Established 1961 27 Sports Thursday, August 8, 2019 Manchestser City, Liverpool ready for heavyweight Premier League battle European champions Liverpool have more than a puncher’s chance of ending City’s reign LONDON: Manchester City have Premier crowns clinched with unprecedented hauls by winning their sixth European Cup. No League immortality in their sights as they of 100 and then 98 points-City are the team has ever gathered more points with- start their title defence this weekend, but bookmakers’ favourites to become only the out winning the Premier League than sec- Liverpool’s burning desire to get their second club to win a hat-trick of English ond-placed Liverpool did last season with hands on the trophy will fuel a heavyweight titles in the past 35 years after United did it their tally of 97. battle for supremacy. twice. Jurgen Klopp’s side lost just once in their In the blue corner, treble winners City Guardiola is a keen student of football 38 league games-crucially that defeat came are at the peak of their powers and look history and has revelled in City’s record- against City-but their 2-0 Champions capable of enjoying a period of sustained breaking feats, so the opportunity to fur- League final win over Tottenham ensured dominance not seen since Manchester ther bolster his team’s credentials as one of there was no title hangover. Liverpool had United earned three successive Premier England’s all-time greats will not be lost on the Premier League’s meanest defence last League titles from 2007 to 2009. the Spaniard. season and boast an attack featuring two of But in the red corner, European champi- Although City have never won the the campaign’s three leading scorers in ons Liverpool, chasing a first English title Champions League and Guardiola last lifted Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. since 1990, have more than a puncher’s it back in 2011 with Barcelona, he said Despite that wealth of talent, Liverpool chance of ending City’s reign after pushing domestic bliss remains his preferred pas- midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum admits Pep Guardiola’s side all the way to the final sion. “To maintain the health and focus of making a fast start is essential to stop City day last season. the team, the most important thing is the establishing a stranglehold at the top. The first blows will be landed this week Premier League,” Guardiola said. “You just have to collect as many points as Liverpool kick off the new Premier “It is the standout competition because as possible, especially in the beginning, and League campaign against promoted it is every weekend. In the Champions try to build a team who will be even better Norwich at Anfield on Friday, before City League, many things can happen in one or at the end of the season,” Wijnaldum said. MUNICH: File pictures show Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp (L) celebrating head to West Ham on Saturday. Sunday’s two games. “We will be closer to achieving “We can try and do even better than last after his side scored the opening goal during the UEFA Champions League match against no-holds-barred Community Shield clash in Europe when we have more Premier season. Basically it starts now because now Bayern Munich on March 13, 2019 and Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola showed the growing rivalry between League titles. That is a nice process and the we have the whole team together.” gestures from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between England’s pre-eminent teams, with City right process to do at Manchester City. “If I Challengers to City and Liverpool are likely Manchester City and Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. —AFP beating Liverpool on penalties following a could have one thing this season, right now, to be thin on the ground. 1-1 draw that underlined how little there is it would definitely be the title.” Since winning the Europa League, to separate the sides. Chelsea have lost star playmaker Eden are contenders after making £80-million- bridging that gap this season. Arsenal have Adding Atletico Madrid’s Rodri for a NO HANGOVER Hazard to Real Madrid and hired an man Harry Maguire the world’s most the look of pretenders rather than con- club-record £63 million ($77 million) gives It would be a surprise if Liverpool do not idolised but inexperienced new manager in expensive defender and landing young tal- tenders, while Tottenham have not invested Guardiola an even greater embarrassment make City sweat right to the finish once Frank Lampard, who is working under the ents Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James. enough to satisfy boss Mauricio Pochettino of riches. With five major trophies over the again after bouncing back from last sea- club’s transfer ban. But it is hard to imagine United, who end- despite a paying a club record of around £54 past two seasons-including Premier League son’s agonising near-miss in the title race Guardiola suggests Manchester United ed 32 points adrift of City in sixth place, million for Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele. — AFP Pochettino, however, will need to free Pique wants to up space in his own squad by ensuring Christian Eriksen, the Danish interna- tional, moves to Manchester United for a keep Coutinho fee believed to be in the region of $60 Schalke’s boss million. at Barcelona Coutinho’s $350,000 a week wages Toennies steps are also problematic when attempting to engineer a move away from the Camp down following MIAMI: Gerard Pique wants Brazilian Nou. Spanish international Pique told Philippe Coutinho to stay at Barcelona AFP: “I want him (Coutinho) to stay, but amid fevered interest from the Premier at the end of the day it’s what he wants ‘racist’ slur League. Coutinho arrived in Barcelona and I want him to be happy. from Liverpool for a record 160 million “Let’s see. Until the last day of the BERLIN: Clemens Toennies has stepped down for euros ($192 million) 18 months ago but transfer market we will not know if he three months as chairman of German Bundesliga club Schalke following widespread condemnation has fallen out of favour under manager stays or not. But it’s not my decision, it’s the club’s and Philippe’s.” Argentine of alleged ‘racist’ comments he made last week. The Ernesto Valverde who wants him out of superstar Lionel Messi has not travelled club’s five-strong ethics committee, in a statement the club before the start of the La Liga with the Barcelona squad for their mini- late Tuesday, said Toennies had “violated the ban season on August 16th. tour to the United States - they will play on discrimination contained in the club’s statutes” Barca are looking to offload the play- Napoli again in Michigan on Saturday - Gerard Pique after a lengthy meeting in which Toennies had to maker, 27, with sources telling AFP a because of a calf injury. explain himself. deal to return to the Premier League But new signings Antoine Griezmann The club said Toennies had decided to step remains a “strong possibility.” He trav- and Dutch sensation Frenkie De Jong are perspective,” he added. “We won La England captain at AC Milan and Paris St down as a member and chair of the supervisory elled to Miami ahead of yesterday’s both slated to appear. Barcelona won the Liga last season which was great, but we Germain and is open to the idea of a job board for three months. “He admitted the violation friendly match with Napoli at Hard Rock Spanish championship last season but should control expectations with the in the United States. Inter Miami will at the meeting on Tuesday and expressed his regret Stadium. were stung in the Champions League Champions League. Our main goal is La make their MLS debut next March but once again,” said the panel in a statement. And although Arsenal distanced after losing an epic semi-final to eventual Liga, the Champions League is like are yet to appoint a coach. However, the body dismissed the accusation of themselves from a transfer on Monday, winners Liverpool. Russian roulette.” “I heard something (about the possi- racism as “unfounded” and avoided the heavier North London rivals Tottenham have Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti, bility of moving to MLS),” said Ancelotti. sanction of firing him. The 63-year-old has been now been strongly linked with a move. MLS IN ANCELOTTI’S FUTURE? meanwhile, raised the possibility of “Beckham is my friend and I have a good sharply criticised for saying more power stations Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino “The arrival of players like Frenkie de returning to South Florida in the future relationship with him. “I have a three should be built in Africa, “then Africans would stop coached Coutinho at Espanyol for a Jong and Antoine Griezmann will cer- to take charge of David Beckham’s Inter year contract in Napoli but why not? felling trees and producing children when it gets short period and has retained a good tainly help us in all competitions,” Pique Miami MLS franchise. MLS is improving and in the future it dark”. relationship with the player. said. “We have to see the season with The Italian worked with the former could be a good experience.” — AFP The billionaire businessman, who employs 16,500 people and has assets estimated by Forbes at around 2.2 billion euros ($2.5 billion), made the Record-signing Hernandez remark at a forum in Paderborn last Thursday while Bale snubbed criticising tax increases to fight climate change.