Manchester City, the dominant force in English football for over a decade, finds itself once again under the Premier League's microscope. This time, however, the allegations are not about intricate financial dealings or sponsorship controversies, but something seemingly more mundane: breaches of kick-off timing regulations. Recent reports confirm that City has been hit with a substantial fine of £1.08 million for delaying kick-offs and re-starts on nine separate occasions during the 2024/25 season. While a million-pound fine might seem like a drop in the ocean for a club of City's financial might, these sanctions underscore a deeper tension within the Premier League – a battle between sporting integrity, commercial interests, and the relentless demands of a global broadcasting behemoth. This isn't merely a trivial matter of punctuality. It speaks to the meticulous choreography of modern football, where every second is accounted for, and every deviation from the schedule has...
Manchester City will play in their third consecutive FA Cup final next month after defeating Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola's side required just two minutes to open the score, with Rico Lewis drilling a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Forest then struggled to settle before the interval, maybe due to nervousness from the big occasion, and this continued as the game progressed to the second half.
Matz Sels made a good save to deny Matheus Nunes, but City increased the pressure, and Josko Gvardiol climbed above everyone from the resulting corner to score their second goal of the afternoon.
Pep Guardiola's side required just two minutes to open the score, with Rico Lewis drilling a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Forest then struggled to settle before the interval, maybe due to nervousness from the big occasion, and this continued as the game progressed to the second half.
Matz Sels made a good save to deny Matheus Nunes, but City increased the pressure, and Josko Gvardiol climbed above everyone from the resulting corner to score their second goal of the afternoon.
Forest's finest chance of the game came shortly after the hour mark, when Morgan Gibbs-White struck the crossbar with an attempted volley.
A few minutes later, he struck the woodwork again, this time pouncing on a loose ball in the vicinity.
A few minutes later, he struck the woodwork again, this time pouncing on a loose ball in the vicinity.
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