Pep Guardiola has described being Manchester City manager as an "honour and a privilege" after seeing his side begin their quest for an unprecedented fifth successive Premier League title with a 2-0 win over Chelsea.
City were without a string of first-team regulars including midfielder Rodri and defender Kyle Walker but still had too much firepower for Chelsea, taking all three points at Stamford Bridge courtesy of goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.
There has been much talk over the summer that this season will be Guardiola's final season in charge at City, with the Spaniard now into the final year of his contract.
Some of it has been fuelled by the Spaniard himself, who hinted on the final day of last season, as City clinched the title from Arsenal by two points, that his time in charge at the Etihad Stadium was approaching the end.
Whether this does prove to be his final season at City - Guardiola took charge at the club in 2016 - it is clear that the manager will always hold the club in high regard.
“What a privilege and honour to be the manager of this group of players at this club, because [of] what we achieved,” he said.
“The good news is the first three points. The bad news is we have 70 games ahead of us. That’s why the best way is to be calm, relaxed, and enjoy the moment of course.”
It was a chastening start to life at Chelsea for new head coach Enzo Maresca who saw his team struggle to covert chances in his first match in charge.
There was controversy before kick off when representatives of Raheem Sterling, left out of the matchday squad, issued a statement calling for “clarity” on the 29-year-old forward’s future at the club, with Maresca later seeming to confirm there is a chance the player could leave.
Maresca was asked to clarify the club’s position on the absent Sterling, responding: “The only thing I can say it has been a technical decision. In the next days we will see it and clarify the situation.
“All the players in this moment, they are Chelsea players. If they are going be Chelsea players, we are going to try and use them.
“I want Raheem Sterling, but I want all the players we have and there is no space for all of them. So for some of them, they have to leave.”
City went in front after 18 minutes. Bernardo Silva got the faintest of touches to help a square pass from Jeremy Doku towards Haaland, before the striker shrugged off Marc Cucurella to score
Nicolas Jackson had Chelsea’s best chance to steal a point on Maresca’s Stamford Bridge bow, flicking out a leg to turn Romeo Lavia’s header goalwards only to be thwarted by the reflexes of Ederson in City’s goal.
Former Chelsea midfielder Kovacic, who in happier times for home fans was a Champions League winner with the club in 2021, lashed in the visitors’ second goal six minutes from time.
However, Guardiola’s praise was reserved for Haaland after he scored on his landmark 100th City appearance. It was the Norwegian's 91st goal for the club.
“I have a feeling he feels better than he did last season at this stage,” said Guardiola. “I felt last season he was tired. He feels good. The goal was magnificent.
“He has the numbers of [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In terms of numbers, he’s at that level. To score in 100 games 91 goals in the Premier League is unbelievable.”
It was also the first time since February 2022 that City had won an away game in the league without injured midfielder Rodri.
“It’s important to win without him,” said Guardiola. “When someone said City cannot do it without him, we break all the opinions.
“But wishing him back as quick as possible. In the meantime, it’s a question of surviving this period.”
Next up for City is the visit of promoted Ipswich Town to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Chelsea play Swiss side Servette in the first of two legs in the Europa Conference League play-offs on Thursday before taking on Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday.
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
