Manchester Derby Headlines Weekend’s Premier League Clashes on GOtv

All eyes will be on the Manchester Derby this weekend, as the Premier League hits the home stretch. Manchester United host their city rivals, Man City, on Sunday after United’s struggles continued midweek with a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, leaving them in 13th place. City, currently sixth, are locked in a tight race for Champions League qualification and will be desperate for three points. Kick-off at Old Trafford is 4:30 PM live on GOtv Channel 65. Action begins on Saturday, with Arsenal travelling to take on Everton. The game kicks off at 12:30 PM. The Gunners remain 12 points behind leaders Liverpool and must win every game in the run-in to have any hope of catching them. Later that evening, Aston Villa, pushing for a top-four finish, host third-placed Nottingham Forest at 5:30 PM in what promises to be a high-stakes battle. Also, on Sunday, Liverpool will be guests of Fulham. Kick-off is at 2:00 PM. Liverpool will be looking to extend their winning streak to five games and move another step closer to the title. Brentford with take on Chelsea at 2:00 PM in an encounter that could prove crucial in the race for Champions League places. The round of matches ends on Monday, when Leicester City take on sixth-placed Newcastle United at 8:00 PM. With a game in hand, Newcastle could move into the top four if results go their way, while Leicester desperately need points to avoid relegation. Catch all the Premier League action live on GOtv Channel 65. Subscribe or reconnect via the MyGOtv app to ensure you don’t miss a moment.

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Kevin De Bruyne To Leave Man City

Kevin De Bruyne To Leave Man City

Kevin De Bruyne says he will leave Manchester City – confirming these are his “final months” with the Premier League champion. The Belgium playmaker, who is out of contract this summer, announced the news in an emotional post on X on Friday. “Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players, we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here,” he wrote. De Bruyne joined City from Wolfsburg for around $71 million in 2015 and has gone on to win every major honor with the club, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League. In all he has won 14 major trophies at City and established himself as one of the all-time Premier League greats. “This city. This club. These people… gave me EVERYTHING. I had no choice but to give EVERYTHING back! And guess what — we won EVERYTHING,” he wrote. “Whether we like it or not, it’s time to say goodbye.”

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Blockbuster Man City-Liverpool clash live on Showmax

Manchester City hosts Liverpool on Sunday, in a highly anticipated clash, which kicks off at 5:30 PM, and will be available to stream live on Showmax Premier League mobile. City and Liverpool have been the standard setters in the Premier League for much of the last eight years. While City are ahead in the trophy count, Liverpool have pushed them to the limit in title races, including their 97-point campaign in 2019. The landscape has shifted this season, with Liverpool sitting comfortably at the top of the table. On the other hand, City have already suffered seven league defeats and sit in an unfamiliar fourth place, 17 points adrift. A win for City would disrupt the title race, giving Arsenal and other contenders hope, while a Liverpool victory would reinforce their grip at the summit. City go into this fixture buoyed by a 4-0 win over Newcastle, but reeling from a Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola’s side has lacked their usual dominance this season, struggling with injuries and defensive lapses. Liverpool, meanwhile, was held to a 2-2 draw by Aston Villa during the week. Despite their strong league form, inconsistency in key moments has left them vulnerable. A positive result at the Etihad would strengthen their title charge, while a slip-up could open the door for Arsenal, who have quietly built momentum in recent weeks. Beyond the title race, the weekend offers plenty of intrigue across the league. Arsenal host West Ham, as they look to keep the pressure on Liverpool. The Hammers, who have lost their last two games, face a difficult task against an in-form Gunners side. Chelsea, still struggling for consistency, travel to Aston Villa after a humbling 3-0 defeat to Brighton. Meanwhile, Manchester United face Everton in Saturday’s early kick-off, with both teams looking to climb out of mid-table mediocrity. With the season entering a decisive phase, every point matters. Fans can catch all the weekend’s action, including Sunday’s high-stakes clash between City and Liverpool, live on Showmax Premier League mobile. Sign up at www.showmax.com

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UCL: Real Madrid to play Man City in knockout playoffs

Real Madrid will play Manchester City in the Champions League knockout playoffs round in a standout clash of the past two title winners after the draw was made Friday. Man City, the 2023 champion, will host the first leg on Feb. 11 or 12 and the return game in Madrid is on Feb. 18 or 19. Madrid won a record-extending 15th European title last season. The winner over two legs advances to the round of 16 to face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen, who placed in the top eight of the new 36-team league standings that ended Wednesday. Teams that finished from Nos. 9 to 24 in the standings dropped into the two-leg knockout playoffs. Madrid placed 11th and Man City barely qualified in 22nd, after rallying to beat Club Brugge 3-1 in a must-win game. By finishing in 22nd Man City knew it would have to face No. 11 Madrid or No. 12 Bayern Munich in the playoffs. Munich was drawn instead to face 21st-place Celtic. Seedings decided by the 36-team standings means Madrid and Man City already know the winner of their two-leg blockbuster will be drawn then to face No. 5 Atletico or No. 6 Leverkusen. UEFA makes the round of 16 pairings on Feb. 21. The tennis-style knockout bracket in the fresh competition format also now allows teams from the same country to face each other before the quarterfinals. That was not possible for the past two decades when the round of 16 opened the knockout phase. That left Paris Saint-German to be drawn Friday to face French rival Brest, which it also plays in a Ligue 1 game Saturday. Monaco was left to face Benfica. National derby games between Italian and Dutch sides were avoided because AC Milan was paired with Feyenoord, before Juventus was drawn to face PSV Eindhoven. Concluding the matches, Club Brugge play Atalanta and Sporting Lisbon face Borussia Dortmund. Teams awaiting them in the round of 16 in March are Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico, Leverkusen, Lille and Aston Villa.

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Guardiola splits from wife Cristina after 30 years

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has split from his wife Cristina Serra after 30 years together. Barcelona-based outlet Sport reported that the long-term couple called it quits in December. Pep and Cristina are said to have been living separate for the past five years, with the manager remaining in England while Cristina returned to Barcelona where she runs her fashion company. Pep and Cristina are believed to have met when they were 18 while the decorated manager played for Barcelona, but only married in 2014. They share three children together – Maria, 24, Màrius, 22, and Valentina, 17. It comes amid a dip in form for reining Premier League champions Manchester City, who found themselves struggling to remain title contenders for the season. The Sky Blues are hoping that a run of three wins on the bounce in all competitions will help to revive their season after a series of disappointing results.

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