Football Daily - Man City ease past Porto - 5 Live reaction

Episode Date: September 8, 2026

Kelly Cates is joined by Ian Dennis, Pat Nevin and Nedum Onuoha to review the opening night of Champions League matches. There were wins for Manchester City, Aston Villa and Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid. The panel also looks ahead to Liverpool and Arsenal playing their first games in the tournament on Wednesday. We hear from City manager Enzo Maresca, plus Liverpool's Alex Mac Allister who talks about how he nearly left the club in the summer.1:00 Pat Nevin's thoughts on Man City's performance. 2:35 Nedum Onuoha gives his opinion on the win. 5:20 Haaland is "unstoppable". 08:10 Nedum evaluates the City defence. 10:00 Enzo Maresca interview. 11:35 Jose Mourinho back in the Champions League. 15:10 Villa manager Unai Emery on their win. 19:40 A look ahead to Liverpool and Arsenal's matches.

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In today's show, we're reflecting on Manchester City kicking off their Champions League season with a win away at Porto. At the Estadio do drogalle for us, Pat Nevin and Ian Dennis, also with us, former Manchester City defender, Nadem and Neuer. Deno, tell us how they did. it. Yes, well, a deserved victory for Manchester City, Kelly, against a dogged and persistent Porto side. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa was in fine form in the first half, saving a Harland header and then an outstanding double save from Harland and Ryan Cherokee. But early in the second half,

Harland's header went in off the left-hand post to give City the lead. He added a second in injury time, guiding the ball home from Aik Norris pass. And the two goals means he becomes the third highest goal scorer for Manchester City. Porto showed fight but didn't have the quality to seriously Scare City who made a winning start under Enzo Moreska to this league phase. Pat, we talked about fight. There was a physicality to Porto and a fantastic performance from their goalkeeper Diogo Costa in the first half particularly.

Yeah, he had to get his body in the right places and it didn't always look like the most traumatic saves, although that one-handed save from Hallam's head was very, very special indeed. But no, the rest of the time, yeah, they defended. stoutly, they worked very, very hard. But as Ian was saying, the quality was limited in comparison to Manchester say, which of course should be the

case compared the differences that they've been able to spend, not just in this transfer window, but many more. But the things you're looking at Manchester City, you're thinking to yourself, look, where is it heading? How good is it just now? How good can it get? And that means looking at the new players.

I thought Enzo Fernandes was pretty special. He's got an assist today. Boudi's an absolute no-brainer. It's just brilliant. You get him at that age and you don't think he might work. He is going to be a class act.

Tired on the second half, without a doubt, without a shadow of a doubt. But before that, he just looked, I mean, it looked as if he was playing at a different and a different game from everyone else because he had so much time and developed so much time for himself. And enjoy when he came on

with Bostamignon, to some extent, forward and struggling a little bit. Enjoying me, we all get more, chances than he thought right at the start here. And when he came on, you looked really, really sharp. But that's taking it all the way for the guy who gets the man in the match. And that's Harland. He's pretty much unstoppable in nights like this.

He only got two goals and it'd be absolutely gutted. He could have got four and probably deserved four. Yeah, player of the match, Erling Harlan. But Nadine, were you as impressed by the midfield performance of Manchester City? Is that where they got control of this game, do you think? Yeah, I think so. I think very much think so. And to be honest as well, I'm going to,

be a bit biased and give credit to Ruben Diaz and Mark Geh I thought those two were excellent as well being very very dominant in terms of say trying to counterpress and help the side sort of keep possession high on the field no no no I don't I don't care you've got to do it at the start there's no point you're doing at the end I know how this works oh we've run out of time can't talk about defenders

yeah but they're only defenders hey listen they've had more touching that ball than a lot of the midfield but yeah I think the midfield was for me it did look good I think there was a spell in that second half where say Shirkie became a little bit sloppier so it affected it just a touch but in terms of their general play

receiving the ball and the pressure of the decision making the understanding the aggression to try and win the ball back I thought they're excellent and obviously Anza Fernandez is Enzo Fernandez he's a world cup winner he's been doing it for Chelsea for these last few years but it's very easy to forget about he's

18 years of age you know he looked very very comfortable out there alongside some really good players and you know if you believe they can continue to get better understand the team understand the league and just you know just even grow the thing he might still be growing. You know, it was good, it was impressive,

and I'm glad that Pat likes it, because I enjoyed it as well. But you said yourself, Enzo Fernandez and the team sort of growing together, but Enzo Fernandez is a player that the manager knows. Is he someone that, or is that part of the reason why he's been able to have that instant kind of settling into life at Manchester City?

Because he knows Moreska and Moreska knows him. Yeah, for sure. I think the fact that Moreska wants is trying to bring him from Chelsea and possibly one or two others. I think it did mean a lot because firstly, like, you can see Enzo Fernandez really trust the coach and the coach really trust the player and it's a high quality player, like a real high level player, something who's been one of the best players for Chelsea across these last few years. So when he comes in, you know, you've got tons of players around Enzo, sorry, around Enzo Fernandez who don't necessarily know what the managers

like in certain moments and situations throughout our season, but Enzo Fernandez does. He knows exactly what the training is going to be like. It knows exactly how he wants his team to play. all the little details to say some of the city players are starting to pick up on a day-to-day basis through the training and the in-game repetitions. Like Fernandez knows those. So when he goes out onto the pitch, I think he's the one that's got the clear vision for what the manager wants. Obviously, he has to create this with the team around him. But it's a great sign to have when you know that they can fit in with their ability anyway, but their understanding of what the coach wants takes him to another level. And just delaying Pat, by another couple of minutes, this talk about the defenders. Let's

talk about the player of the match and a bit more. detail. Erling Harlan now with more Champions League goals than Thomas Muller. He's seventh in the all-time top goal scoring charts. He's got a long career we expect ahead of him as well. And as you said, he's unstoppable.

Knights like this are made for him. Yeah, I mean, the two goals of scored were very, very good goals. He was unlucky that they've made two brilliant saves from him as well. I thought his hold-up play was pretty spectacular on some occasions tonight. That's maybe one of the questions that's been asked about

But he's been asked about various questions over the years. Oh, you're not that good in the air. Start scoring goals in the air. You know, your hold-up play isn't it as good. He starts holding it up, little flex off tonight, finding players of pool. At the end of the game, he was getting the ball, dropping it in an area, picking it up,

and then flying it out, left to enjoy. And then he turned and went from about, you know, the semicircle of the halfway line. And he started running towards the box to try and on in the end of a cross. and honestly it was so, so silly the way they were trying to tackle him. As I say, they were hanging off him like flags. They couldn't get near him.

He was so powerful. He was so quick. He just looked like a different type of species. It really was. And it was fabulous to see someone like that. And I thought his attitude tonight was perfect from start to finish. So yeah, he is special. He is, if he stays fit, that's it.

It's nothing else. It's just if he stays fit. If he stays fit, he will break records like you wouldn't believe because, no, a really good play. And I loved his attitude tonight that he didn't just take it easy when the game was won. He kept on showing the passion and he kept on because he wanted that hat trick. He clearly wanted that hat trick. So it's lovely to see it tonight. I know there was a moment.

I couldn't quite work it out. And it wouldn't have come across so obviously. And I think Denal's seen it as well. But we couldn't quite figure it out. They were gutted here when he scored his second goal. And he turned away. And it's really quiet. Then there was this lovely ripple of applause.

And it's this unusual ripple you get around sometimes that you're thinking, that's just respect coming from the supporters of another team. It's really rare you see it in football. But I think that's exactly what it was from a very, very last number of this crowd. It's interesting that you say about him if he stays fit because on his YouTube channel ahead of this game, he was talking about that he fears,

because he's had no pre-season, he only returned to training in mid-August after the World Cup. He missed the tour of the Far East with Manchester City pre-season. And he said that eventually he'll get his fitness as he continues to play the games, but he's worried about whether he's sharp mentally in the early stages of the season. Don't tell that to Porto.

And he scored five goals now in his last three games. Yeah, who would have thought. I'm going to joke. I'm joking, I'm joking. Talk to me. about Rubin Diaz and Mott Gahey and that partnership, how that's developing and how solid and organized it looks? Yeah, it's very, very solid, very organized. They're always prepared to take the ball, but I love how aggressive they're out of their 1v1 defending, because there are

lots of times when, you know, they're on the halfway line, isolated with a striker, and everybody's coming towards them, and they have to be able to slow the game down. And I think they did that very, very well throughout this game. And, you know, obviously I want to talk about defenders, but I need to talk about Harland as well, because the points that the guys were made. Something that's really impressive I think about Elling Harland is his patience because as the game was starting he didn't have a ton of touches But it all serves a purpose in some ways it's a selfless striker because he's in a position for the way that portal Defern against him as I'm sure the guy saw where there were frequently two players right next to him Touch tight trying to sort of like unsettling push him around and so on but given the fact that football is essentially a numbers game

That means that there's somebody else on the pitch for City who is free so he's standing there and he's sort of occupying those plays to allow other people to have a level of creativity in a game which wouldn't be there if he got bored and said I just need a touch let me go and wander and I think as a consequence he ends up having tons of chances created for it because as I say he's doing the job which you know for the way that narrative works if he doesn't touch it for 10 minutes it's like oh it's not touched it in 10 minutes but his impact he's probably bigger than somebody who would drop off and take 10 touches and do nothing with it so yeah credit to harland and yeah to those two cent a half for city I thought they were excellent and even see mark gayie on the

right-hand side. Like we very much used to see him on the left. I thought that worked as well. So yeah, it's good to see that the manager and Moreska. He's got two centre-a-hards who are, you know, playing with that edge because they'll need it should they want to be successful in his competition. Let's hear from the city boss Enzo Moreska. It's game by game. I said before the game to the players and also yesterday it's a different competition, different stadium, different environment, but the most important thing is that we are, we show who we are in this moment. We teach who we are. We try to be, again, aggressive off the ball, on the ball,

try to plan the game in the way we can win the game. And then in terms of where we are, or it's quick process or not, I don't know again. I have to tell you again the same thing, that for me the most important thing is I can see game after game that the team is improving and this is the most important thing. That was Manchester City manager, Enzo Moreska, speaking after his side's 2-0 win at Porto in the Channel.

Champions League. You're listening to the Football Daily podcast. EFL has a brand new home. Hello and welcome to 72 plus the home of the EFL from Five Life Sports. Aaron Paul and Jovey McEnough tackle the biggest stories from across the championship, League 1, League 2 and Beyond. For minimum, the one week's wage is fine. And we may be even right to your wife and tell you why you've been fined if you carry on. And the biggest talking points from across the football league.

I always spoke while I Joby and enjoyed working with him. It's my show too, Neil, but yeah, thanks for that. Search 72 Plus, the EFL podcast on BBC Sounds. This is the Football Daily podcast with Kelly Kitts. Jose Marino, meanwhile, got a win on his first Champions League game back at Real Madrid. They beat into Milan 2-1. Chris Coles was watching. What really Chris was a pretty strange game in terms of the patterns of play in the scoreline?

It was a very strange game, Kelly. Not only did Railroad. Madrid play in a manner that really upset their fans. They were leading 2-0 but were being jeered and whistled and booed by the Madristas, who were very unhappy with the way their team were playing. And you can understand why they were leading 2-0, two mistakes that led to their goals, one from goalkeeper Martinez Valverdi with a decent finish to rob him

and the first from Mbapé, good finish after Jones and Bisek had got in a model. But Inter were throwing players forward. Cautoir made several excellent sayings. without him, Inter could easily have won this game. So you can understand why the Rail Madrid fans were unhappy. And as far as Rail Madrid and Jose Marino go from here, it's very difficult to get a steer as to how competitive they'll be in the Champions League this season,

because it was, as you say, a very strange evening given Inter Milan's dominance. Even for Inter Milan to get the win and to take all three points in this game, even then, did the two-on scoreline flatter Madrid a little bit? Absolutely did. Yeah, it was difficult when you're looking at the game and when you're watching it and you're looking all the stats

to look at the stats and think this is a team that are leading by two goals to one. They clearly have stark talent, and when they played on the counter-attack, they were excellent. Ambapé, Bellingham had good chances, Brahim Diaz, Mr. Presentable Opportunity, Vinicious Jr. So with those star players, they will always carry a threat. But they will, when you look at the teams in front of them in the Champions League, PSG and Arsenal Spring to Mind,

they bring control and star quality with Ray, there was no real control there. So I fancy if they are to make a fist of the Champions League this season, then Joseo Marineo will have to work his magic in getting Real to control games a lot better because better opposition than Inter will absolutely punish them based on tonight's performance. Chris, thank you very much for that. And Inter could, as Chris was saying, have had a lot more, if they've just been sharper in front of goal, Nadem.

Yeah, and tell me a story you've heard before about a team going to the Bernouvetio and not coming away with anything, even though they feel they've played better. So, you know, there have been so many teams that have done that across the years. And it's tricky to sort of manage this time of the season because as we see things, like this is who teams are right now, not necessarily who they're going to be. You know, we can go back, say, two seasons, for example, and see that PSG was scraping into the playoff round of the Champions League when the new format was first created. But then they finished the tournament as the champions and deserved winners as well.

So all these flaws and issues that they have, teams who've had players go away for the World Cup in the summer, whence preseason started, all these things, all the jostling, the first few games of Champions League, sort of like mattering but not being definitive. It doesn't have that sort of sense of jeopardy just yet. But I think from a stylistic standpoint for Real Madrid, given the fact they'd lost on the weekend and they could have lost this game today, it could have been a concern because the majoristas, they do have high standards. And as we've all seen in our lifetans, anyone has watched Spanish football, those white

handkerchiefs can come out very, very quickly in any context, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. But you're absolutely right to point out that there's so many times, particularly teams from different leagues, can kind of build into their season, whereas in the Premier League, you've got to be ready on day one, ready to go and fit and prepare. And that's why we see so many times the English teams doing so well, particularly in the early stages of this new format of the Champions League. Aston Villa, one of them, they've got their first win of the season. Three-two victory away at Club Bruges in the early kickoff.

Here's the Villa boss, Unite Emery. so happy today. So, so happy, thankful because we know how we are in the way, how the responsibility we have and I have. But the players as well, they have their responsibility. And the old players, they need to keep our standard high, to show everybody this is the only way we can. we can achieve the process in our objective, our targets. Of course, we are improving, improving after Brighton, after Arsenal, after Houth City. And today another step forward.

Collectively, tactically, our structure, individually, and this victory is through it. Of course, we must work hard. It's the only way. And this is the process. the process we must try to set strong. And today we did one very important step forward. That was in I. Emery, following their three to win in Belgium against Club Bruges.

And Pat Veraston Villa, as much as anything else. And even though it was nervy at the end of the game, when Bruges got that second goal from the penalty spot. And really, we're having a go at Villa towards the end of that game. Just to get the win is as important as anything else. just to get a goal that's going to score the goal that really does work

on the confidence of players when we were talking tonight about Phil Foden who you know in previous seasons with the chances he had tonight probably would have had a hat trick himself but when the confidence is flowing and you are scoring goals it's just kind of easy

you pass it in and don't think about it but for a team that can happen so the fact that they hadn't scored a goal so far this season there are so many changes and so many important you know more than important, totally and utterly vital players had left the club. It was always going to have a huge effect.

So they needed something to lift them very, very quickly. So I don't think you can underestimate the importance, not just for the Champions League, but for their entire season, this winners tonight, and particularly to get three goals. And it does help with your striker and Nicholas Jackson scores as well. So, Willem Villa, I do always hope the very, very best for them because I think the attitude's great, the manager's brilliant with what he does.

It doesn't seem to complain too much even when it's all ripped out underneath him for I suspect financial reasons. But I still think in reality, it's going to be a tough season for Villefans. It could be a tough season. It was John McGinn who got things underway for them with the opening goal.

So a familiar face there and then, as you say, a new one in Nicholas Jackson with the goal on 43 minutes. Look, at UNI Emory, Nadeem, has said that he needs Villeafans. to be patient or people need to be patient with this Aston Villa side as they as they kind of get their way into the season. They didn't start last season actually particularly well either. So maybe, maybe that that patience would be justified.

It's just helped a lot by getting a win. They're getting getting some goals, as Pat said. Yeah, 100%. I think at the start of last season, they went four games without scoring, two losses, two draws. But Kelly, again, like we said about the start of the season, they finished four. they won the Europa League so the start it kind of can get things moving but it doesn't necessarily have to define you as such

I think for you know I'm being as experienced as he is understanding the changes within the squad with some of the key players no longer being there and some people new people having to bed into the system the belief and you know the ideas that he has and the understanding of representing Aston Villa I think he understands he's wise in what he says

and he's got so much like good he's got so much good faith with the with the villa fans that I'm sure they'll want to listen to that. I think as long as they're seeing signs of progress, seeing plays starting to understand to Joe, then yeah, it's going to be, I think it'll end up being a positive season.

It might not necessarily have the highs of last season as such, but they'll be very, very competitive. And I think going away in Europe and getting three points to start the thing off, what more could you ask for, really? Ahead of Liverpool's championship league opener against Athletic and Madrid tomorrow night, Alexis McAllister said he's sad

not to have been offered a new contract in the summer and that he had options to leave the club. He was speaking at the pre-match press conference. I received the news that the club was not in a position to offer me a new contract, which of course makes me very, very sad because I think everyone can see that I give my 100% for this football club every single day in training, games.

Of course, I can have very good games, bad games, like everyone, but I always give my best. And of course, for example, I see Dominic and Ryan renewing his all-day contracts, and that makes me very happy because they deserve it. But at the same time, it makes me a little bit sad that I didn't get mine. But of course, there is still time. I think the fans don't need to worry because I will give my 100% until the last day I'm here. So we will see, we will see what happens.

but there was options to leave this summer and I think right now I'm in the right club and I have the right mindset to give my 100% for this club. That was Alexis McAllister and the reason he says he's got time is because his contract runs until the summer of 2028. And Doni Arola, the Liverpool boss, said this. At the end of situations, we all have personal situations

and we have different contracts with the club and in this case for me the important thing is that he wants to be here he wants to continue here in the football inside we haven't been together a lot of time but you more or less

can perse save because he has been important and has played a lot of minutes that I write him very highly and definitely there is still a lot of time to talk about those contract situations yes

Pat when a player talks as publicly about their contract situation as Alexis Macal has done in this news conference. Does that mean that they're trying to force somebody's hands or flush an offer out from somewhere? Do you know, I often hear various players, you know, saying things in there, pushing it a certain way

and you get a bit fed up with and you're thinking, oh, whinge and whine somewhere else, mate, you're doing okay. Not this time. I thought he spoke to, but he, ain't we? I thought he said exactly the right things that he loves the club. that I mean any fan listening

to that's thinking he just wants to play for Liverpool Football Club he's just shown us that that's the case and if you ask the question you answer it honestly that he would love to it and he's seen his mates getting these contracts that must be disappointing but he said all the correct things

I think nothing away from that I applaud him for all that and yeah things can't change didn't it lose if Cory Gagpo was going to leave very recently and then suddenly he's back in you know I think the pattern in this one, though, is that if we get to the end of this season, this looks like being another contract that is running down for Liverpool,

where they've got a player with a year to go who potentially could come to the end of their term there, and the club don't get money for them. And we saw that quite a lot last season. And I just see last season and the season before. And I wonder if that's what is concerning about the McAllister situation. Yeah, of course it means it's a financial thing you make to make that decision as well. If he is asking far, far too much and that's the pressure he's putting on it, he's playing a very good game then, because to speak the way he was speaking there,

it didn't sound like it. It sounded like somebody who's just won a contract offered. Remember, he wasn't offered a contract. So you can offer you a contract and give you no big rise or anything like that. So at the moment, if he's, by the way, he doesn't he need a PR man, he's doing a great job himself. So don't worry about that. It's one of those things that would be interesting to see how it goes.

Do you know what happens? There are some players that do. They play at the end of their contract or to the last year that goes and then they get a lot of money to go to another club because it's a cut down price. Well, Liverpool know the deal. They know that's the story. They have to accept it.

Nadin, what do you make of that? The fact that after Van Dyke, Trent Alexander Arnold famously, Mohamed Salah coming to the end of his contract, the fact that does this seem to be a pattern that's happening at the moment? I think so, yeah, because we could also mention Canate, there's Andy Robertson, possibly a couple others. Salah? Yeah, Salas, well. I think Kelly mentioned Salad, but it's, in some ways, it feels, especially when it was the Alexander Armoured one,

and so I thought it felt a bit incompetent. It really did feel that way for a club of that size to not have tied down their key talent to where as the season is progressing people don't know whether these players are coming or going it felt so so late but then I think with McCarster saying the club said to him that they were not in a position to offer those contracts maybe there were other things that were on the minds of the club that needed to be sorted at that time but in some ways you expect a club of that stature a club that's recently won the Premier League you know has been in Champions League finals and so on in not so distant past you'd think he would run better instead of these plays leaving in the manner that they

have done in these last few years and I'm with you Pat that I thought you spoke brilliantly there but so brilliantly that because of the way the last few years have been I'm not to speak on behalf of Liverpool fans but if I was Liverpool fan I'd be asking more questions about the club than what about the player who feels that they should have a new deal which feels like the exact opposite of the way that would normally see these situations so yeah it's gonna be interested to see what they do and I didn't it didn't even cross my mind that say sob as lies had a new deal Gravenberch has had a new deal but that was the

midfield three that helped the winner the title. So why is he different to the other two? And are they basically saying to him that, you know, you don't matter because if that's what you say to a player that was so important for you, then it's not really good vibes at the club is up. You can listen to full commentary of Liverpool against Atlatico Madrid here on Five Live. It's an eight o'clock kickoff tomorrow night. Last season's Champions League finalists, Arsenal begin their campaign in Italy against Napoli tomorrow. It's been a disrupted buildup to the game for the gunners because Mikkel Arteta had to cancel his pre-match press conference. There was a lot of the game.

There's a flight today. There's air traffic control issues in the UK. It's not been an ideal build-up. But you'd expect that Arsenal, Pat, would be relatively unflusted by Mikhail Artetta not being able to do his pre-much press conference. Yeah, I think doing a pre-mence conference conference conference conference conference is not the thing you look forward to most. Arsenal will be fine. It's just a little blit.

Be calm. That's it from the Football Daily, Manchester City and Aston Villa. both kicked off their Champions League campaign with wins. The next podcast will reflect on Liverpool and Arsenal's opening games, so make sure you subscribe on the BBC Sounds app. For now, though, thanks for listening and bye-bye. Has a brand new home. Welcome to a special Euroleagues.

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