DOMINANT HAALAND LEADS THE PACK IN LATEST PLAYER OF MONTH
Erling Haaland is nominated for October's Premier League Player of the Month. The Manchester City star seeks his fifth award after scoring 3 decisive goals, extending his lead in the 2025/26 Golden Boot race with 11 total strikes.
This month, Haaland is one of eight nominees.
PEP GUARDIOLA'S SILENCE: JEREMY DOKU SUFFERS MYSTERY LEG INJURY AFTER MADRID WIN
Man City confirmed a major injury blow as key winger Jeremy Doku is out with a leg injury sustained after the Champions League win, testing Guardiola's squad depth.
Jeremy Doku is out with an injury for Manchester City's game against Crystal Palace this Sunday.
The 23-year-old has played often for Pep Guardiola this season, with 15 Premier League games and 22 appearances overall, scoring three goals.
The Belgian player was in the starting lineup against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, playing for 87 minutes in their 2-1 victory.
It was a surprise when he wasn't included in the Manchester City squad on Sunday. Guardiola said that he is injured.
When Sky Sports asked why Doku wasn't playing, the coach simply said, Injured.
He then mentioned, We’ll miss what he brings, but we have other guys who can step up and do their thing.”
The Manchester City website gave a bit more info, which is that Tijjani Reijnders is starting instead of Jeremy Doku, who is out with a leg injury, from the team that won 2-1 against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last Wednesday.
Guardiola still has good attacking options, with Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki starting behind Erling Haaland.
Reijnders is playing in midfield with Nico Gonzalez and Bernardo Silva at Selhurst Park.
Rodri, John Stones, and Mateo Kovacic are also unavailable due to injuries. Guardiola is using a back four, which consists of Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Nico O’Reilly, leading in front of Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City is visiting south London in good shape, having won their last four games.
Though, these wins haven't been easy. Three of the four wins were by just one goal, including a close 5-4 win at Fulham.
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.
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.