Perhaps it is a sign of how far Manchester City have come. They went 35 years without a major trophy. Now Pep Guardiola is aware of the theory that ending this season with a solitary piece of silverware – plus the Community Shield – would represent a disappointment.
Guardiola does not agree. There are other criteria, particularly in a campaign that has presented difficulties. There may yet be other honours, with Guardiola drawing on his experience from Barcelona and Bayern Munich to swiftly switch attention.
A Carabao Cup winner on Sunday, he is aiming to further his quest for back-to-back FA Cups at Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday night.
“I learnt in the big clubs I was at before and their history that when they win a trophy they go and take a shower and they are thinking in that moment about the next one,” he said.
And yet, as he said, trophies are not everything: “That barometer is the most important thing but for the manager it is not the only one. Whether it is success or not success, there are some seasons you don't win a title and for the manager and players it was an exceptional season for how the team improved and rises.
“How we handled it as a team, how the new players settle: there are many things. It is not just 'winning the title is good, not winning the title is bad,'” Guardiola said. “It’s not a bad season if you lose the Premier League. I just want to be who we are.”
If even a serial winner like him recognises they cannot claim every trophy, every year, the relentless pursuit of honours reflects a transformation within a decade. Guardiola paid tribute to a predecessor for fundamentally altering the attitude at the Etihad Stadium.
“The most important thing was the league when Roberto Mancini was here. It changed the mentality of the club,” he said. “The first one is always the most difficult one.”
The subsequent haul means that, at 19, Phil Foden has won more silverware than Glenn Hoddle got in his career. The teenager’s man-of-the-match performance against Aston Villa at Wembley further fuelled Guardiola’s belief that the sky is the limit for him. “With his behaviour he can achieve whatever he wants,” he said.
In his Barcelona days, Guardiola sometimes used the midfielder Andres Iniesta in the front three. He did likewise with Foden on Sunday, deploying him as a right winger. “People said in pre-season when Leroy [Sane] got injured that we may have to go the transfer market and I said no, because Phil can play in the middle or wide, the same.”
_______________________
Ranked: Manchester City squad in order of weekly wages
_______________________
Foden is seen as the long-term replacement for David Silva and Guardiola feels they share an impeccable attitude. Rationing the minutes of a player of the Spaniard’s status – “one of the greatest” in the club’s history, according to Guardiola – has been made easier by the captain’s approach.
“That would be difficult if the behaviour was not like David’s, but it’s not,” Guardiola said. “In the last days I was talking with my staff and they said they never saw a player like David do what he does to be fit.”
Sane, however, has not been deemed match fit and will not make his comeback at Hillsborough after six months out, but Guardiola confirmed Claudio Bravo will start. The goalkeeper, who made a vital late save from Bjorn Engels on Sunday, is out of contract in the summer and could leave.
“We are talking, we are thinking what is best for him and the club,” Guardiola said, noting Manchester United have “two incredible goalkeepers” in David de Gea and Sergio Romero as he cited the need for quality back-up for Ederson.
But Joao Cancelo, one of City’s two major summer signings, did not even make the bench for the Carabao Cup final. Guardiola said it is up to the Portuguese if he can earn a place back in the side,
“He has to be himself, open-minded, listen and try to do his best," he said. "It depends on him; you can suggest but the players have to decide.”
Meanwhile, City’s Premier League game with Arsenal, which was postponed because of the Carabao Cup final, could be rearranged for next Wednesday.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
