Manchester City

Mike Minay
BBC Radio Manchester reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne says he didn’t hold talks over a possible summer exit away from the blues.

The Belgian was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia during the transfer window but now enters his 10th season with City.

“I haven’t spoken to anyone to be honest,” he told BBC Radio Manchester.

“There has been a lot of noises and news. I said in the summer I expect a quiet summer and that's actually what happened. I've been on holiday for four weeks, came back and started training. That was it. Nothing to tell.

"I've not been entertained by anybody or spoken to anybody.”

De Bruyne joined Manchester City for £55m in 2015 and was a key part of the Treble-winning side in 2023 but now has less than a year left on his current deal.

“Once the season goes on, I'm sure there will be conversations to be had with City,” he added.

“I just want to feel good, play good football and this will come in the upcoming months. I don't really feel the rush for the moment.”

De Bruyne was injured for the first six months of last season, but so far this campaign has already registered one goal and one assist.

“Last year was up and down,” he said.

“I always had the idea of, if the Euros went well physically and I had a rest after, I'll come back refreshed. We had a nice break and I feel good.”

Listen to Total Sport on BBC Radio Manchester every weeknight at 18:00 and listen to every Manchester City game - home and away - live on BBC Radio Manchester.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Erling Haaland has now scored eight hat-tricks in 69 Premier League games – one every nine games on average.

Despite him playing just 69 games, only three players have scored more hat-tricks in Premier League history.

Manchester City's fixture list for the new league phase of the revamped Champions League has been confirmed.

Pep Guardiola's side will play eight games against eight different teams between 18 September and 29 January, four away and four at home.

City will face Inter Milan in their first match of this season’s Champions League – a repeat of the 2023 final in Istanbul.

Teams who finish in the top eight will qualify automatically for the last 16, while those who place ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.

See the full list

Watch all the highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures with Gary and the team.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Leicester 1-2 Aston Villa

• West Ham 1-3 Man City

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola to BBC Match of the Day: "It was open, we didn't finish actions and when they can run [Jarrod] Bowen, [Lucas] Paqueta and [Mohammed] Kudus through, it's dangerous. [Ilkay] Gundogan came in and we had the control back."

On Erling Haaland: "No words for him. All we can do is make him play better and better and give him as many balls as possible to the box. It's what we have to do. We are there and we added quality.

"This is a team. When you have to run backward, no one asks who has to do it. Everyone has to. When we see Erling doing that, it is fantastic.

On West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui: "He's a close friend and one of the most amazing managers I've met. All of the managers in their first season started well but we didn't win anything. It is a question of time and he will do it. We've had a friendship for many years and I wish him all the best."

Image source, Getty Images

Erling Haaland became the first player to score a hat-trick in two of a team's first three Premier League league games of a season since Paul Jewell for Bradford in 1994-95.

His seven goals in the first three games of 2024-25 is the most ever for a player at this stage of a Premier League season.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

West Ham fans, have your say on the performance, external

What did you make of the game, Manchester City fans?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Follow reaction and read the match report

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Erling Haaland will be sad that the month of August is almost at an end.

His hat-trick against West Ham on Saturday means he has scored 18 goals in his 11 league matches for City in the month, which gives him one of the best minutes-per-goal ratio by any player in a particular month in Premier League history (minimum of 500 minutes played).

His three goals also continued his free-scoring start to the season as it takes his tally to seven from just three games - outscoring every other team so far in the Premier League.

Against the Hammers, he wasn't heavily involved but did what was required of him when it mattered - with his first two goals coming after having touched the ball just six times in the opening 30 minutes.

West Ham rallied after the break, but Manchester City held their opponents at bay before Haaland struck against to secure the victory that puts them top of the table with a 100% record so far.

There are seven Premier League games this Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you all the action and reaction throughout the day.

All times BST

Follow all the action and reaction here

BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries:

• Leicester v Aston Villa

• West Ham v Man City

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has spoken with former City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart about his incredible recent success with club and country.

The Spain international was once again an integral part of Pep Guardiola's side as they won their fourth Premier League title in a row last season, before going onto help his national team win Euro 2024 in Germany.

He is now one of the favourites for this year's Ballon d'Or award.

Listen to the full interview on Football Focus from 12.00 BST, Saturday on BBC One

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week three, he takes on MOBO Award-winning drum & bass legend and producer Adam F.

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

I can't see anyone stopping Manchester City at this time, they just dominate teams, dominate games. I think that City will win this one.

West Ham, it looks like Michael Antonio will lead the line. I love Niklas Fullkrug and would love to see him get a start, I don't know whether he will because Antonio was on the bench in the League Cup. I think West Ham will score but I think Man City will score more.

Adam F's prediction: 1-3

City are just so hard to stop.

Read the full predictions and have your say

Mike Minay
BBC Radio Manchester reporter

Image source, Getty Images

I was wrong. There were no Champions League questions for Pep Guardiola to bat away at today's press conference.

He quickly dismissed the idea of any signings coming into City on transfer deadline day, but when asked whether the club had "failed" to find a replacement for Julian Alvarez, Guardiola said he did not have any concerns with multiple players who can play in his position.

Ballon d’Or voting opens next week and after an unbeaten season (up to the very last game), I asked him whether Rodri should be in the running.

"He deserves it," Guardiola replied. "Not just for this season, but for the past few he has been with City."

West Ham will provide City's latest test on Saturday, a side with a "really good squad" according to the boss. And that is his focus tomorrow, not joining the online queue for Oasis tickets - although he did say it was "fantastic" to have them back.

Listen to Mike speak with Ilkay Gundogan and hear more from Guardiola on Oasis here

• Listen to West Ham v Manchester City via BBC Radio Manchester on BBC Sounds from 17:30 BST on Saturday

Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder and Planet Premier League pundit Cesc Fabregas believes the transfer window should close before the season begins.

Listen to the Planet Premier League podcast on BBC Sounds

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport Journalist

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at West Ham (kick-off 17:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Rodri and Mateo Kovacic are back fit and in contention to face West Ham, but Guardiola says that Phil Foden "still doesn't feel good", although the rest of the squad are "OK".

• Guardiola sounded confident about the chances of returning midfielder Ilkay Gundogan being ready to play a part on Saturday: "He needs one minute, no more than that, to settle. He's a top-class player and he knows the mechanics of what we try to do. We knew it and it has happened."

• There was no emotion in Guardiola's expression when asked if he would be having a quiet transfer deadline day. "Yep," he replied, with a flat bat.

• On whether not signing a replacement for Julian Alvarez could prove to be a mistake: "I am happy with the squad. We didn't expect Julian was leaving. Of course, if we have many injuries it could be a problem. Maybe it is a mistake, I don't know, but I like to work with not a long, long squad. I don't like to leave a lot of players without playing for a long time."

• Guardiola said that "it is better to wait" if not sure about a player, adding: "In winter we have another chance, so if I am not convinced then it is better not to take that step."

• On Rodri's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or: "I would love for one player [from City] to win this award. For the players it means a lot - I would love it. I have said many times when a player has been in contention it means that the player and the club - individually and collectively - have done a good season. There are a lot of good teams with a lot of good players. It could happen [for a City player] but it is not in my hands."

• On whether he will be more focused on West Ham or booking Oasis tickets on Saturday morning: "[Laughs] Absolutely West Ham. If we can go then we will go, absolutely. Good news for world music that they are back. It's fantastic for their thousand million fans they have around the world, especially here in England and the UK."

• Finally, Guardiola heaped praise on "special" manager Julen Lopetegui and his West Ham side: "New managers at new places always need time. He's an experienced manager. He's been at Real Madrid, the Spain national team. Sevilla is a demanding place, so he has a lot of experience. He's an unbelievable person. West Ham added to what they already had. They had a really good squad and this summer have brought in new top players, especially up front, [where] with their physicality they have incredible weapons. A really strong team."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the action from transfer deadline day