Man City star sends Premier League rivals a warning amid Club World Cup form
Manchester City are into the last 16 of the Club World Cup, where they face Al-Hilal on Monday, and winger Savinho believes things are looking good for the 2025/26 season
Brazil star Savinho believes Manchester City have sent a message they are ready to be crowned world champions again.
In-form City smashed five past Juventus in their final group match and scored 13 across their three matches before reaching the knock-out stages.
It has put them in great spirits before they face Al-Hilal in Orlando in the last 16 stage on Monday and they can now see a clear path to a potential all-English showdown with Chelsea in the semi-final.
That would set up a Premier League clash 3,500 miles from home which has been billed as the America dream and would be a dream for FIFA and their Club World Cup.
It is a tantalising thought and you can sense that City are growing in belief as Savinho says their performances so far have got them believing they can go all the way.
City won the Club World Cup in its old guise in December 2023 and now they want to conquer the new tournament starting with beating their Saudi Pro League opponents on Monday.
Savinho said: 'It was a very important win for us, particularly against Juventus. I think it was to gain confidence and do our best. It was a very impactful result.
'I think it's good because we finished first in the group. That was our goal. We played a great game and we got the three points. We scored a lot of goals too.
'I'm happy to be here with Manchester City in the Club World Cup and it was a great win and I think we'll improve game by game. There are other great teams too, but we'll do what we do and improve even more in the next matches. But we'll focus on the title.'
City are clearly on a mission in the United States after finishing last season empty-handed. They have spent nearly £300million on eight new players in this calendar year and are refreshed and recharged in the United States.
Savinho added: 'There's nothing better than when you've just had a bad season and you go home and rest. You reflect and get the energy to do your best again. That's it. Manchester City have hired top players. We're getting along and we trust each other.
'Manchester City will always be Manchester City. I think it's not just because we didn't do well last season that everything will end. We can't forget everything the club has been through in the good phases.'
City midfielder Matheus Nunes also claimed that Pep Guardiola 's men have a new confidence and belief about them. He added: 'We're still early in the season, but I think the energy is different.
"I think last year we were a little down in terms of spirit but we know what it means to play for Manchester City and this season that's definitely going to change. What I like most about this tournament is that we entered all the games to win and it has to be that way until the final.'
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
21 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier named WNBA All-Star Game captains
With the title of captain comes responsibilities. Clark and Collier will be tasked with drafting their All-Star teams playground-style from a pool of eight starters and 12 reserves. The remaining eight starters -- selected by fan votes (50%), current WNBA players (25%) and media members (25%) -- will be announced on Monday, June 30, while the 12 All-Star reserves will be selected by the league's head coaches on July 6. The WNBA All-Star Game draft will be broadcast on "WNBA Countdown Presented by Google" on July 8. The Fever shared a social media video of WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announcing the news to Clark and the Fever. "Caitlin, I just want to personally congratulate you on being named captain for the 2025 WNBA All-Star team," Engelbert said over the phone, which was held by Fever head coach Stephanie White. Clark's teammates cheered and applauded. When Engelbert sent her best wishes for the upcoming 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final, Clark candidly replied, "We about to get that dub Cathy." Clark's availability for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will be something to monitor. Clark has missed a career-high seven games this season due to injury, including the Fever's last two games due to a left groin injury. Her status for the Fever's Commissioner's Cup championship game vs. the Lynx remains unclear. "Caitlin, I just want to personally congratulate you on being named captain for the 2025 WNBA All-Star team."@WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert surprised Caitlin Clark with a call to announce her as a captain in the #WNBAAllStar2025 Game ????? — Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 29, 2025 The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will be held on July 19 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Fever, and could feature more Indiana stars. In the first returns of fan voting earlier this month, Fever center Aliyah Boston was ranked third, trailing Clark and Collier. Will Clark and Boston team up again? We'll have to wait and see. Clark is averaging 18.2 points and 8.9 assists per game, which marks a career-high. Collier learned she was an 2025 All-Star captain by way of her three-year-old daughter Mila, who wore a shirt that read, "Mama, you're a All-Star." Collier's husband Alex Bazzell was also involved in the unveiling, saying he's "incredibly proud. She's earned it. We're excited about it and hopefully more and more to come." called in friends and family to break the news. ???? — Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) June 29, 2025 Collier has led the Lynx to a league-best 13-2 record while averaging a league-high 24.5 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game, the fourth-highest in the league. She's a frontrunner for the 2025 WNBA MVP award. Clark and Collier faced off against each other in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game, where Clark and Team WNBA handed the U.S. women's national team a loss before they went to the 2024 Paris Olympics and won another gold medal. Collier was held scoreless in three minutes of work off the bench for Team USA, while Clark had four points (2-of-9 FG, 0-of-7 3PT) and 10 assists in 26 minutes of work. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news -- fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Reuters
31 minutes ago
- Reuters
Guardiola worried that lack of rest after Club World Cup could 'destroy' Man City
June 30 (Reuters) - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is concerned about the lack of rest his side will get ahead of the new Premier League season and said their involvement in the Club World Cup could "destroy" them. City wrapped up the previous Premier League season on May 25 and opened their Club World Cup campaign in Philadelphia just over three weeks later on June 18. They face Al-Hilal in Orlando on Saturday in the round of 16 and should City go on to reach the final on July 13 they will have a month to prepare for their new league campaign beginning on August 16. Guardiola said he did not know how much the Club World Cup would take out of his squad and told reporters to ask him about the impact later in the year. "I may say, so listen, we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us," he added. "I don't know, but it's the first time in our life that that's happened. So we'll see." Guardiola said he understood comments made by former Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp, who said the expanded 32-team event, to be held once every four years during the pre-season, was football's worst idea. "Juergen, we fought together many, many times... when we went to UEFA meetings especially, or when we discussed the Premier League calendar, about how to add more quality, giving the managers and players more rest," Guardiola said. "So his comments didn't surprise me a lot ... I understand his argument, because I would defend his argument as well."
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Mary Fowler makes a stunning confession about how close she came to quitting soccer altogether
Matildas and Manchester City star Mary Fowler has revealed how close she came to walking away from football after intense pressure as a teenager made her fall out of love with the game. Fowler, 22, who debuted for the Australian national team at just 15 years of age, said if she hadn't found success so early on in life she might have 'done something else'. 'Football at times wasn't the most enjoyable experience to me because I was just so immersed in it,' she said in an interview series with the Commonwealth Bank. 'If a game didn't go well or if I missed a shot on goal that I should have scored, it was the biggest deal. 'Like, oh, you don't deserve your opportunities or you're a bad person. 'I think if I hadn't gone to the national team that soon, maybe I would have done something else.' Currently recovering from an ACL injury in England, Fowler also spoke about her recovery process. 'I have recently made a conscious effort to think that I don't have like a bad knee that needs to be fixed, but I'm getting an upgrade and I'm getting an even better knee,' she said. 'I have heard that a lot of girls when they come back … it can be up to a year to feel like probably normal again. 'I feel like 90 per cent of that is going to be a mental block and so it's something that I've thought about and been like, why don't I just start changing how I think about it now already?' Earlier this month, Fowler revealed her long-term plans with NRL beau Nathan Cleary - and they include babies, adoption, and a life surrounded by animals on a rural property. Despite being more than 17,000km away from home - and with no plans to play in Australia again 'any time soon, if ever' - Fowler says she's already looking ahead to a quieter life with the Penrith Panthers halfback. 'I really want to have a big family,' she told the Keegan and Company podcast. 'The only dream I have at the moment is to be a mum and have heaps of kids and be in a space where they can play outside a lot.' The Matildas forward has revealed her long-term plans with Nathan Cleary (pictured together) - and they include babies, adoption, and a life surrounded by animals on a rural property Not content with just a picket fence and a swing set, she is thinking big - envisioning a home where her future children can get their hands dirty in the veggie patch, feed farm animals, and 'run wild in the mud.' 'If I had the set-up for that, it would be a dream,' she added. Fowler - who hails from Cairns and is sister to siblings Caoimhin, Seamus, Ciara and Louise - said she sees a similar-sized family in her own future. 'I would love to have two or three kids of my own and then adopt,' she revealed.
