I Dig Sports
WELCOME, N.C. – Richard Petty Motorsports has announced the extension of its sponsorship agreement with WIX Filters, a global manufacturer of filtration products.
WIX Filters will remain as the team’s official filter and will continue as a key technical partner. WIX Filters will supply Richard Petty Motorsports with filtration products and will also provide development support to the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Bubba Wallace in the elite Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
As part of the partnership, WIX Filters will continue its technical support of Richard Petty Motorsports and their ECR Engines by supplying air and oil filters. The team will use WIX Filters to guard their ECR Engines from contaminants like dirt, grime and dust at the track.
“WIX Filters’ motorsports history started over six decades ago when we supplied racing legend Richard Petty with filters for his stock car engines,” Jennifer Gibson, brand manager for WIX Filters, said. “We are excited about a partnership of two iconic brands in the racing industry and look forward to equipping the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with the filters it needs to land “Bubba” Wallace in the winner’s circle.”
WIX Filters will have brand identification beneath the hood of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In addition, the logo will be featured on the b-post of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, as well as on team equipment, the transporter, and the driver and pit crew suits for the entire Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
“We began racing with WIX Filters in the 1960s, and generations of our drivers have driven to victory lane with WIX,” Richard Petty, owner of Richard Petty Motorsports, said. “We are proud to continue our association with the No. 1 filter in motorsports and we look forward to accomplishing even more in 2019.”
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There was a big shuffle this week in the SPEED SPORT Power Rankings, but has anyone done enough to knock Kyle Busch off the top of the mountain? Click below to find out!
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick is making his return to American Flat Track as part of the Black Hills Harley-Davidson/ProBEAM Racing Team.
Eslick will compete at the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Texas Half-Mile presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys this Saturday aboard the No. 64 Black Hills Harley-Davidson/ProBEAM Harley-Davidson XG750R in the AFT Production Twins class.
Eslick, whose road racing achievements have him ranked third on the all-time Daytona 200 wins list, has consistently made appearances within professional flat track throughout the years. Eslick has a history of success on Harley-Davidson machinery, producing results on both an XR750 and XR1200 in years past.
“I was already signed up to ride for Terry Rymer in the AFT Singles class at Texas,” said Eslick. “When I got the call about riding the XG750 in the Production Twins class, I knew I couldn’t say no to that deal, so I jumped all over the opportunity. I am thankful to Terry Rymer and Terry Vance for putting it all together. Texas is the closest race to where I’m from; I am very excited to go down there and represent on the XG for a hometown crowd.”
“I am very excited to announce our intent to race AFT Production Twins with Danny on board,” said Terry Rymer, owner of Black Hills Harley-Davidson. “Through some good luck and timing, I was able to get ahold of Terry Vance at Vance & Hines and we got the bike together. With a quality Harley-Davidson machine and a proven rider like Danny Eslick, I hope that this inspires other dealers across the country to get back into professional flat track.”
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Cale Makar became only the fifth rookie in the NHL's expansion era (1967-68) to score a goal in his NHL debut during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 20-year-old defenseman gave the Colorado Avalanche a 3-0 edge in Game 3 of their series with the Calgary Flames when he slipped a shot through goalie Mike Smith.
Quickly skating over to congratulate Makar was Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. Celebrating in the crowd were Makar's parents.
"It's pretty weird. Pretty special, though," Makar said of his first game. "Obviously, it's a cool moment."
Makar's father, Gary, was in disbelief at his son's goal.
"It's a total surreal, pinch-me moment all wrapped into one. It's insane,'' he told The Associated Press. "Couldn't be more excited.''
Cale Makar was only 48 hours removed from playing for UMass as a sophomore in the men's hockey national championship game in Buffalo, where his Minutemen lost to Minnesota Duluth. He signed his entry-level contract Sunday before joining the Avalanche for his first practice in Denver on Monday morning.
Wearing No. 8, Makar jumped on the ice early in the first period Monday night and was given a loud cheer. Each time he did anything, the crowd cheered.
"You just shake your head,'' his father said. "The crowd, every time he gets the puck, guys, he's just a kid. No expectations."
Makar's whirlwind weekend also included winning the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's top player Friday night. He is only the second player to make his debut in the Stanley Cup playoffs the same year he won college hockey's highest individual honor.
Tony Hrkac appeared in three playoff games with the St. Louis Blues in 1987 after winning both a national championship and the Hobey Baker a week prior. He, however, did not hit the score sheet in any of those three games.
Lauri Korpikoski is the last player to score a goal in his NHL debut during the playoffs, doing so with the New York Rangers in 2008.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily: Carolina dominant in home win
Published in
Hockey
Tuesday, 16 April 2019 05:05
A nasty fight between Alex Ovechkin and Andrei Svechnikov, multiple offensive outbursts and a dazzling rookie debut highlighted Monday night's action in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Here's a recap of last night's action (check out replays of every playoff game on ESPN+), and what to watch for tonight, in today's edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily:
Jump ahead: Last night's games | Three Stars
Play of the night | Today's games | Social post of the day
About last night...
Game 3: Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Boston Bruins 2 (Maple Leafs lead series 2-1). Being without suspended Nazem Kadri for the rest of this series will challenge the Maple Leafs' depth, but Toronto passed the test in Game 3. Auston Matthews scored after going pointless in the first two games, while Andreas Johnsson netted the winner. The Bruins lacked energy early, fumbled some costly turnovers, and now trail in the series for the second time. This one is poised to be a slugfest.
0:41
Matthews, Johnsson score as Leafs take Game 3
Auston Matthews and Andreas Johnsson notch goals in the second period for the Maple Leafs and give them a 2-1 series lead vs. the Bruins.
Game 3: Carolina Hurricanes 5, Washington Capitals 0 (Capitals lead the series 2-1). Carolina -- down two forwards for most of the night -- rallied with a statement game. Dougie Hamilton, who began his career in Boston, called the sellout crowd at PNC Arena one of the loudest buildings he's ever been in. The Canes felt they played their game, and when they're on, they're a tough team to beat. The Caps, meanwhile, have to look inward after their worst playoff game in two years. Washington mustered just eight shots over the last two periods.
Game 3: Nashville Predators 3, Dallas Stars 2 (Predators lead the series 2-1). The Predators survived a late push by the Stars thanks to a goal by new addition Mikael Granlund. Unfortunately, GM David Poile's two other big trade deadline acquisitions -- Brian Boyle and Wayne Simmonds -- haven't contributed much, and are out with injuries. Stars goalie Ben Bishop showed he was human, but just barely. It was the first time since Feb. 4 that the Dallas Stars goalie allowed more than two goals.
Game 3: Colorado Avalanche 6, Calgary Flames 2 (Avalanche lead the series 2-1). One player can't change the complexion of a series, but he certainly can add a boost. That's what recently signed rookie defenseman Cale Makar did when he was plugged into Colorado's lineup after skating in the NCAA national championship game Saturday -- and he scored. The Avalanche pestered Calgary goalie Mike Smith all night; could his Cinderella playoffs be over already? The Flames needed more from their usually high-powered offense. The defensive deficiencies barely gave them a chance, though.
Three Stars
1. Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche
Here was Makar's weekend: The 20-year-old wins the Hobey Baker Award on Friday, plays in the national championship game on Saturday, hustles to get to Colorado on Sunday, and plays in a playoff game on Monday. And then he scored. What a moment.
Hey NHL, meet Cale Makar.
You're going to love him! #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/XgOMJljcpj
- x- Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 16, 2019
2. Pekka Rinne, G, Nashville Predators
The Stars turned it up and totally dominated in the second and third periods. The Predators held on to the win largely because of Rinne, who made 42 stops and earned his 45th career playoff victory, tying Tony Esposito for 24th on the NHL's all-time list.
3. Warren Foegele, LW, Carolina Hurricanes
With a shoutout to Dougie Hamilton, who scored his first playoff goal since 2014, the star of Carolina's offensive explosion on Monday night was Foegele, the playoff rookie who had two goals and an assist.
Play of the night
Mitch Marner is going to earn that next contract that Brad Marchand believes he richly deserves. Check out these blocked shots to seal the win for Toronto; and better yet, check out his teammates' reaction after.
KIDS: I'm not sure what's more impressive:
One of the top players in the league in Marner laying out to block this shot...or the reaction of his teammates afterwards. Gives me chills and makes me miss playing hockey. pic.twitter.com/w9MGZRMNh6
- Topher Scott (@TopherScott_) April 16, 2019
Dud of the night
Alex Ovechkin knocked out 19-year-old countryman Andrei Svechnikov with three nasty rights in the first period, and nobody liked the way it ended, with Svechnikov hitting his head on the ice and having to be helped off by the trainers. Svechnikov did not return, and the team did not have an update postgame.
0:25
Ovechkin knocks out Svechnikov
Alex Ovechkin gets into it with 19-year-old rookie Andrei Svechnikov and knocks him out in the first period.
Ovechkin's take on the fight: "First of all, I hope he's OK. Yeah. I'm not a big fighter and he's the same. He asked me to fight and said, 'Let's go.' I hope he's OK. You don't want to see a guy get hurt or something. And you just go a different way. We got maybe a little bit frustrated and too confident. We just have to forget about it and move forward."
Canes coach Rod Brind'Amour's take: "Svech means a lot to us, a young kid, he just turned 19. So he has a special bond, I think, with our group and me too. So, when you see that, it makes you sick. I'm still sick to my stomach about it. It's tough because I just heard Ovi talk about it. He said our guy challenged him. So, if that's the case it's a little different. But if you watch the video because I've got to watch it, he slashes him twice, Ovi, whack, whack and then Svech gives him back and then I don't know if there's words exchanged, but one guy's gloves come off way first and that's Ovi's. That not our guy's. So, it's a little bit frustrating because he got hurt. It's his first fight. He's played 90 games. He's never fought in his life, and I'm pretty sure Ovi knew that. So, that stuff bothers me."
What's on the schedule
Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets, Game 4, 7 p.m. ET. Jackets lead the series 3-0.
On the precipice of one of the greatest collapses in hockey history, the Lightning are in desperation mode. Good news: Leading scorer Nikita Kucherov returns from his one game suspension. Not-so-good news: Top defenseman Victor Hedman is "doubtful," according to coach Jon Cooper. The Blue Jackets can pull off a surreal upset if Sergei Bobrovsky continues to outplay Andrei Vasilevskiy (Bobrovsky has allowed just two goals in his past eight periods), special teams continue to shine, and the rentals keep playing like they all deserve multiyear, multimillion-dollar new contracts (which, at this point, they do).
New York Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 4, 7:30 p.m. ET. Islanders lead the series 3-0.
If it wasn't for the Tampa Bay meltdown, the hockey world would be fixated on the incredible rise of the New York Islanders. Frankly, the Isles are one of the least talented teams in this year's playoffs on paper, but they are grinding it out and have frustrated Pittsburgh's high-powered (and star-studded) offense. This isn't all Matt Murray's fault. The Penguins' compete level just hasn't been there. Sidney Crosby and wingman Jake Guentzel have both been held pointless through the first three games.
Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues, Game 4, 9:30 p.m. ET. Blues lead the series 2-1.
When Patrik Laine gets hot, he's one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the league. The Finn is hot, alright. After scoring only one goal in his final 19 regular-season games, the 20-year-old has scored in all three playoff games versus the Blues. Have the Jets finally cracked Jordan Binnington, who allowed more than four goals for the first time in his young playoff career? St. Louis captain Alex Pietrangelo insists there's no panic after dropping Game 3. Just play like they did for the second half of the season -- and the first two games of this series -- and they'll be fine.
San Jose Sharks at Vegas Golden Knights, Game 4, 10:30 p.m. ET. Knights lead the series 2-1.
This one is -- predictably -- getting feisty. Can the Sharks get back into it? Of course, but they'll need to stop letting goals in during the opening minutes of a period. They'll also need to amp up the offense, since the Sharks can no longer count on Martin Jones (a troubling season, and now a .849 save percentage through three playoff games). Vegas' second line -- aka the "new guys" line, featuring Mark Stone, Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty -- was spectacular in Game 3. Stone and Stastny became just the third set of teammates over the past 30 NHL playoffs to each record five points in the same game.
Social post of the day
Hockey players, they're just like us!
Chris Wagner, @pastrnak96, @CMcAvoy44 and the @NHLBruins were having a tough time getting set up for #GameofThrones last night. �� #StanleyCup Confidential pic.twitter.com/FiESGrhMRq
- NHL (@NHL) April 15, 2019
Quotable
Joe Thornton might be a future Hall of Fame player, but this is a Hall of Fame quote from Ryan Reaves:
Oh boy. Ryan Reaves on Thornton's reply to the Nosek hit: "I've got a buddy with a grandpa who's going through the same thing. He can't see very well because he's getting old. Needs glasses. If he gets suspended he's going to have a hard time seeing from the press box" #VegasBorn
- Justin Emerson (@J15Emerson) April 15, 2019
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Tiger Woods now has major No. 15 and PGA Tour win No. 81. The GolfChannel.com editorial team weighs in on if they think Woods will add to his major collection and when he might tie Sam Snead's record of 82 Tour titles.
Will Tiger win another major this season. If so, where?
REX HOGGARD: Yes. Whatever doubts remained about his ability to close were washed away on Sunday at Augusta National and considering he has now finished inside the top 10 in the last three majors it’s hard to imagine a scenario where he’s not in contention again this season. He’s had success at Bethpage Black, venue for this year’s PGA Championship where he won the 2002 U.S. Open, but Pebble Beach and June’s U.S. Open seems the more likely option.
RYAN LAVNER: No. I’ve vowed not to underestimate him ever again after his Masters breakthrough, but this is a tall task. The PGA at Bethpage has the best field of any major. The U.S. Open at Pebble will be a stern test with bumpy greens. And The Open at Portrush is a bit of a mystery. Tiger is once again among the best in the world, and his sterling iron play will allow him to contend at every major venue, but Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and the other studs should be able to get theirs, too.
RANDALL MELL: Yes. Even the sea lions in Stillwater Cove will stop to applaud when Woods makes his way down the 18th fairway on Sunday at Pebble Beach. That’s where Tiger will win his 16th major, at the U.S. Open. As is the case at Augusta National, there’s more than familiarity with all the nooks and crannies to help Woods’ cause on the Monterey Peninsula. There’s the confidence in stored memories of historic achievement, of total domination.
WILLIAM GRAY: I don’t think so. I’m on the record in saying that he’ll never win another U.S. Open (gulp), although I think Pebble will present a much sterner test for him this summer than it did in 2000. And Royal Portrush is a great unknown, where the course knowledge advantage he enjoyed at Augusta National will be negated. If he’s going to snag another this year it seems next month at Bethpage is by far his best chance. But I expect a little bit of a hangover effect after such an emotional victory, even from a guy who has done it so often before.
Will Tiger reach world No. 1 by the end of the year?
HOGGARD: No. This is a question of math at this point. On Sunday at Augusta National, Woods reiterated that he will not play as many events as he did last year and winning the Masters will only encourage him to double down on his decision that less is more. Those ahead of Woods in the world ranking, however, will continue to play more and collect points which will make it more difficult for him to return to No. 1.
LAVNER: He’ll get close ... but won’t reach it. Yet. Right now he’s hurt by his minimum divisor – he’s only played 26 counting events, not 40, in the two-year window – and he’s facing an uphill climb with DJ and Co. still playing well on a week-to-week basis. Woods needs to keep winning, and with a limited schedule the rest of the year, that’ll be hard to do.
MELL: End of the year? How about the start of summer? Hell, yeah. With strong finishes at the Wells Fargo and the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, with a victory at the Memorial and another at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, he’ll be looking down at the rest of golf again. The swing and short game are so solidly back in place, it will help him stay patient with his putting stroke and keep that rebuilt confidence where it needs to be.
GRAY: This one requires a little bit of mental math, and my answer (no) speaks to the high bar currently set by Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose. Even after winning the Masters, Woods would still need about 90 more points to equal DJ’s current average – the equivalent of winning another major or, say, a win at Memorial and another top-5 finish elsewhere. It’s not an impossible feat, given that Tiger is still stuck with the minimum OWGR divisor (40) even though he’s only played in 26 counting events. But the two men who have shared the top spot this year don’t show any sign of slowing down. Even though he’s close now at No. 6, the gulf between there and No. 1 is still substantial.
Where will Tiger tie Sam Snead?
HOGGARD: Memorial. The Wells Fargo Championship will be Woods’ next likely start followed by the PGA Championship, but Muirfield Village would appear to be the best option. He’s won at Jack’s Place five times and even last year as he was reacquiring his competitive groove he finished tied for 23rd. Having Nicklaus there for the historic moment would only be apropos.
LAVNER: BMW Championship. Thought about Memorial, but he might be looking ahead to what he’ll have to do at Pebble. Thought about the 3M event, if he adds that before The Open. But we’ll go with the BMW, which will be played this year at Medinah, where Woods has some good vibes. He’s vowed to make fewer appearances this year, and so he should still be firing on all cylinders by August.
MELL: That comes at the Memorial, with Jack Nicklaus wondering how long until his number’s up, too. Jack might not really be “shaking in his boots,” but he’ll be shaking Tiger’s hand before handing him another trophy at Muirfield Village. Woods has won five times there (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009 and 20012).
GRAY: Bay Hill next year. Since I’ve already ruled out the last three majors of 2019, I could see a solid campaign not leading to another win beyond that freshly-ironed green jacket in his closet. So he’ll have the offseason to plot the chase for Snead, and he’ll get the job done in March at one of his familiar haunts after missing this year – and in the process break a tie with Snead on a different record with his ninth API title. Although after this past week nothing would really surprise me, including Woods tying (or even surpassing) Snead this summer.
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Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll examine which players’ stocks and trends are rising and falling in the world of golf.
RISING
Tiger (+10%): Debates will rage about whether his Masters victory was better than Jack’s in ’86, or if it’s a greater comeback than Hogan’s. Who cares? After 11 years, after the scandal and the embarrassment and the injuries, Woods is a major champ again. Amazing.
Brooks (+5%): Like Woods, Koepka’s game is built solely for the big events – he nearly won the Masters without playing anywhere near his best. There’s a good chance he picks off another one this year.
Xander (+4%): Schauffele has made only eight career major starts, and he’s been a serious contender in three of them. Still just 25, he’s a more consistent factor than most of his more-heralded 20-something peers.
Viktor Hovland (+3%): His days as an amateur are numbered, but the reigning U.S. Amateur champion basically locked up the Hogan Award as the top dog over the past 12 months. What a special memory, claiming low-amateur honors at one of the most unforgettable sporting events ever.
Masters Tournament Committee (+2%): Resistant to change (of any kind), ANGC deserves credit for taking the unprecedented step of moving up tee times and using split tees for the final round. They even got to squeeze in the photo-op with Tiger slipping into the green jacket outside. Perfect.
FALLING
Rory (-1%): The T-21 looks fine on the stat line, but McIlroy never factored despite coming into the Masters in the best form of his life. He’s now 0-for-5 in trying to complete the career Grand Slam; none of the previous five members of golf’s most exclusive club needed more than three attempts for the final leg ...
Sergio (-2%): Garcia has seriously contended at Augusta only once over the past 15 years. Any guesses when that was? Indeed, in 2017, when he won. Another MC this year.
J-Rose (-3%): It’s hard to miss the cut at the Masters, with all of the old-timers and amateurs and newcomers and out-of-form qualifiers, but the (former) world No. 1 still managed to find a way. A shocker, to say the least.
Frankie Molinari (-4%): No one in the top 25 played worse on Sunday than Molinari (74), whose stone-cold reputation took a major hit with some befuddling decisions and mis-hits over the second nine. Guess he doesn’t have Tiger’s number, after all.
Jack’s record (-5%): Tiger’s major drought is over, and even if he’s playing on borrowed time because of his reconfigured body, he still appears to have one last run in him. Nicklaus said he’s “shaking in his boots” ... and he should be. This thing ain’t over yet.
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Erin Hills, site of Koepka's first U.S. Open win, to host 2025 U.S. Women's Open
Published in
Golf
Tuesday, 16 April 2019 04:15
The U.S. Women’s Open will be played at Erin Hills in Wisconsin in 2025, the USGA announced Tuesday.
The dates are May 29-June 1.
Brooks Koepka won when Erin Hills made its debut as a U.S. Open site two years ago. Kelly Kraft won the U.S. Amateur there in 2011 and Tiffany Joh the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links there in 2008.
Erin Hills will also host the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2022 (Sept. 10-15) with Blue Mounds Golf and Country Club in Wauwatosa, Wis., co-hosting the stroke-play portion of the championship.
“To bring these championships to a public facility all golfers can enjoy is especially exciting for us,” USGA CEO Mike Davis said. “The USGA has a great relationship with the facility, and Erin Hills has proven to be one of the premier golf venues in the nation, as well as an excellent test.”
Erin Hills is located in the Kettle Moraine region of Wisconsin, 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
This will mark the third time the U.S. Women’s Open will be played in Wisconsin. Se Ri Pak won the championship at Blackwolf Run in 1998 and Na Yeon Choi at Blackwolf Run in 2012.
Here are the other future sites of the U.S. Women’s Open:
2019 – Country Club of Charleston (S.C.), May 30-June 2.
2020 – Champions Golf Club, Houston, Texas, June 4-7.
2021 – The Olympic Club, San Francisco, Calif. June 3-6.
2022 – Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, Southern Pines, N.C., June 2-5.
2023 – Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif., June 1-4.
2024 – Lancaster Country Club, Lancaster, Pa., May 30-June 2.
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MANCHESTER, England -- Pep Guardiola said Manchester City's next three matches will go a long way to defining their season as they chase an unprecedented Quadruple.
City face Tottenham on Wednesday night in the Champions League trailing 1-0 from the first leg followed by a Premier League double-header against Spurs again and Manchester United.
Anything but a victory on Wednesday would see them eliminated from Europe at the quarterfinal stage for the second year running -- and Guardiola said he believes only maximum points in the Premier League will be enough to secure the title.
"If we don't win these games we will be out of two competitions," he told a news conference. "They are absolute finals for us, I've had that feeling from weeks ago.
"Every time in a competition [they are] when you arrive in the latter stages. We don't have a 12-point [gap] like last season -- in this period, we were already champions.
"But this season we have an incredible opponent like Liverpool in the Premier League. What they have done so far they deserve. Normally with 84 or 86 points you are champion -- they have 85. Both teams deserve to be champions but just one team is going to get it."
Spurs' first leg victory was helped by a noisy and intense atmosphere from the fans at their new 62,000-capacity stadium, and Guardiola said he needs the fans to generate a similar atmosphere if they are to make the semifinals.
"Many times I played in the semifinals and quarterfinals, and every time I played away the atmosphere was really incredible," he added. "They support their local teams.
"We need it -- really, we need it. I want to see that they want to get to the semifinals. Not the players, the players I have no doubt about after 20 months. I want to see my fans, our fans, that they really want the semifinals. I want to see that tomorrow."
City remain in the hunt for the Quadruple and while Guardiola has played down the possibility, defender John Stones said the players will do everything to win all four trophies.
"I don't think a lot of things are impossible, that is the mindset of different people and if you don't dream big then you are not going to get anywhere near it," he said. "It comes from within everyone -- we have this belief and ambition to do it.
"Like last season, 100 points never done before. We won the league quite early and still had the belief to go on and do it."
Oleksandr Zinchenko is the only player ruled out although Fernandinho only returned to training on Monday and is not yet at full intensity after being ruled out of Sunday's win at Crystal Palace.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are definitely without Harry Kane but Guardiola said they will remain dangerous opponents.
"[They will be] the same strong team they had three years ago, last season and this. [They are an] incredible top team."
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Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Arsenal will be given the full support of UEFA in order to secure a visa for the Armenia international to play in the Europa League final in Azerbaijan next month if the club reach the May 28 showpiece in Baku, sources have told ESPN FC.
Arsenal face Napoli in Italy on Thursday on the brink of a semifinal encounter with either Villarreal or Valencia having secured a 2-0 quarterfinal first-leg victory over Carlo Ancelotti's team at the Emirates last Thursday.
But if Arsenal reach the final, they must overcome the issue of Mkhitaryan playing in Azerbaijan -- a country which currently prohibits the entry of citizens from Armenia due to an ongoing territorial conflict over the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Mkhitaryan was omitted from Arsenal's squad for the Europa League group game against Qarabag last October for unspecified reasons, prompting Qarabag coach Gurban Gurbanov to claim that the London club were "afraid" of travelling to Azerbaijan with the Armenia captain in the team.
The former Manchester United midfielder also sat out a trip to Azerbaijan in 2015, when Borussia Dortmund chose to leave him in Germany for a clash against Gabala due to "security reasons," despite assurances from Azerbaijan's authorities that a visa would be granted to Mkhitaryan.
Armenia, however, sent athletes to compete in the 2015 European Games in Baku due to a visa exemption for sporting participants, and sources have told ESPN FC that UEFA are confident that Mkhitaryan and Arsenal would be successful in any bid to secure an Azerbaijan visa.
European football's governing body has insisted that all efforts will be made to ensure that the process runs smoothly.
A UEFA spokesperson told ESPN FC: "It is a standard procedure for UEFA to send letters of support to associations, clubs or embassies in order to obtain visas for players and allow them to play in UEFA competition matches."
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