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RICO LEWIS POISED TO IMPRESS IN MANCHESTER CITY MIDFIELD STARTING OPPORTUNITY

Rico Lewis seized his chance in midfield for Man City, assisting Erling Haaland in a 2-0 UCL win over Villarreal. The 20-year-old relished playing his preferred role and impressing Pep Guardiola.

Rico Lewis Poised To Impress In Manchester City Midfield Starting Opportunity
Rico Lewis excelled as Manchester City beat Villarreal in the Champions League - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Rico Lewis is committed to taking advantage of every chance to make an impression in the midfield for Manchester City.

With a solid performance in City's 2-0 Champions League victory over Villarreal on Tuesday, the England international accomplished just that.

The 20-year-old has mostly played right back, but at the Estadio de la Ceramica, boss Pep Guardiola gave him a go in his favoured centre position.

In his only fourth start of the season, he reacted with a strong showing and interacted well with teammates, most notably by setting up Erling Haaland's opening goal.

The City academy graduate stated, "There is nothing better than playing, and I am certainly thrilled to be playing in midfield as well." "Most significantly, we received three points, so I have no concerns.

"Obviously, entering is challenging, but my excitement overcame that challenge." I was aware that I had to make a point.

"I have always wanted to play in midfield and talk about it all the time, so I needed to show myself." I want to seize the chance when it presents itself.

"I think I found the spaces and got an assist, so I can not really ask for more, but it was a tough game—they are a fantastic team."

Lewis claimed it was far from an easy task, even though he appeared at ease as he adapted to his job alongside Nico Gonzalez and captain Bernardo Silva.

"I was so exhausted that it did not feel like that," he remarked. The fundamentals would always be there, but after ten minutes, I was beginning to doubt my ability to make it to halftime.

"The squad is so fantastic that you fit in, but you can not play for five straight games." We practise it a lot in training; you are familiar with the spaces.

"Everyone knows where everyone is going to be, whether you are playing or not. We already have that kind of structure, which is encouraging in the early stages and will only become better.

After 16 minutes, Haaland swept in Lewis' cutback to give City the lead. It was the prolific Norwegian's fifteenth goal of the season and an incredible twenty-fourth in just fourteen club and national team appearances.

In addition, it was his 53rd goal in the Champions League and his 12th goal in a row, putting him 10th on the list of the league's highest scorers.

Before halftime, Silva extended the lead with a strong header, and victory was certain. However, if Villarreal had taken advantage of one of the few second-half opportunities, the evening might have become uncomfortable.

"The performance, with a result like that, helps more than you think," Lewis stated.

"Even though the performance was not great, you can still be satisfied after winning 1-0 and being a little rough. However, it is incredible to have a clean sheet and two goals in a performance like that.

TOP MANAGER: KOLO TOURE ANALYZES PEP GUARDIOLA'S AMAZING ENERGY AND PASSION

Man City coach Kolo Toure praises Pep Guardiola, revealing the manager's philosophy is to "just be you." Toure is amazed by Guardiola's lasting energy and passion after a decade in England.

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Toure Reveals Pep Guardiola's Surprising Coaching Philosophy

Kolo Toure thinks Manchester City has the world's top manager, and he shared his thoughts on working with Pep Guardiola. Toure started with City's Under-18s for a year before joining the first team coaching staff at the Etihad.

The ex-City and Arsenal defender was excited to work with Guardiola, something he had wanted to do as a player. Though that didn't happen, he took the opportunity to coach at City and then joined Guardiola's staff when Carlos Vicens left last season.

Guardiola surprised Toure, especially in their first meeting when Toure got his instructions. He's enjoying his job now.

Working with Pep Guardiola is amazing. He lets me be myself, which I didn't expect. The first thing he told me was just be you. "That's incredible," he said.

Some managers tell you what to do, but Pep wants you to express yourself because he knows everyone has something special to offer. He doesn't box you in. He lets you be the best you can be for the team. That's the best thing.

Even after Guardiola's decade in English soccer, Touré is impressed by his energy as City chases Arsenal for the league lead. Guardiola's City contract goes to the end of the 2026/27 season, and he's still setting the bar high for his staff.

The manager's energy every day is amazing. "I'm surprised by how much he still has after all these years in the league, the passion he brings to every meeting and training session," he said.

He enjoys every day, and we enjoy it too. You can see it in the games. No matter what, we have a great team spirit and lots of energy, and we fight for every ball. We try to play our style of soccer since we like to keep possession, but we can also fight when needed, which shows the team's spirit.

ERLING HAALAND JOKES: CITY STAR MOCKS ARSENAL FAN LAURA WOODS AFTER MADRID WIN

Erling Haaland had a funny live TV moment with Arsenal fan Laura Woods after Man City's win, but his ruthless form ensures Arsenal's title-race pressure is real.

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Haaland Knows His Rivalry, Fires Title Race Warning

Erling Haaland had a funny reaction on Wednesday night when he found out TNT Sports presenter Laura Woods is an Arsenal fan. This happened during a live TV interview after Manchester City beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League. The Norwegian player scored his 21st goal of the season, a penalty right before halftime.

Pep Guardiola's team has only lost three of their last 20 games. They were 10 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal a couple of weeks ago, but now they're only two points behind. Woods knows that Haaland has often been a problem for Arsenal, who haven't won the league in over 20 years.

His rivalry with Gabriel in recent games has made the competition for the top spot in English football more interesting. The funny thing is, Haaland is aware of how Arsenal fans see him.

Woods wanted to know how the Manchester City players were feeling after another big win. She asked Haaland if he thought they could catch up with Arsenal. Steve McManaman and Steven Gerrard quickly told Haaland that Woods supports Arsenal.

Haaland replied, So she probably doesn't like me then...

Haaland has played against Arsenal seven times in the Premier League and has a great record against them. He’s only lost twice, scoring five goals and assisting on two others.

So when Woods agreed that she probably doesn't like him, she was serious. She’s probably tired of seeing him. His response wasn't the only funny moment; he also joked about Mohamed Salah.

Arsenal is probably worried again.

In the past, this was the time of year when Arsenal's title hopes started to fail. They're already repeating old mistakes, dropping points in three of their last five league games: a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, a 1-1 draw against 10-man Chelsea, and a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa.

Their main rivals, Man City, are now only two points behind. If Arsenal wants to win the title, they’ll need to handle the pressure. A few weeks ago, everyone thought Arsenal would finally win the league, but now it's not so sure, and Haaland will likely have a big part to play if Arteta's team can't finish the job.

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