say who will be Arsenal’s starting keeper.

Guardiola said he will continue his policy of playing Trafford in domestic cup matches, although he did not offer any assurances over the 23-year-old’s long-term situation.

Trafford rejoined City from Burnley last summer in a £27m switch and had been seen as the replacement for Ederson.

However, he was soon edged out of a starting spot as the club signed Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris St-Germain.

Asked about Trafford’s recent comments about expecting to play more, Guardiola said: “Players can be happy, unhappy. It is what it is.

“They have to be here to do the best they can do and after we will see what happens at the end of the season. The important thing is they have to be ready.”

He said he was “beyond happy” with Trafford’s attitude, but said his selection came as part of “a big moment for the team”.

Arteta, meanwhile, gave no clue when he spoke to journalists as to who he will start in goal.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has been the north London side’s keeper in domestic cup competitions, with David Raya taking to the field in the Premier League and Champions League.

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– Pep Guardiola is trying his best to ignore Real Madrid while his Manchester City side attempt to take charge of their Premier League title race.

– City face Fulham, West Ham and Leeds United before travelling to Madrid for their Champions League semifinal first leg on May 9.

– The title is in their hands following the 4-1 win over Arsenal on Wednesday but Guardiola insists he is not relaxed enough to start worrying about Madrid.

Also Read: Premier League title in our hands – says Guardiola after thrashing of Arsenal

– “I have an idea [of a plan against Real Madrid] for the fact that we played last season,” Guardiola told a news conference on Friday.

– “Sometimes in the year I see the Spanish league. They changed some things from last season but it’s the same manager. Normally I’m only concerned about the next game. I don’t pay attention to anything but Fulham.”

– City are just three games away from winning the Champions League for the first time in their history and could also avenge last season’s dramatic semifinal defeat to Madrid.

– In contrast, they have won the Premier League in four of the last five years and six times since 2012.

– “When you are 10 or 15 points behind the leader, you can prioritise the Champions League,” Guardiola added.

– “We don’t have time to prioritise anything. The Premier League is so attractive, so nice. People say why, it’s not true but the Premier League is the Premier League, it’s 11 months, every week. My attention is Fulham then West Ham then Leeds. After Leeds, not much time but we have time to prepare for Madrid.”

– Following their thrashing of Arsenal on Wednesday, City are two points behind the leaders but with two games in hand.

– They have taken advantage of Mikel Arteta’s team taking just three points from their last four games but Guardiola insists the same thing could happen to City.

– “I know perfectly Mikel and the players know it, they will not give up,” Guardiola said.

– ” They will not give up. The reality today, we’re two points behind. Be respectful for the teams we play, we have to beat them. The reality is we’re behind.

– “Always I say before Arsenal, what happened to them can happen to us. Impossible? No, it can be possible. You can drop points in one week. We have to be aware of that.”

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– Pep Guardiola says his Manchester City side have proved they can deliver when there is “no option but to win” after beating Arsenal to put the Premier League title race in their hands.

– Guardiola’s team beat leaders Arsenal 4-1 at Etihad Stadium, and are now two points behind with two games in hand.

– City have seven matches left, starting with Sunday’s trip to Fulham before home games against West Ham and Leeds.

Also Read: Supersonic City destroy Arsenal to take high ground in PL title race

– “We cannot lose our focus. Now it’s in our hands,” said Guardiola.

– “These next three games will dictate if we can do what we want to do. The reality is we’re still behind Arsenal.

– “It will not be easy for us, but it is game by game and we see what happens.

– “When it’s in our hands, we have to use it.”

– City remain on course for a Treble of the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, with Guardiola saying the experience of his players knowing what it takes to win in the final stages of the season is proving crucial.

– “The players know it is necessary to say it is close and we need to win to stay in contention,” added the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.

– “That mentality where you have no option but to win is the best mentality to play. The players have shown they go into every match trying to win.”

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– Pep Guardiola revealed Riyad Mahrez always lets him know he’s “grumpy” when he doesn’t play after the winger returned to the team to fire Manchester City into the FA Cup final.

– Mahrez started in a much-changed Pep Guardiola team against Sheffield United at Wembley on Saturday and scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win.

– The Algerian forward has had spells out of the City side this season and Guardiola revealed the 32-year-old is never shy about letting his manager know about his frustration on the bench.

Also Read: Rampant Riyad keeps City’s treble-winning season on

– “He is always grumpy with me when he doesn’t play,” said Guardiola.

– “He makes me notice how grumpy he feels. Today, no. He is an exceptional player on the big stage, the mentality to score a goal, composure for the penalty was important. It finished the first half at 1-0. The second and third were brilliant. It’s really great to be in the final.

– “Really good and I am so satisfied with Riyad because he loves to play football. He has given many things in these years and more in the future.”

– Mahrez’s three goals keeps City on course for a treble as they continue to chase trophies in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

– Manchester United are the only team to achieve the feat nearly a quarter of a century ago in 1999 and Guardiola joked that their rivals don’t need to worry just yet that City will match it this season.

– “They don’t have to be scared, we are neighbours, neighbours are always nice to each other,” he said.

– “I said yesterday we are far away. It is the fourth time in a row [in the FA Cup semifinal] against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool and we could not do it.

– “This game, coming from Munich three days ago, we had to try and perform well.

– “All the guys that come from the bench and start were perfect. I’m happy for all the club after many years to be in the FA Cup final.”

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– A year ago Manchester City suffered one of the most heartbreaking European defeats in their history against Real Madrid – but now they have the chance of revenge.

– For the second season in a row City and Real have been drawn against each other in the Champions League semi-finals.

– Last year City went into the final minute of the second leg at the Bernabeu just needing to not concede two goals.

Also Read: Man City KO Bayern to reach 3rd consecutive semis

– Yet they conceded two goals in dramatic fashion.

– Having won a thrilling first leg 4-3 at Etihad Stadium, Riyad Mahrez gave City a 5-3 aggregate lead.

– But substitute Rodrygo netted in the 90th and 91st minutes, with Real’s first two shots on target.

– Karim Benzema then scored an extra-time winner from the penalty spot to seal a stunning 6-5 aggregate triumph – and Carlo Ancelotti’s side went on to beat Liverpool in the final.

– But is there is a real feeling things could be different this year after City’s 4-1 aggregate win over Bayern Munich to reach a third semi-final in a row – especially with 48-goal striker Erling Haaland in their ranks.

– “I had a feeling we would see them,” said City boss Pep Guardiola, who once managed Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona.

– “All clubs know if you want to win the Champions League you need to beat Real Madrid.”

– Real have won 14 European Cups, twice as many as anybody else – including five of the past nine.

– “Hopefully yes!” said City midfielder Bernardo Silva when asked about the chance of exacting revenge against the holders on 9 and 17 May, with the second leg at home.

– “We will go for it definitely. We always go for it, but we feel the team is very, very confident at the minute. I think we are going through.”

– City, second in the Premier League table and in the FA Cup semi-finals on the back of an unbeaten 15-match run, are chasing a trophy Treble.

– And Silva said: “We struggled until February because we couldn’t get in that usual run we had before of winning 10-15 games in a row, but now we are very consistent, we feel we have a chance in every competition and we are going for them.

– “We are at that point of the season where, if you drop your performance in one game you are out of a competition. It is going to be tough but we are going to work very hard to bring some titles home.”

– Norwegian striker Haaland – who also sent a first-half penalty over the bar – netted his 48th goal of the season against Bayern to give them the lead on the night, before Joshua Kimmich’s penalty made it 1-1 and 4-1 to City on aggregate.

– “Erling is a special player, a different player to what we had in the past,” added Portugal midfielder Silva.

– “He doesn’t need many touches. He is like a shadow for 85 minutes and touches the ball once and it is a goal. When we have that special player in attack it makes us feel more comfortable at the back.”

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– Pep Guardiola says Manchester City will face “11 players, not the history” of Bayern Munich in Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg.

– The teams will meet at the Allianz Arena with City holding a three-goal advantage from the first leg.

– But Guardiola said Bayern, who have won the trophy six times, will still be a threat on home soil.

Also Read: Rampant Man City destroy Bayern at the Etihad

– “We don’t play against what they achieved, but having something like that is something special,” he said.

– City have yet to win the Champions League, having lost the 2021 final to Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea and were beaten in last season’s semi-finals by an incredible Real Madrid comeback.

– “It’s nice to travel around and play these types of opponents, it’s nice to be here and try to make an incredible achievement and reach the semi-final again,” added Guardiola.

– The Spaniard, who managed Bayern for three years before taking charge of City in 2016 and leading them to four Premier League titles, wants his side to further “punish” Bayern after their outstanding first-leg performance in Manchester.

– “We must focus on what we have to do to control the game, punish them, come here to win the game in Munich against one of the most historic teams in the competition,” he said.

– “I’ve been here in Bayern and I know the mentality of the club. It’s in the skin of everyone and I know they believe they can do it.

– “We believe [we can do it] too. When you are in these types of clubs, where you build the feeling that whatever happens you can do it. They have history in the competition and we are growing in that.

– “After many years, winning Premier Leagues and getting to finals and semi-finals we are reaching a level that is quite interesting for us. I don’t have any doubts the players want it, the desire, they want it of course.

– “We don’t have to defend the game – we can play. We can be here to play one football game, 11 men against 11 men, try to do better than the opponent in this specific game. We have to do our game.”

– City are boosted by the return of midfielder Phil Foden after he returned to training with the squad on Tuesday, having been sidelined since having his appendix removed last month.

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– Manchester City have Arsenal within their sights.

– Saturday’s comfortable 3-1 victory over Leicester City leaves the defending champions trailing the league leaders by just three points.

– City now face a pivotal three games which could make or break their season as they aim to complete a Treble of trophies.

Also Read: Man City beat Leicester to close gap on Arsenal

– They travel to Bayern Munich with a healthy 3-0 advantage after the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, before playing Championship side Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.

– Pep Guardiola’s side should progress from both of those ties, but their next league game is a potential title decider against Mikel Arteta’s men, at home on Wednesday, 26 April at Etihad Stadium.

– “Like I said in the previous press conference, it is to win win win,” said Guardiola.

– “They [Arsenal] have had an incredible run so far this season, I don’t think they will drop many points and we have to be in there.

– “It is important for us to arrive at the match by winning today and [it is] a final against them in the next Premier League game.”

– Arsenal can re-establish their six-point advantage when they face West Ham on Sunday and the gap could be nine points by the time they meet City as they play an extra league game against bottom club Southampton next Friday.

– “It is a final to play more finals,” Guardiola said about facing Arsenal. “If we lose this game it will be almost over.

– “We have to arrive in this position having the chance to be close to Arsenal. We want this opportunity knowing how difficult it will be but before that we have a Champions League semi-final chance and the FA Cup.”

– Against Leicester, striker Erling Haaland continued his incredible scoring feats this season with his two goals taking his tally to record-extending 47 in 40 matches.

– He netted a penalty and added a sumptuous finish following John Stones’ opener to reach 32 top-flight goals in his maiden Premier League campaign.

– Now he looks like breaking the landmarks set by former England strikers Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, who both netted 34 goals in a single season.

– Guardiola said: “I want, I desire he breaks all the records possible, that means he scores a lot of goals which helps us. I think he wants titles and we are still there but it is impressive and still eight games to play to break all of them.”

– But he missed the chance of an astonishing seventh hat-trick of the campaign as he was withdrawn as a precaution at half-time alongside defender Stones.

– “Excellent as always,” said Guardiola when asked about Haaland’s reaction to being taken off.

– “John and Erling return from injury, he played 90 minutes against Bayern after 15 days out and you have to take care with John. After 45 minutes it was good for them to rest.

– “All the statistics I don’t know about but I am impressed.”

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– Manchester City took a giant stride towards the Champions League semi-finals with an outstanding performance to overpower Bayern Munich at Etihad Stadium.

– Erling Haaland, inevitably, was on target with his 45th goal of the season to make him the highest scorer in all competitions in a single campaign since the Premier League began 30 years ago, surpassing Mohamed Salah and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

– City, however, gave a powerful all-round team display and Bayern, under new coach Thomas Tuchel, face a mountainous task to turn this quarter-final around in the second leg at the AllianzArena.

Also Read: Rampant Man City destroy Bayern at the Etihad

– “Emotionally I’m destroyed,” said Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. “I have aged 10 more years. It was so demanding a game. It was not comfortable.

– “Now I have to relax – a day off for the guys, prepare for Leicester [in the Premier League on Saturday].”

– Rodri broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion with a curling left-foot drive into the top corner after 27 minutes while Bayern had chances of their own, especially former City forward Leroy Sane, who brought a vital save out of Ederson early in the second half.

– City were always a threat and extended their lead with 20 minutes left, Haaland crossing perfectly for Bernardo Silva to head home after Jack Grealish stole possession off Dayot Upemecano.

– Haaland was not to be denied himself and he pounced for City’s third six minutes later, getting on the end of John Stones’ headed knockdown to sweep a finish past Bayern keeper Yann Sommer.

– “It was an incredible result but I know a little bit what can happen in Munich,” added Guardiola, who managed Bayern Munich from 2013 until 2016, winning three league titles and two domestic doubles.

– “If you don’t perform really well they are able to score one, two, three. I know that, the players know that.

– “It’s an incredible result, but we have to do our game with huge, huge personality. If we don’t do our game anything can happen.

– “To knock out these teams you have to have two good games, not just one.”

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– Pep Guardiola has used Michael Jordan and Jack Nicklaus to defend his failure to guide Manchester City to victory in the Champions League by saying that even the world’s greatest sportsmen lose more than they win.

– Guardiola has won the Champions League twice, both while manager of Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.

– He hasn’t lifted the trophy since despite spells at Bayern Munich, his quarterfinal opponents this season, and City, but Guardiola said he should not be defined by his defeats because both Jordan, who won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, and Nicklaus, who won a record 18 major golf championships, are only remembered for their successes.

Also Read: Man City boss Guardiola insists ‘unbelievable’ Haaland is on Ronaldo and Messi’s level

– “Yesterday, it was the Masters,” Guardiola told a news conference on Monday. “How many Masters has Jack Nicklaus played or how many majors has he played in his career? In 30 or 40 years as a golfer? In 30 or 40 years as a golfer of four majors [a year], like in the Champions League. How many wins? 18 wins. Wow. He loses more than he wins. That is sport.

– “In football, in golf, in basketball; Michael Jordan, the best athlete for me in basketball, won six NBA titles out of 15 [seasons]. He loses more than he wins. This game, all games, are so difficult.”

– City face Bayern in the first leg of their quarterfinal at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday; a tie that pits Guardiola against Thomas Tuchel, the manager who led Chelsea to victory over City in the 2021 Champions League final.

– Tuchel has only been in charge of Bayern for a matter of weeks after the German side announced the surprise sacking of Julian Nagelsmann on March 24 but Guardiola said he has already put his stamp on the team.

– “We saw three games that Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern played and maybe they will do something new,” Guardiola added. “It would have been difficult with Nagelsmann and will be difficult with Tuchel.

– “He is so creative. He went to Paris [Saint-Germain] and did really well, not just winning the French league or arriving in the Champions League final, but the way they played was really good and he did a good job at Chelsea.

– “I was sad [to lose the 2021 final] but I congratulated him and Chelsea for the victory. It happened. I reviewed the game a month later. It was not as bad as I thought but at the same time it was not at all a good enough performance to win it. It was a tight, tight game like they always have been against Chelsea in that period. Forget it and try again.”

– Meanwhile, City and Guardiola will come up against a familiar face on Tuesday night after full-back Joao Cancelo was named in Bayern’s squad to travel to Manchester. Cancelo moved to Munich on loan in January and has remained close friends with Portugal teammates Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva.

– “I must confess it will be strange,” Dias told a news conference.

– “Not very long ago we were fighting together but it is what it is, it is football, it is the life we lead, decisions have been made and it is football.

– “We built a close relationship, especially me, him and Bernardo, and we are always in touch so we are in contact but when the game starts each one of us will be on his own side.”

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– It is no secret Erling Haaland scores lots of goals – but his stunning bicycle kick in Manchester City’s victory over Southampton will undoubtedly rank among his best.

– There was uncertainty over whether the prolific 22-year-old would start on Saturday after a groin injury, but he announced his return in style by connecting with Jack Grealish’s cross in acrobatic fashion.

– That was his second goal of the game as title-chasing City recorded a 4-1 win at St Mary’s to extend their winning run to eight matches in all competitions and maintain pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Also Read: Fourmidable City teach Saints an unholy lesson

– “We have lived two incredible decades with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he is on that level,” manager Pep Guardiola told BBC Sport.

– “The second goal was amazing. It is not easy to pick the ball up in the sky and put it on the grass.”

– Guardiola added: “I think our bosses bought him for this type of game. We are uncomfortable and not playing at our best level but he gets the goal.

– “The second, you can’t imagine at his height he has this ability. Exceptional goal.”

– City, English champions in four of the past five seasons, signed Haaland from Borussia Dortmund for what increasingly appears a bargain £51.2m in July.

– Nine months later and the Norway striker has equalled the record of 44 goals in all competitions by a Premier League player in one season.

– Through to the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals, he could have 16 games to shatter that mark set by Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2003 and Mohamed Salah in 2018.

– His overhead second at St Mary’s was also his 30th league goal of the campaign. Taking just 27 games, he has reached that total quicker than anyone else.

– “He scores a lot of goals. It is insane. He is there. If we create chances he is there,” said team-mate Kevin de Bruyne.

– On Haaland’s spectacular second, the Belgian joked: “You will never see me do that! You can get me to Southampton hospital if I do that!

– “Haaland is happy here,” he added. “He knows we create a lot of chances and he does the rest.”

– Only two other players have scored 30 or more goals in their first season in the Premier League, with Andrew Cole reaching 34 in 1993-94 and Kevin Phillips netting 30 in 1999-00.

– Haaland has, with about a quarter of the season remaining, outscored eight Premier League teams.

– In setting up Haaland’s first of the match, De Bruyne reached a landmark of his own as he became only the fifth player to reach 100 Premier League assists, and the quickest to do so – in 237 games.

– On his own achievement, the Belgium playmaker said: “We scored a lot of goals in the eight years I have been here. I have been blessed with the team-mates here.

– “It is nice. Maybe when I am done playing football it is something I will look back on.”