Sky Blue News: Ballon d’Or Reaction, Klopp Fallout, Walker Getting Well, and More...

Manchester City are enjoying a much-needed break in the schedule after the postponement of the match against Arsenal. Here are all the headlines to catch you up on the latest news from Sky Blue News.

EDERSON: I’M FOCUSED ON CITY’S ‘COLLECTIVE CONQUESTS’ - Paul Brown - ManCity.com

Ederson is focused on the team goals despite some deserved individual recognition.

The award was established in 2019 and is given to the best goalkeeper of the year by the magazine France Football as part of the illustrious Ballon d’Or ceremony.

The City stopper was touched to earn such an accolade but stressed that the achievements of the team on the whole are reason for the praise he’s receiving.

And, despite Sunday’s frustrating Premier League defeat to Liverpool, further honours are at the forefront of his mind as the season continues against Brighton this weekend, kick-off 15:00 (UK time).

He said: “Of course, my first priority are the collective conquests and consequently this comes shortly after [receiving individual praise].

“But having these collective achievements, this helps in the process and makes you closer.

“This is my objective, my focus, I’m focused on the collective achievements of the team and this will be a consequence [earning personal plaudits].”

Manchester City’s Successful Day at the Ballon d’Or - Saul Garcia - Bitter and Blue

Saul details the big night in Paris for the City Football Group.

The award follows on from City receiving the highest number of nominations across the different categories at the Ballon d’Or and saw finish ahead of Liverpool in second and Real Madrid, who finished third.

A great merit as the club is the envy of the world. From logistics, infrastructure, manager and of course the fantastic teams, City have it all.

In addition to the Club of the Year award, Kevin De Bruyne finished third in the race for the Ballon d’Or and Ederson was third in the Yashin Trophy.

The prize comes in the aftermath of what has been another magnificent year for City.

Klopp charged by FA for improper conduct following red card in Liverpool win over Man City - Gill Clark - Goal.com

The Liverpool boss faces a possible suspension for his touchline antics at Anfield.

WHAT HAPPENED? The Liverpool boss saw red in Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League win over Manchester City at Anfield. Klopp lost his cool after feeling Mohamed Salah should have been awarded a free-kick following a tangle with Bernardo Silva. The German let rip at the assistant referee which led match official Anthony Taylor to send him off.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Klopp has now been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 after it was alleged his behaviour was improper. The Liverpool boss has until Friday to provide a response which means he will be on the touchline for the team’s next game against West Ham on Wednesday. However, he could face a ban or a fine is the charge is successful.

Did Klopp’s pre-match comments incite violence? - Laura Graves - Man City Square

Klopp claims he was misunderstood after singling out the three prominent Middle Eastern-owned clubs.

This latest battle off the field started with Klopp’s pre-match interview which stirred up a storm amongst the media and City fans. Were Klopp’s actions during that interview measured? Did he know what he was doing?

In the lead up to the game, City fans retaliated online to Klopp’s words, to the media supporting him and to Liverpool fans who supported the agendas.

Klopp had remarked that “nobody can compete with City”, adding that “you have the best team in the world, and you put in the best striker on the market. No matter what is costs you just do it”.

He further stated that City and two other clubs, PSG and Newcastle, can “do what they want” financially. Ever heard of Financial Fair Play Jurgen?

England international Kyle Walker set to be fit for World Cup? - Ben Sully - Sports Mole

Walker may be back to fitness in time to compete in the world’s most exciting sporting event.

Although Walker might not be available for England’s opening group game against Iran on November 21, he could still be selected with a view to featuring in the latter stages of the tournament.

While the Man City right-back is working hard to prove his fitness, Southgate could be without the services of Reece James, who sustained a knee ligament injury against AC Milan last week.

James is expected to be in a knee brace right until the start of the World Cup, and if he is unable to feature in Qatar then Liverpool’s Joe Gomez and Arsenal’s Ben White could be considered as alternatives.

Southgate is expected to name his squad for the tournament on November 10.

Erling Haaland admits he was ‘dead’ after Manchester City training session - Striker also learning Spanish - Freddie Pye - City Xtra

Haaland is holding himself to incredibly high standards and the results are showing.

A new report has highlighted Erling Haaland’s exemplary training work ethic, and how certain exercises since joining the Etihad club have seen the striker totally run dry of energy.

According to the information of Alvaro de Grado of Relevo, Erling Haaland’s competitiveness seen in official matches is also evident in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City training sessions.

The report quotes a source within the club, who states, “He (Erling Haaland) gets angry with himself when he misses an opportunity.”

One particular example is referred to, when Erling Haaland found himself at the centre of a Rondo exercise, chasing down Manchester City players’ passes.

It is revealed that at the end of the exercise, the Norwegian forward said that “he was dead,” and that he needed to be treated by physiotherapists in order to recover better.

Where every Man City & Man Utd player finished in the 2022 Ballon d’Or rankings - Aiden Beswick - Manchester World

And finally... A look at the final places for each City Ballon d’Or finalist, and that one guy who plays for United.

Despite neither a City or Red Devils player lifting the Ballon d’Or this year, the former did win an award at the ceremony - the Club of the Year - after a successful 2022. Alongside the main award, the Yashin Trophy, the Kopa Trophy, the Gerd Muller Trophy and the Socrates Trophy were also presented, with Ederson finishing third in theYashin Trophy.

Below is the final position of all City and United players who made the shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d’Or rankings.

3rd - Kevin De Bruyne - City

10th - Erling Haaland - City (Based on his performances for Borussia Dortmund last campaign)

12th- Riyad Mahrez - City

20th - Cristiano Ronaldo - United

=22nd - Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva - City

=25th - Joao Cancelo - City

There you have it Sky Blues. Stay with us as we get set for the next match against Brighton on Saturday at the Etihad, right here at Bitter and Blue.