Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked how he finds the right balance with his forwards: "We have to adapt to the quality of the players that we have. We have just one proper, proper winger now in Antoine [Semenyo] and have adapted the system to make the players comfortable.

"In years as a manager I have changed many things. The idea is quite similar in the terms of build-ups and pressing but if I don't have proper, proper wingers I won't play with wingers. I have to play another one [system] to make them feel comfortable, no more than that."

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Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who recently made comments suggesting the UK had become 'colonised' by immigrants.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has since apologised for 'offending some people' but maintained an 'open debate' on the matter was needed:

"I have a huge appreciation for Sir Jim. I was fortunate to meet him.

"I think he made a statement and afterwards apologised. I will not comment on what Sir Jim Ratcliffe said because after that - all around the world it is a problem that we have - all around the countries.

"We treat immigrant people and other people that come from other countries - that is a problem that our countries have. It is a big big big problem because the fact that I am Catalan and you are British - what influence we had when we were born was mum and dad, right? That's why we were born there.

"Everybody wants to have a better life. Every person wants to have a perspective to have a better future for themselves, for their families or their friends. Sometimes opportunities come in the place that you were born and the place that you go. Today before it was so difficult to travel but today in one hour you can be everywhere.

"That is why the place you were born doesn't make a difference. The moment we start, we have a lot of work to do about that. Does it make me feel like I am better than you because I am Catalan? No.

"My education when I was born, when I travel in Mexico, live in Qatar, live in Italy, live in England or Germany - that is just the benefit of my personality and how I grew up. I met incredible nice people travelling and that is what it is about but don't make me feel bad just for the fact I was born in one place and different from the other.

"Most people run away from their countries for the problems that are in their country, not because they want to leave.

"The more we embrace other cultures, truly embrace it, then we will have a better society - I do not have any doubts about that."

Read more on the Sir Jim Ratcliffe comments here.

Dal: I disagree with Aaron, you want forward momentum, everyone's asking Arsenal if they can get over the line, an FA Cup exit feeds into the naysayers. Need a deep run and to utilise the squad depth.

Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on facing Salford City in the FA Cup again, after beating them 8-0 at home in the third round last season: "Of course they are League Two and of course we play at home, but I try to knuckle into the mind of the players that nothing is for granted and that everything is difficult. Of course, it could be easy afterwards but we have to do our job and that's why in a tight competition in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, we have always been there. We have always behaved really, really good and tomorrow cannot be an exception."

Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked if reaching another FA Cup final is a priority for him: "Our priority is beating Salford and going to the next round. In this competition over the last years reaching finals, finals and finals. Unfortunately we could not win the last two finals but being there is always a success. I always think about that.

"Hopefully, before this long week that we need, because we are so, so exhausted physically and mentally from this incredible amount of games in many months - we can have a little break after the game tomorrow."

Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he has not spoken with Bernado Silva about whether he will stay at the club beyond the end of his contract this summer.

He added that he has told Silva "when you have made a decision let me know".

More to follow.

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Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked about Sir Jim Ratcliffe's comments about immigration, external, which the co-owner of Man Utd has since apologised for.

He refused to pass his judgement, noting Ratcliffe had moved to clarify his comments, but spoke passionately about the subject, saying the moment we "embrace other cultures we will have a better society".

Full quotes to follow.

Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on John Stones, who returned to the matchday squad in midweek: "Last season too [was a difficult season for him]. Fortunately, it is a long two months. The last game he played was against Leeds away. He has already made two or three training sessions and we will see tomorrow if he plays or how many minutes he plays."

Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on the fitness of Erling Haaland, after the striker was brought off at half time in midweek: "Erling is not 100%. We will see today how he feels. It is not a big issue the doctor said to me but he had some disturbance during the game and that's why he didn't play in the second half.

"We will see today [if he will be involved tomorrow]."

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Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says that Erling Haaland is not 100% and he is yet to decide whether the striker will play in Saturday's FA Cup tie.

He added that a decision will also be made about whether John Stones will feature.

Full quotes to follow.

Talking of Manchester City, let's see what manager Pep Guardiola has to say before their FA Cup tie at home to League Two Salford City...

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It's that time of the season where we talk about those leading the Premier League being in the hunt for the quadruple and they ultimate end the campaign with one trophy max.

With that being said, Arsenal and Manchester City do indeed remain in the mix to claim a historic quadruple.

The Gunners currently lead on all fronts, sitting at the summit of the Premier League table while ending the Champions League league phase on top.

City themselves managed to guide themselves through the league phase and into an automatic knock-out spot, avoiding the play-offs, while sitting just four points off the top in the Premier League.

Both have, on paper, easy FA Cup fixtures to navigate this weekend and will fancy a long run in the competition.

Only one will remain in the hunt for the quadruple come 22 March, though, as the two face off in the EFL Cup final in a bid to claim the first piece of silverware of 2025-26.

Arsenal

A final word from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on whether it was an error to send Ethan Nwanieri on loan to Marseille now that Mikel Merino is injured: "That's easy to say. After making the decision, who could have predicted that Mikel was going to be out for five months and Kai?

"It's unfortunate, at the end we have to make the decisions on the moment, understanding the context there, and the best decision for the club, for Ethan, for sure it was for him to go and experience a different environment, have minutes played, and getting ready to come back to us."

Arteta on Marseille manager Roberto de Zerbi's sacking: "Well I cannot control that, again it's a decision, and that's part of playing on loan, and that's part of a journey of a football player. So you're going to have to work with different coaches, and that can happen any moment, you cannot control that, you cannot avoid that.

"Yes, one of the reasons for sure it was Roberto, but as well it was Marseille, and what Marseille as a club and as an environment brings to Ethan, and I think that's going to be still very positive."

Arsenal

After dropping points against Brentford, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was asked if it is important to keep the squad calm, with Manchester City just four points behind them in the Premier League title race: "That's what we have to do, I mean we are going to be willing and preparing to win every single match and the only thing that we can do is focus on that and raise the levels collectively and individually to be better than the opponent every week and that's going to carry on like this until May, regardless if we play before or after that. It's just the things that we have to do, that's the most important thing."

On whether he is worried about the title race after losing the chance to go six points clear: "I understand, but that's an if, if, if - if we would have lost in Newcastle we were eight points behind Liverpool in October. So if, if, there are a lot of ifs for 10 months in this competition, you can only focus on what you have to do and try to do that in the best possible way."

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was asked about his decision to take Eberechi Eze off at half-time against Brentford: "[I made the decision] because with the way that they were pressing, I think we needed another kind of profile to generate many more problems for them around those areas and I think he came on in the pitch really well and the team had another gear and more threat to arrive to the areas that we wanted to do and that's the decision."

And on if he is worried about Eze's form: "Well, I think he had moments and it's not easy when you move to a new club, it's always like this and when you play against a team that is like this and the ball is a lot of times not on the floor and you have to be constantly breaking the play and do that, especially for attacking and creative players, it's more difficult."

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Arsenal

Mikel Arteta on if he will rotate his Arsenal squad for Sunday's game: "Yes, that's what we've been doing, trying to make sure that everybody is a big part of what we are doing in different competitions, and Sunday will be the same."

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on moving from Thursday's disappointing result at Brentford in thhe Premier League to Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at home to League One Wigan Athletic: "It's an opportunity for the team. Again, with another competition and the history that we have related to that competition, it's amazing. We play at home again and I'm really excited to recover and go again."

On how he will prepare his squad for the game: "Well, I don't know. Every three days we are getting so used to playing different competitions, home or away, and we know what that competition means to the club, to ourselves, and go step by step."

Arteta was asked why he thinks Arsenal have not been past past the fourth round of the FA Cup since winning it six years ago: "We haven't been good enough on that day. And when you come to a competition, you have to be excellent on the day and the rest, the shirt that you wear or the shorts that you wear is irrelevant. So we're going to have to prove that against Wigan again on Sunday."

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Arsenal

The Gunners went into the match against Brentford without centre-back William Saliba, who missed out through illness.

Saliba is a key part of this Arsenal side and his partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes is a big reason why they have conceded just 18 goals in the league this season.

Since the start of 2022-23, Arsenal have a 68.6% win rate and average 2.3 points per game with Saliba playing in the Premier League (W83 D24 L14), compared to a 42.1% win rate and 1.6 points per game on average without him (W8 D7 L4).

The Gunners were also without Kai Havertz, who picked up a muscle injury after only just returning from a long-term knee issue last month.

These are key players for Arsenal missing at an extremely important time of the season.

The good news for them now is, they will feel that, without disrespecting their opposition, that facing a League One side in the cup is the perfect opportunity to rotate, rest and recharge without consequence.

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