Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola has spoken for the first time about Kyle Walker after a police investigation was launched following allegations of indecent exposure against him. 
The 32-year-old England international is alleged to have exposed himself in a Manchester bar over the weekend, while also touching a woman’s breasts. The right-back was seen in the CCTV footage arriving at the bar alongside a group of friends at around 5:20pm on Sunday, March 6. The video then also allegedly shows Walker kissing and grabbing one of his companions. He danced provocatively with one of them before trying to leave at 6.40pm with his friends. Though Cheshire Police confirmed on Thursday, March 9, that they were investigating the incident, no arrest has been made. When asked about the incident today, March 10, Guardiola said;
“It’s a private issue, we solve it internally, speak with him. This is not the place to speak about a private situation.” When asked if players need to be more careful now when they are out in public, Guardiola said; “Definitely. It’s a bit different now. They know it. When you open the door at home they need to know they will be filmed whatever they do. That is society.” Walker, who has four children, has been married to model and reality TV star Annie Kilner since November 2021. The couple, who were childhood sweethearts, have three sons together, Roman, Riaan, and Reign. They previously met when Waker was 19 years old and Kilner was 16 and were together for over nine years, splitting in May 2019 before later getting back together.
Haaland was withdrawn at half-time against Villa following a collision with Emiliano Martinez in which he appeared to take a blow to his thigh. He underwent a brief treatment before going on to provide an assist for Ilkay Gundogan in a 3-1 win and making it through to the interval unscathed. Guardiola told Sky Sports that substituting the Norwegian during the march was partly precautionary, and they are waiting on the outcome of medical tests before making a full assessment of the 22-year-old’s potential involvement in a crunch clash with Arsenal on Wednesday, February 15. 
He said; “Haaland had a big knock, he was uncomfortable. At 3-0 we don’t want to take risks. We’ll see and assess in the next days. If he is not ready, we play another one. Hopefully he’s ready but we will see.” 
It was reported earlier that the English club has been charged with 101 breaches of financial regulations since the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, with the punishment a long way from being decided. Reacting to questions on the development from reporters on Friday, February 10, Guardiola stated that while he feels they’ve already been condemned even though prosecutors are yet to prove the charges, he still believes they are “innocent until proven guilty”. 
The club’s coach said; “My thought is that we have already been condemned. Since Monday it is like what happened with UEFA. The club proved that they were completely innocent, why should I think right now, with just charges of suggestions… You have to understand that the 19 teams of the Premier League are accusing us without opportunity to defend ourselves. You know exactly on what side I am. “We are lucky we live in a society where everybody is innocent until proven guilty. We didn’t have this opportunity. (People say) we are already guilty. I think we have good lawyers but the Premier League – supported by 19 teams – are going to take good lawyers too. If we are not innocent we will accept what the judge or Premier League decide, but what happens if it’s the same as UEFA and we are innocent? What happens to restore our damage?” 
“Now you’ve got a player who a lot of the time in their matches hardly takes part, it’s almost like playing with ten men. I don’t care how many goals he scores or how many hat-tricks he scores, you need to see how many goals the team scores. I think they’ve scored less goals at the same stage of last season and have got less points. “I don’t think that Haaland is a player that fits into the team because he’s everything the team isn’t. “He’s good when you play quickly – at Dortmund he scored his goals after they turned over the ball, played three or four passes and the ball was in the back of the net. With City they pass the ball 30/40 times before breaking the team down and that’s not his game. “I don’t think long-term he will improve City’s team and that’s their biggest problem.” 
Also commenting on claim of Haaland and Guardiola not having a good relationship, Hamann added; “I never thought he was going to go to City because he’s a player Guardiola never wanted. “Every centre forward was sent away from Barcelona, at times he played Robert Lewandowski on the left at Bayern Munich, Gabriel Jesus played out wide most of the time. “Maybe they thought ‘there’s a player who we get for £50-60million and he’s twice or treble that, we have to buy him’. “Would he be a benefit for Chelsea or Manchester United? Yes, I think so. Would he have scored the same goals for them? I don’t know, probably not because at City he gets more chances than for these teams but I don’t think he’s a good fit for Manchester City.” 
Harry Kane’s 15th-minute goal which made him the top scorer for Tottenham, was enough to seal their defeat over Manchester City. Speaking to reporters after the defeat, Guardiola suggested that his players had been affected by the trip to north London. He said; 
“We are an attractive team. Our teams are always good, we try to go forward and be generous for our fans. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but I cannot complain much. When you win four Premier Leagues in five years we cannot complain much about what we have done and the way we have done it. “We try to continue to do it and improve the things that will help us in the future. But we go back to Manchester. Coming to London is like going to, I don’t know, northern Europe. It is 4 hours 20 minutes, 4 hours and a half to get to a hotel. It’s so exhausting to come to London, I’m sorry. We need to come back to Manchester and prepare for the game against Aston Villa.” 
Cancelo’s loan move to Bayern Munich led to speculation of him reportedly falling out with Guardiola. However, addressing the claim at a press conference, Guardiola insisted that all is well between him and the Portuguese footballer in spite of the loan deal which includes a €70 million (£62m/$76m) purchase option. He said; 
“I wish him the very best. He has been an incredible figure in winning two Premier League titles. After the World Cup we have been playing in different patterns and I’ve given more time to other players. “Everyone has their own personality. He loves to play, he trains the best but he needs to play to be happy, so we decided together to let him go to Munich. He wants to play every game so hopefully that can happen in Munich.” When asked about possible replacements, Guardiola said he would wait and see if the club needs to target another full-back at the end of the season. 
Mikel Arteta, coach of Premier League leaders, Arsenal, has explained why he doesn’t want a rivalry in the title race with Pep Guardiola, who is the head coach of second-placed Manchester City. 
With Arsenal scheduled to face Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday, January 27, Arteta expressed hope that the struggle to win a trophy this season won’t ruin his friendship with Guardiola. Speaking at a press conference today, January 25, he said; “It’s a strange feeling. I want the best for him, genuinely, and when you are challenging with someone like this, something comes in between that. 
“I always hoped [Arsenal challenging City for trophies] was going to be the case one day and it’s happening this season. That’s not going to change any friendship, the moments that we have, how important he is in my life, how important he is in my profession. We’re both willing to win and defend our clubs in any way and that’s always been the case since day one. I would prefer to do it with someone else to be fair.” Arteta spent three years as Guardiola’s assistant before he left the Premier League champions to take over as Arsenal coach in 2019. His team are now five points clear of City at the top of the table and have lost just once in the competition this term. 
Ahead of Manchester City’s derby clash with Manchester United this weekend, the club’s coach Pep Guardiola has revealed that he’s been pondering on some “ridiculous ideas”. 
Guardiola who admitted that he’s yet to review United’s recent games in order to come up with a firm game plan, might swing towards laying out a selection shock for the match at Old Trafford so that his players remain fresh. Addressing reporters, the Manchester City coach said; 
“I have a few ideas, thoughts – ridiculous ones against United – but still I didn’t watch their last games. “I have to see the way they play at home and if they change something. I still have to review it; that is why I don’t have a clear lineup [yet] against United.” 
