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Never would I have thought that I would be writing an article about the ‘problems’ facing a team with centre midfield options ‘restricted’ to James Milner, Gareth Barry, Owen Hargeaves and Nigel de Jong. Four international footballers who are bonafide world class players and all, I’m sure, would walk into any team in the Premier League.

And yet, Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will no doubt be rueing Yaya Touré’s imminent departure for the African Cup of Nations which begins on the 21st of January.

Touré is a huge driving force for The Citizens, with 5 goals already to his name this season, and his ability and importance could perhaps not be better evidenced than it was in his display in Tuesday night’s 3-0 drubbing of Liverpool, in which he drew the penalty from Martin Skrtel following a fantastic run from the halfway line that led to the final goal of the game and where he was denied the Man of the Match award only by the back-line brilliance of club captain Vincent Kompany. Touré is the type of box-to-box midfielder that any manager would pay top dollar to have in their starting XI; Roberto Mancini clearly agreed when he brought the Ivorian to Eastlands from Barcelona for a reported £24 million, and just last month the 28-year old was crowned as the 2011 African Player of the Year.

Now, Touré is one of ten players who could leave the Premier League this month to represent their respective countries at Africa’s biggest international competition. Older brother Kolo Touré is another Manchester City player leaving for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, although his absence from the side over the past six months for failing a drug test has meant that Kompany and Joleon Lescott have formed a formidable partnership at the heart of the league-leaders’ defence and, as a result, will know they are very capable without the former Arsenal man.

If I asked the question ‘Who was the signing of the summer in 2011′s offseason?’, I’d have trouble arguing with someone who gave Demba Ba as their response. The Senegalese striker signed for Newcastle United on a free transfer following West Ham’s relegation to the Championship and has gone on to score 15 league goals this season already; only Robin van Persie has found the net more frequently. As Ba boards the plane for central Africa, therefore, Newcastle manager Alan Pardew could be forgiven for having a tear in his eye, as he also looks set to lose star midfielder and reportedly Manchester United target Cheik Tioté. Their back-up striking options of the Ameboi brothers, Peter Lovenkrands and Leon Best will look to use Ba’s short-term departure as an opportunity to cement a first-team place, but questions must be asked as to whether they have that same va-va-voom.

Speaking of va-va-voom, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is expected to make his loan return to North London official any minute now, just in time to wish a safe trip to another Ivorian plying his trade in England’s top tier, Gervinho. The dodgy-haired striker has come under criticism this season for some questionable finishing, but there can be no doubting the fact that he has a role to play when the Gunners go forward as part of a front three that also involves van Persie and England winger Theo Walcott. Henry could fill that Gervinho-shaped hole on the left for the coming month as he could throw back to the role he played in a Barcelona team with Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o that was enough to keep defenders awake for hours into the night. Andrey Arshavin, disappointing so far this season could also be given a returning place in the Arsenal attack, although Wenger may look more closely at teenage sensation and England Under-21s winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Similarly, the departure of Ivory Coast powerhouse Didier Drogba could mean a greater run of fixtures for misfiring striker Fernando Torres. Torres signed for Chelsea for £50 million but has disappointed many by only scoring 3 times in his first 27 games for the Blues. Can Drogba’s absence lead to an increase in Torres’ self-belief and goalscoring tally?

Elsewhere QPR will lose two of their star players in Moroccan playmaker Adel Taarabt and Senegalese left-back Armand Traoré; Chelsea will be without wantaway Ivorian forward Solomon Kalou; and Wigan will also notice the tournament pinching their Senegalese midfielder Mohamed Diamé.

Some fans will miss their team’s stars, some players will see their teammate’s departure as an opportunity, a chance to shine. But what of the players for whom there were no seats on the plane?

Several of the Premier League’s managers will be wiping their brows, grateful for the fact that their African stars will not be entering the competition. Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill will surely be pleased at Benin’s failure to qualify for the tournament as it means he can keep hold of arguably his best player in midfield maestro Stéphane Sessègnon.

Emmanuel Adebayor will stay at Spurs after his native Togo failed to qualify for the tournament. Perhaps the biggest shock of the African Cup of Nations qualifying phase was the failures of the Nigerian national team. With six Nigerian internationals representing Premier League clubs (Yakubu, Peter Odemwingie, John Obi Mikel, Dickson Etuhu, Victor Moses and Victor Anichebe), I’m sure there are plenty of managers and fans alike who will be pleased by the surprise pre-mature exit.

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Yaya Toure has been named the 2011 African Footballer of the Year by the Confederation of African Football.

Toure, 28, was chosen by coaches of national teams on the continent.

“This is the highest prize I can get in my career,” said Toure, who has helped City to the top of the Premier League.

He also scored the only goal of the game as Manchester City beat Stoke to win the FA Cup in May.

An emotional Toure said he was proud to have received the honour on “a special day for me”, and he hopes the honour will spur the Ivory Coast on as they look for a second Nations Cup title next year.

“In a few months we will look for the Africa Cup of Nations which is very important for me and my country,” he said.

“But for now I am very happy and very proud – it’s unbelievable, it’s amazing. It’s a first step in my big career.”

SOURCE: BBC Sport

The former Barcelona man beat Seydou Keita, the Mali and Barcelona midfielder, and Ghana’s Andre Ayew, who plays for Olympique Marseille, to the award and is a player who has become crucial to Roberto Mancini’s success and Man City will hope that they can cope without the midfield battler when he takes part in the African Nations Cup early next year.

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Yaya Toure wants Manchester City to become the Invincibles Mk II.
Arsenal are the only team in Premier League history to have gone a whole season unbeaten in their sensational 2003-4 title-winning campaign.

Big-spending City have taken the league by storm in this campaign with 10 wins and one draw in 11 games so far.

He said: “I came here because I wanted to make history. I want to be part of history at this club.

“For me it’s the most important thing. We try not to think about going unbeaten, because the Premier League’s not easy and other teams will try to beat us.

“We have tough, tough games and coming up in a couple of weeks we have Liverpool, Newcastle at home, Arsenal and after that we play Chelsea.

“It will be very difficult but we hope we’ll continue unbeaten.”

SOURCE: The Sun

Given the form shown by Man City this season it would be a brave man to bet against Roberto Mancini’s side winning their first Premier League title but going the entire season unbeaten is another matter entirely. Clearly the Ivory Coast midfielder is a confident lad but perhaps his absence in January for the African Nations Cup could coincide with a drop in form at the Etihad Stadium?

Yaya has been in fine form since his arrival from Barcelona 18 months ago and is clearly a player who achieved a great deal of success both at Olympiakos and Barcelona and the type of player Mancini will be looking to help secure a major trophy this season.

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Yaya Toure will be the subject of a big-money summer bid from Real Madrid, according to reports in Spain.
Jose Mourinho has earmarked the Manchester City star, who made his name at Madrid’s bitter rivals Barcelona, as the perfect midfielder partner for Xabi Alonso.
Reports have even suggested that the manager wanted to sign Toure last summer before he moved to Eastlands in a £24m deal in June.
And having been impressed by the 27-year-old in his debut Premier League season, Mourinho is now ready to go back for Toure this summer and are willing to offer City around £20m for his services.
But Roberto Mancini will be desperate to keep hold of Toure, who has been one of the signings of the season and arguably City’s most consistent performer this term.
The Ivory Coast international, younger brother of City defender Kolo, has been almost ever-present in Mancini’s side, scoring five goals and setting up another six in the Premier League.

Source: TalkSPORT

Would former Barcelona man be prepared to suffer the ire of the Catalan fans by moving to the Bernabeu? It does seem that if you don’t make a direct move between the two arch rivals then you are less likely to have a Pigs Head lobbed in your general direction but the Ivory Coast midfielder would still get more than his fair share of abuse but given his size and stature one would imagine he would take it like a man.

Roberto Mancini will be loathed to lose the talented battler but if the Eastlands side does not seal a top four finish then the likelihood of such a move becomes all the more realistic.

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Yaya Toure believes Manchester City can be bigger and better than the mighty Barcelona within two years.

With City’s financial might and ambition to get to the same level as European heavyweights like Barca, Manchester United and Real Madrid, Toure believes they will be a major force within the next few years.

“At the moment you can’t compare Barcelona with City because Barca are at the top and have top quality players,” said Toure, who played at the Nou Camp for three years.

“Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Dani Alves, they’re all fantastic.

“But City are still signing new players. In a couple of years we could maybe be better than Barcelona.

“What we need to continue to do is work hard and try to continue to improve with every game.

“I keep saying to my brother and my family that City have great players but we need to continue to work hard to become a great team.”

SOURCE: Daily Mirror

It is difficult to argue with much Yaya Toure has said here.

Though the eight point deficit to arch rivals Manchester United looks nigh on impossible to overcome – and the Red Devils have a game in hand, too – Manchester City have made quite some progress this season, and look well on course to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Should they do that, they will be able to attract almost any player in the world.

Man City are certainly improving then, but Barcelona hardly look as if they are in decline.

They spend more on youth development and scouting than any other team in the world, and so continue to develop fantastic players – as well as spend hefty amounts on transfers themselves – with Zlatan Ibrahimovic (approximately £58.2m) and David Villa (around £33.7m) recent high profile acquisitions.

Manchester City did beat Barcelona 0-1 at Camp Nou in the Joan Gamper Trophy in August 2009, but Barca did not play the strongest of sides, and City have reshuffled hugely since then.

It would be interesting to see how the teams matched up should they meet in Europe next season.

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The man Brazil hope will be their next great playmaker has put Manchester United and City on alert with a furious outburst against his club.

Paulo Henrique Ganso was promised a new contract by Santos when they pulled out the stops to draw up a deal to keep his team-mate Neymar out of Chelsea’s clutches in August.

However, talks were put on hold when he picked up a knee injury and he feels let down by club bosses.

‘Nothing has been resolved, there is no signature on the contract,’ said the frustrated 21-year-old.

‘It has been five months and nothing. ‘To not be valued by your club is complicated. Talks were closed because Santos stopped coming to me.’

Neymar, 18, grabbed many of the headlines last year for the sublime eye-catching skills that led to a £25million bid from Chelsea.

But many in Brazil consider Ganso to be even more valuable because of the way he can orchestrate games by sitting in the hole behind the forward line.

He has been compared to Zinedine Zidane and is seen as the natural successor to Real Madrid playmaker Kaka in the Brazil team.

Neymar’s salary was effectively trebled to £40,000 a week with the help of sponsors in August, but Ganso remains tied into a deal till 2015 worth £11,000 a week and with a prohibitively high release clause of almost £42m.

United’s Brazilian scout John Calvert-Toulmin knows all about his talents, while City insisted on first refusal for Ganso as part of the deal which saw Robinho loaned to Santos.

However, City’s option has now expired. Santos have indicated they plan to resume contract talks in the next few weeks, but Ganso bristled when asked about reports from Italy that Inter Milan were interested in him.

‘I am injured and a big European team wants me – the world champion wants to count on me,’ he said.

‘Meanwhile, Santos practically doesn’t value me. It’s almost funny.’ (Daily Mail)

Paulo Henrique Ganso is one of the finest young prospects in the world game at present, but his volatile personality makes his signing a risk for any prospective employer.

Earlier this year in the final match of the Campeonato Paulista, the substitution board was held up with Ganso’s number.

He flat out refused to leave the field to coach Dorival Junior, and this kind of behaviour would certainly not be tolerated under Sir Alex Ferguson in particular.

Still, if he can be tamed

Elegant in possession, the Brazilian is an excellent dribbler with a fine eye for a pass – something that both Manchester clubs could certainly use.

For Manchester City, Yaya Toure is frequently the most advanced central midfielder, and though he is capable of surprisingly good skill with the ball – as a run against Arsenal at the Emirates illustrated – he does not have the vision to be considered a true creative influence.

Manchester United seem only to be missing a playmaker, and Ganso could well be that man.

The trouble is though, any bidding war featuring Manchester City is likely to only have one winner.

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Arsenal take on title rivals Manchester City on Wednesday in what is expected to be an exciting encounter between two quality sides. The Gunners secured an important victory against Birmingham City in style with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri running the show for the away side. City continued their impressive run of results with another win with Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure again coming good for the Citizens.

Both the clubs remain close in the title race and this game could be important in deciding the fortunes of the two clubs at the end of the season. It has never been more tight and it is matches like these which could prove to be crucial in the challenge for the title.

Manchester City have spent a lot of money yet again this summer and they have developed into a stronger unit this summer and they have some excellent players at their disposal. Also, they have an excellent squad at their disposal which is one of the strongest in the Premier League.

Arsenal have also got a very strong squad thanks to the development of many youngsters by Arsene Wenger who has to get it right against City. The Gunners enjoyed a 3-0 win at the City of Manchester stadium but this match will be a hard fought one and can be won only if the Gunners play to their best.

Team News

Arsenal

The only new injury concern is that of Abou Diaby who is injured yet again and is two to three weeks out. Manuel Almunia and Thomas Vermaelen are yet to recover completely and are sure to miss this match. However, Kieran Gibbs is back int training and has a small chance to feature on the bench for the clash.
Wenger has to decide on whether or not to gamble on the fitness of Robin van Persie and Johan Djourou, but he might play them and rest them for the Carling Cup and FA cup ties. The same eleven players started the games against Chelsea and Birmingham and their success might ensure that all of them might start again.

Probable Starting 11
Lukasz Fabianski; Gael Clichy, Johan Djourou, Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna; Jack Wilshere, Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas; Samir Nasri, Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie

Manchester City

Edin Dzeko has been linked strongly with Manchester City who have reportedly agreed a fee with Wolfsburg. However he will not play a role in the game against Arsenal for sure but Roberto Mancini has a very strong squad to choose from. Mario Balotelli was ruled out of the last game due to a knee injury after his hat-trick against Aston Villa.

It is doubtful whether Balotelli will start against the Gunners and it will depend on the formation which Mancini decides to use. Adam Johnson has started games recently but it is doubtful if the manager will opt for him instead of Milner who will work hard and give support to the fullback considering the fact that Arsenal’s strength lies in goal scoring wingers.

Probable Starting 11
Joe Hart; Aleksander Kolarov, Vincent Kompany, Kolo Toure, Jerome Boateng; Gareth Barry, Nigel De Jong, Yaya Toure; James Milner, David Silva, Carlos Tevez

Arsenal Key Player: Cesc Fabregas

Samir Nasri has been in amazing form this season and has emerged as an early contender for the player of the season award this season. The Frenchman has scored 13 goals in all competitions which is his highest for the Gunners in a season. Though he is influential in every game, it is important Arsenal have the upper hand in the midfield in the big games.
Cesc Fabregas is a key player for the Gunners and against Chelsea and Birmingham, he showed what he is capable of and dominated the midfield battles. The Spaniard is an inspirational player and he is returning to his best form. Manchester City have three combative midfielders but if Fabregas can still provide service for the strikers, then Arsenal has a great chance to win the game.

Manchester City Key Player: Yaya Toure

Yaya Toure played as a defensive midfielder in his time with FC Barcelona but after signing for City, he has played in a more advanced role for the Citizens. Though he did take time to adjust to the Premiership, he has shown that he has the quality to be a huge player for City. Toure has been in excellent form in the last three weeks and will hope to maintain his good run.
He had a horrible game against Arsenal but he would be confident he can make a big impact in this game. His battle against Alex Song in midfield could be very important in the context of the game. Also, he could lead counter-attacks and if Song and Wilshere are caught high up the field, he will look to maximize his advantage.

Read more from Vijay at Arsenal Invicible

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A BITTER feud is behind the training ground scrap that saw Manu Adebayor and Kolo Toure dragged apart yesterday.

SunSport can reveal there has been tension between the Manchester City stars since Toure made comments before the trip to Fulham in November.

Toure publicly told some players at the club to stop whingeing and get on with the job.

Adebayor believed his old Arsenal team-mate was aiming the comments at him and there has been problems between them ever since.

Those problems finally blew up yesterday when, after a series of niggly tackles between the two, Adebayor fouled Toure from behind.

Toure took exception to the challenge and the pair grappled on the floor.

They refused to make up afterwards despite being ordered to by manager Roberto Mancini.

The shocking incident happened at lunchtime as City prepared for tonight’s clash at the Emirates.

Toure attempted to play down the clash. He said: “It was a bust-up because of a hard tackle.

“We both lost it but it was quickly calmed down. Other players and the manager came to separate us.

“It’s already forgotten. In any case, with Adebayor it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.

“At Arsenal we often had a similar set-to. We know each other well, maybe too well.” (The Sun)

The trouble with Manchester City’s Carrington training ground is that it is so close to a public footpath, with no tree coverage to block photographers’ views, that it doesn’t offer the same privacy that other Premier League clubs boast.

Indeed, the club have been eager to point out that this sort of thing happens at every training ground in the world, but it can hardly occur with such startling regularity as it does at Eastlands.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has had to explain rows between James Milner and Yaya Toure, Adebayor and Vincent Kompany, and a second training ground altercation between Mario Balotelli and Jerome Boateng.

Could they be explained by a sheer will to win?

After all, the on-pitch confrontations were both in reaction to poor performances in defeat. Milner and Yaya Toure clashed at half time of their 0-3 defeat to Arsenal, while Adebayor and Kompany’s words were exchanged during the Wolverhampton Wanderers match.

As for the physical battles on the training ground, they could merely illustrate how much City want to compete – even in training, as both brawls stemmed from over-zealous challenges.

Roberto Mancini probably doesn’t want his team to receive this kind of publicity, but he can hardly be dissatisfied with the position of his team in the Barclays Premier League table.

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