First to the Foxes game, and reaction to City’s defeat at the hands of the reigning Premier League champions.
The BBC report: “Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola defended his team’s system after a 4-2 defeat by Premier League champions Leicester City.
“Guardiola started with a back three but reverted to a four-man defence when his side trailed 2-0 after four minutes.
“The Spaniard said: ‘It is not about the system. We defended well with these players at the beginning of the season.
“‘Now we have to stand up and analyse what happened, especially mentally to encourage the players to step forward.’”
Moving swiftly on, and young prospect Adarabioyo has been speaking about the wealth of talent in the Club’s Academy that has the potential to break through into the first team.
The Mirror’s Simon Mullock reports: “The club’s Etihad owners are prepared to back their manager with big money in the transfer market. But Adarabioyo, the Manchester-born centre back who is proving it is possible to come through the ranks to break into the star-studded first team, believes the trickle of academy talent will begin to flood through.
“Guardiola has handed youngsters such as Adarabioyo, Pablo Maffeo, Brahim Diaz and Angelino a chance this season, while 16-year-old Phil Foden was on the bench against Celtic in the Champions League last week.
“And Adarabioyo, 19, said: ‘It was a very big night for me, and the target now is to be involved in as many matches as possible.
“’Everybody knows the importance the club have placed on producing their own players and when the other lads see myself and Pablo playing in the Champions League it gives them belief.
“’I know from being inside the academy that every single player in the system is very, very talented. They know that if they keep working hard then, if they are good enough, they will get an opportunity.
“’We have a lot of local youth team players who have the potential to come through into the first team. The players I played with in the academy are the ones coming through now.
“’It’s what the club want — but the key thing is that you have to be good enough.”
Finally, a number of papers report that City have been monitoring Tottenham fullback Danny Rose.
Paul Hetherington reports: “Manchester City want Tottenham’s England left-back Danny Rose.
“And that creates a potential battle with neighbours Manchester United, who explored the possibility of signing £25million-rated Rose in the summer.
“City have been assessing Rose for weeks as manager Pep Guardiola targets full-backs.”
We’ll be back same time, same place tomorrow!
