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RCB were sloppy on the field, but the bowlers put in a good shift; only two of the six used went at over nine an over

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2025Yashasvi Jaiswal made 75 off 47 balls to carry Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a total of 173 for 4 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the first game of IPL 2025 in Jaipur.Jaiswal was able to score so quickly on a slow pitch because he had shots all around the wicket and didn’t always look for the right ball to play them. His first boundary was a prime example of this when he turned a back of a length delivery into something else by charging at Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He made good of his match-up against spin – he averages 169.5 against it since IPL 2023 with a strike rate of 148 – because he was willing to indulge in shots like the reverse sweep and the lap sweep.Just before he was dismissed, Jaiswal played the shot of the day, a scoop off Josh Hazlewood even though the bowler went wide of off stump to deny the leg side to him. While all this was happening, the batters at the other end – try as they might – could only score 47 runs in 49 balls.Sanju Samson had a difficult return to a ground where he’s had a lot of recent success. Three of his last six innings in Jaipur have been half-centuries. This one though was a struggle. He was on 5 off 11 before falling for 15 off 19.RR’s lack of batting depth might be compelling them to be a little more cautious than ideal in T20 cricket and the innings was fizzling out.Dhruv Jurel was 2 off 8 but he rallied alongside Shimron Hetmyer and Nitish Rana to help his team score 47 runs in the last four overs to take them up to 173, which is just shy of the average first-innings score (180) at Sawai Mansingh stadium over the last two years in the IPL.RCB put in a good shift with the ball, only two of the six they used went at over nine an over. Krunal Pandya got through the day with a wicket and an economy rate of just 7.25.

Martin Zubimendi has revealed the details behind Mikel Arteta’s charm offensive as the Arsenal boss successfully pursued the Spain star’s signature. Arteta landed Zubimendi, who had been linked with Liverpool, and the determination the Gunners boss showed has paid off following his summer signing's impressive start to life in north London.

Making the big move to London

Born in San Sebastian, Zubimendi joined the Real Sociedad youth setup in 2011, making his senior debut for the Spanish side in 2019 where he became a key player for the club, making over 200 appearances and winning the Copa del Rey in 2020. He was also part of the Sociedad team that finished fourth in La Liga in the 2022-23 season, securing Champions League football. Zubimendi signed with Arsenal for £56m ($75m) deal in the summer, made his debut for the Gunners against Manchester United and bagged his first goals with a brace against Nottingham Forest. He was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award in September, and now he’s been tasked with running the engine of Arsenal’s title challenge. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportZubamendi charmed by Arteta into switch

Speaking to , Zubimendi lifted the lid on the unique challenges faced in the Premier League and touched on the qualities Arteta identified in him. He said: "The mentality is: be a man. Go into clashes hard. It’s more direct. In Spain when you get the ball, it’s more about keeping it; (in England), whenever you win it, it’s straight on to the attack. Transitions are unavoidable, it’s harder to control. But (handling) that is not about ability as such, it’s getting your mind used to it. That’s different to La Liga but the thing that has most struck me is the dead ball, how important it is. I’m seeing loads of goals from that and they’re often what opens up the game. We have a set-play coach and we work on that practically daily."

He added: "But I choose a team on the basis of my qualities too: what they wanted from me. I have to adapt my play a bit in terms of playing faster, more direct. I’m a pivot, but in this structure I have the chance to take that step forward and Arteta insists a lot that I can play that final pass and make the difference. But I think my profile doesn’t change much. If they have signed me it is because they like what I do. They know this is what I can contribute to the team. If I changed my profile it would be an error."

Arsenal’s gain, Liverpool’s loss

Arne Slot was convinced he had secured Zubimendi’s signature last season, but was left disappointed after the midfielder decided upon another year with Real Sociedad. "I'm convinced now that Mikel Arteta definitely stole him from Liverpool," Jamie Carragher said in August. "He had agreed to come to Liverpool. He said he was coming – and at the last minute he said, 'I don't want to come. I'll have another year (at Sociedad).' Mikel Arteta's from the Basque area. There's no doubt he's been into him and said 'We're signing (Mikel) Merino this season, we'll come for you next season."

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AFPIs Zubimendi happy with his Gunners move?

Zubimanedi has been hugely influential in the Gunners' midfield, and is pleased with life in the suburbs, just north of London. He said: "When any proposal comes, the first question has to be whether to stay at la Real. And it wasn’t the right moment. I stayed and it was a hard season but I learned a lot. I wanted to step forward, take that weight after others went. But I’ve always tried to choose the right time and I’m happy with how it happened in the end."

Yet another day and yet another disappointing draw for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

On Sunday afternoon, Russell Martin’s Gers failed to leave their away clash with all three points, taking the lead on the cusp of half-time through Bojan Miovski, only for Henry Cartwright’s long-range strike to pinch a deserved point for lowly Falkirk.

This means the Ibrox side have still won only one of seven Premiership fixtures, this coming at Livingston last Sunday, drawing five, including a quartet of 1-1s, thereby leaving them 8th, a whopping 11 points adrift league leaders Hearts.

Amazingly, Rangers are now without a clean sheet in 23 away games across all competitions, breaking the unwanted club record set in 1897.

Thus, ahead of an international break, the spotlight will once again be pointed in Martin’s direction, but could he save his job by dropping a player labelled “one of the worst players to ever play” for the club?

Joe Rothwell: Yet to make much of an impression

The surprise team news ahead of Sunday’s clash with Falkirk was the return to midfield of Joe Rothwell, having begun the last six matches among the substitutes.

Well, his return didn’t last too long, hooked after 70 minutes, replaced by Mohamed Diomandé, having made little discernible impact on the game.

The Englishman touched the ball only 32 times, that’s five fewer than goalkeeper Jack Butland, while losing possession on five occasions, neither of which is ideal for a player at the base of midfield, supposedly there to control the tempo and dictate play.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, he was not the summer signing who caught the eye for the wrong reasons most in Falkirk.

Rangers forward was as bad as Rothwell

When Mikey Moore arrived at Rangers in the summer on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, he did so with sky-high expectations.

The 18-year-old is incredibly highly rated by Spurs supporters, with David Hytner of the Guardian outlining his ‘many qualities’, including dribbling and finishing, labelling him a ‘rare talent’ who is ready to make a massive impact on the Tottenham first team.

By scoring against Elfsborg in a Europa League tie back in January, Moore became Spurs’ youngest scorer in a European competition, breaking Jimmy Greaves’ record that had stood since 1957.

Well, so far, Rangers supporters have seen none of this.

To date, in ten appearances for the Gers, Moore is yet to score a goal, while his only assist came against third-tier Alloa Athletic in a League Cup clash in August and, as you can see, scorer Nedim Bajrami did do most of the work!

Having been on the bench against Sturm Graz on Thursday, Moore did come into the starting lineup on Sunday, but was replaced by Oliver Antman on the hour mark, and his statistics make for grim reading.

Attempted dribbles

4

5th

Successful dribbles

2

6th

Accurate passes

13

18th

Shots on target

Zero

7th

Shots off target

Zero

12th

Key passes

Zero

11th

Crosses

2

11th

Duels contested

8

18th

Duels won

4

19th

Touches

36

16th

As the table documents, Moore registered zero shots and zero key passes, ranked lowly for passing, chance creation, duels and touches too, being generally anonymous throughout.

This led to the teenager being described as “one of the worst players to ever play for” the club by one Gers content creator on X, representative of the general sentiment from those in Govan.

Thus, when Martin is leaving out Oliver Antman, who has shown flashes of brilliance at times since arriving from Go Ahead Eagles, fans are very much not on board with Moore’s inclusion.

If he remains in charge for the visit of Dundee United in a fortnight, then perhaps leaving the Spurs loanee on the bench may be the way to go.

"To be honest" – Miovski explains why Rangers have better players than people realise

The Gers are still seeking their first away clean sheet of the season.

ByBen Goodwin Oct 4, 2025

Visitors put in battling display through morning session before spinner stars with fourth Test five-for

Firdose Moonda24-May-2025 England 565 for 6 dec (Pope 171, Duckett 140, Crawley 124) beat Zimbabwe 265 (Bennett 139) and 255 (Williams 88, Raza 60, Bashir 6-81) by an innings and 45 runsEngland began their home international summer with a comprehensive win over Zimbabwe after bowling them out twice inside five sessions and finishing the four-day Test with more than a day to spare. Offspinner Shoaib Bashir, playing in his 16th Test, headlined the final day with his fourth Test five-for – the most by an England player before turning 22 – and second in Nottingham.The magnitude of the defeat did not wipe the smiles off the faces of the visitors and their boisterous fans, who filled Trent Bridge with noise and colour, and stayed to applaud them in a lap of gratitude afterwards. This was Zimbabwe’s first Test in England in 22 years and a strong expat crowd delighted in brave batting from Sean Williams, Ben Curran, Sikandar Raza and Wessly Madhevere.Williams fell 12 short of a century and put on 122 for the second wicket while Raza reached a 10th Test half-century and shared a 65-run fifth-wicket stand with Madhevere. Zimbabwe did not disgrace themselves as they came within 45 runs of making England bat again and showed promise ahead of home Tests against South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan later this year.England, meanwhile, have had their first bit of preparation ahead of a massive eight months in Tests which includes a five-match home series against India and the Ashes in Australia. They may have some concerns over their frontline seamers, who lacked some bite. Captain Ben Stokes was the most threatening on his return to bowling after hamstring surgery, and also maintained the highest pace, across his two four-over spells. In total, he bowled 11.2 in the match, while Bashir finished with nine for 143, his best match figures.Zimbabwe began the day on 30 for 2, 270 runs behind and needing a big batting performance from someone. Williams, an international veteran of 20 years who averages 66.56 in the last five years, delivered. He played a typically energetic knock, laced with boundaries. He hit 16 fours in his innings, nine through the covers and mid-off as England overpitched and occasionally offered width. He also ushered Curran through a cautious knock that spanned 104 balls for 37 runs.Stokes began the morning’s proceedings and immediately caused problems for Zimbabwe. His third ball was wide and full, Curran drove hard and edged past gully for four. Stokes would have known he’d also planted a seed of doubt and in his next over, he could have reaped the rewards. On 10, Curran drove the ball back to Stokes, who stuck out both hands but could not hold on in his followthrough. That would have stung and more so when Williams smoked Stokes through point and over midwicket later in the over.Williams reached fifty in the next over with a pinpoint straight drive off Josh Tongue, off the 42nd ball he faced. In the next over, Tongue hit Williams on the bottom forearm, with a delivery that reared up from back of a length and drew blood. Williams was treated on-field and appeared unaffected as he drove a wide Atkinson ball in his favoured region for four more.Sean Williams produced a fighting 88 to lead Zimbabwe’s resistance•Getty ImagesJoe Root was used for an over for Tongue to change ends and England went double-spin with the introduction of Bashir. Williams reverse-swept his first ball for four to enter the seventies. At the other end Tongue began a short-ball assault on Curran that almost paid off. Curran, having hauled his way to 29, pulled Tongue to Stokes at midwicket but the England captain could only get fingertips to it.Curran survived again when Umpire Kumar Dharmasena gave him out lbw after he missed a sweep against Bashir but Curran reviewed. Hawkeye showed the ball was bouncing over the top of the stumps. Williams was not quite as lucky. On 88, he was hit on the pads, given out and reviewed. Replays showed the ball was clipping the top of the leg stump. Having faced 82 balls, he had been on course to reclaim the national record for fastest century that Brian Bennett’s 97-ball effort had taken on the previous day.Post-lunch, Curran adopted a more aggressive approach and drove Bashir aerially but only as far as Stokes at short cover, for whom the third time was a charm. He had no trouble holding on. That brought Raza and Madhevere together and they took on the spin and the short ball from Sam Cook with confidence. They had a couple of nervy moments: when Bashir induced Raza’s edge once and the ball ricocheted off Jamie Smith and onto the peak of Harry Brook’s cap at first slip, which saved him from being hit on the forehead. Then, Cook got a full ball to jag back into Madhevere and hit his front pad and convinced Stokes to review. Ball-tracking showed it was missing leg stump.In the end it took a moment of magic, and the return of Stokes, to separate the pair. He went short to Madhevere and found extra bounce, Madhevere attempted a cut but found an outside-edge and the ball seemed to be heading over second slip. Brook jumped, stuck his right hand up and plucked the ball out of the air, to everyone’s surprise. Madhevere looked back, astonished that he had to go while Stokes placed his hand over his mouth a la Stuart Broad, who celebrated in the same way when Stokes himself pulled off a blinder in the Ashes a decade ago on the same ground.With Madhevere went Zimbabwe’s last real hope of making England bat again and the result was only a matter of time. Tafadzwa Tsiga was bowled by Bashir when he came down the track to a ball that turned in and through the bat-pad gap. Zimbabwean emotions see-sawed as Raza reached fifty in the next over when he creamed Stokes through the covers for his eighth four but in the over after that Blessing Muzarabani slog-swept Bashir straight to Root at deep midwicket. Bashir bagged his fifth when Raza, who had added two more fours to his count, tried to heave him over the leg side and managed a leading edge which Brook pouched.Fittingly, Bashir finished things off when he struck Chivanga on the back pad as he played inside the line and was hit in front of middle and off. Richard Ngarava, Zimbabwe’s No.11, did not bat in either innings after leaving the field on the first day with a back injury.

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso has offered up an update on striker Endrick with the Brazilian linked with a January move. The teenager is yet to make an appearance for the Spanish giants in any competition under Alonso having struggled for regular game time last season following his arrival from Brasileirao giants Palmeiras with a temporary January move rumoured.

Getty Images SportAlonso yet to call upon Endrick

Endrick has made a handful of matchday squads for Real Madrid but is yet to feature for Los Blancos in any competition this season, last pulling on a Real Madrid shirt under Carlo Ancelotti back in May as the Liga giants beat Sevilla on the penultimate weekend of the campaign. Xabi Alonso, though, is yet to use the Brazilian in any capacity with Gonzalo Garcia preferred as Kylian Mbappe's deputy.

Even then, Garcia's game time has been limited. The 21-year-old has registered just 91 minutes of league action despite shining at the Club World Cup, scoring four goals across six appearances up until their 4-0 semi-final defeat at the hands of Champions League winners PSG.

Garcia, like Endrick, has also been linked with a January exit as the two young strikers look to garner regular playing time in the second half of the season. However, Alonso has moved to quash talk that the duo will depart next year.

AdvertisementReal Madrid pair unlikely to leave

Ahead of Real Madrid's game against Getafe on Sunday, Alonso was asked about the possibility of both Endrick and Garcia departing in January, stating: "I'm not thinking about it at the moment, it's not on my mind."

Alonso was also adamant that neither Endrick or Garcia had "asked to leave this winter", adding: "Both are ready to play. It's a position where competition is fierce." Marseille have been linked with a move for Endrick, where he'd link up with Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang under Roberto De Zerbi.

A move to PSG has also been mooted, with ESPN Brazil reporting a deal that would see Endrick move to Paris and Fabian Ruiz sign for Real Madrid was in the pipeline. Ruiz was admired by former boss Ancelotti, though a player exchange looks unlikely at this stage.

Getty Images SportEndrick has Premier League suitors

Ligue 1 pair Marseille and PSG aren't the only sides rumoured to be interested in Endrick, with Premier League teams also believed to be keen on the young striker. Manchester United and West Ham have emerged as potential destinations for the 19-year-old as the English pair seek to bolster their forward options.

United are looking to bring in cover and competition for summer signing Benjamin Sesko with Joshua Zirkzee struggling for minutes in his second season at Old Trafford. Nicklas Fullkrug and Callum Wilson, meanwhile, have scored just one league goal between them for the Hammers this season as West Ham look to get their campaign really up and running when they face Brentford on Monday night.

Endrick is looking to garner some minutes in the New Year as he eyes up a 2026 World Cup spot. The young forward has made 14 appearances for Brazil, but has featured just the once for the South American powerhouse in 2025.

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Brazil's mixed form under Ancelotti

Brazil have struggled for form since Ancelotti took over the reins earlier in the year. While the Selecao secured a World Cup 2026 spot, they flattered to deceive in qualifying, finishing 10 points behind rivals Argentina, who they lost 4-1 to in March.

In addition, Ancelotti has overseen just three wins from his six matches so far as Brazil beat Paraguay, Chile and South Korea. However, they also lost to Bolivia and Japan and didn't look wholly convincing in victories over the latter.

Competition is hardly rife for the striker spot for the Brazil national team either, with Ancelotti able to call upon Richarlison, Matheus Cunha and Igor Jesus on the frontline. Endrick, then, feels an increase in game time in the New Year will significantly boost his chances of making the Brazil World Cup squad in North America next summer.

When called upon for Real Madrid last season, however, Endrick struggled for consistency as he scored just once in La Liga and once in the Champions League for the Spanish powerhouse. Los Blancos will look to go back to the top of the table when they face Getafe on Sunday having been leapfrogged into top spot by Barcelona on Saturday afternoon.

Liverpool's 5-1 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League came as a major boost for Arne Slot's side after four successive defeats, but one man didn't seem in the mood to celebrate after the final whistle. Mohamed Salah clapped the away fans at Deutsche Bank Park, but then headed straight for the tunnel instead of revelling in the final result with his euphoric team-mates.

Although it wasn't quite the strop some outlets have suggested, Salah's body language certainly told the story of a man who is enduring the worst period of his entire Liverpool career. Slot made the bold call to drop last season's PFA Player of the Year to the bench as he shifted from his typical 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2, with £116 million ($155m) summer signing Florian Wirtz covering Salah's spot on the right flank, and it paid off handsomely.

The Reds produced by far their most complete display of the season to demolish Eintracht, with Salah reduced to a 16-minute cameo in which he offered little to nothing. The 33-year-old managed 12 touches, lost possession four times and missed two big chances, including a poor 89th-minute finish as he selfishly opted to shoot from a tight angle instead of squaring to Wirtz for what would have been a certain sixth goal for Liverpool.

Of course, Salah has an endless amount of credit in the bank with the Anfield faithful. His status as a club legend and one of the greatest players in Premier League history can never be taken away. However, as we edge towards the midway point of his ninth season at Liverpool, Salah is now showing clear signs of decline.

The Reds can't afford to carry any passengers if they want to lift more silverware come May, and right now, that's exactly what Salah is. For Liverpool to build on Wednesday's victory, Slot must continue to keep the 'Egyptian King' out of his starting XI. 

(C)Getty Images'Technique looks well off'

Slot had little choice but to take Salah out of the firing line after his woeful performance against Manchester United last weekend. Facing Liverpool's arch-rivals traditionally brings the best out of Salah, who had scored a staggering 16 goals in 17 appearances against the Red Devils before Sunday's clash at Anfield. There was no fear factor around him this time, though.

Salah's decision-making and execution let him down throughout the 2-1 defeat, most notably when he fired wide from eight yards out just after the hour mark, squandering a golden opportunity that he would, not so long ago, have dispatched with ease. 

Slot defended Salah after the game, but his actions spoke louder than words, with the Dutchman opting to substitute the attacker for Jeremie Frimpong in the 85th minute, when Liverpool were chasing an equaliser. United legend and pundit Gary Neville was among those left shocked by Salah's ineffectiveness, and suggested it could be "one season too many" for the Egypt international.

"Usually a player getting towards the end of his career, what you notice is the physical decline," he said on the . "And I’m not seeing a physical decline in him in respect of sort of like some of his sprints look quite sharp, he looks busy in the box. But just like crazy things like the ball comes to the back post, his technique on his kicking and he’s sort of crossing, that’s the thing that looks well off."

AdvertisementAFPShould have walked away on top

Those technical issues have been clear throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Salah has now gone seven Premier League games without a non-penalty goal for the first time since joining Liverpool from Roma in 2017, and his numbers have fallen drastically when compared to this time last season.

He racked up 10 goal contributions in Liverpool's first eight league games under Slot, but has just four to his name this term. Aside from his match-winning turn against Atletico Madrid on matchday one in the Champions League, Salah has been a shadow of the man who emerged as the early favourite for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

It's a nightmare situation that Liverpool would have never seen coming when handing Salah a new two-year contract extension in April. Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had previously been reluctant to sign off on lucrative new deals for players over the age of 30, but made special exceptions for Salah Virgil van Dijk, who has also suffered an alarming dip in form in recent months.

Maybe Neville is right in the case of Salah: he should have walked away on top. The final chapter in Salah's Liverpool story now threatens to be an ignominious one, with a 2026 transfer to long-time suitors in the Saudi Pro League not out of the question if his struggles continue.

AFPTrent-shaped hole

Salah has not just become a bad footballer overnight, though. There are mitigating factors that cannot be ignored, including Trent Alexander-Arnold's summer transfer to Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold was Salah's partner on the right side of the pitch for eight years; they had a near telepathic understanding and brought the best out of each other. Without the constant supply of defence-splitting passes from Alexander-Arnold, Salah would not be third on Liverpool's all-time scoring list, and Slot may not have delivered the Premier League title in his first year at the helm.

Slot also adopted a "risk and reward" stance with Salah last season that allowed the Egyptian the freedom to stay in advanced areas. “As long as you rest me defensively, then I will provide offensively,” Salah famously said to in April.

Unfortunately, Salah is no longer living up to that promise, and Liverpool have lost all balance defensively. Conor Bradley and Frimpong, the latter of whom followed Wirtz to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen, have both failed to fill the void at right back left by Alexander-Arnold, with Slot turning to Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo for cover at times, while the once reliable Ibrahima Konate has also been wildly inconsistent at centre-half.

As a consequence of all that, opposing teams are readily exploiting the massive gap between Salah and whoever Slot chooses to play behind him. If Salah isn't bringing goals or assists, or putting in any work in defence, Liverpool might as well be playing with 10 men. It's simply not sustainable.

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Getty Images SportCrippling effect of grief

The tragic death of Diogo Jota has clearly weighed heavily on Salah, too. "Until yesterday, I never thought there would be something that would frighten me of going back to Liverpool after the break," he wrote on Instagram after Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash on July 3. "Team-mates come and go but not like this. It's going to be extremely difficult to accept that Diogo won't be there when we go back."

Indeed, Salah was unable to hold back tears when Jota's chant rang out across the Kop after Liverpool's 4-2 win over Bournemouth on the opening day of the new season. "It was quite tricky for me because I didn't prepare myself for that," he later explained in an interview with . "Usually, I clap for the fans after the game to tell them, like, thank you for coming for the game. But then once I stood in front of the Kop, they were singing for Diogo. Then my emotions came and in my mind (I was thinking about him). Then you just (try) to handle it. But then you can see, many people in a Kop also are like showing their emotions or what they feel. So then you start to break down a little bit."

Compassion is needed when analysing Salah's sudden downturn. The effects of grief can be crippling, and there is no timeframe for when they get any easier to cope with. As Van Dijk alluded to after Liverpool's recent defeat to Chelsea, the loss of Jota is hanging over every game they play.

"It was always going to be a tough season," the Liverpool captain told . "Nobody said that it was going to be plain sailing whatsoever. It was always going to be ups and downs for multiple reasons that we shouldn’t forget, and all we have to do is stick together."

Salah might be one of the players who has been hit hardest. If so, that is a completely valid excuse for not reaching the incredibly high standards he has set for himself over the last nine years.

Manchester City are reportedly interested in completing the signing of a player who could possibly star at next summer’s World Cup.

Guardiola wants exciting Man City transfer

Pep Guardiola’s side are back in Premier League action after the international break this weekend, welcoming Everton to the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.

While there have been improvements in City’s form of late, due in part to the stunning performances of Erling Haaland, new signings need to be looked at, including in midfield, where Rodri continues to be an injury-plagued figure.

Crystal Palace and England star Adam Wharton has emerged as a rumoured target for Guardiola, with City’s boss looking to snap him up ahead of La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown has also emerged as a potential signing for them, with the German an impressive young player, and now another hugely promising ace has been mentioned, too.

Man City eyeing £75m England international

According to The Express, Manchester City are interested in signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, but they face “stiff competition” from Chelsea.

The 22-year-old England international could cost as much £75m, having enjoyed a meteoric rise at both club and international level over the past 12 months or so, with Guardiola becoming a big fan of Anderson and making him a top target.

Anderson’s stock is sky-high currently, with the Forest man developing into a key man for England, excelling in front of the defence and enjoying a strong understanding with Declan Rice.

On current form, he will surely start for the Three Lions at the World Cup, with England manager Thomas Tuchel heaping praise on him recently.

“He’s just a very, very good football player. He has the physicality, he’s very mobile at No 6. He has the body, he loves to defend, he loves to put his body inside to duels. He loves passing, he loves to break the lines, he’s very mobile in this game. It was a pleasure to see. I think the team around him made it as easy as possible for him and he had a very strong performance.”

Rodri’s aforementioned injury problems are arguably becoming a concern, and at 29, he isn’t getting younger, so signing a top-quality successor has to be considered key business for City.

In Anderson, they could have a perfect option, with the Englishman already such a mature performer at the age of just 22, and still having so much time to improve further.

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Whether he has the ability to get close to Rodri’s level remains to be seen – very few do, in fairness – but everything points towards him having a superb career, and if Guardiola believes he can get the best out of him, City should make their move in 2026.

KL Rahul feels scoring runs won’t be easy on the final day

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2025KL Rahul has compared the Headingley surface to a subcontinent pitch, saying run-scoring will not be easy on the final day of the first Test.India, led by Rahul’s memorable 137 and Rishabh Pant’s second century of the Test, set England a target of 371. England reached 21 for 0 at stumps, still needing 350 for a win, and Rahul expected a “very interesting” final day.”I think the first two days, being as hot as it was, the pitch has taken a bit of beating,” Rahul said in an interview with at the close of day four. “The crack seems like it’s opening up. There’s a bit of rough there, and the wicket is really dry. Mostly, it’s like a subcontinent wicket on day five.Related

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Stats – Rishabh Pant breaks records with twin tons at Headingley

Pant, Rahul centuries set England 371 to win at Headingley

“[The] day five wicket won’t be as easy, but knowing how England play and their style of cricket, they’re going to come hard and try and score boundaries and try and score runs as quickly as possible. We need to keep that in the back of our heads and try and bowl as straight as we can. Try and be patient and really not give them those boundaries, make them earn their runs. It should be a very interesting day.”The match was evenly poised when play began on day four, with India two down and leading by 96 runs. They lost their captain Shubman Gill early in conditions ripe for swing bowling, but Rahul and Pant dug in. India managed only 28 runs in the first hour of play but lost just that one wicket, despite the ball moving around.”It was very different this morning,” Rahul said. “It almost felt like it was the first time we were actually in English conditions. The ball was seeming around, it was overcast. There was a bit happening from the wicket.”The first couple of days when we batted, there wasn’t much. There was a bit of swing in the air, but nothing off the pitch. But this morning it was a really good spell. I just felt like I needed to play tighter and make sure that we don’t lose too many wickets and make sure that I kill the first session. I was trying to play as straight as possible. At least defend as straight as possible.”KL Rahul recorded his third century in England•Getty ImagesRahul also said that playing the second unofficial Test for India A against England Lions helped him acclimatise to the conditions in England better and got him into that “tempo of playing Test cricket again”.”[I felt if] I get some time to spend in the middle, it would be really good just to bat against the Dukes ball, just get used to the cold conditions and windy conditions and just spend some time leaving a few balls and just getting that tempo again of playing Test cricket,” Rahul said. “That really helped me come here early and adjust to the conditions. Just get that tempo right and feel comfortable wearing the whites again and getting used to seeing the red ball coming at me.”That really helped me in terms of prep, and obviously, I’ve been here before, I’ve played a few Test series here. So I knew what to expect, but again, every series is different. This time the bowlers are different, the conditions are different, so it was just about switching on and trying to do the simple things right and yeah, coming here early really helped me.”Rahul praised Pant, with whom he forged a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket.”When Rishabh walks in, you just let him be,” Rahul said. “He knows what’s best for the team and for him and how he can do that. Obviously, everyone’s different. Rishabh’s a very different player. He does the job for the team, so you just let him be and make sure that he’s doing the simple things right. We’ve had a few partnerships before as well, so we enjoy batting together.”

An NL Cy Young contender looks to push closer to the award on Wednesday when Zack Wheeler takes the mound at Wrigley Field. 

Wheeler will have to deal with hitter friendly conditions and a formidable pitcher on the other side in Shota Imanaga. While Imanaga has exited the Cy Young conversation, are we getting a break on the price to back him against a Phillies team that is down two of its most potent hitters in Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber? 

Here’s our full betting preview for Wednesday’s matchup. 

Phillies vs. Cubs Odds, Spread and Total

Run Line

Phillies: -1.5 (+140)Cubs: +1.5 (-170

Moneyline

Phillies: -116Cubs: -102

Total: 7.5 (Over -106/Under -114)

Phillies vs. Cubs How to WatchDate: Wednesday, July 3Game Time: 8:05 PM ESTVenue: Wrigley FieldHow to Watch (TV): MLB NetworkPhillies Record: 56-29Cubs Record: 39-47Phillies vs. Cubs Probable Pitchers

Philadelphia Phillies: Zack Wheeler (9-4, 2.73 ERA)

Chicago Cubs: Shota Imanaga (7-2, 3.07 ERA)

Phillies vs. Cubs Key Players to WatchPhiladelphia Phillies

Zack Wheeler: Wheeler is the favorite to win Cy Young, behind a blend of impressive strikeout prowess and an ability to limit hard contact. He is striking out to par with his career average, 26%, and has dropped his hard hit rate to 31%, which ranks in the 91st percentile. Wheeler will face a Cubs team that strikes out often, but is dangerous at the dish to go yard, especially in hitter friendly conditions. 

Chicago Cubs

Shota Imanaga: Imanaga couldn’t hold up his blistering start to the season, but is it time for him to bounce back? The left hander posted a 5.67 ERA in five June starts, but has been a victim of some poor variance when the ball is put in play. He ranks at the league average in hard-hit rate, and is one of the best control pitchers in the bigs, walking only four percent of batters. Can he find his form against a short-handed Phillies team?

Phillies vs. Cubs Prediction and Pick

I’ll buy low on the Cubs with Imanaga on the mound, who is due for a positive bounce after a poor month of June. 

Imanaga still has pinpoint control and doesn’t give any easy bases to opponents, which can keep the Cubs close against Cy Young favorite Zack Wheeler, who may be due for a minor setback (actual ERA: 2.73 vs. xERA of 2.98). 

Both pitchers give up more flyballs than groundballs, and with the wind blowing out at more than five miles per hour at Wrigley Field, I can see this game being higher scoring than the total implies between two elite pitchers. 

With the game potentially becoming a bullpen-centric affair, I’ll take the small home underdogs to knock off the Phillies, who are still playing at a high level despite not having the likes of Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber. Can this be a game where the team’s depth is tested? 

At this price, I’m willing to bet on it. 

Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could be set to return to English football after being considered for the vacant role at a Premier League club. Ten Hag is a free agent after being sacked by Bayer Leverkusen in September, becoming the first manager in Bundesliga history to lose his job after two games. He was fired by United in October 2024, four months after signing a new contract.

Ten Hag in the frame for Wolves job

Ten Hag is among the candidates to succeed Vitor Pereira at Wolves, according to . Pereira was relieved of his duties after Wolves were thrashed 3-0 by Fulham on Saturday, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table with no wins from 10 games. The Portuguese became Wolves coach last December and steered them away from the relegation zone thanks to a six-game winning streak, their longest ever run of victories in the Premier League. He signed a new, three-year contract in September but was sacked six weeks later.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportO'Neil leading the race to succeed Pereira

Wolves have expressed interest in speaking to Ten Hag, who was discussed internally as a potential candidate. However, reports that Gary O'Neil is the frontrunner to take the vacant post at Molineux after holding advanced talks. It would be a remarkable turn of events if O'Neil accepted the job as he was only sacked by Wolves less than a year ago, being succeeded by Pereira.

Ten Hag's mixed Premier League record

The Dutchman had an excellent first season with United, leading the Red Devils to finish third in the Premier League while winning the Carabao Cup and reaching the FA Cup final (eventually losing to Manchester City) and making it to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Despite further strengthening the squad by signing Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana, he had a hugely disappointing second campaign. United came eighth in the league – their worst finish in the Premier League era at the time – and crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage. 

However, they managed to end on a positive note by winning the FA Cup and avenging their previous defeat by Manchester City at Wembley. The shock result led to United unexpectedly keeping faith in Ten Hag and extending his contract until 2026. However, just four months later he was dismissed following four defeats in the opening nine league games.

United's dismal results under successor Ruben Amorim, however, put Ten Hag's reign into some perspective. Under Amorim, United finished 15th in the Premier League, their worst league finish since being relegated 51 years previously, and failed to qualify for Europe after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.

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Getty Images SportTen Hag eager to move on from nightmare Leverkusen role

Ten Hag was furious with the way he was sacked by Leverkusen following one defeat and one draw in the Bundesliga and a victory against lower league opposition in the cup. He blamed his bad results on the fact Leverkusen had sold a number of top players in the summer, many of whom had won the club's first ever Bundesliga title.

He said in a statement at the time: "To part ways with a coach after just two league matches is unprecedented. This summer, many key players who were part of past successes left the squad. Building a new, cohesive team is a careful process that requires both time and trust. A new coach deserves the space to implement his vision, set the standards, shape the squad and leave his mark on the style of play.

"I started this job with full conviction and energy, but unfortunately the management was not willing to grant me the time and trust I needed, which I deeply regret. I feel this was never a relationship based on mutual trust. Throughout my career, every season I have been able to see through to the end as a coach has brought success. Clubs that placed their trust in me have been rewarded with success and silverware."

Ten Hag will therefore be keen to get back into management as early as possible and put the episode with Leverkusen behind him. And even if Wolves decide against hiring him, he is bound to be linked with more Premier League jobs in the future.