Graham Potter is hopeful Joao Felix can make a difference for out-of-form Chelsea on his return from suspension at West Ham, acknowledging his raft of new signings must gel quickly.

Joao Felix arrived on loan from Atletico Madrid last month and initially impressed on his debut at Fulham, though a rash challenge on Kenny Tete saw him sent off 58 minutes into the Blues' 2-1 defeat.

That made him the first player to be dismissed on his Premier League debut for Chelsea, and Potter's men have struggled for attacking inspiration during his subsequent three-match ban.

After beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in their next game, Chelsea laboured to goalless draws with Liverpool and Fulham – they have never drawn three successive league matches 0-0 in their history.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's short trip to face London rivals West Ham, Potter highlighted Joao Felix's positive performances in training. 

"I think we all saw the impact he had in his hour before the red card," Potter recalled of his debut. "You can see his quality, we see it every day. 

"He's a player that can make a difference for us. It's about helping him to get integrated into the team, but the signs are really positive."

The Portugal attacker has since been joined by more big-name arrivals at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea investing heavily to acquire Mykhaylo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez and others.

Asked how patient he could afford to be with his new players, Potter said: "It's my job. When you're coaching players, there is a process to go through and you have to understand the context.

"I'm not stupid, at the end of the day, if the results aren't what this club should get, and if I'm the reason for it... then that's the job.

"In the meantime, I have to go through the process of working with the players, helping them improve. 

"It's a complicated situation at the moment, but I'm really looking forward to the challenge that awaits us. I don't worry about the absolute timescale of it all."

Reports have suggested Chelsea could help to balance their incomings by letting Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang depart for Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles FC, but Potter says there is "nothing to report" on that front.

"He's been training with us this week, conducting himself well," Potter added. "He has been supporting his team-mates and while he is here, he is doing exactly what I expect him to do."

Potter was also asked about this week's announcement that Manchester City have been charged with breaching the Premier League's financial regulations, but he was careful to stress the champions remain innocent until proven guilty. 

"I don't know anything about it, we focus on ourselves. It's something Manchester City have to deal with," he said.

"As I understand it, they're just charges. Certainly in this country, you're innocent until you're proven guilty, so it's not for me to comment on it."

The fixtures are coming thick and fast on multiple fronts for many Premier League teams as European football returns, meaning plenty of tinkering from managers between games.

Add into the mix an array of January signings being eased into the sides, selecting a team of guaranteed starters is becoming increasingly difficult. 

But fear not as Stats Perform, using Opta data, has picked out four players who not only look certain to start this weekend but – crucially – also earn plenty of points.

Keylor Navas (Fulham v Nottingham Forest)

Paris Saint-Germain loanee Navas needed no time at all to settle in at Nottingham Forest as he kept a clean sheet on his debut in last week's 1-0 win over Leeds United.

The Costa Rica international made four saves against Leeds – only Hugo Lloris and David Raya (both five) made more while keeping a clean sheet in the last round of games.

Forest have now kept four clean sheets in their past six league matches, while opponents Fulham have failed to score in any of their past three top-flight outings.

Craig Dawson (Southampton v Wolves)

Dawson is another who made a fast start to life at a new club, with the centre-back scoring and keeping a clean sheet on his debut against Liverpool in a 3-0 win for Wolves.

That was Dawson's 20th Premier League goal – always a handy asset for a defender – including at least one in each of his eight top-flight seasons.

Wolves will be hopeful of building on a return of two shutouts in their past three league games when they face bottom side Southampton, who are averaging 0.8 goals per game.

Harvey Barnes (Leicester City v Tottenham)

Leicester midfielder Barnes has scored one and assisted another in his past two Premier League outings, taking his tally to seven goals for the campaign.

The one-cap England international is only two goals short of matching his best tally in a single season in the competition, set in 2020-21 with nine.

Having found their scoring touch with six goals in their past two league games, Leicester appear good value to net against Tottenham, who will have back-up Fraser Forster between the posts.

Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City v Aston Villa, and Arsenal v Manchester City)

Whether he starts both games remains to be seen, but the fact City have two league matches in the next week means you have double the chance to score points with Mahrez.

He was unable to make a difference in the loss to Spurs, though he has still been involved in six goals in his past six league games for City (three goals, three assists).

Only Marcus Rashford (eight) and Erling Haaland (seven) have been involved in more Premier League goals since the World Cup than the City winger.

Manchester City reportedly view Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell as a potential answer to their left-back problem and will investigate a move at the end of the season.

Chilwell, 26, was purchased from Leicester City for a £50million fee prior to the 2020-21 campaign, and he enjoyed immediate success at Stamford Bridge. In his first season with the club, all 27 of his Premier League appearances came in the starting line-up, and he also played a full 90 minutes in their Champions League final triumph over City.

Unfortunately, the England international with 17 senior caps has been plagued by injuries since, with a serious knee injury this past season followed by a long-term hamstring injury early in the current campaign.

Chilwell returned from his hamstring issue with a brief appearance off the bench against Fulham on February 3, and if he can prove his fitness down the stretch then he could prove the perfect replacement for Joao Cancelo after his shock departure on loan to Bayern Munich.

TOP STORY – CITY IDENTIFY CHILWELL AS POTENTIAL CANCELO REPLACEMENT

The future of Cancelo with City is looking bleak after he was shipped off to Bayern following reports of a training ground dispute with boss Pep Guardiola, and Caught Offside claims the club are already looking at long-term solutions in his position.

Fabrizio Romano writes that "Chilwell is one of the players who has been appreciated by Manchester City for years" – but adds the Englishman is just one name on a shortlist of left-back options to pursue when the season wraps up.

Chilwell's five-year contract with Chelsea ties him to the club until 2025, but the report states the addition of Marc Cucurella has made him more expendable if the price is right.

ROUND-UP

– According to 90min, Chelsea have made 24-year-old Napoli striker Victor Osimhen their top forward target, and he is expected to cost in excess of £100million (€110m).

– The Daily Mail is reporting Tottenham will look to sign new centre-backs at the end of the season, and have taken a liking to 22-year-old Crystal Palace talent Marc Guehi, who may be available for a fee of around £45million.

– According to Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona will join a long list of elite clubs – including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter – in the pursuit of 25-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram. The France international will become a free agent after the season, and his father Lillian Thuram spent two seasons with Barcelona before retiring.

– Inter will work to secure 29-year-old striker Romelu Lukaku on either a permanent deal or another loan from Chelsea next season at a lower cost, per Gazzetta dello Sport.

– Football Insider is reporting Liverpool, Everton and Leeds United are all interested in 18-year-old Birmingham City midfielder George Hall, who some are calling "the next Jude Bellingham".

Argentina's World Cup-winning boss Lionel Scaloni and Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti are among the finalists for The Best FIFA Men's Coach Award 2022.

The duo are listed alongside perennial candidate Pep Guardiola of Manchester City in the final three, with the latter named as a finalist for the third time.

Scaloni, who finished fourth last year, took La Albiceleste to victory at Qatar 2022 and is recognised for his efforts in helping to seal a first World Cup triumph since 1986.

Ancelotti is feted for his work with Madrid, after winning a continental double and becoming the first manager to win all five major European league titles.

Guardiola guided City to another Premier League triumph, though he fell short in the Champions League once again and saw his team's main rival Liverpool nab the FA Cup and EFL Cup.

The Spaniard will be looking to go one better than his previous two appearances as a finalist in the voting, having finished second in 2019 and third in 2021.

Among those included in the final three for The Best FIFA Women's Coach Award, England boss Sarina Wiegman picks up a sixth consecutive nod in the category.

The Lionesses manager, a two-time winner of the prize, led the team to a maiden major honour triumph at Euro 2022, securing victory against Germany on home soil.

She is joined by Brazil boss Pia Sundhage – the Swede having claimed Copa America Femenina glory – and Lyon's Sonia Bompastor, who won the treble with the French side.

The winners of The Best FIFA Football Awards will be announced on February 27.

Vincent Kompany is "very sceptical" over those "pointing fingers" at Manchester City after the Premier League charged the club with breaking its financial rules.

City were this week charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between 2009 and 2018 with a range of punitive actions possible if found guilty, including expulsion from the division.

Reigning English champions City stated they were "surprised" by the charges and Kompany, who won four Premier League titles during an 11-year stay with the Citizens during the period under scrutiny, questioned the motive of those criticising the club.

Kompany, now manager of Championship side Burnley, told reporters after the Clarets' 2-1 FA Cup win over Ipswich Town: "I look at [criticism of City] and sometimes roll my eyes a little bit.

"No doubt there's a lot of righteousness in the world to come and tell you what you've done wrong, and then if everybody looks at themselves, I think the football industry in general is not one that can afford to point the finger too many times.

"I think all of you will have a little bit of a smile on your face to know what the football industry is about. I'm very sceptical when people start pointing fingers.

"Do the best for yourself and let's try and improve all the time, but I'm a little bit sceptical when the fingers get pointed easily."

Kompany's Burnley hold a 17-point advantage on third place Middlesbrough as they bid to earn automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The former centre-back says the promotion race is taking his mind off potential goings-on at City, explaining: "I haven't had the time to even dive into what is undoubtedly an interesting topic. I've more interesting things to worry about at the moment.

"The fixtures actually help me because I've had no time to look into it or feel emotionally connected to what's happening."

Vincent Kompany is "very sceptical" over those "pointing fingers" at Manchester City after the Premier League charged the club with breaking its financial rules.

City were this week charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between 2009 and 2018 with a range of punitive actions possible if found guilty, including expulsion from the division.

Reigning English champions City stated they were "surprised" by the charges and Kompany, who won four Premier League titles during an 11-year stay with the Citizens during the period under scrutiny, questioned the motive of those criticising the club.

Kompany, now manager of Championship side Burnley, told reporters after the Clarets' 2-1 FA Cup win over Ipswich Town: "I look at [criticism of City] and sometimes roll my eyes a little bit.

"No doubt there's a lot of righteousness in the world to come and tell you what you've done wrong, and then if everybody looks at themselves, I think the football industry in general is not one that can afford to point the finger too many times.

"I think all of you will have a little bit of a smile on your face to know what the football industry is about. I'm very sceptical when people start pointing fingers.

"Do the best for yourself and let's try and improve all the time, but I'm a little bit sceptical when the fingers get pointed easily."

Kompany's Burnley hold a 17-point advantage on third place Middlesbrough as they bid to earn automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The former centre-back says the promotion race is taking his mind off potential goings-on at City, explaining: "I haven't had the time to even dive into what is undoubtedly an interesting topic. I've more interesting things to worry about at the moment.

"The fixtures actually help me because I've had no time to look into it or feel emotionally connected to what's happening."

Life is good at Manchester United right now – and it might be about to get better.

Erik ten Hag has guided United to third in the Premier League, perhaps still in title contention, while they will face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final.

Rivals Manchester City and Liverpool are facing various crises, and United's ambitions moving forward could be boosted by a lucrative takeover.

After making only loan signings in January as the Glazer family consider selling up, the outlook at Old Trafford might be about to change entirely.

TOP STORY – QATARI-BACKED MAN UTD BID DUE IN DAYS

According to the Daily Mail, a group of Qatari investors plan to buy United and give manager Ten Hag "the financial backing to lead the club back to the top".

The Glazers set a deadline of mid-February for bids, and an offer from the group is expected in the coming days.

The report says the group are confident their bid would "blow the competition out of the water".

This interest in United follows on the back of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the investors eager to secure ownership of "the crown jewels" of the footballing world.

ROUND-UP

– The Telegraph is reporting Manchester City's pursuit of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is at risk of being torpedoed by their potential financial breaches.

– According to Mundo Deportivo, Cristiano Ronaldo's team Al Nassr have offered 34-year-old Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets a contract worth €18million per season.

– Manchester United and Liverpool will both make a run at Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani, who impressed for France at the World Cup, per L'Equipe.

– Calciomercato is reporting Juventus will likely allow striker Dusan Vlahovic to leave at the end of the season if they receive a bid in the range of €90m.

– According to the Northern Echo, Newcastle United have made 26-year-old Leicester City midfielder James Maddison a key target.

Premier League clubs have become "incentivised to sometimes push the rules to the limit, if not beyond" and Manchester City may not be the only team to face an investigation into their affairs, according to a leading football finance expert.

The Premier League announced on Monday it had referred a number of alleged breaches of the competition's rules to an independent commission, with some of those dating back as far at the 2009-10 season.

In response, City said they had "irrefutable evidence" that would be presented in their defence against the accusations.

Kieran Maguire, author of the book The Price of Football, said isolating City could be seen as making a "scapegoat" of the Premier League champions, and he suspects investigators will also look closely at the finances of other clubs.

Speaking to Stats Perform, Maguire said: "Certainly we have seen some clubs, in terms of the financial submissions that they've made, make fairly significant claims as to the impact, for example, that COVID had on their finances, and they've claimed that COVID cost them money in a myriad of ways, some of which have certainly raised eyebrows as far as observers are concerned.

"So if Manchester City are charged, you would think that Manchester City would say to the Premier League, 'well, you've investigated us and charged us, then surely you have a responsibility to do this for other clubs as well'.

"If the Premier League don't do that, it could be seen that they're trying to make a scapegoat of Manchester City, who are unpopular with certain other elements of the English football establishment because they represent new money, and old money doesn't like new money in all aspects of life, it doesn't have to be sport.

"Therefore you can understand why there's likely to perhaps be enthusiasm for this to move on. And that's going to be bad news for football as a whole because then it becomes who's got the best lawyers, and the best accountants, as opposed to who's got the best strikers and centre-halves and midfield players."

If the independent commission finds City to have breached financial guidelines, they could face a variety of punishments, ranging from fines to points penalties, or even expulsion from the league.

City are controlled by the City Football Group, which is owned by Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Since a 2008 takeover, the club have invested heavily in infrastructure and players to develop the dominant team in England.

It remains to be seen how City come out of this saga, if found to have transgressed.

"There's a lot of politics in English football," said Maguire. "I think that the preferred punishment would be a points deduction, because the argument would be that if it was just a financial punishment, given the wealth of the owners, given that it is effectively a sovereign wealth fund which is the benefactors of Manchester City, that a financial penalty would not actually particularly harm the club.

"Therefore, you need to do something which would be seen within football itself as being a punishment, and also acting as a deterrent should any other clubs with equally benevolent owners decide to take or consider a similar action."

Maguire said City face jealousy and "resentment" from rival clubs, and he believes there would not be such interest if a smaller Premier League club came under the microscope.

"It's because it is Manchester City who have won the Premier League for four years out of the last five, who have reached the Champions League final, who have spent around about $1.3billion in building their squad, that we're having this conversation," Maguire said.

"There is jealousy, there is resentment, there is envy. And there's not a lot of admiration, because football doesn't operate like that. Football is a very, very snarky business, where everybody's trying to put each put other clubs down.

"Changing the culture of football into one of ethics, morality, sustainability, is very difficult because of the nature of the people that own the clubs. They tend to be very successful in their own right. And therefore, they are used to getting their own way.

"And in the world of sport, you can't have 20 Premier League clubs all being successful at the same time. Therefore, they're incentivised to outmanoeuvre each other, and they're incentivised to sometimes push the rules to the limit, if not beyond the limit."

Maguire said world governing body FIFA, having been tarnished by scandal itself in recent years, was "unlikely to be in a position to take a moral high ground".

"And it then just simply becomes a game of whack-a-mole, as the authorities find one loophole, they bring a sticking plaster to solve it," Maguire said. "And then you're always in a room with a smarter accountant and a smarter lawyer who will come up with yet another scheme."

Manchester United will reportedly aim to sell Harry Maguire, Anthony Martial and Alex Telles after the season to fund the purchase of a new marquee talent.

The Old Trafford side are said to be investigating a number of targets expected to cost in excess of £100million, including Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, Tottenham talisman Harry Kane and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.

United are very familiar with Premier League stars and England internationals Kane and Rice, while Osimhen has enjoyed a rise to prominence this season with the Serie A leaders.

With 16 goals in 17 league appearances this campaign, the 24-year-old Nigerian has already set a new personal best goal tally, and he has been one of the driving forces for a Napoli team sitting 13 points clear at the top.

TOP STORY – UNITED IDENTIFY LIKELY SALES TO FUND NEW SIGNING

According to the Manchester Evening News, Telles, Maguire and Martial have all been identified as players United would like to cash-in on to at least partially pay for a new £100m signing.

That report states Kane and Osimhen are the primary targets, as well as Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos and Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus.

Meanwhile, Talksport adds that United had a £100m bid for Rice turned down by West Ham before the season, but that he could be pried away at the end of the campaign for £120m plus add-ons.

United are willing to pay £107m (€120m) for Osimhen, and they expect competition from Chelsea, per The Express.

ROUND-UP

– AS is reporting United are interested in 29-year-old Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco. Barcelona have the option to purchase the Belgian for €20m, but if they pass, Atletico will listen to offers from the Premier League.

– Paris Saint-Germain will rival Barcelona in the pursuit of Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, per Le10Sport.

– According to The Athletic, Real Madrid believe Jude Bellingham will choose the Premier League if he leaves Borussia Dortmund. 

– 90min is reporting Chelsea are scouting 23-year-old Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa as they look to address the position at the end of the season.

– Inter have added 25-year-old Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo to their list of potential replacements for outgoing centre-back Milan Skriniar, per Tuttomercatoweb.

Manchester City have welcomed their alleged breaches of financial regulations being brought before an independent commission, having been "surprised" by the Premier League's claims on Monday.

The league has referred a number of alleged breaches of the competition's rules – which stretch back as far as the 2009-10 season – to the commission.

But a City response claimed the club had a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" in their defence.

"Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with," a statement read.

"The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.

"As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all."

The Premier League said City had breached rules relating to providing accurate financial information, specifically in respect to the club's revenue, including sponsorship revenue and operating costs, between the seasons of 2009-10 and 2017-18, as well as remuneration details for managers and players between the 2009-10 and 2015-16 campaigns.

The competition also referred City to the commission due to the club's failure to comply with UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations between 2013 and 2018.

In 2020, City had a two-year ban from European football overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for these breaches. The club were fined €10million for a failure to cooperate, down from an initial €30m, but were allowed to play in UEFA's international club tournaments.

City are also said to have breached Premier League rules around profitability and sustainability in the 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

The Premier League further claimed City failed to cooperate with or assist their investigation by providing documents and information relating to each season, including the ongoing one, since the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

Manchester City are facing punishment from the Premier League for alleged breaches of financial regulations.

The Premier League confirmed on Monday that it had referred a number of alleged breaches of the competition's rules to an independent commission.

These alleged breaches stretch back as far as the 2009-10 season.

City are said to have breached rules relating to providing accurate financial information, specifically in respect to the club's revenue, including sponsorship revenue and operating costs, between the seasons of 2009-10 and 2017-18, as well as remuneration details for managers and players between the 2009-10 and 2015-16 campaigns.

The Premier League also referred City to the independent commission due to the club's failure to comply with UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations between 2013 and 2018.

In 2020, City had a two-year ban from European football overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for these breaches. The club were fined €10million for a failure to cooperate, down from an initial €30m, but were allowed to play in UEFA's international club tournaments.

City are also said to have breached Premier League rules around profitability and sustainability in the 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

The Premier League also claims that City failed to cooperate with or assist their investigation by providing documents and information relating to each season, including the ongoing one, since the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

In accordance with Premier League rules, the proceedings before the commission will be heard in private, with the commission's decision to be published on the league's official website.

Liverpool are expected to bid for Athletic Bilbao duo Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet at the end of the season.

Williams is one of LaLiga's brightest young stars, with the 20-year-old winger having already earned seven senior caps for Spain, including four appearances at the World Cup in Qatar.

Attacking midfielder Sancet, 22, netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Cadiz on Saturday to take his tally of LaLiga goals this season to seven.

Williams in particular received heavy interest during the January transfer window, but Bilbao will reportedly be faced with tough decisions about both players at the conclusion of the campaign.

TOP STORY – PREMIER LEAGUE SIDES TAKE A LIKING TO BILBAO PAIR

According to AS, Liverpool were joined by fellow Premier League side Aston Villa in testing Bilbao's resolved over Williams in January, although they were informed no figure would be accepted below his €50million (£45m) release clause.

That report also mentions Sancet's release clause is only slightly lower at €45m (£40m), while Fichajes add he has received interest from Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Both players only have 18 months remaining on their contracts, meaning Bilbao will either need to sort out some extensions or be prepared to cash in.

ROUND-UP

– The Sun is reporting Manchester City, Milan and Inter are all admirers of Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson, although they will not meet the £35m asking price.

– According to the Daily Star, City will look to avoid any further depletion of their full-back stocks by offering Rico Lewis a new contract that would quadruple his salary.

– Journalist Rudy Galetti is reporting Galatasaray have agreed personal terms with out-of-favour Roma attacker Nicolo Zaniolo, and have offered a fee of €22m to the Serie A club.

– Newcastle United and Fulham target Sander Berge wants to remain with Sheffield United until his contract expires in 2024, with the Norway international excited by the club's potential Premier League promotion, per The Sun.

– According to Football Insider, Newcastle will return after the season for another attempt at signing Conor Gallagher, with the belief Chelsea would have allowed him to leave in January if their signing of Enzo Fernandez had been completed sooner.

Erling Haaland may have picked the wrong club by choosing to join Manchester City, claims Jamie Carragher.

The Norway international leads the Premier League's scoring charts this season with 25 goals in 20 games, though City have often been a shadow of their former selves.

In Sunday's 1-0 defeat against Tottenham, Haaland did not have a single touch in the opposition box – the first time in his debut season in England when that has occurred.

City's defeat saw Pep Guardiola's side miss the opportunity to cut Arsenal's lead at the top of the table to just two points, and they sit only three points ahead of neighbours Manchester United.

It has been suggested City are a weaker team with Haaland in the side, but Carragher went further by claiming the former Borussia Dortmund player may have joined the wrong side for his needs.

"I think we've only seen 60 per cent of Erling Haaland. You think of the goal he got versus West Ham when there was space in behind and he gets in behind," Carragher told Sky Sports.

"I know that's not there every time due to the way City play. He's come from a counter-attacking league [the Bundesliga] where it's end to end.

"You saw his blistering pace there – we don't see it here. He might have picked the wrong club to actually get the best out of him.

"We're not seeing everything of Haaland. City have scored the exact number of goals as last season. He's got 25 of them, but City overall have scored the same number overall.

"However, they've conceded more and are easier to counter-attack against now. They are a different – and lesser team – with Haaland in the team. That's not his fault.

"City won't play end-to-end football. That's not Pep Guardiola's way. His players don't have the energy or power to play that way – they build up slowly and push the opposition back to their box and play from there.

"When they lose it, they win it back quickly and keep the team pinned back. Haaland has scored 25 league goals and lots of them are ones that come into the box, and he puts them in.

"But we're not seeing the full package of what the player can do because of the team he's joined."

Pep Guardiola congratulated the "exceptional" Harry Kane after his record-breaking strike for Tottenham downed Manchester City on Sunday.

City head coach Guardiola has been a long-time admirer of England star Kane, trying and failing to bring the striker to Manchester ahead of the 2021-22 season.

The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss labelled Spurs as the "Harry Kane team" back in 2017, with his reference to Tottenham's reliance on their talisman irking then-coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Guardiola opted to not repeat that back-handed compliment this time around at the risk of infuriating Pochettino, but offered his congratulations after Kane surpassed Jimmy Greaves' 266-goal Spurs record.

"I'm not going to say the Harry Kane team otherwise Poch will be grumpy with me and I don't want that," Guardiola told reporters at his post-match press conference. 

"On behalf of Man City, I can say congrats on this incredible milestone. He's an exceptional player."

While Kane broke the all-time scoring record for Tottenham, he also joined Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney in an illustrious club of men to score 200 Premier League goals.

A memorable outing for Kane was improved by Spurs holding on for a narrow 1-0 win that moved them within one point of fourth-placed Newcastle United and kept City trailing leaders Arsenal by five.

City overturned a two-goal deficit to secure a 4-2 home victory over Tottenham just last month, but Guardiola acknowledged a "different" challenge at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"Two weeks ago we were able to come back from a more difficult result. Just 1-0 this time but different with the stadium and the interruptions," he added.

"We started really well in the first 15 minutes until the goal we conceded. After that we played a good first half, the second half was not as good.

"There were too many interruptions and we cannot control. We had our chances against a team that defend very well."

It marked a fourth straight away league defeat for Guardiola's side at Spurs, with City failing to score in each of those visits for just the third time in the Premier League against a single opponent.

Guardiola has lost all five games at Spurs' new home ground across all competitions, the most he has managed at one away venue without winning in his career.

He was unable to explain why, adding: "They defend with nine players really well. The squad is fantastic.

"I think we always play really well against them but for whatever reason, we cannot seem to win or score goals."

Harry Kane was lauded as the greatest of all time after his record-breaking strike against Manchester City.

The England captain moved past Jimmy Greaves' Tottenham scoring record with his 267th goal for the London club on Sunday.

His calm 15th-minute finish proved the difference in a 1-0 win over City as Kane joined Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney as the only men to score 200 Premier League goals.

Spurs talisman Kane achieved the feat in two games fewer than Shearer (306), while Rooney needed 462 to hit a double century, and coach Cristian Stellini believes no player compares to the 29-year-old.

"Harry Kane, in his DNA, he has football. He understands football in every moment," Stellini, standing in for Antonio Conte after the Tottenham head coach underwent gallbladder surgery, told Sky Sports.

"He can play in any position. He is the GOAT [greatest of all time] in this league, in this sport. He is a great example."

A narrow victory, in which Cristian Romero saw a late red card for two cautions, moved Spurs within one point of fourth-placed Newcastle United, having played a game more.

Videos emerged after the game of Conte congratulating the record-setting Kane, as Stellini hailed a battling performance in the absence of the Italian.

He added: "It was a tough week and we have to give a great compliment to all the players and the staff.

"It was a tough week because we lost Antonio, hopefully he'll be back next week. He'll be back happy now. I spoke to him on the phone just now and he said congratulations to the team and especially Harry.

"The key was the capacity to suffer when City has the ball. We know when we play against this team we have to suffer because they have the ball a lot, but we moved well in the defensive situation and defended the goal in a brilliant way.

"We knew very well that in that game [the 4-2 defeat to City last month] we lost our key – our capacity to suffer. We lost that last time, we spoke about that situation and that we had to be angry, motivated.

"To reach our target, we have to suffer more, to fight. When you are winning against City, they can play with great pace. You have to be strong and we controlled the space very well."