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Sky Blue News: MCWFC Falter, Silva Praise, Pep Talks UCL, and More...

Start your week with a recap of yesterday’s news.

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Manchester City Women v Tottenham Hotspur Women - Barclays FA Women’s Super League Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images

Here we go. RB Leipzig is on tap for Wednesday. So let’s get you caught up on the latest from Manchester City.

CITY SUNK BY SPURS FIGHTBACK - Caroline Oatway - ManCity.com

The ladies or on a bad stretch of form, having lost 2 in a row.

A controversial 86th-minute winner, which seemed to strike Rosella Ayane’s hand before bouncing off the post and in off Karima Benameur Taieb, clinched a dramatic win for the visitors, after Rachel Williams had cancelled out Lauren Hemp’s sixth-minute opener.

It proved an all-round disappointing night for Gareth Taylor’s side, as youngster Esme Morgan was also stretchered off with an ankle injury, following a collision with Ashleigh Neville.

The loss marked City’s second in successive games, following the midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid.

Bernardo Silva helps Man City keep Tottenham doubt quiet with Leicester masterclass - Simon Bajkowski - Manchester Evening News

There is plenty of praise going around for Bernardo after his MOTM turn on Saturday.

Just after the hour mark, Joao Cancelo’s shot was blocked but popped up in the box for his alert Portuguese teammate to stab into the net for the breakthrough they had been crying out for. It was probably his scruffiest contribution to the game but it was the most important.

After that, it was a familiar closing out of the game that we have come to expect from the best team in the Premier League over the last four years even if Ederson was required to stay alert as Leicester pushed for an equaliser.

Nobody knows yet if the Tottenham defeat, where City created the chances to win the game but failed to take them, will be more common than Guardiola would like. But all they can do is keep scoring the goals that win matches, just like they did here thanks to Bernardo.

Bernardo Silva receives a new lifeline at Manchester City - Zoheb Alam - Man City Square

Bernardo professes his love for City.

This has been a big turnaround for Silva as he was reportedly desperate to leave the club in the summer. But now, the situation at the Etihad has improved for the former AS Monaco man, and this could well be the much-needed spark required to revive his career at the Etihad.

After the win against the Foxes, the midfielder spoke to BBC Match of the Day, where he was spotted talking about his desire to give his best for the club. His words were :

“I love the club, I love my teammates, I love football here. I’m enjoying it and I’m always going to give my best.”

In the recently concluded summer window, the Portuguese international clearly indicated that he was open to a move away from Manchester City. Clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were reportedly marked as “possible” destinations for the star midfielder but in the end, there was no solid interest from both North London sides.

‘A Very, Very Good Player’ - Bernardo Silva Heaps Praise on Jack Grealish Following Leicester Victory - Vayam Lahoti - City Xtra

And he singles out new mate Grealish for his quality.

A second-half strike from Bernardo Silva and some outstanding defending from the Sky Blues helped City to three points at the King Power Stadium, after Leicester had a goal from Jamie Vardy ruled out for offside just past the interval.

In his post-match interview, the Portuguese was full of praise for Jack Grealish, who has made a fast start to life at the Etihad Stadium since his arrival to City from Aston Villa for £100 million in August.

“A very, very good player. He (Grealish) is a quality player and a very nice guy,” said Silva, as quoted by City’s official website.

Grealish operated alongside Silva on the left side of attack against Brendan Rodgers’ side on Saturday - a tactical tweak made by Pep Guardiola that paid dividends as the duo caused havoc amongst the Leicester backline throughout the tie.

PEP: LEAGUE FORM PERFECT PREPARATION FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE OPENER - Neil Leigh - ManCity.com

Pep likes the club’s form as City are set to host RBL.

Successive victories against Norwich, Arsenal and Leicester have been the perfect response to an opening day defeat at Tottenham.

And, with thoughts now turning to Wednesday’s opening Champions League group game at home to RB Leipzig, Guardiola says he has been heartened by the collective commitment and mindset of the squad.

“The last three weeks was so good. The way we trained was a little bit of a surprise after what we achieved last season,” Pep revealed.

“The commitment of everyone was excellent. That’s why we trained really well and the results against Arsenal, Norwich and today proved that.

Manchester City add generational English talent to their transfer wishlist - Nikhil Venkat Sai - Man City Square

Another transfer target emerges. This time it’s wunderkind Bellingham.

Jude Bellingham has been termed as a ‘generational talent’ by many and it is simply because he is performing in high-pressure situations at the age of 18. The English midfielder has proven that he has got a cool head between his shoulders and it just proves why Gareth Southgate is keen on placing faith in the Borussia Dortmund man.

While Bellingham chose Dortmund over a move to Manchester United last summer, the 18-year-old is said to be open to a return to English football. The former Birmingham City player joined Dortmund for a fee of £25 million and has grown a lot as a player since then.

Bellingham even managed to impress Pep Guardiola last season against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Having said that, it is not going to be easy for the defending Premier League champions to land the 18-year-old.

‘I didn’t like the person I was becoming’ - Michael Johnson opens up on his early retirement from Man City and hints at return to football - Joe Bray - Manchester Evening News

And finally, the Evening News catches up with Michael Johnson.

Johnson burst onto the scene in 2006/07 with a series of promising performances and spectacular goals, and he was destined for the top when he broke into the team under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

However, a series of bad injuries restricted his game time, and when Mark Hughes came in and Sheikh Mansour later completed his takeover, competition for places grew. By the time Roberto Mancini replaced Hughes, and the injuries just kept coming, Johnson’s time at City appeared over.

In his last five seasons at the Etihad, he made just four appearances, with an ill-fated loan at Leicester in 2012 towards the end. He retired from the game to move out of the spotlight, and has been largely successful in remaining anonymous.

That’s all for now. Check back here tomorrow for more Sky Blue News.