what the papers say

Brazilian blend turn it on vs the world champs

It was City 2-0 Italy at the Emirates last night, while Mark Hughes is keen to hang on to Danny Sturridge.

The Independent

"Robinho's ingenuity stuns Italy"

Luiz
Felipe Scolari may have left Chelsea but there was still one happy
Brazilian manager in London last night. On the evidence of how Carlos
Dunga got his men to play, he could even end up on Roman Abramovich's
wish-list one day, as Brazil – Manchester City, even, in goalscorers
Robinho and Elano – beat the World Cup holders.

It was sparkling
stuff as, for more than an hour, the selecao enchanted the Emirates
Stadium. The joke swiftly did the rounds that this was the only way to
see entertaining football these days at Arsenal's ground. But even in
their fluid pomp, Arsène Wenger's side could not match the feats
displayed by Ronaldinho, Robinho et al.

This was never going to
be an ordinary friendly, from the moment in the second minute when
Ronaldinho skied – dare one say mistimed – a quick pass and Antonio Di
Natale, neat as you like, backheeled perfectly to Fabio Grosso.

Three
minutes later, Grosso, one of the coolest heads in world football,
showed equal technique and was arguably denied a legitimate goal.
Grosso eliminated hosts Germany with a curled strike in the semi-finals
of the last World Cup. In the final, in Berlin three years ago, against
France, he went one better, converting the penalty in the shoot-out
that gave Italy their fourth World Cup.

Here, having advanced
from left-back, he calmly volleyed Andrea Pirlo's delightful long ball,
beating Julio Cesar at his near post, only for the linesman's offside
flag to spoil his pleasure.

In the 13th minute the interweaving
runs and passing of what was almost a front four saw the South
Americans take the lead. Fabio Cannavaro, the Italy captain, had
already made two tackles of the sort that inspired his country to
victory in Berlin in 2006, but when his partner, Nicola Legrottaglie,
was needed, he was found wanting.

Ronaldinho started the move,
finding Elano, who dinked it back to Robinho. The £32m winger, the most
expensive in the Premier League, slipped his pass towards Elano,
Legrottaglie could only push it further into his path and Elano slipped
it under Gianluigi Buffon's body.

Robinho was not to be outdone
by his Manchester City team-mate 14 minutes later. He may have gone
wandering from his Spanish training camp with City a couple of weeks
ago but he was present and correct in north London, producing what his
compatriots call a golaco, a "wonder goal".

Pirlo was
lackadaisical in taking the ball out of defence and Robinho
dispossessed him. Having Pirlo on his back and two defenders in front
posed the former Real Madrid forward no problems, as a jink and a
drag-back later he found the inside of Buffon's far post with his left
foot.

Italy attempted a response 10 minutes later. Daniele De
Rossi tried his luck from 25 yards, but Cesar pushed his shot away for
a corner.

Some of their previous World Cup meetings lead to a
fascination with this fixture. While Brazil triumphed in the 1970 final
in Mexico with arguably the greatest team ever seen, 12 years later the
two sides produced a match of greater drama in Spain, won by Italy 3-2.
Despite two late efforts by Grosso and Luca Toni, there was to be no
repeat of that famous day for Italy.

The Mirror

"Daniel Sturridge demands £75k per week to stay at Manchester City"

Manchester
City fear they will lose 19-year-old striker Daniel Sturridge at the
end of the season because they are not prepared to meet his huge wage
demands.

Sturridge's representatives are understood to be
demanding around £75,000 a week to stay at Eastlands - in the knowledge
that Chelsea and Aston Villa are standing by.

Despite the vast
wealth of their billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour, City are refusing to
give in and shatter their wage structure for middleranking players such
as the teenage forward.

Although Robinho is the Premier League's
highest-paid player on £160,000 a week and fullback Wayne Bridge earns
£90,000 a week, City are determined not to be held to ransom.

City
boss Mark Hughes is exasperated by the failure of all parties to come
to an agreement and is determined to hang on to Sturridge, rated as one
of the brightest young forwards in England.