Chapter 1: What were the key moments in Manchester City's match against Leicester?
Let's get the thoughts of Alan and Niall as well. Will Man City count themselves a little bit fortunate to have got all three points in that one? Well, certainly second half. Leicester have stepped on to Man City, caused them all sorts of problems, created two or three great moments, which we'll see, and obviously a penalty that...
Really should have been scored, but a really sort of controversial decision, but a right decision. Taking nothing away from Leicester, Niall, why, particularly in that second half, did City struggle somewhat?
Well, the crowd went quiet because the first ten minutes didn't go well. Leicester came out and really took impetus from scoring the goal and started to press, make life awkward, and you saw mistakes being made from the like of Silva, De Bruyne... All these players that generally are tidy and nervousness started to fill the air.
And Leicester pushed and pushed and pushed and tried to get something out of that. Looked as if they had a most curious, unusual situation where the two taps probably prevents them from getting a point.
Well, let's get some Man City reaction now. Raheem Sterling and the birthday boy, Yaya Torre, both speaking with Patrick Davidson.
Guys, well played. Yaya, a birthday win for you, but how hard did Leicester make it?
Yeah, difficult. The first time was quite good. We were controlling the game. After the first goal, if we did well after, again, we get a penalty. When they scored, it was quite difficult. We created a lot of chance, but we were not able to convert it. and they were delighted with the win today.
Raheem, you were right in the midst of that first goal. Just give us your view of what happened.
David's shot. As an attacker, you're always trying to be in and about. I realised if I touched it, I was probably offside, so I tried to intentionally swing a foot at it, then I realised if I did touch it, it would have been offside, so I left it. So you went for it and then deliberately left it?
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Chapter 2: Why did Manchester City struggle in the second half against Leicester?
Were you worried it might get ruled out? No, I wasn't worried because I know I didn't touch it, but I wasn't too close to it. So there's definitely David to go on. Definitely deserved a stand.
Let's ask you about the Leicester penalty, Yaya. It seemed like a lot of Man City players spotted immediately that Mahrez had touched it twice. Were you one of them?
Yeah, of course, because I was right behind him and I think you can see that. I think he slept a little bit as well, you know, sometimes in football you are lucky sometimes, but I think he's fully delighted for us, you know, because I think it was 2-2 would be harsh, you know, and I think playing in front of our fans, you know, trying to do our best and win the game is very, very important.
Raheem, how big a win was it? Yeah, it's a massive win. especially we've got the luck today that we needed throughout the season as well. There's been times throughout the season where I thought we deserved a bit more and it wasn't the luck sometimes, but today we got that luck and we got the three points and that's the most important thing today.
Yaya, you won't thank me for reminding you, but 34 today, contract expiring in the summer. It feels like a fair time to ask you. Are you thinking... it's getting towards the end in that shirt, or are you hoping there'll be at least one more year of it?
I think my future is Tuesday again, we have another game, and let's see what will happen. That's the thing in the sport, you don't know what's going to happen in the future. I think I'm fully delighted to always appreciate it in playing, because I think I think the age is just a number, but I think I feel really younger than Raheem now.
He's always told me he's younger, but I think it's good to play with those lights. I always enjoy it and I'm always going to continue to enjoy football again.
But you were saying before the interview you don't enjoy your birthdays.
I know, I hate it. I don't like it, but I think it's part of the game sometimes. Today the fans were quite fantastic and I'm very happy and I think I will continue to make them enjoy.
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Chapter 3: What did Raheem Sterling say about the opening goal?
Don't tell me that. Happy birthday. Thank you.
Happy 38th birthday. He's getting a lot of happy birthdays, isn't he? Most touches, most passes of any player and a Man of the Match award to go on his 34th birthday. Let's get straight to it, Niall. That opening goal, we've heard Raheem Sterling's version of events. Now, the officials we spoke to said that he started beyond the last defender, but he didn't have an impact on his opponent.
What's your take?
And that's the key. I think if he's not there, I think Kasper Smichel moves another yard or two to his left. Referee can't really see any of that from the angle. He's either kind of linesman. I think Kasper Smichel does not see that. It's not a clean strike. I think he starts and goes further over to the left. You can see he's kind of in the line of the shot. He can't really see it.
And it doesn't go in with blistering pace. It's a miss it. This is a better angle. He makes his way across and stops after three yards. That's an unnatural place for him to stop. Because he's stopping there because he's got to try and keep a view of it. Probably more so because his own defender is there. But it means that Raheem has done some part of it. And I'm kind of with Kasper's mind.
I think he comes two yards nearer if Raheem isn't there. Therefore, he impacts.
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Chapter 4: How did Leicester's penalty situation unfold during the match?
I am sure of it that Raheem Sterling has impacted ever so slightly. But as the rule says, he has impacted on what happened.
Alan, are we singing from the same hymn sheet on this? Are you in agreement with Niall? I am, and I think in his interview, he's telling a little bit of a false truth there, because he definitely swings at the pool, doesn't he, to try and finish it off. I think it's really harsh on Leicester. You know, the two massive decisions today have gone against them.
The one, the first goal, where I think he is offside, personally, and I think he's right now about Schmeichel's positioning. And the second penalty is just really bad luck. He slips and gets the two touches which we come on to. Yeah, we'll have a look at that in a short while. Before we do, let's hear from Kasper Schmeichel with Patrick.
Kasper, do you feel not just disappointed but hard done by after that? Yep, definitely. Okay, tell us why.
Well, first goal's offside. Anybody who's played football, especially in goal, we know it's offside. First of all, he's blocking my view when the ball comes across him. He goes for the ball, he's blocking Christian Fuchs to even make an attempt for the ball, so it's offside. It's one of these debates we, as players, would love to get involved in, but we're not allowed to.
So, you know, that's what makes it very frustrating that they aren't willing to listen.
Just tell us, because a lot of us obviously haven't played the game, what can you see and how different is it for you if he's not stood there swinging his foot at the ball?
Well, if he's in the six-yard box as a goalkeeper and the ball's going by him, it's going past my line of sight, that means he's interfering. It doesn't even matter if he has to go for it. He's interfering because I can't see the ball at one point. Christian Fuchs can't get to the ball because he's stood in the way of him. He prevents him from swinging his foot at the ball.
He swings his foot at the balls, so he's made an attempt. He's three times his offside and it's one of these very frustrating decisions because we've done well up to then and we kind of lost our composure for five or six minutes and they get the second one and it's a very uphill task. But we did really well.
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Chapter 5: What impact did Yaya Toure's birthday have on the match?
I think we dug in, we got the goal and we've The incident with Riyad is obviously a freak incident. We saw Griezmann in the semi-final and it stood. You talk about consistency, it's very difficult to take.
You said they wouldn't listen. What did you say to the officials? Because you spent a lot of time walking with the ref at half-time.
Just in general, no one asks the players' opinions. They come in and they tell us the rules, and this is this, and they won't listen to the fact that it's very different for a goalkeeper if someone's in your island or it comes past someone, or even though it doesn't make an attempt, you still have to legislate for the fact he's there. You can't see if he's offside sometimes.
So it's a very frustrating thing to... to talk about because we can't really get involved in the debate too much.
Just in terms of the spirit you've showed today, would you see that as a continuation of your good form, even though you've not got the result?
Yeah, it's a strange feeling today because I think we can be proud of our attitude. Like I said, we lost our composure a little bit after the first goal, feeling hard done by, and then we concede the second goal. But after that and before that as well, we fought, we defended, we were very disciplined, gave everything.
Like I said, the freak incident on the penalty, we should have had something out of the game at least.
Did you know straight away with the Mahrez penalty that something wasn't right, or did you celebrate it?
No, something wasn't right with the spin on the ball, but like I say, it wasn't given in the Champions League, so you just never know with the consistency.
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Chapter 6: How did Arsenal perform against Stoke City?
And that interview was spot on for me. There's not really much to add in my opinion. I think that's a perfect professional summing up by the goalkeeper. Manchester City up into third after their 2-1 win against Leicester City. The Eti had. We've covered off 1-0 in the company of Alan and Niall. Time them to look at 2-0.
And the penalty given away just seven minutes after that first goal was scored. We were wondering about that Leicester defence. Ben Alouin just gets this horribly wrong, doesn't he? It's clumsy at best. Yeah, when they're dancing around your box, you've got to stay on your feet. And if you're going to make a tackle, you best play the ball with your right foot.
He plays it with his wrong foot, comes across him really ugly. He had a decent game, actually, but that was a poor mistake. And gave the opportunity to take the game away from Leicester. 2-0, takes it brilliantly. I think he's only shot on target today, but it's a... Another completion for him. But the eyes, I mean, the confidence, Niall, just oozing from every ball.
20 years of age, come over from Brazil, to step to the plate and just be able to do that, I mean, he's fearless, and I think there's so much more to come from him, and you can see why Pep Guardiola really likes him.
Leicester got themselves back in it with only four minutes of the first half remaining. Shinji Okazaki's first goal in 24 appearances, and in truth, Adam, one of their few moves in that first half. Well, they'd just come alive just for five minutes. It's across from Albrighton, who's on his stronger foot. The right foot, he bends it in. It's a great take. It's a real good connection.
And the keeper, although it's close to him, the pace on the ball is too fast for him. Just gets his hand to it.
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Chapter 7: What was discussed about the race for the top four in the Premier League?
Great goal. And it gave him a lift that they never really come back from, did they? They stayed with that throughout the whole game. And I think the manager will be very disappointed they haven't got something out of that game. And the other big talking point is going to come in the 76th minute because a penalty is given away. It's Clichy on Mahrez.
A slight debate about whether it's inside or outside the box. For you, not really a debate, Niall?
No, I felt it was inside the box at the time and the referee has to give it. He does really, really well here, Mahrez. He's starting to really enjoy himself. He just feints that one that we've seen for the last 18 months, goes to cross it with his left foot, pulls it back inside. He's fallen backwards, just lifts his foot up his... His toes are on the line. It's where it actually hits his knee.
But I think, you know, Klitsch didn't argue that much with it.
Penalty. And then comes the penalty from Riyad Mahrez. And people are going to be talking about this for some days to come. Because best for Mahrez, it's really unlucky. But from Bobby Madley's point of view, Alan, he gets this spot on, does he not?
Yeah, I mean, in natural time, when he takes this penalty, the ball does take a kind of strange shape, which might have indicated to him that there was the two touches on it. That's what I can assume. You might have heard it, actually, but it's a slip. It's standing foot slips. And then as he strikes it, it's his standing foot and goes in. The keeper looks straight away, runs to the referee.
They all appeal. Mahrez, I think, kind of knew. Yeah.
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Chapter 8: What are the implications of the results for Arsenal and Liverpool moving forward?
He knows he's kicked it twice. Bobby Madley gets it absolutely spot on. And Griezmann gets away with one for Atletico Madrid midweek. The penalty does stand, but you remember one from a little further back than that.
A long time ago, playing at Man City, Steve Redmond, our centre-half, went up and took a penalty against West Ham at Upton Park and did the exact same thing, only his was ridiculous. Reddo, if you see it on any of the YouTubes, his right foot kicks it onto his left foot, the keeper dives, and his left foot, he slipped so much, kicks it and rolls it into the other corner.
And the West Ham players gathered around the referee then, I can't remember who the ref was, and as soon as I saw that, that moment came flashing back in my mind.
To be fair, the rule wasn't made for moments like that. But the referee, Bobby Maddy, today has got the decision right, though his boss was in charge of the 2004 League Cup final. It was Bolton up against Middlesex with the Lennon Stadium. Niall, you were there. Bolton's end then. He has two touches. Ryder gets it wrong because it stands.
Yeah, but after he takes this and takes the two touches, he looks around, he's not 100% certain and runs off. And that's the kind of giveaway. And I think right back, I think Steve Redman did the same thing. And Mahrez tried to be a little bit cute about it, just came away smiling. But I think he knew the game was up fairly quickly. A great spot from the referee, but so hard.
Because Leicester deserved to be back in the game. They deserved to get to 2-2. They were the better team in the second half. And they got their chance. And for it to be taken and snatched away from them through a quirk of fate like that was really tough on them. But yeah, well done, Bobby May. It was a tough game from today. A number of contentious decisions.
But overall, I think he did as well as he might.
But in terms of the result, Alan, the headline is this is a big win, is it not, in Man City's pursuit of a top-four finish? Yeah, you can see just so at the importance of the Champions League to these teams because the nervousness that they had in the second half is going to be replicated in the other teams as well as we go into this final sort of period.
But, you know, I feel that Leicester are a little bit unfortunate today. I think the referees, the decision he makes before that, the first one, is costly today for them. So Man City got the breaks and got the win. West Brom next. Did you see an edgy Man City, particularly second half, after the fluid performance of a week ago?
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