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Pep Guardiola denies Manchester Citys title defence this season has been a weak one.

The Premier League champions for the past two years currently trail runaway leaders Liverpool by 16 points and manager Guardiola has long since conceded defeat.

Yet the team are still second and last season they became the first side to retain the title in decade.

Pep Guardiola celebrates last seasons title success (Nick Potts/PA).

Guardiola feels that compares more than favourably to other recent winners of the competition.

The former Barcelona boss said: This team, what they have done in the last two seasons, especially the last one, was incredible.

I have said many times what happens to the champions of the Premier League when they start to drop points and they cannot get the first (place). What happens with those teams? They fall down, they drop and we wouldnt.

So Liverpool obviously will be champions of the Premier League, but they would be champions in Spain, champions in Italy, champions in Germany. They would be champions everywhere after 23 games, 22 victories, 1 draw.

In the recent past when Chelsea won the league, the next season, they didnt qualify for the Champions League, Leicester the same and Chelsea again the same. When we won the league we repeated the league.

In Spain with the points we have we would be there, one or two points behind the leader, in Germany we would be there, one or two points behind the leader, in Italy as well.

But Liverpool are just fantastic, phenomenal, overwhelming. So we have to accept it and learn from that.

Citys focus is now on the domestic cups and the Champions League. They host Fulham in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday before facing Manchester United in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday, leading 3-1 from the first encounter.

Manchester City continue their defence of the FA Cup on Sunday (Nick Potts/PA).

The Champions League then resumes with a last-16 trip to Real Madrid next month.

Guardiola has no concerns about the mentality of his players after their title blow.

He said: We have two games now where we can learn about how you handle the knockout game against Madrid, this kind of situations.

Every game we have a good argument (to play), a good reason, so why dont we play for that reason?

We play to be better as a team or as an individual and, in terms of mentality, this team is incredible.

Honestly, it is one of the best I have ever handled or faced in my career for how they react in the bad moments.

The numbers, the results, not just in this season, I think are good. Even in the previous seasons I think it was phenomenal. That is why I am so proud.

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Guardiola: City have not surrendered title Liverpool are just phenomenal - Yahoo Sports

26 January, 6:32pm

Former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has been linked to a move to Premiership side Bath.

Midi Olympique are linking the much sought after coach with the West Country club, where 38-year-old Stuart Hooper currently resides as Director of Rugby.

Should Schmidt take up a role with Bath, it would see him link up with former Leinster backs coach Girvan Dempsey.

Schmidt, who left the Ireland job following the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, had indicated that he was going to step away from the game, at least for a period of time.

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WATCH: Rory Best and Joe Schmidts reflect on their side loss to the All Blacks in the RWC quarter finals.

I know Im not going to do (coaching) in the near future, said the 54-year-old, following the Rugby World Cup. I made a commitment that Im going to absolutely stick to, through to at least June or July of next year.

It hasnt been a job, it has been a way of life. It has been seven days a week and I think I can honestly say, in six and a half years Ive not taken one full day off.

Rated major contenders a year out from the tournament, Ireland crashed out of the quarter-finals with a 46-14 thrashing by the All Blacks, continuing their record of never winning a knockout game at the global showpiece.

Schmidt, who has been succeeded by assistant coach Andy Farrell, said he had been blown away by offers of coaching positions but would not entertain any until the middle of next year.

In October Schmidt said he would enjoy being a spectator for a change and expected Farrell and the Irish team to continue to do a super job.

Im really looking forward to the Six Nations, he added.

Instead of looking through the glass, I might just have one in my hand and Im looking forward to that.

Additional reporting, AAP

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Joe Schmidt linked to Bath - reports - RugbyPass

Matthew Wade. (Photo by Mark Brake CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Hobart Hurricanes locked horns with Adelaide Strikers in a crucial encounter at Adelaide Oval. In a high voltage game both the sides gave some astonishing performances. In the end, the Hurricanes won the game by a margin of 10 runs. This win also helped them in qualifying into the playoffs of BBL 2019-20.

Earlier, the visitors won the toss and elected to bat first and their openers helped them in getting off to a flying start. Matthew Wade and DArcy Short opened the innings for Hurricanes with an aggressive approach. They made the mockery of the bowlers and smashed them all across the park. Wade managed to pull off his first BBL ton and he also stitched a record-breaking partnership of 203 runs with Short for the first wicket.

Wade played a swashbuckling knock of 130 runs off 61 balls studded with 11 boundaries and seven massive sixes. He was well supported by Short from the other end, who muscled 72 runs off 55 balls with four boundaries and as many sixes. The duo set the stage on fire and the hosts bowlers looked quite helpless and ineffective.

The 17th over of the innings bowled by Wes Agar turned out to be the most expensive of the innings in which Wade and Short collected 25 runs with three sixes and a boundary. In the end, the Hurricanes successfully posted a mammoth total of 217 runs for a loss of one wicket in stipulated 20 overs. The only wicket for Strikers was taken by Michael Neser, who registered bowling figures of 1/26.

Coming onto the chase, the Strikers got off to a poor start as they lost their opener Jake Weatherald in the second over off Clive Rose. The right-hander went for a six over deep-mid-wicket but he didnt get the required elevation only to get caught. Travis Head, the Aussie international came out to bat at number three and he stitched an amazing partnership of 77 runs with Philip Salt (66 runs off 33 balls). It looked like the duo might take the match away from the visitors but that was not the case.

Scott Boland helped his side in getting a breakthrough and he dismissed Salt in the 10th over of the innings. He also castled Head in the 15th over of the innings that left Strikers struggling at 142/3. Later on, Alex Carey (39 runs off 24 balls) and Jonathan Wells (15 runs off 7 balls) tried their best in winning the game for their side but they were left to do a little too much.

Hurricanes bowlers displayed amazing grit on the flat pitch. Clive Rose, Nathan Ellis and Scott Boland took two wickets each that helped their side in winning the game for their side. Strikers ended up scoring 202 runs for a loss of eight wickets in 20 overs and fell short of the target by 10 runs. They also lost an opportunity to trump the second-placed Sixers in order to get an extra shot at the final.

Now, they will have to play the knockout game on February 1. Matthew Wade was awarded Man of the Match for his magical knock. This win also helped Hurricanes to qualify into the playoffs of BBL 2019-20. With the Hurricanes winning this game, the Thunder now will have to wait for the result of the game between the Brisbane Heat and the Melbourne Renegades. If the Heat win, the Thunder will be knocked out of the competition.

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Twitter Reactions: Matthew Wades ton paves the way for the Hobart Hurricanes into the playoffs - CricTracker

by CricTracker Author

Published - Jan 7, 2020 7:04 pm | Updated - Jan 7, 2020 7:04 pm

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One of the things that has alluded Team India despite its sustained consistency in the past 6-7 years is an ICC Trophy. The last time, the Men in Blue laid hands on a global trophy was way back in 2013 when they defeated hosts England in a nail-biting final at Edgbaston.

Since then, the 2011 World Cup champions have breezed through the league-stage unscathed in every World event where they have looked the best side in the tournament but the pressure of a knockout game have proved a bit too much for the Men in Blue to handle.

Indias latest heartbreak came at the expense of New Zealand in the semi-finals 2019 World Cup. It was a heart-wrenching end to what was a great tournament for the Men in Blue and vice-captain Rohit Sharma in particular.

However, Rohit, who will turn 33 this year, hasnt lost hope of winning another World title. There are three ICC events- T20 World Cups in 2020 and 2021 and 50-over World Cup in 2023- two [2021 and 2023 events] of which are set to be staged in India, and Rohit believes that there a few World Cups to be won before he calls time on his career.

I dont make such plans. Right now, there are a few World Cups to be won. Rohit said as quoted saying by Times Now.

Rohit, who is currently taking rest from the ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka, had a stupendous 2019. The right-hander not only flourished in white-ball cricket but also took giant strides in salvaging his fledgeling Test career.

The right-hander not only broke the 22-year-old record of Sanath Jayasuriya for the most runs by an opener across all forms of the game but also became the first Test opener to score a hundred in each innings of his maiden Test at the coveted position.

I dont know how to describe it but I am really happy what we could achieve as a team. If you know me, at no stage of my career has personal glory been important. The milestones (2442 runs in a year as an opener) are fine but winning every series is what we focus on, said Rohit Sharma.

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Right now, there are a few World Cups to be won- Rohit Sharma on his cricket future - CricTracker

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insisted his side have not been affected by the loss of assistant manager Mikel Arteta to Arsenal .

Arteta first linked up with Guardiola at the Etihad in 2016, and was known to be a popular figure at the club before he left to take up the role of head coach at Arsenal last month.

The Spaniard has got off to a positive start with the Gunners, and recorded his first win in charge with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Wednesday.

When asked about whether he was missing Arteta, however, Guardiola said he and his side had already moved on.

Speaking ahead of his side's FA Cup tie against Port Vale on Saturday, Guardiola said: "We have already readjusted our routine day by day, our way to work and now he is the manager of Arsenal."

City are looking to retain the FA Cup after they won the competition last year, thrashing Watford 6-0 in the final to complete a domestic treble, and Guardiola insisted his side would not underestimate their League Two opponents this weekend.

"It's a knockout game, anything can happen," he added. "The schedule has been incredible, to not have to travel and play at home will be a big advantage.

"I've said many times we try to take every competition seriously."

Guardiola also aimed a thinly-veiled dig at the hectic Christmas period, saying unless it is changed in the near future more and more injuries will occur.

"Everything is tough, not just for us," he continued. "Take a look how many injuries all the clubs have picked up but nobody cares. Next season there will be more than 50 injuries again. It is what it is."

Ederson could return for City having missed the 2-1 win over Everton on New Year's Day through illness, but Nicolas Otamendi remains sidelined.

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Pep Guardiola responds to suggestion Man City are missing Mikel Arteta - Irish Mirror