There are quotes from Yaya Toure and boss Pep Guardiola flying around, a classic transfer tug-of-war (it wouldn’t be January without one of those) and a look back at Sergio Aguero’s 2016.
First to Toure, who has urged his team-mates to use the stinging defeat at Liverpool to fuel a new year charge.
He said in quotes reported by the Guardian: “We are not going to be perfect. There are times when we won’t take opportunities but we can take opportunities from this too. Anfield is not easy but we can learn from this and what the manager says about it.
“When you lose games, what do you have to do? You are disappointed and you want to bounce back. We don’t want to let the gap grow much more between us and Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham. So we have to react. We will use it – we are not going to give up. We will go to the end.”
Meanwhile boss Guardiola was asked about Kevin De Bruyne after the Liverpool game.
“Until now Kevin has played amazing, the last game in Hull [City] for example, and I don’t think it was that he is tired,” Guardiola said in quotes carried by FourFourTwo.
“Right now he’s tired because we played three or four days ago [last Monday] and we play [this Monday] so that is normal, but I think when you see against Arsenal he was not far away, in how he arrived and how he created. I don’t think he’s tired.
“Always when we lose we are complaining that they are tired. Physical, I think that is the last problem.”
There is more speculation over Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk in Monday’s papers, with Chelsea now reportedly in for his signature.
Neil Fissler of the Daily Express writes: “Chelsea have launched a £60million bid to keep Virgil van Dijk out of Man City’s clutches after Antonio Conte made him his number one January target.
“Antonio Conte has seen his side race six points clear at the top of the Premier League table on the back of a 13 match winning run.
“But he has been looking to strengthen the centre of his defence since last summer and has been impressed with Southampton’s Van Dijk this season.
“City boss Pep Guardiola is also keen on the Netherlands international but Conte wants to outbid them to the deal.”
Finally the Daily Star have taken a look at the top scorers across Europe in 2016, with our very own Sergio Aguero featuring.
Take a look at the full countdown here - and let’s hope Sergio can get the ball rolling early in 2017 against the Clarets!
We’ll be back same time same place tomorrow with all the reaction to the Burnley game.
