ANALYTICAL: HOW JAMES TRAFFORD LOST HIS SPOT TO DONNARUMMA AT CITY
Trafford, who was key to Burnley’s record-breaking season, faces a tough decision after being benched at City. Newcastle is reportedly interested amid the transfer saga.
James Trafford, Manchester City's goalkeeper, who hasn't been playing much, is thinking about leaving the club, even though he just came back five months ago. He was key in Burnley's rise to the Premier League last season, but since moving to Pep Guardiola's team this summer, he's had trouble getting regular playing time.
In an impressive 2024-25 season, Trafford helped Burnley achieve 30 clean sheets.
Trafford became a hot prospect after helping Burnley get out of the Championship in 2024-25. He played in almost every league game, and the team kept 30 clean sheets—tying an all-time English league record with Port Vale in 1953-54.
With Trafford in goal, Scott Parker's team let in only 16 league goals in 46 games and earned 100 points. Burnley finished second, just behind Leeds United, who had a slightly better goal difference. Leeds scored a huge 95 goals last season, while Burnley scored 69.
Before, the former England U21 goalkeeper was about to join Newcastle.
After his great performance for Burnley, Trafford almost went to Newcastle United this summer. Eddie Howe wanted to strengthen his goalkeeping lineup after winning the Carabao Cup last season.
But City used a clause that allowed them to sign Trafford, even though they had sold him to Burnley in 2023.
Trafford lost his starting spot to Italy's Donnarumma.
Trafford started City's first three Premier League games but then lost his place to Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Donnarumma came to Guardiola's team from Paris Saint-Germain after losing his starting spot to Lucas Chevalier.
The Italian player has played 14 times for City, while Trafford has been on the bench. He did play in the Carabao Cup games against Huddersfield Town and Swansea City.
Trafford's last game was in City's 2-0 loss against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last Tuesday. In that game, Guardiola changed 10 players in his starting lineup.
A report says the 23-year-old wants to leave to stay in the running for the World Cup.
Now, the Daily Mail says that Trafford is thinking about leaving when the transfer window opens next month. Newcastle may try to sign him, and City could also lose Stefan Ortega.
Ortega, who used to be a reliable backup, has fallen in the ranks after Trafford, Donnarumma, and Marcus Bettinelli joined the team.
The report ends by saying that Trafford is worried about not making the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Donnarumma is suspected of faking an injury before the Fulham game.
Donnarumma is likely to start when City plays Fulham on Tuesday. He was accused of faking an injury to get an advantage by Leeds's coach Farke after Saturday's game.
After Leeds came back from being down 2-0, Donnarumma went down and got treatment, which allowed Guardiola to talk to his players. City then won the game 3-2.
Farke said that everyone knew why Donnarumma went down and that it's up to the authorities to find a solution. He also said that if players are just trying to bend the rules and fake injuries, it's not something he likes.
THE REAL: REASON JEREMY DOKU BELIEVES THE NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE CITY’S SEASON
Jeremy Doku praises City's pride after Bernardo Silva's red card, eyeing redemption in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Jérémy Doku sees winning the Carabao Cup as a helpful way for Manchester City to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment. After being knocked out by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, with a 5-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16, the team faces a tough challenge to regroup quickly.
Pep Guardiola's squad now has to shift focus to their upcoming trip to Wembley, where they’ll take on Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the setback in Europe, Doku feels that lifting a trophy this week would help erase the recent frustration.
He said, “It’s a good way to recover. We’ll do everything we can to win that game and bring home a trophy. The next four matches really matter. We have to recover well for Sunday and then take it one game at a time.”
What lies ahead will likely define the city's season. After the Carabao Cup final, they face an FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool following the international break, as well as two critical Premier League games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“There’s still plenty at stake,” Doku added. “We’re competing in three different competitions, with three trophies still on the table. If we manage to win one, it’ll still be a strong season for us. Of course, missing out on the Champions League is disappointing. It’s always a special trophy. But we have to learn from those games against Real Madrid, recover properly, and focus on what’s next.”
City endured a tough week, following a 3-0 loss in Madrid with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad. One pivotal moment was Bernardo Silva’s early red card in the second leg.
Yet, Doku draws some confidence from how the team performed despite being down to 10 men against such a formidable opponent.
“We have reasons to be proud,” he reflected. “Playing against a team like Real Madrid with one less player and still causing them problems isn’t something every team can do. We didn’t get the win, but we can look each other in the eye knowing we gave a good performance both with 11 players and with 10. We created chances and played well.”
He went on to say, “If we bring that kind of effort to every match, we’ll trouble many teams. There are valuable takeaways from this game that we can carry into the next.”
WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
