We do not see the Aviva Premiership or Pro12 rugby come to a halt while the Six Nations is going on, when huge clubs lose a decent portion of their strongest and most expensive players, so the Premier League can follow suit in 2022.

City, after their damaging loss to Liverpool, remain five points behind Chelsea who have a game in hand after their Capital One Cup victory on Sunday, which Pellegrini believes they can peg back.

While City boss while Pellegrini may have made a huge pre-match tactical blunder starting Fernando, bringing on Fernandinho after an hour was an inspired decision despite the 2-1 scoreline.

A first-half Luis Suarez double put Barcelona in control of the Champions League last 16 tie before Sergio Aguero got one back for the hosts then Joe Hart saved a last-gasp Lionel Messi penalty.

Gorton-based West End AFC girls’ team are appealing for the public’s help to raise £6,000 to get their team to France to defend their Challenge Des Etoiles tournament title.

City, bereft of any inspiration all season apart from their painfully last-gasp qualification for the Champions League knockout stages, have no chance of progressing past Barcelona this year.

Jonjo Heuerman, from Kent, is attempting to cycle between all 20 Premier League clubs over a two-week period and the youngster is currently on his way to Old Trafford.

A 13-year-old football and fundraising fanatic is due to arrive in Manchester on Friday February 20 on the North West leg of a mammoth 800-mile charity challenge.

The New York City FC squad were present as Man City snatched a point from Hull City thanks to a late James Milner free kick last weekend and they will now have a chance to grace the Etihad turf themselves.

It is almost beyond credibility how dramatically Manchester City’s formed has declined since Yaya Toure departed for the Africa Cup of Nations, with three draws and two defeats in that time.

Man City have now won just one of their last five league games in the absence of Ivorian Toure and were facing a 1-0 defeat until a stoppage-time James Milner free kick rescued a point.