First to Leroy Sane, who was asked by reporters in Abu Dhabi if Kevin De Bruyne has a chance of winning the Ballon d’Or.
Sane said: “He’s a really special player, an unbelievable player. The way he plays, how he shoots, how he passes the ball. It’s really nice to see it. Even in the games in training, I’m like ‘OK, how did he pass the ball right now? How did he do that?’ He has a really good chance to achieve it. I hope he will do it.”
Let’s hop over the digital void to FourFourTwo now, who have compiled a rundown of the 20 deadliest Premier League forwards by strike-rate. You’ll be pleased to know that City’s current first team has two of the top four!
Brazilian starlet Gabriel Jesus (117.6 minutes per goal) is in fourth spot with journalist Huw Davies writing: “He arrived straight from the Brazilian league and joined a Manchester City team with one of the greatest strikers English football has ever seen. He settled immediately, contributing 11 goals and assists in his 10 appearances of the 2016/17 season...”
Number one on the list is of course Sergio Aguero (107.3 minutes per goal), with Davies adding: “We don’t know what’s the more incredible statistical achievement for Aguero: to hit such heights that in Manchester City’s 2013/14 title triumph he averaged a goal every 90 minutes and a goal contribution every 67, or to generally score so many in the league (143 now) at a consistent rate – under 100 minutes per goal in four of the past five seasons.”
READ: When and where is the Champions League draw?
Finally we’ve spotted this from talkSPORT, who spoke to legendary commentator John Motson about just how good Pep Guardiola’s City team is.
The report reads: “The Citizens are racing towards the Premier League title and are in the quarterfinals of the Champions League already.
“And ‘Motty’ (as he is affectionately known) has heaped praise on them whilst speaking to talkSPORT at Day Three of the Cheltenham Festival.
“He said: ‘Manchester City at the moment in the English game have far out-reached anybody I’ve seen before.
“‘I just think Manchester City have taken us onto a new planet.’”
A Blue Moon perhaps? That’s your lot for today, we’ll be back for more paper talk tomorrow.
