Sky Blue News: City are World’s Best, Haaland for PL PotS, Bunny for WSL PotS, and More...

Manchester City supporters are still buzzing after the demolition of serial UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid. City are now officially treble hunting and their first chance to lift a trophy comes Sunday at the Etihad against old friends Chelsea. The women's side are looking to secure their place in next season’s WUCL and a win away to rivals Manchester United would go a long way to securing a top-four finish. It’s a lot to keep up with, but Sky Blue News is here to help.

How Man City have built Treble foundations as end-of-season challenge becomes clear - Tyrone Marshall - Manchester Evening News

The Etihad is often a source of mischief-making for opposition fans, but they usually quieten pretty quickly once their own team have played there. Manchester City have turned the Etihad into a fortress.

Pep Guardiola might not like the phrase, but Jack Grealish is right when he says City feel “unstoppable” in front of their home fans. It felt like they played within themselves to a degree at the Bernabeu, confident that if the tie was close then there would be only one winner back in Manchester.

Grealish’s bravado shows how confident City are in front of their own supporters. If you haven’t got Frank in your name then as an opposition manager you’re getting nothing out of the Etihad this season. Only Thomas Frank and Frank Lampard have stopped the Blues from winning there this season. Frank Lampard!

Brentford’s 2-1 success in the game before the World Cup looks even more remarkable now than it did at the time, although it should be said it came at a time when City weren’t at their best. There have been 26 wins from 28 games and 102 goals scored at home so far.

Man City are already the best team in the world, and Champions League win would seal legendary status - Mark Ogden - ESPN

With City still appealing 115 charges for breaching Premier League rules between 2009 and 2018, history may yet view this team’s achievements through a different lens, but right now their football is the only barometer by which they can be measured. And having dethroned Real with a brutal display of dominance and ruthless efficiency in Manchester after a 1-1 in Madrid last week, Manchester City proved themselves to be the new kings of Europe.

It was a rout, matching Real Madrid’s biggest-ever Champions League defeat, which came at Anfield against Liverpool in 2008-09. Every single City player dominated his Real opponent and if they were chasing revenge for last season’s dramatic semifinal defeat against manager Carlo Ancelotti’s side, they secured it.

It was like watching the heavyweight champion of the world swatting aside a no-hoper challenger. But Real Madrid aren’t no hopers — they are Real Madrid. This was a night when Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Rodri, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva, the two-goal hero in the first-half, produced 10 out of 10 displays to leave world-class opponents reeling.

No team can live with City right now. They have won 19 of their last 23 games and haven’t lost any of them. Three wins in three competitions is all they now need to secure the so-called treble.

Pep Guardiola explains explosive ‘shut up’ row with Kevin De Bruyne during Man City’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid - Chris Burton - Goal

WHAT HAPPENED? The Premier League leaders swept their way to a 4-0 victory over the reigning European champions at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, allowing them to book a date with Inter in Istanbul on June 10. City made light work of overcoming Real, as they dominated throughout, but demanding coach Guardiola lost his cool with talismanic midfielder De Bruyne at one point during the second half as the Belgian playmaker squandered possession.

WHAT THEY SAID: De Bruyne did not take kindly to the touchline input from his manager and was caught on camera screaming “shut up, shut up” back in the direction of the City dugout.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: On seeing De Bruyne deliver an angry response to the technical area and why he felt the need to deliver such advice in the midst of a heavyweight continental clash, Guardiola told Movistar: “At 2-0 we rushed a lot. Right after the break [Ilkay] Gundogan lost a ball, Kevin made three transitions that weren’t necessary and we rushed a lot when we had to do the opposite, sink them and turn them, sink them and turn them. But it’s normal. It gets close, you rush, and it has cost us more, although in general we have had an extraordinary game.”

Erling Braut Haaland, Martin Odegaard among Premier League Player of the Season nominees - Oliver Thomas - Sports Mole

The 22-year-old is enjoying a record-breaking debut campaign for the Citizens having already scored 36 Premier League goals in just 33 appearances, the most by any player in a single season in the competition’s history.

Haaland has played in 25 of Man City’s 27 top-flight victories this season and Pep Guardiola’s side require just one more win to secure their third successive title.

City’s No.9 is joined on the POTS shortlist by teammate Kevin De Bruyne who is looking to become the first-ever player to win the award three times in the Premier League having previously received the accolade in 2019-20 and 2021-22.

The Belgian playmaker has once again been a key cog in Guardiola’s machine and is currently leading the way with assists in the top flight this term, setting up 16 goals in 30 appearances while also chipping in with seven strikes of his own.

Arsenal indicate interest in €70 million Manchester City star as Mikel Arteta plots fresh raid - Freddie Pye - City Xtra

Despite the potential of a historic season at the Etihad Stadium, conversations and negotiations ahead of the summer transfer window remain ongoing in the background as Manchester City look to refresh their squad for another campaign.

One name that has seen his future thrown into major uncertainty for a number of months is Joao Cancelo – who opted to leave Manchester City during the January window in search of improved game time elsewhere in Europe.

That decision took the Portugal international to the Bundesliga, where Bayern Munich took on the services of the defender on an initial six-month loan deal, with an option to buy for a fee of €70 million.

Although, with the price tag outlined by Manchester City expected to be too steep for the Bavarian club, a window of opportunity may have opened for another of Europe’s primary clubs to swoop in and steal the player from Pep Guardiola’s squad.

According to a report from Matt Law of The Telegraph, Premier League title challengers Arsenal are interested in the potential signing of out-of-favour Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo.

SHAW IN CONTENTION FOR WSL PLAYER OF THE SEASON - George Kelsey - ManCity.com

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has been nominated for the 2022/23 Barclays Women’s Super League Player of the Season award.

The Jamaican has been included in the eight-player shortlist on the back of an outstanding campaign in front of goal.

Shaw has grabbed 18 goals in 20 WSL appearances so far, being named Player of the Month in both November and March.

She has already surpassed the Club record for the most goals scored by a Women’s player across a single season in all competitions and is one shy of equalling the league equivalent with two matches to play.

And finally... The 2023/24 Man City home kit has been released. Get them while they’re hot!

Manchester City reveal new home jerseys - Jennifer Bubel - as

Manchester City has released their new home jerseys for the 2023-24 season as part of their 20th anniversary celebration of the team’s move to Etihad Stadium.

The PUMA jerseys are reminiscent of the jerseys worn in their first season at the Etihad in 2003 and are a tribute to some of the features of the stadium, including the turrets in the front of the stadium, which are featured on the front of the shirt as stripes. The back has the stadium’s postcode, honoring the 20 years that the Etihad has been City’s home.

There you have it. Here’s to a great weekend everyone. Stay with Bitter and Blue for all the latest as we hope for a trophy lift at the Etihad. Sky Blue News returns Monday with more headlines.