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Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt wants Nkosingiphile Ngcobo to play further forward in order to combine more with Samir Nurkovic.

The 21-year-old Ngcobo has been at the centre of Amakhosi's resurgence which has seen them winning their last three matches and he has scored twice in the last two games, against Cape Town City and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.

The goal against TTM was a sublime effort from Ngcobo, with Nurkovic having played his part by initially drawing defenders away from his teammate and then supplying him with the ball.

Hunt is eager for the diminutive Ngcobo to combine more often with the burly Serbian, although as he explains, there are challenges to doing that.

“I think any good player can play with anybody. They can play with each other, so the idea is we want to try and play into Samir, but I mean we can’t all the time,” Hunt was quoted as saying by IOL.

“If I can get [Ngcobo] higher up on the field, which we can’t do at the moment because of other situations.

“We need to go get the boy (in better positions) because I think he has three or four goals this season. But we need to get him into those positions more often because he's got the ability.

“But at the moment we are trying to work on his defensive side of the game. It's something that he's going to learn in each game. But we hope that combination can continue to blossom a little better going forward in the season.”

Ngcobo isn't the only Amakhosi youngster shining at the moment - Njabulo Blom and Darrel Matsheke have been playing well in the engine room while left-wing Happy Mashiane has two goals and an assist from his last two appearances.

In some respects, Chiefs' transfer ban and a lengthy injury list have forced Hunt to give more opportunities to the less experienced members of his squad.

And having been trounced 5-0 on aggregate by Orlando Pirates over the two-legged MTN8 semi-finals at the start of the season, Hunt will be pleased to see how his young players have progressed since then.

“We need to get the balance (between the seniors and youngsters) right, because I know in the derby I had too many of them (youngsters) playing. But we had to test them somewhere. We have to be careful. But in our situation, they have to play and learn very fast,” Hunt said, before also praising Mashiane.

“I've liked Happy from the first time I saw him. He's my type of player and a very good crosser of the ball. So, we need to work on that a little more."

When Wilfred Ndidi smashed Leicester City into an early lead on Tuesday, it not only allowed the Foxes settle into what turned out to be a 2-0 win over a spineless Chelsea side that offered little for 90 minutes, but it also shook the already fragile confidence of Frank Lampard’s men.

The Nigeria defensive midfielder opened the scoring via some quick thinking from a sixth-minute set-piece, partly aided by a Harvey Barnes miscue, to score his first Premier League goal since September 2019.

To some extent, the upshot of that strike also threw Lampard’s plan out the window regarding the Englishman’s bold selection at the King Power Stadium. The former Derby County boss went with a midfield of Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz, with Callum Hudson-Odoi, Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham as the attacking trident.

Throw in the fact that Chelsea’s starting full-backs on the night were Reece James and Ben Chilwell and you can opine the Blues had eight forward-thinking players in their XI. Ndidi’s early strike, however, robbed fans of the club of the opportunity to see how well the side could make it work, with the left-footed belter throwing an early spanner in the works.

Lampard’s choice of defensive midfielder was particularly strange, with Kovacic selected in front of the backline ahead of the much-maligned Jorginho and talented Billy Gilmour. The Italy international is not everyone’s cup of tea, in fairness, and has been seldom used this season—evidenced by his eight starts in the PL.

Still, leaving out the former Napoli regista was probably questionable, and some will reckon the choice not to put Gilmour in an unpleasant situation was understandable; however, the eventual selection of Kovacic only highlights the glaring issue that has plagued Chelsea in the last few years in holding midfield.

Pundits in England tend to misrepresent N’Golo Kante as the archetypal defensive midfielder, totally ignoring the fact he’s hardly been used in holding midfield since moving to English football. When Leicester won the league in 2015/16, Danny Drinkwater functioned as the sitting midfielder, controlling the tempo as best he could and utilising his passing range to aid the side’s counter-attacking style.

The following year at Chelsea, Nemanja Matic functioned in that role in a pairing with the France international as Antonio Conte’s famed 3-4-3 carried the West London side to a fifth Premier League crown.

Kante was and has never played in that role consistently, thus questioning why observers criticised Maurizio Sarri for not ‘playing him in his best position’ in that stormy 18/19 season. That debate has seemingly remained even after the Italian’s departure, largely contributing to the strong disapproval of Jorginho by pundits and, especially, supporters.

Lampard initially continued with the Frenchman in a slightly advanced role in central midfield, taking advantage of his roaming ball-winning qualities in the centre of the park and higher up the pitch. However, the intermittent failings of the regista caused a change in approach by the club’s greatest player this season.

Kante was moved deeper to play in front of the defence and the Blues looked to have found the necessary balance in that 14-game winning run in all competitions. Be that as it may, the decline since December has brought back old doubts surrounding the World Cup winner, given how he was steadily exposed in defeats by Arsenal and particularly Manchester City.

Frankly, the team’s broader structural issues have also contributed to recent malaise, but the defensive midfield conundrum will eventually need addressing, with or without Lampard.

Therefore, it begs the question: why wasn’t a DM prioritised in the summer?

Before the start of the season, Goal questioned the summer business of the 2020 FA Cup finalists, raising reservations as to whether they ought to have spent the Havertz money on other pressing areas of the team, such as on a midfield anchorman.

Then-Atletico Madrid star, Thomas Partey, was suggested, due to his all-round quality in central midfield but he’s since joined North London giants, Arsenal.

Lampard’s first-choice for that position appears to be Declan Rice, a Chelsea boy who’s come on in leaps and bounds at West Ham United in the last 12 to 18 months. However, the Hammers’ astronomical asking price and the uncertain future of the West London club’s boss means striking a deal may be unlikely.

So, why not Ndidi?

Admittedly, Leicester won’t let him leave for peanuts due to the significant strides he’s made since joining from Genk in January 2017, while selling yet another key player to a rival may dissatisfy the Foxes' hierarchy.

Still, it makes sense for the Blues to plump for the Nigeria international due to his proficiency playing in front of the defence, ball-winning qualities and pressing adeptness. Reservations may arise about the West African’s ball progression — he currently ranks fifth-bottom for progressive passes per 90 this season for Leicester — but last term demonstrated his growing multifaceted nature.

The significant decrease in passes into the final third and progressive passing can be attributed to featuring in central defence intermittently as well as frequently playing with a central midfield partner, mostly Youri Tielemans, who carries a greater responsibility in driving the Foxes upfield.

Despite scoring on Tuesday night, it wasn’t the most eye-catching showing for the Super Eagle but his overall rise into one of the astute holding midfielders in the game questions why the beaten visitors on Tuesday haven’t looked his way in solving a prolonged issue in the middle of the park.

Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane believes that Masandawana forward Gaston Sirino should have been given the opportunity to secure his financial future by signing for Al Ahly.

Sirino had made no secret of his desire to join Mosimane at Al Ahly, where the former Bafana Bafana coach had guided the Red Devils to the treble last year, the Egyptian league and cup as well as the Caf Champions League.

The saga lingered on for several months, during which time Sirino had initially been sidelined by injury as well.

Finally, Sundowns issued a statement on the matter in December as they looked to try and emphatically bring to an end the speculation and also to try and get the Uruguay-born Sirino focused on his job in South Africa.

Having been the one to bring Sirino over from South America to play in the Premier Soccer League, Mosimane admits that it had always been in his plan to help the player secure his financial future by moving onto a richer region of the football world at some point.

“When I recruit, I recruit with a vision, and I told Sirino (on joining Downs four seasons ago) that ‘at your age, 26 (the age when Sirino joined Sundowns), you have missed Europe so your chance is in China, in the Middle East or in South Africa. At this point it is South Africa giving you an opportunity. Come here, do well and when you play in the Champions League and Club World Cup, the Middle East will see you," the two-time Champions League-winning coach was reported to have said by the Citizen.

While Sirino is still contracted to the Tshwane club, Mosimane pointed to the fact that Sundowns previously released himself as well as Percy Tau while still under contract.
 
“Now [Sirino] is 29, going to 30, and I understand how he reacted, to say ‘I have a chance to make a bit more for myself, this might be my last contract’.

"You can say he has a five-year contract at Sundowns - I also signed a four-year contract at Sundowns.

“Percy Tau was sold under contract (to Brighton & Hove Albion). Players have 40 or 50 years to live (after football).

"What do you live with if you are not skilled in anything but football? It is why (Andres) Iniesta moves (to Japan), it is why Xavi moves (to Qatar). It is a last chance and you have to go," Mosimane continued.

“Players, coaches and agents have a lot to learn. Sometimes we lose out on opportunities, especially players, we will say ‘this guy is bankrupt, he doesn’t have any money.’ There are many more years to live after football. Gaston was crying for this chance, I know that for sure.”

Cameroon failed to seal their quarter-final place for Chan early, after playing to a 1-1 draw with Mali in Group A at the Stade Omnisport Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé, on Wednesday.

Salomon Charles Banga scored for the tournament hosts with the West African outfit equalizing courtesy of Issaka Samake.

Having won the first game against the Warriors of Zimbabwe by a solitary goal in their initial game, the indomitable Lions needed a win to seal their place in the next phase early.

However, they had to be at their best to get maximum points from the Eagles who had claimed a 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in their opening game as well.

The Indomitable Lions settled early and took a deserved lead after just six minutes. 26-year-old midfielder Anthony Mfede picked the run of Banga who managed to find the back of the net to give the home fans something to celebrate.

The lead lasted just six minutes, and concentration lapses allowed Samake into a good area and he did not disappoint. He managed to put his team onto level terms and ensured the spoils are shared.

In the second match of the day, the Stallions sent Zdravko Logarusic's charges packing after a 3-1 win.

Les Étalons opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour mark when Issouf Sosso did well to punish the defenders and goalkeeper for sleeping on the job.

Zimbabwe fought back after conceding and scored the equalizer in the 23rd minute. 

27-year-old Jaravani Tafadzwa found defender Partson Jaure in the danger zone and the 30-year-old made no mistake.

The opponents came back stronger in the second half and in the 53rd minute, they reclaimed their lead courtesy of Claver Tiendrebeogo. 

In the 57th minute, Rene Zoungrana paved way for youngster Issiaka Ouedraogo. 10 minutes later, the 20-year-old sealed the win to hand his charges their first victory in this year's edition.

Cameroon and Mali are now on four points in Group A with the same statistics. Burkina Faso come in third place with three points while Zimbabwe are at the bottom without a point.

In the final group game, Cameroon will play Burkina Faso as Mali tackle Zimbabwe. 

On Wednesday, Libya will play DR Congo in a Group B game while Congo will be up against Niger.

Ebusua Dwarfs coach Ernest Thompson Quartey feels vindicated by Fabio Gama's substitution during Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Asante Kotoko in the Ghana Premier League.

A new Kotoko signing with a growing reputation among fans of his club, the Brazilian midfielder saw 68 minutes of action as his side secured all three points in the outstanding matchday seven fixture at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

Thompson had played down the 28-year-old's quality before the game, describing the midfielder as "just a normal player".

"The kitchen was too hot for Gama and you saw it. That is why he was taken off. I said it before the game and I'm justified," Thompson said after Wednesday game, as reported by Footballmadeinghana.

“Before the game, I said that we were going to neutralize some of their players and you can see that Kwame Poku was a passenger in the game.

"We took our legs off the pedal and they took advantage of it to punish us. But in all, my boys did well. Everyone saw it.

“I am very proud of my boys. They performed well but we lost at the end. But I am happy with the performance.”

Gama joined Kotoko in a two-year deal in October, making his full debut in a 2-0 victory over Liberty Professionals earlier this month.

He last played for Swedish lower division side Jonkoping Sondra, the spell ending in March last year.

"I know Fabio Gama, he is just a normal midfielder like any other Ghanaian player,” Quartey told Hello FM before the game.

“I think we have better midfielders than Fabio Gama in Ghana. Let us stop hyping him because he is a Brazilian and hype out our own.

“There are better players in the league and we have players who are even playing better than Fabio Gama.

“I am not saying he is a bad player but we have players who are doing better than him."

Wednesday's game was decided by Christopher Nettey's second-half goal.

The result has lifted Kotoko to third on the league table while Dwarfs occupy 11th position. 

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has accepted responsibility for his side's shock defeat to Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

Despite Eder Militao giving the Spanish giants the lead before half-time in the round of 32 tie, third-tier side Alcoyano took the game into extra time with an 80th minute goal from Jose Solbes.

The game took a turn for the worse for the minnows when Ramon Lopez was sent off in the second half of extra time, but Juanan popped up to net the winner and take his side into the last-16.

The result comes less than a week after his side were knocked out of the Supercopa de Espana semi-finals by Athletic Club and a 0-0 draw with Osasuna in La Liga preceded that result.

Wednesday's stunning upset will only increase pressure on Zidane, who defended his players - though he admits he is not sure if he still has their support.

“I think so but you have to ask them [if I still have their support],” he said at a press conference. 

“We have done good things, not so much lately, but apart from the last games we did good things this season. We have to concentrate on the things that can be done.

“When you lose, you always talk. I take responsibility and whatever has to happen, will happen. I am very calm, the players wanted to win the game. They try and sometimes different things happen. You have to assume responsibility.

“I am going to assume it, as always. The players have tried and if we score the second goal it is another match, football is like that. The goalkeeper has made two or three saves and didn't allow us to score the second goal. But I have the responsibility. We are out.”

The French coach says his side tried their hardest in the Copa clash and felt they had enough chances to win the game.

“We have tried, I think the players have left everything on the field. We had chances and when you don't put them in, what happened to us can happen,” he said.

“It is a difficult moment, we are out of the Copa, we had to do something else but we couldn't. The players have tried. This is football, it is very difficult because we played against a Segunda B team and we have to win the game, but it didn't go like that.

“It's not a shame, it can happen, it happens, these are things that happen in a football career. I assume responsibility and we will continue working. We will not go crazy.”

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hailed the form of Paul Pogba after the midfielder netted a stunning winner in Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Fulham.

After a stuttering beginning to the season that saw him sidelined due to injury and coronavirus, Pogba has surged into prominence in recent weeks. 

Pogba has now started five straight league games for United, scoring two goals, including a left-footed rocket from outside the box in the 65th minute on Wednesday against the Cottagers. 

His goal clinched a comeback win for United, who fell behind early after Ademola Lookman's fifth-minute opener before equalising through Edinson Cavani 15 minutes later.

The win took Man Utd to the top of the Premier League table, leapfrogging rivals Man City, who were temporarily in first place after beating Aston Villa earlier in the day.

Speaking to BBC's Match of the Day after the game at Craven Cottage, Solskjaer was full of praise for his in-form midfielder.

"We have always said Paul can do everything, he can play wide, play in midfield, create chances and shoot," the Norwegian said. "Today we felt his position was midfield and what a goal with his left foot. He was so committed and got tackles in as well."

Speaking to BT Sport, Solskjaer added: "[Pogba] has really come on. He is fit, he can play in midfield and he can play wide. That is key with Paul, getting him match fit and running fit and he is at the moment. He played very well."

United have now won four of their last five league matches to underline their status as title contenders. 

As his side seek their first league crown since 2012-13, Solskjaer attempted to play down any title talk. 

"It is always going to be talked about when you are halfway through and top of the league but we are not thinking about this, we just have to go one game at a time,," Solskjaer said to BT Sport.  "It is such an unpredictable season."

Next up for United is a FA Cup showdown with Liverpool on Sunday, which comes just one week after the two sides played out a 0-0 draw in the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp has offered a positive update on Virgil van Dijk, saying the Liverpool star is looking “really positive” as he recovers from his knee injury.

Van Dijk has been sidelined since suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a challenge with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at Goodison Park on October 17.

Liverpool chose to put no timescale on the injury, though the initial expectation had been that he was likely to miss the rest of the campaign.

The Dutchman, though, is understood to be making good progress in his recovery, and the sight of the 29-year-old juggling a football in a video shared on his social media accounts last weekend sparked excitement among Reds supporters desperate to see him back in action as soon as possible.

Klopp stopped short of suggesting we may see Van Dijk again this season, but said he had spoken to the player this week and was enthused by what he heard.

He said: “I don’t know what is possible, and I don’t think I am the right person to judge it.

“He looks really good. I spoke to him this morning on the phone, and he is in a really good mood. It’s all very promising, but I don’t know when he will be back.

“For sure there are still a lot of stages to go and to clear. I had this injury myself, so I know. But for the time we are in, and for how long he is out now, and the rehabilitation, he looks really, really promising.”

Klopp expects to have another centre-back, Joel Matip, available for Thursday’s home game with Burnley. The Cameroon international has missed the last four games with a groin problem, but is back in full training and available for selection.

The news on Diogo Jota, though, is less positive. The Portugal international injured knee ligaments in a dead-rubber Champions League game away to Midtjylland in December and has not been seen since, with Klopp admitting on Wednesday he was still “a few weeks away” from a return.

As for Liverpool, they head into Thursday’s game without a win in four Premier League matches, and under pressure with Manchester City, Manchester United and Leicester all having overtaken them at the top of the table.

Klopp understands the questions over his team’s form, and in particular their lack of goals in recent weeks, but insists his players are ready to shake off their struggles and fire themselves back into the title race.

“We all know it is all about results but sometimes you can see little steps in the right direction or not,” he said.

“You cannot change the approach just because everybody who has no real idea about the job now expects massive changes, from the wake up call to the nutrition, because we don’t have the results. Sometimes we have to be really…..not stubborn, resilient maybe.

“We are on it, believe me. We take it really serious. And I can promise to everyone who is with us, we want to be as successful as possible, and that means more successful than in the last few weeks because we know we can be.

“Tomorrow night we try to start against Burnley.”

Sammy Ameobi was in action as Britt Assombalonga scored to help Middlesbrough secure a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest in Wednesday’s Championship game.

Ameobi was afforded his 20th league start for the Reds following his blistering performance in their last outing against Millwall last weekend.

The Nigerian forward bagged a brace in the encounter to help Chris Hughton’s men secure a comfortable victory.

The forward was, however, unable to build on the fine display at City Ground as his side lost to the Riverside Stadium outfit, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo international Assombalonga scoring in the game.

The match started with both sides aiming to outwit each other and in the 13th minute, Egypt international Sam Morsy was cautioned.

Assombalonga then put Middlesbrough in front shortly after the incident after receiving a timely assist from Jonathan Howson.

George Saville then doubled the Boro lead moments before the hour mark after he was set up by Marcus Browne.

Loic Mbe Soh reduced the deficit for Nottingham Forest in the 90th minute with a fine strike following a through pass from Joe Lolley.

Moments before the end of the game, Forest were reduced to 10 men after Yuri Ribeiro was shown a straight red card for a serious foul display.

Assombalonga, Morsy and Anglo Nigerian Marc Bola featured for the entirety of the game for Middlesbrough.

Ameobi played for 78 minutes before he was replaced by Lolley while Mali midfielder Samba Sow only saw 46 minutes of action before making way for Lyle Taylor.

With the result, Middlesbrough moved to the seventh spot on the league table after accruing 39 points from 24 outings.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, dropped to the 20th place on the table with 25 points from 25 outings and will hope to return to winning ways when they face Swansea City in a FA Cup tie on Saturday.

The Boro will square off against Blackburn Rovers in a Championship game and will aim to clinch all three points to boost their promotions hopes.

While Assombalonga has eight caps for DR Congo, Ameobi is yet to get a chance to play for the Nigeria national team despite indicating his desire to feature for the African giants.

While we may not know exactly when the MLS season will begin, the first major event of the league's 2021 campaign will kick off the year on Thursday.

The 2021 MLS SuperDraft is set to be held on Thursday as clubs will have their selection from a list of 176 eligible players joining the league from the college ranks. This year's draft is unlike any that have preceded it, with teams facing new challenges when it comes to scouting players after the coronavirus pandemic halted a large part of the 2020 fall college campaign.

Also adding to this year's event is the inclusion of Austin FC, the league's newest franchise which will continue their roster-building process with the first overall selection. The club already has Paraguayan star Cecilio Dominguez as a Designated Player as well as MLS veterans like Matt Besler, Alex Ring, Nick Lima and Ben Sweat.

With the first overall pick, Austin will get the chance to add an up-and-coming prospect to their ranks and, even if the draft has taken on lesser importance due to the rise of homegrown signings, there still have been some top contributors selected in recent years. Daryl Dike, Chase Gasper, Miles Robinson and Chris Mueller are among the players to make the leap from college to the U.S. men's national team in recent years, while international selections like Jack Harrison and Julian Gressel have become stars in their own rights.

This year's class is headlined by a pair of Generation adidas players: Clemson's Philip Mayaka and Wake Forest's Calvin Harris. As Generation adidas signings, Makaya and Harris, who are joined by Washington's Ethan Bartlow, Virginia's Brett Halsey and Virginia Tech's Daniel Pereira, do not count against the MLS senior roster.

Makaya, projected to be the top overall pick by Austin FC, is a native of Kenya who moved to the U.S. as a teenager. The Clemson product was named the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2019 and would offer the expansion club a young, rangy midfielder that can cover plenty of ground in the center of the field.

Harris, meanwhile, is also widely projected to be selected very early on Thursday. The English-born, New Zealand-raised attacker scored 10 goals during his time at Wake and has the ability to play either centrally or out wide.

Bartlow will likely be among the first defenders selected in the draft, while UC Davis' Nabi Kibunguchy and New Hampshire's Josh Bauer are also candidates to be selected among the first few picks.

The 2021 draft will have three rounds, with Austin currently holding the first pick of each round with the ensuing selections determined by 2020 finishes. As always, teams are and have been able to trade their picks, with the Philadelphia Union opting to cash in on all of their picks in a trade with Nashville SC.

After Austin, FC Cincinnati will have the second overall pick, with the Houston Dynamo, D.C. United and Atlanta United rounding out the top five. Inter Miami CF, Nashville SC, Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, will have compensatory picks at the end of the three rounds after trading for a fourth-round selection prior to the streamlining of the draft.

After the draft, pre-signed seniors, Generation adidas players and select others will be able to join up with their new teams for the 2021 preseason. Others, meanwhile, may continue to compete for their colleges before reporting to their MLS club in late May as several schools continue to eye Spring 2021 games following the upheaval of the Fall 2020 college soccer season.

The first round of Thursday's draft can be watched on MLSsoccer.com, the MLS App, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube while rounds two and three will not be streamed.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Compensatory Picks

Former Arsenal defender has tipped Manchester City to win the 2020-21 Premier League campaign ahead of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

The Cameroonian believes Pep Guardiola has the quality in his team to bring the top-flight title back to Manchester this year after their second-place finish last season.

Manchester City displaced Leicester City at the summit of the league table on Wednesday, with a superior goal difference after a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa and they still have game in hand.

With City and the Foxes level on 38 points, Manchester United follow behind with 37 points while Liverpool occupy the fourth place with 34 points, Lauren foresees a tight title race and does not see Jurgen Klopp’s side defending their crown this year.

“This season is going to be tight. Liverpool will be there and I’m surprised at how well Manchester United have recovered but I believe that Manchester City will win the league,” Lauren told Genting Bet.

“They are slowly climbing positions in the league. The quality is there and at the end of the day when you have a squad with top players in your team, the easier it is to win things.

“I believe that the end of the year, they will be there and I think they will win because Liverpool have dropped now.

“They have dropped and are not comfortable and in the last games they lost heavily when you didn’t expect them to lose. They have dropped a little bit and they are not the same Liverpool as last year.”

Tottenham Hotspur are fifth in the league table with five points adrift of the summit, but Lauren does not see Arsenal arch-rivals lifting the Premier League title this season.

“Tottenham have no chance of winning the league,” he added.

“They will be there in the European places and maybe even Champions League positions but I cannot see them winning the Premier League.”

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has said that the club will have to wait on an update on Kevin De Bruyne's health after the star midfielder was withdrawn from Wednesday's 2-0 win over Aston Villa. 

De Bruyne was caught by a late challenge by Jack Grealish 10 minutes into the second half, with the Villa star appearing to roll over De Bruyne's left ankle. 

The 29-year-old would only last five more minutes before he was replaced by Gabriel Jesus.

Even without their playmaker, City would find the winning goal in the 79th minute through Bernardo Silva, who took advantage of a Villa giveaway to fire home from the top of the box for his first Premier League goal of the season.

City would add a late insurance goal as Ilkay Gundogan netted from the penalty spot after a handball from Matty Cash. 

De Bruyne wasn't the first City player to be felled by Grealish, who had previously knocked Kyle Walker out of the game in the first half.

Speaking in his press conference after the match, Guardiola said he was hoping that both De Bruyne and Walker weren't seriously injured but admitted he didn't have much information to share on their condition.

"First, I didn’t speak to the doctor," Guardiola said. "Kyle asked to be out because something happened – hopefully it was just a kick. Kevin put his hand on his leg. Maybe it will be something muscular. But what do you expect?"

After winning the PFA Players' Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season, De Bruyne has again been in stellar form for City this season.

The Belgium star entered Wednesday's contest with 15 assists in 22 total appearances in 2020-21, to go along with three goals. 

Guardiola has previously spoken about how important De Bruyne is to his side, saying last month that even in a busy period of fixtures the Belgian was too vital to be rested.

“He is so important for us, he is not going to rest,” Guardiola said. “He rested in the Champions League, he rested in other games - in previous weeks he just played the Premier League games and right now we need him," the Spaniard said. 

Aston Villa were victims of football's rules in the lead up to Bernardo Silva's goal for Manchester City on Wednesday, says former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher. 

Villa were beaten 2-0 in the league match at City, with Silva opening the scoring after 79 minutes.

The visitors complained that the first goal should not have stood, however, as City midfielder Rodri came from an offside position to steal the ball from centre-back Tyrone Mings after a header from Silva. 

Rodri then returned the ball to the Portugal international, who went on to fire past Emiliano Martinez.

Villa boss Dean Smith's protests to officials led to his dismissal and Ilkay Gundogan went on to convert a penalty to seal the three points just before the final whistle.

But Gallagher, who spent 15 years as a referee in the Premier League until 2007, says Villa's frustration should be directed at the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

"I think this is a case of Aston Villa being a victim of IFAB rather than the referee or the VAR," he told Premier League Productions.

"You see Rodri in an offside position, clearly – being in an offside position isn't an offence – but once Mings starts to take control of the ball, he's judged to have taken ownership of that situation and therefore, once the ball has been chested by Mings, Rodri can challenge him.

"That's how the law is set up. It seems very unpalatable to everybody. Unfortunately, as that is how the law is set up, that's how it is.

"The amazing thing is that even [Rodri] stopped for a second so he may have thought [he was offside].

"The victim here is Aston Villa due to IFAB."

The result leaves Villa without a win in their last three top-flight matches. They sit 11th in the table with 26 points from 16 games.

Smith's team are in action again on Saturday when they host Newcastle, with a trip to Burnley to follow four days later.

City, who are on a nine-game winning run and have not been beaten since November, have an FA Cup date with Cheltenham this weekend.

Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith has slammed the "farcical" decision that led to Manchester City's winning goal in Wednesday's Premier League match at Etihad Stadium. 

With 10 minutes remaining in a scoreless encounter, Rodri came back from an offside position to dispossess Tyrone Mings and feed the ball to Bernardo Silva. 

Silva did not need a second invitation and slammed home City's winner from the top of the box in an eventual 2-0 victory for Pep Guardiola's side. 

Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Smith was fuming after Rodri was not called offside in the build-up to his side's opener.

"Are we just going to leave players behind the line then? It's farcical," Smith said. "He was 10 yards offside and come back and tackled our player. It's a pathetic law and a pathetic decision.

"I said to the fourth official David Coote 'did you get juggling balls for Christmas?' I don't think any other manager would get sent off for that."

Silva was non-committal on the incident but said he believed that Rodri was onside based on the letter of the law.

"I haven't checked it yet," Silva told BT Sport. Our player was offside but when their defender touched it, he stops being offside, I think. But I haven't checked it."

Smith was also unhappy with the decision for City's second goal as referee Jonathan Moss awarded the home side a penalty after a handball on Matty Cash.

Ilkay Gundogan would convert the ensuing penalty to provide City with an insurance goal. 

"Matty Cash is a yard away for the handball, he can't jump without his arms up," Smith said. "He didn't even look at it, it flabbergasts me. It was a poor performance from the officials and that's cost us."

Smith, though, indicated that he was happy with his side as they took in their first game since New Year's Day after an outbreak of coronavirus at the club.

"It was a heroic performance in terms of energy and commitment but we didn't show enough quality against a very good team," he told BBC Match of the Day.

"It's been tough but much tougher for other people across the country, so it's not too hard for my lads to do 10 days in isolation when some people have done it for nine months."

U.S. men's national team forward Jordan Morris has been given permission to depart camp as reports continue to link the Seattle Sounders star with a move to Swansea City.

Morris has been part of the USMNT's combined camp with the U-23s, which is currently being held in Bradenton, Fla.

However, in recent days, Morris has been linked heavily with a loan move to Swansea City, with The Athletic reporting that the Seattle Sounders star's temporary move to the Welsh club is imminent.

Swansea currently sit in second place in the Championship as the club currently finds itself in a battle for promotion near the top of England's second tier.

The Swans appear close to adding a dynamic option atop the field in Morris, who has been one of the top attacking players in MLS for several seasons.

Morris has 35 goals and 20 assists in 105 MLS games for the Sounders, having reached MLS Cup four times while winning the trophy twice.

Internationally, Morris has 10 goals in 39 USMNT appearances, including the game-winning goal in the 2017 Gold Cup final against Jamaica.

The forward's club career has long been a subject of debate, with Morris being in the public eye since 2014, when he became the first college player to be called into a USMNT squad since Chris Albright was called up in 1999.

Shortly after, Morris was the subject of interest from Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, but the forward opted instead to sign with his hometown Sounders, where he has remained ever since.

However, recently Morris admitted that he was open to trying his hand at European soccer.

"Yeah definitely," he said when asked about the idea earlier this month. "Some conversations are ongoing, with Seattle and in Europe a little bit. I think that, for me, it's a similar stance of kind of where I was before MLS Cup: If the right offer and the right team comes forward, it's something that I'd be interested in.

"If things don't work out and I end up in Seattle, I love being there and I feel like I'm growing a lot in Seattle. I think the league is growing, the quality of play is getting higher and I've felt myself develop there really, really well.

"But yeah, if the right opportunity came, it would definitely be something that I would look at. I guess we'll just have to kind of wait and see a bit, but still definitely open to those opportunities."

Morris may not be the only USMNT regular bound for Swansea, as Yahoo Sports reported on Wednesday that D.C. United's Paul Arriola is also drawing interest from the club.

The links to loan moves come amid some uncertainty regarding the MLS season, which has no official kickoff date amid a new round of Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.

In addition to Morris' departure, U.S. Soccer confirmed that goalkeeper Sean Johnson has left the squad after being diagnosed with a minor knee strain.

The NYCFC goalkeeper will not recover in time for the team's upcoming friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on Jan. 31 in Orlando.

U.S. Soccer confirmed that no replacements for Morris nor Johnson will be added to the squad.