Manchester City
Pep Guardiola Publicly Apologised to Phil Foden in Front of Manchester City Squad After Heated Porto Exchange in 2020
A fascinating story has emerged from Pep Guardiola’s decade of dominance at Manchester City, revealing the moment a young Phil Foden stood up to his manager and forced him to eat humble pie in front of the entire squad.
It happened during a Champions League tie against Porto in 2020 when Foden, just 20 years old at the time, failed to execute a free kick the way Guardiola wanted. The manager’s response was immediate and furious, with expletives flying across the technical area.
Rather than accept the criticism, Foden went back to the dressing room and changed fully before his teammates had even arrived. When Guardiola walked in, the young midfielder was waiting by the door ready to tell his boss exactly what he thought.
Foden did not hold back. He told Guardiola never to speak to him that way again, making a pointed reference to David Silva, implying his manager would never treat the club legend with such disrespect. It was a genuinely bold moment from a player still finding his way at elite level.
A Manager Willing to Learn
What happened next separated Guardiola from many of his peers. He did not dig in or defend his actions. He apologized immediately and then called a meeting the next day to apologize again in front of the entire squad. He even paid a self-imposed fine into the players’ pot. That kind of accountability from a manager of Guardiola’s stature sends a powerful message about the culture he was building.
The Foundation of Success
This exchange reveals something fundamental about why City became so successful under Guardiola. He was not a despot demanding blind obedience. He was willing to be called out when he was wrong and mature enough to admit it. Foden learned that standing up for himself mattered, and Guardiola demonstrated that his way was not the only way.
Brighton
Brighton vs. Manchester City Women FA Cup Final Preview: Seagulls Aim for Historic Upset at Wembley
Brighton face Manchester City in the 2026 Women’s FA Cup Final on Sunday, May 31, 2026 at Wembley Stadium with kick-off at 16:00 BST. City arrive as WSL champions chasing a domestic double while Brighton enter the biggest match in their entire history, targeting their first major trophy. This should be a genuinely compelling occasion.
Kick-off: 16:00 BST, Sunday, May 31, 2026
Venue: Wembley Stadium
London TV: BBC One, TNT Sports, HBO Max, Viaplay
Form Guide
Manchester City won the WSL title by seven points over Arsenal and defeated Chelsea 3-2 in the FA Cup semi-finals. Their 4-2-3-1 system with Yui Hasegawa controlling tempo and Khadija Shaw leading the attack has been devastatingly effective all season. Sam Coffey remains absent after knee surgery while Rebecca Knaak is a doubt.
Brighton finished the WSL campaign strongly, beating City 3-2 in their final league encounter in April through goals from Madison Haley and Kiko Seike. That result gives Dario Vidosic’s side genuine belief. Veteran Fran Kirby, Player of the Season at Brighton, brings cup final experience nobody else in the squad possesses. Vidosic has no confirmed fresh injury concerns ahead of Wembley.
Team News
Vivianne Miedema returned for City during their final WSL fixture. Sam Coffey misses out, creating a midfield void City must address. Brighton have a full complement available with Kirby expected to anchor their midfield creativity.
Predicted Lineups
Brighton (4-4-2): Baggaley; Mpome, Hayes, Minami, Vanegas; Seike, Symonds, Cankovic, Olislagers; Kirby, Haley
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Cumings; Ouhabi, Greenwood, Rose, Beney; Hasegawa, Blindkilde; Hemp, Fujino, Fowler; Shaw
Prediction
Brighton have the tactical blueprint to cause problems. City have the quality to win anyway. Brighton 1-3 Manchester City.
Manchester City
Manchester City Women Unveil New £10m State of the Art Facility as Alex Greenwood Says It Takes WSL Champions to a Whole Different Level
Manchester City Women have officially opened a brand new £10 million headquarters, completing a project that has been almost four years in the making and arriving at the perfect moment, just days after the club claimed their first WSL title in a decade.
The facility sits on the same campus as the men’s team and academy but gives the women’s side its own dedicated space for the first time, covering medical, rehab, physio, hydrotherapy, and recovery, with chefs and nutritionists working exclusively for the squad.
Players and staff contributed to the design throughout the process, with midfielder Laura Coombs playing a hands-on role in the interior. The circular dressing room is modelled on the layout of the Etihad Stadium, designed with team connection in mind.
Greenwood Cannot Hide Her Pride
Club captain Alex Greenwood described it as the finest facility she has ever worked in specifically built for a women’s team, placing it above her experiences at Lyon and with England at St George’s Park. She pointed to the nutrition setup as the standout improvement, with the squad now able to cater fully for the different dietary needs and cultural tastes of players from across the world.
Jeglertz Loves What the Space Does for the Group
Head coach Andree Jeglertz highlighted the informal lounge area as the heart of the building, a space where the squad watched Arsenal draw with Brighton last Wednesday to confirm City as champions, and where tactical analysis sessions can shift seamlessly into relaxed downtime for the players.
Shaw Uncertainty Clouds the Celebrations
The new facility arrives with one significant question still unresolved. Khadija Shaw, who finished the WSL season as the division’s top scorer with 19 goals, remains heavily linked with a free transfer exit to Chelsea this summer. Greenwood made clear she hopes Shaw stays, while Jeglertz insists City will be ready to compete for the title regardless of what happens.
Also read: Arsenal Women Confirm Where All WSL Home Games Will Be Played
Manchester City
Jess Park Opens Up: Lionesses Star on Joining Man Utd From Man City and Message of Freedom That Has Her Thriving Ahead of League Cup Final
There was less than an hour remaining in the Women’s Super League summer transfer window when the most stunning business of all was completed. Jess Park and Grace Clinton had been stalwarts at Manchester City and Manchester United, respectively, during the previous season, and yet at the eleventh hour, both were sent to opposite sides of the city.
It prompted criticism of United, with many questioning whether they had done enough summer business. That feeling intensified in the first half of the season when the club’s lack of depth played a part in their inability to mount a serious WSL title challenge. But no criticism can be levelled at the club for what they have done with Park.
Given Freedom to Find Spaces
Revitalised by the freedom handed to her by United boss Marc Skinner, who has crafted out a unique role for her on the pitch, the England international has helped this team reach the Champions League quarter finals and Sunday’s League Cup final. “Of course you’re going to be a little bit sceptical. But as soon as I hit the field, I heard the fans straight away, and that’s much appreciated. I’ve loved every minute of it,” Park tells GOAL.
Park plays like she is loving it, too. With six goals and four assists, it is already her best ever WSL season in terms of goal contributions, and there are still six games to play. That is on top of three goals in other competitions, including the crucial equaliser in the League Cup quarter final win over Tottenham.
Position is Just Where You Start
The position Skinner has put Park in has helped to bring that form out of her. At City, she was deployed in a more orthodox central midfield role, but at United, she has most often started on the right and been allowed to float into whatever spaces appear. Asked what the message has been in that role, Park says, “Have freedom, find the ball, find the spaces, find the pockets.”
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