Pep Guardiola felt his side had come through a tough game after grinding out a 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday.

Erling Haaland struck twice in the latter stages to secure a hard-fought Premier League success for the champions at the Etihad Stadium.

It was City’s 10th successive triumph in all competitions and Guardiola said the manner of the win would stand them in good stead as they chase a repeat treble.

The City manager said: “I love to win this type of game. The difficulty is there. We knew it, we talked about it.

“Always Everton here at home is really complicated. We’ve lost a lot of points over many years.

“What pleased me the most is something the people cannot see – the body shape, the positivity, the body language.

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Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov insists he is ready to fight for his Old Trafford future even if a new forward joins the Premier League club before next season.

Berbatov, who announced his decision to retire from international duty with Bulgaria on Thursday, has failed to live up to his 30 million pounds transfer fee since moving to United from Tottenham in August 2008.

The 29-year-old has been criticised by United fans for his perceived lack of effort and scored just 12 goals this season.

His poor performances when he stood in for the injured Wayne Rooney against Chelsea and Blackburn played a key role in United s loss of the Premier League title

And now United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to sign a striker during the close-season, with Rea…

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson hopes to deliver the trophy he feels the club s fans deserve next season.

Brendan Rodgers side reached the semi-finals of both domestic competitions in 2014-15, but were beaten by Chelsea and Aston Villa in the League and FA Cups respectively.

Having challenged for a top-four spot and a return to the UEFA Champions League for much of the campaign, Liverpool fell away towards the end of the season and finished sixth, settling instead for a Europa League place.

Henderson was part of the side that lifted the League Cup back in 2012 the club s last piece of silverware and the former Sunderland man wants to bring more glory to Anfield in 2015-16.

I think we ve got a great group of players with a lot of potential, youn…

Lionel Messi returns to Argentina s squad for their friendly in Romania in March, but Erik Lamela has missed out through injury.

Captain Messi has not played for his country since scoring twice in their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in September following a series of injuries late last year.

The Barcelona star returns to Alejandro Sabella s squad for the trip to Romania, although Tottenham forward Lamela is ruled out with a back injury.

Lamela, who has endured a tough start to his career at White Hart Lane since his switch from Roma last year, misses Argentina s final friendly before the FIFA World Cup squad is announced.

Domestic-based midfielders Fernando Gago and Ever Banega are expected to be included as late additions, while Manchester City st…

Verdict: Both teams to score yes

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It is undeniable that Saturday s action in the 2018/19 Serie A season will feature a marquee matchup between the reigning champions, Juventus, and one of the most attacking-minded teams in Europe in Lazio. In what promises to be Cristiano Ronaldo s first game at home since joining from Real Madrid, the Serie A champions will go out for the win. But Lazio are not going to make things easy on him, or Juventus as a whole. Who will come out on top?

Juventus

Juventus season did not began as expected. Despite winning the opener against Chievo Verona, the reigning Serie A champions should have done a far better job on both ends of the pitch. And while it was clear that Cristiano Ronaldo still does not …

Prediction: Both Teams To Score and Manchester United to Win

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Manchester United will be hoping to take a significant step towards the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday in their final home game of the Premier League season against West Ham United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s Red Devils have the opportunity to claim fourth spot with just a draw ahead of their crunch clash with Leicester City on the final day. Meanwhile, whilst it is still mathematically possible for David Moyes Hammers to be relegated, it is highly unlikely considering they are six points clear of the drop zone with a superior goal difference. They then will be keen to lay down a marker ahead of next season.

Manchester United

The final two matches of the season really…

European champions Spain s return to the form in the 1-0 win over Portugal in their World Cup last 16 match showed that pass masters Xavi and Andres Iniesta were fully back in tandem.

And that is an ominous sign for not only Saturday s quarter-final opponents Paraguay but for any of the other six World Cup contenders left in the competition.

The Barcelona duo pocket battleships as they both only measure 1.70metres (5ft 5inches) were at their mesmerising best against the Portuguese which delighted their former national coach Luis Aragones, who had predicted that the Portuguese would beat an off-colour Spanish side.

We finally saw the Spain with its traditional passing game, he said after the victory.

Indeed it was from a typically precise passing combina…

Valencia have had their partial stadium closure reduced to three matches and their fine cut to 27,000 euros following the racist abuse of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior by fans.

The Spanish Football Federation appeals committee said that it had decided to “partially uphold” Valencia’s appeal.

It means the partial closure of the Mestalla Stadium has come down from five matches, with an initial 45,000 euros (£39,000) punishment reduced by 18,000 euros.

: “All the support has received has been good for him.

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)

Vinicius threatened to leave the pitch in the second half of Real Madrid’s LaLiga match against Valencia on Sunday after being subjected to alleged monkey chants from the crowd and Madrid, …

John Terry paid tribute to manager Jose Mourinho after Chelsea progressed to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

On a dramatic night at Stamford Bridge, goals from Andre Schurrle and Demba Ba saw Chelsea emerge 2-0 winners against Paris Saint-Germain.

The result ensured the Premier League giants progressed on away goals after overturning a two-goal deficit.

And the Chelsea captain said Mourinho s tactical preparation was the catalyst behind the club s successful night.

We always gave ourselves a chance. We worked on different scenarios all week, the 33-year-old veteran said.

We had a game plan. Once again we got it right.

We showed great character and a will to win. It was a big result. This competition means a lot to us.

Th…

Schalke midfielder Marco Hoger completed his first training session since suffering a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old has been a regular for the club since arriving at the Veltins Arena in 2011 but suffered the injury in October and has not featured since.

However, he took part in first-team training this week and, while he remains unlikely to feature this term, Hoger said it was a positive step on his recovery.

I am glad that I was able to complete a full training session with the boys. Now we have to see how it goes, how the knee reacts and how it feels in the next few days, he told the club s official website.

It is too early to set the exact (return) date now though.

We will see everything in the next few weeks (b…