看足球，学英语，欢迎来到麦叔叔的书房！今天为你继续带来今天的足球英语精读：曼城篇。

我们选择的文章均为相应足球俱乐部的英文官网。精读共分为三个部分：

1. 英文原文（加粗单词为第二部分的重点单词）；

2. 重点单词的中英文解释；

3. 中英文翻译；

阅读建议：

1. 先不借助任何参考工具的情况下，自行通读原文一遍。在这个阶段，将自己不太理解的单词和文段标记出来；

2. 学习重点单词，并查找之前不理解的单词，再返回原文阅读标记的文段，看看是否理解了；

3. 最后通读中英文翻译，将自己仍不清楚的地方留言给我，我会尽力为您解读。

希望你能在这篇精读文章中，找到自己喜欢的英文足球内容！

City skipper Kyle Walker has revealed how the squad's pre-match focus on set-piece routines paid dividends in Friday’s 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round win at Spurs.

Nathan Ake’s dramatic 88th minute winner – the first goal City have ever scored at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – came courtesy from a well worked direct set-piece.

Kevin De Bruyne’s precise in-swinging corner caused Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario no end of problems as he was challenged at the near post by Ruben Dias.

From the ensuring scramble, Nathan Ake had the wherewithal to steer the ball over the line from close range and so seal City’s passage through to Sunday's fifth-round draw.

It’s not the first time City have derived joy from well practised set-piece routines.

And as he reflected on what was a momentous result and magnificent all-round display, Walker revealed how City had spent time both at last week’s warm weather camp in Abu Dhabi and on their return to Manchester drilling down on meticulous set-piece routines.

“We’ve worked on set-pieces this week and we’ve been working hard - in Abu Dhabi and in Manchester,” the City skipper divulged.

“It’s something we worked on and thought it was an area where we could exploit.

“It’s paid off - full credit to the set-piece coach who works hard and spends hours and hours watching videos.

“We just have to execute the plan.

“We’ve got a job - if we have to win games like that, we don’t mind, as long as we come away with the victory.

“That’s the most important thing for the club, the players and the fans.”

Friday’s win was City’s seventh success in a row with Pep Guardiola’s side up to second in the Premier League, and now through to the last 16 of both the FA Cup and Champions League.

It’s already prompted talk of a potential back-to-back Treble following in the wake of last season’s historic achievement.

For his part Walker says the desire and hunger which epitomises Guardiola’s squad is burning just as brightly looking ahead to the rest of the season.

“We have to believe and we are in this together,” the full-back declared.

“The expectations for us as a team have gone massively up. We have to take it as a compliment. If we’re in all competitions, we can fight for it.

“We’re still fighting on all fronts - you can still see the hunger, not from just the players but the fans as well.

“We’re wearing that famous gold badge which means we are the best team in the world.

“There’s a long way to go and there’s a lot of football to be played.

“We need to make sure that we are there fighting as a team and as a collective - the players, the staff and the fans.”

1. Set piece：a move in a sports game that is well planned and practised，（体育比赛的）攻防套路；

2. Pay off：If an action pays off, it is successful or profitable after a period of time，(某行动) 取得成功、带来好结果；

3. Skipper：someone who is in charge of a team. The more formal word is captain，队长；

4. Reveal：To reveal something means to make people aware of it，透露、显示；

5. Squad：a group of players, runners, etc. from which a team is chosen for a particular game or match，运动（代表）队；

6. Courtesy of sb/sth：as the result of a particular thing or situation，作为…的结果；

7. Precise：Something that is precise is exact and accurate in all its details，精确的；

8. In-swinging corner：一种角球踢法，其中球员在踢角球时，会采用弧线球的方式将球踢向球门的近门柱方向。这种踢法通常会使球在空中产生一定的弧度，从而增加进球的难度，但也可能为进攻方创造出更好的得分机会；

9. Near post：球门近柱：指足球比赛中，球被踢向球门时最靠近球的球门柱；

10. Scramble：(for sth)to push, fight or compete with others in order to get or to reach sth，争抢；

11. Wherewithal：If you have the wherewithal for something, you have the means, especially the money, that you need for it，所需物资 (尤指资金)；

12. Steer：to take control of a situation and influence the way in which it develops，操纵、控制、引导；

13. Seal：to make sth definite, so that it cannot be changed or argued about，确定；

14. Draw：a sports match for which the teams or players are chosen in a draw，由抽签决定对手的比赛；

15. Derive from：If you derive something such as pleasure or benefit from a person or from something, you get it from them，获得；

16. Momentous：If you refer to a decision, event, or change as momentous, you mean that it is very important, often because of the effects that it will have in the future，重大的；

17. Magnificent：If you say that something or someone is magnificent, you mean that you think they are extremely good, beautiful, or impressive，出色的、壮丽的；

18. Drill down：to look at or examine something in depth，钻研；

19. Meticulous：If you describe someone as meticulous, you mean that they do things very carefully and with great attention to detail，小心谨慎的；

20. Divulge：If you divulge a piece of secret or private information, you tell it to someone，泄露；

21. Execute：to do a piece of work, perform a duty, put a plan into action, etc.，实行、执行、实施；

22. Prompted：If you are prompt to do something, you do it without delay or you are not late，(做某事) 迅速的；

23. Epitomize：If you say that something or someone epitomizes a particular thing, you mean that they are a perfect example of it，为…的典型、为…的代表；

24. Full-back：In football or rugby, a fullback is a defending player whose position is toward the goal which their team is defending，(足球或英式橄榄球)边后卫；

City skipper Kyle Walker has revealed how the squad's pre-match focus on set-piece routines paid dividends in Friday’s 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round win at Spurs.

曼城队长凯尔·沃克透露了球队在周五以1-0战胜热刺的足总杯第四轮比赛中，如何通过赛前对定位球战术的专注而获益。

Nathan Ake’s dramatic 88th minute winner – the first goal City have ever scored at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – came courtesy from a well worked direct set-piece.

内森·阿克在第88分钟的绝杀进球——这是曼城在托特纳姆热刺球场的首个进球——正是来自于一次精心策划的直接定位球配合。

Kevin De Bruyne’s precise in-swinging corner caused Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario no end of problems as he was challenged at the near post by Ruben Dias.

凯文·德布劳内的精准内旋角球给热刺门将古列尔莫·维卡里奥带来了无尽麻烦，鲁本·迪亚斯在近门柱对他构成了挑战。

From the ensuring scramble, Nathan Ake had the wherewithal to steer the ball over the line from close range and so seal City’s passage through to Sunday's fifth-round draw.

在这场混战中，内森·阿克在近距离果断地将球推过门线，为曼城锁定了周日第五轮抽签的资格。

It’s not the first time City have derived joy from well practised set-piece routines.

这并不是曼城第一次从精心练习的定位球战术中获益。

And as he reflected on what was a momentous result and magnificent all-round display, Walker revealed how City had spent time both at last week’s warm weather camp in Abu Dhabi and on their return to Manchester drilling down on meticulous set-piece routines.

当沃克回顾这一重大成果和出色的全面表现时，他透露了曼城在上周阿布扎比的温暖天气训练营以及返回曼彻斯特后，都如何花时间深入研究细致的定位球战术。

“We’ve worked on set-pieces this week and we’ve been working hard - in Abu Dhabi and in Manchester,” the City skipper divulged.

“我们这周一直在练习定位球，我们非常努力——在阿布扎比和曼彻斯特都是如此，”这位曼城队长透露道。

“It’s something we worked on and thought it was an area where we could exploit.

“这是我们努力并认为可以加以利用的一个领域。

“It’s paid off - full credit to the set-piece coach who works hard and spends hours and hours watching videos.

“它奏效了——这完全归功于定位球教练，他工作得非常辛苦，花了数小时观看视频。

“We just have to execute the plan.

“我们只需要执行计划。

“We’ve got a job - if we have to win games like that, we don’t mind, as long as we come away with the victory.

“我们有一份工作要做——如果我们必须那样赢得比赛，我们也不介意，只要最终能够取得胜利就行。

“That’s the most important thing for the club, the players and the fans.”

“这对俱乐部、球员和球迷来说都是最重要的事情。”

Friday’s win was City’s seventh success in a row with Pep Guardiola’s side up to second in the Premier League, and now through to the last 16 of both the FA Cup and Champions League.

周五的胜利是曼城连续第七次获胜，瓜迪奥拉的球队在英超联赛中升至第二位，现在已晋级足总杯和欧冠联赛的16强。

It’s already prompted talk of a potential back-to-back Treble following in the wake of last season’s historic achievement.

这已经引发了关于继上赛季历史性的成就之后，曼城有可能再次实现三冠王的讨论。

For his part Walker says the desire and hunger which epitomises Guardiola’s squad is burning just as brightly looking ahead to the rest of the season.

就他而言，沃克表示，这支以瓜迪奥拉为首的球队所体现出的渴望和饥饿感，在展望本赛季余下的比赛时依然燃烧得同样明亮。

“We have to believe and we are in this together,” the full-back declared.

“我们必须相信，我们团结一心，”这位边后卫宣称。

“The expectations for us as a team have gone massively up. We have to take it as a compliment. If we’re in all competitions, we can fight for it.

“外界对我们的期望已经大幅上升。我们必须将其视为一种赞美。如果我们参加所有比赛，我们就可以为之而战。

“We’re still fighting on all fronts - you can still see the hunger, not from just the players but the fans as well.

“我们仍在各条战线上奋战——你仍然可以看到饥饿感，不仅仅是从球员身上，还有球迷身上。

“We’re wearing that famous gold badge which means we are the best team in the world.

“我们佩戴着那枚著名的金色徽章，这意味着我们是世界上最好的球队。

“There’s a long way to go and there’s a lot of football to be played.

“还有很长的路要走，还有很多比赛要打。

“We need to make sure that we are there fighting as a team and as a collective - the players, the staff and the fans.”

“我们需要确保我们作为一个团队、一个集体——球员、工作人员和球迷——并肩作战。”