Arne Slot insists Liverpool can handle the mounting pressure of the Premier League title race after the leaders were hampered by nerves in their tense win against Wolves.

Jude Bellingham edged Real Madrid ahead in their Champions League play-off against Manchester City, but then his week swiftly took a turn for the worse.

City have struggled badly without Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who suffered a serious knee injury in September.

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany on Friday compared his side's current duel with Bayer Leverkusen to the Manchester City-Liverpool Premier League battles of his playing days.

Pep Guardiola admitted Friday his Manchester City team are not as comfortable in possession as they used to be and that they lack the physicality to compete with their Premier League rivals.

From heated debates in cafes to trending discussions on social media, his name is being celebrated alongside Mohamed Salah's, Egypt's football megastar.

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said his side were well aware of Real Madrid's habit of producing their best in tough times, with a string of injuries having depleted the visitors' defence ahead of Tuesday's Champions League playoff.

Manchester City needed a late winner from substitute Kevin De Bruyne to beat Leyton Orient 2-1 and reach the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday after the third-tier side threatened to shock the Premier League champions.

The biggest movers in the European window were Manchester City, who have bolstered their squad right across the board.

Gonzalez junior came through Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, making 37 appearances for Barca before joining Valencia on loan and then moving to Porto in 2023.

City's spending was the second-biggest outlay ever worldwide by a club in the January transfer window behind Chelsea's 274 million pounds in 2023, according to Transfermarkt.

Arsenal kept alive their Premier League title challenge with a 5-1 demolition of dismal Manchester City on Sunday as the troubled champions endured another humiliation in their season from hell.

Defending champions Real Madrid will play 2023 winners Manchester City in a blockbuster Champions League knockout phase playoff tie after the two teams were pitted against each other in the draw held in Nyon on Friday.

City came back from a goal down to beat Belgian side Brugge on Wednesday in a nerve-jangling must-win league phase finale, to finish 22nd in the table - three places above elimination.

The holders will face either Celtic or Manchester City in the two-legged playoff on February, with the second leg at home.

City have reached the Champions League knockout stages every season since Guardiola took the helm in 2016, but they are in danger of missing out with the new format this year where they sit 25th in the standings -- outside even the playoff spots.

City's victory puts them back in pole position to qualify for next season's Champions League, just days before they try to save themselves in this season's competition.

Manchester City's new signings Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov will be in the squad for Saturday's league game against Chelsea, boss Pep Guardiola said ahead of the battle between two teams chasing a Champions League spot.

Paris Saint-Germain had been let down by their inability to score goals in this season's Champions League but everything clicked on Wednesday, when they produced a brilliant fightback to beat Manchester City 4-2 and finally kickstart their campaign.

"They were better. We have to accept it, We have the last chance at home against Bruges. We will do everything there and if we don't it is because we don't deserve it," Guardiola told reporters after the match at the Parc des Princes.