South Group leaders cruise to seventh win out of eight with room to spare in Cardiff

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay20-Jun-2025Somerset continued their remarkable form in the Vitality Blast, cruising to a six-wicket win against Glamorgan.After restricting Glamorgan to 130 for 9 courtesy of 4 for 21 from Australian overseas Riley Meredith, Somerset knocked off a sub-par total to remain top of the South Group and head into the mid-competition break with seven wins from eight while Glamorgan’s symmetrical win-loss record makes them likely to drop outside the all-important top four.Top-order contributions throughout the Somerset innings set up the run chase for the middle-order to wrap up risk-free. Dan Douthwaite caused trouble in taking 3 for 32 but it only gave the hosts a glimmer of hope.Somerset won the toss and opted to bowl after scoring in excess of 200 three times in their last four games. Kiran Carlson and Will Smale got off to an explosive start, bringing memories of their record-breaking win over Somerset in Cardiff last year, the captain scoring 135 on that occasion while Smale had a half-century of his own.On this occasion the flair was short-lived. Smale took Josh Davey’s first three balls for boundaries, which included a typical Smale ramp. However, 30 for no loss from 2.1 overs became 42 for 4 from seven with both openers outclassed by Matt Henry.Ben Kellaway fell for a duck after a T20 best last time out, slapping to Will Smeed at point, the extra pace of Meredith proving too much. Veterans Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke continued to struggle, undone by the ever-consistent Lewis Gregory, both falling attempting to glide to deep third; Ingram chopping on, Cooke only finding the wicketkeeper.In a familiar story, it fell to Asa Tribe and Douthwaite to drag Glamorgan back into a battle from 49 for 5. Tribe found a way to combine upping the rate with added stability, contributing 38 in a 49-run partnership before being bowled while attempting a ramp.Douthwaite then picked out the deep-midwicket fielder on the first ball of Merideth’s return.A couple of late boundaries from Imad Wasim and a top-edged six from Timm van der Gugten managed to avert total embarrassment for the hosts but at 130, they were still very much under-par.Somerset’s pursuit began briskly. Tom Banton and Will Smeed were watchful in the opening two overs before being proactive and typically brutal taking 41 from the next three. Smeed, the Blast’s second-highest run-scorer, hit a pick-up six over the leg side that was particularly eye-catching.While the chase wasn’t faultless, the visitors found their way with comfort – even though the entire top order made starts without kicking on. Smeed fel in the powerplay, Banton just after the restrictions were relaxed. Tom Abell was bogged down temporarily, scoring at just a-run-a-ball for his 10 before Douthwaite dismissed him in an impressive over conceding just one run.Somerset looked to get the job done quickly, Tom Kohler-Cadmore hitting five boundaries in 38 from 29 before being caught on the cover boundary, a third wicket for Douthwaite.Despite trickier spells from Douthwaite and former Somerset seamer Ned Leonard, who returned economical figures, the visitors knocked off victory in 16.4 overs.

Derbyshire 197 for 3 (Donald 60, Scriven 3-29) beat Leicestershire 196 for 5 (Budinger 49, Brown 3-51) by seven wicketsDerbyshire Falcons completed back-to-back Vitality Blast derby wins in 24 hours with a seven-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes at Edgbaston.The Foxes were lifted to a hefty 196 for five by an impressive collective effort headed by Sol Budinger 49 and Shan Masood’s 43. Pat Brown took 3 for 51.But the Falcons chased it down with ten balls to spare, reaching 197 for 3 as Aneurin Donald launched the chase with an explosive 60 from 25 balls and Samit Patel crowned it with an unbeaten 52 from 32. Having belatedly opened their Blast account at the sixth attempt against Notts Outlaws on Friday night, suddenly the Falcons are flying and right back in contention for quallification.After the Foxes chose to bat, Budinger tore into the Falcons for the second time in a month. When these teams met in the group opener at Leicester, the 25-year-old blasted a 15-ball half-century. This time he thundered to 49, with seven fours and two sixes, by the eighth over. When he skied Samit Patel to backward point, his two Blast innings against the Foxes this season and yielded 100 runs from 41 balls.Masood and Rehan Ahmed (29) maintained the momentum with a stand of 71 from 43 balls. At 136 for 2 in the 15th over with two batters well set, the Foxes were racing but the Falcons hit back with three wickets in five balls. Pat Brown removed Ahmed, who edged to wicketkeeper Brooke Guest, and Masood, caught at third man, in four balls before Louis Kimber missed a cut at Patel and was bowled.Wickets usually slow the scoring but not in this case. Sixth-wicket pair Ben Cox (28 not out) and Logan van Beek (26 not out) settled quickly to smash 55 from the last 29 balls of the innings to ensure an imposing total.Undaunted, Derbyshire openers Donald and Caleb Jewell galloped to 50 from just 23 balls. Donald took 22 from five balls from Matt Salisbury and thundered to 50, 48 of which came in fours and sixes, from 18 balls.The Falcons were 93 without loss in the eighth over when Tom Scriven was brought on and took out both openers in his first over. Jewell edged to wicketkeeper Cox and two balls later an excellent delivery hit Donald’s off-stump. Scriven followed his successful first over with another excellent one (2-0-7-2 at that stage) to further peg back the Falcons.Patel and Wayne Madsen (35) deployed their considerable experience to good effect in a stand of 60 in 42 balls before Scriven returned to have the latter caught at long leg. Needing 22 from three overs, the Falcons still had a bit to do but Patel smote Scriven for successive sixes in the first of those overs to settle matters.

New Zealand’s sixth-wicket pair helps put a strong total which proved to be 21 too many for South Africa

Firdose Moonda16-Jul-2025New Zealand’s new coach Rob Walter – who is also South Africa’s old white-ball coach – began his tenure with a win but his previous team made his current one work for it.Chasing 174, South Africa were 111 for 7 in the 14th over before George Linde struck 30 from 20 balls and shared a 37-run stand with Gerald Coetzee. South Africa needed 31 runs from the last three overs but Linde holed out against Jacob Duffy who ended the contest with two wickets in two balls.That meant New Zealand’s joint second-highest score against South Africa of 173 proved to be enough on a surface where short balls proved to be the most challenging. Three of New Zealand’s top five were undone by back of a length deliveries and they were wobbling on 70 for 5 in the 10th over before Tim Robinson and South African-born debutant Bevon Jacobs put on 103 – New Zealand’s second-highest sixth-wicket partnership in T20Is. Their stand, which included 43 runs off the last three overs, is also only the eighth century stand in a men’s T20I for the sixth-wicket or lower.South Africa did not have a partnership anywhere close to that. Their highest was 39 between Dewald Brevis and Linde, also for the sixth wicket, in a shortened line-up. With Senuran Muthusamy in at No.4 and the all-rounders starting from Linde at No.7, South Africa may want to tinker with their combination ahead of Sunday’s clash against Zimbabwe.New Zealand, who were without Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra as they were involved in the MLC final, will be pleased with Matt Henry’s return to the side after injuring his shoulder at the Champions Trophy. He finished with 3 for 34.Gerald Coetzee played his first international game since November 2024•Zimbabwe CricketJury’s out as Coetzee hits the comeback trail Coetzee last played for South Africa in a Test against Sri Lanka in Durban in November last year, where he injured his groin. He made a brief comeback in the SA20 but hurt his hamstring and spent more time on the sidelines. After returning to fitness at the IPL, a lack of long-form bowling meant he was not considered for June’s World Test Championship final but the plan was always to bring him back in white-ball cricket.He made his comeback after nine months and was given the ball in the final over of the powerplay. His first three balls were pacy (without Hawk-Eye it was not possible to tell exactly what speed) and on a good length before he went fuller and then to his signature back-of-a-length. He only gave away a wide in the first over. Robinson pulled the second ball of his second over in front of square but when Daryll Mitchell tried to repeat the dose two balls later, he top-edged and Kwena Maphaka, at deep square leg, did the rest.Coetzee was too short in his third over which cost 13 runs and then lost his lengths in his final over to finish with figures of 1 for 39, which was South Africa’s most expensive.Tim Robinson launches a six•Zimbabwe CricketRobinson’s career best powers New Zealand over 170Robinson announced himself when he advanced down the track to meet the last ball of Linde’s first over and launch it over his head and the sightscreen for the innings’ first six. His first three partners – Mitchell, Mitchell Hay and James Neesham – were dismissed in single figures (Neesham for a duck), but when debutant Bevon Jacobs joined him, runs came easier. The pair saw off Muthusamy and took on the seamers. They were particularly severe on Coetzee, against whom Robinson reached fifty with the shot of the innings. Coetzee banged it in short, Robinson backed away and hit him over backward point for six off the 42nd ball he faced. He was equally adept at taking on the full delivery and sent two Corbin Bosch yorkers for four before finishing with a flourish and pulling Coetzee over square leg for his third six.Pretorius comes out swingingAfter a golden duck in the series opener, Lhuan-dre Pretorius came out with good intent in his second T20I, determined to get some runs. He creamed Henry’s second ball – too full and too wide – through the covers for four and gave the next one, which was much better in line and length, the same treatment. Duffy’s overpitched and Pretorius hit him back over his head for four and then finally went leg-side when he pulled Duffy for his fourth four. Pretorius faced 13 of the first 14 balls in the innings and scored 21 runs from them, including five boundaries. He managed one more when he drove Henry aerially toward mid-on, where Duffy parried it away for four, but then guided a Henry delivery that angled away straight into Tom Seifert’s gloves to end an energetic knock.Mitchell Santner celebrates a wicket with his team-mates•Zimbabwe CricketNew Zealand’s fielding to the foreNew Zealand threatened to find a South African batter short of the crease when Reeza Hendricks, on 13, only just made it in as a direct hit came in. Three overs later, Rassie van der Dussen was not quite as lucky. He was on 6 when he nudged Mitchell Santner into the leg side and Brevis called him through for a single. Van der Dussen hesitated while Seifert ran around to throw the ball to the stumps at the bowler’s end and missed. Santner had to clean up and was still on the ground when targeted the stumps again and hit. New Zealand did not think they had reacted quickly enough to get a wicket but replays showed van der Dussen was short of his ground. South Africa were 62 for 5 in the ninth over and needed 112 runs from 68 balls to win. Brevis’ 35 and Linde’s 30 took them close but South Africa were bowled out for 152 inside 19 overs to lose by 21 runs.

Manchester City fans who had made the long journey to Swansea City on Wednesday night might well have been fearful that their up-and-down side could be on the receiving end of an EFL Cup upset.

Their fears were beginning to be realised when Gonzalo Franco fired the Championship hosts into the lead after 12 minutes, after the number 17 calmly beat stand-in City stopper James Trafford to send the home masses into raptures.

Thankfully, for City’s sake, that was as good as it got for Alan Sheehan’s home side, as Pep Guardiola’s visitors ended up running away with the clash to secure a comfortable 3-1 win.

City are still on for some silverware; therefore, in the EFL Cup, with Jeremy Doku hopeful that his efforts in Wales mean he is in with a shot of a Premier League start against AFC Bournemouth this approaching Sunday.

Doku's performance in numbers versus Swansea

After all, the Belgian likely stood a good chance at starting against the Cherries on the left flank, anyway, irrespective of what he mustered up on Wednesday night, with Savinho seriously struggling in City sky blue as of late.

Doku has only boosted his already strong chances, though, with his showing against the Swans, as this deflected effort – which came about from the ex-Rennes man’s initially tricky footwork – levelled the scores in the first half, before Omar Marmoush eventually handed the away side a late second-half lead.

The diminutive attacker is well known for his front foot approach in attacking areas, as can be seen looking at his high successful dribble rate per 90 minutes back in the Premier League, and it was on full display throughout in Wales, with seven dribbles attempted in total.

With four key passes under his belt, too, it’s clear that Doku will be able to ramp up the entertainment levels far more on the left flank than Savinho moving forward, meaning the fast-paced number 11 could soon be reinstated into Guardiola’s starting lineup.

Yet, he isn’t alone in banging down the door for more first-team chances, as this other sensational performer against Swansea looked a class above everyone else on the pitch and is now viewed as undroppable.

The undroppable City star who looked "streets ahead"

In the end, even with Guardiola hooking the likes of Erling Haaland and making wholesale changes, City just had too much star power for the hosts to contain.

Rayan Cherki, in particular, bamboozled the Swans all night long, with one City-based content creator stating that the ex-Lyon playmaker “absolutely ran the show”, which is a fair assessment when you dig deeper into his numbers from the 3-1 win.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

1

Assists

1

Touches

119

Shots

5

Accurate passes

74/92 (80%)

Key passes

6

Total duels won

5/11

Unfortunately, Cherki’s early days at the Etihad have been riddled with injury issues, with the dazzling Frenchman only fit enough for six games so far this season.

Hopefully, he will move past these recurring niggles to become a crucial first-teamer now in Manchester, with Cherki helping himself to a goal and an assist across the duration of his sensational 90 minutes against their in awe EFL opponents.

Cherki would stylishly dictate play by amassing a whopping six key passes from his mammoth 119 touches, while also showing off a fiery edge to his game when winning five ground duels.

With a further goal coming his way against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening day, the time is right, surely, for Cherki to be given an extended run in the main side.

Haaland will also be licking his lips at the prospect of working alongside such an entertaining attacking marvel, who was labelled as being “streets ahead” of everyone else on Wednesday night by journalist Amos Murphy for his quick-witted play up top.

Doku and Cherki would love to cause similar havoc together when Premier League action returns, with more wins soon to be added to Guardiola and Co.’s league tally, if they can regularly run rings around top-flight defences together.

Man City have "Rashford-like" 17-year-old star who can surpass Savinho

Manchester City have an unbelievable 17-year-old starlet who could soon surpass Savinho.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 29, 2025

Manchester United are always on the hunt for top talent and could now be about to strike a deal for one of the world’s best goalscorers after making contact with his camp.

Man Utd sign Charlie Hardy as recruitment drive continues

Despite the transfer window being closed, the Red Devils have completed a deal to sign Derby County youngster Charlie Hardy as they continue to invest in talent for the future at Old Trafford.

The England Under-16 goalkeeper will sign a scholarship and is set to sign professional forms when he turns 17, becoming the latest in a long line of youthful additions, as broken by Andy Mitten of The Athletic.

While the club continue to search for a striker to lead the tline in years to come, Chido Obi-Martin continues to impress behind the scenes, and he isn’t the only one, with Carrington continuing to be a hub of excellence that can one day provide solutions at senior level.

Nevertheless, the here and now is what most Manchester United fans will be concerned with. Benjamin Sesko has made a bright start to his career in England, scoring two goals in eight Premier League appearances, though he is still finding his feet in new surroundings.

Sooner rather than later, Joshua Zirkzee could be on his way out of Old Trafford amid interest from West Ham United. Conceivably, this could pave the way for another striker to enter the building.

Financially, money generated from his sale may well be reinvested into the squad. Either way, movement in one direction will need to be followed with a counteraction to avoid Amorim’s squad being left short, something his side now reportedly plan to execute.

Man Utd make contact with Robert Lewandowski's camp

According to SPORT, Manchester United have made contact with the camp of Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, who will be out of contract next summer if La Blaugrana opt not to activate his one-year extension clause option.

The outlet claim they will only do so if he continues to deliver in front of the target, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. are said to see the Poland international as someone who could help Sesko’s development if he were to swap La Liga for the Premier League

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The Red Devils want to add midfield quality in 2026.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Oct 24, 2025

Labelled a “goal machine” by Raphinha, the 37-year-old has scored four goals in nine matches this term. However, he is currently dealing with a muscle fibre tear and could be out for up to six weeks.

Of course, he will eventually recover, but one does have to wonder whether it would be worth taking a risk on someone who is clearly no longer in their prime from a fitness perspective.

Either way, Lewandowski is one of the best poachers on the planet and if Manchester United could afford his £350,000 per week wages, he may be worth taking a leap of faith for.

MI New York and San Francisco Unicorns rode a rollercoaster in Dallas with unending twists and turns, till inaugural champions MINY edged last year’s runners-up Unicorns to a two-wicket win. In a game that featured several small but crucial contributions from various players, Trent Boult stood out with his returns of 2 for 19, and even more the back-to-back sixes towards the end of the tense chase of 132, which took MINY to victory and to Qualifier 2 and eliminated Unicorns.MINY will now face Texas Super Kings to decide who takes on Washington Freedom in the MLC 2025 final.Unicorns were lagging behind in the game almost from the start, when they were reduced to 16 for 5 in the powerplay. The twist came when No. 8 Xavier Bartlett powered them to a respectable 131 with a 24-ball 44.MINY were then cruising in their chase with an opening stand of 43, before Matthew Short’s three strikes started their slide and Hassan Khan’s two double-wicket overs added to the Unicorns comeback. MINY were left needing 24 to get off 19 balls but with only two wickets in hand. The final twist came when Boult smashed two sixes off Hassan to turn the equation into a comfortable five to win from nine balls. MINY did not falter thereafter.Matthew Short’s three wickets almost derailed the MI New York chase•Sportzpics for MLC

MINY made the most of their decision to bowl, with Boult and Nosthush Kenjige removing Unicorns’ top four for single-digit scores. While Boult had Tim Seifert and Jake Fraser-McGurk edging behind, Kenjige had Short and Sanjay Krishnamurthi out caught. The last wicket was thanks to a sharp running catch, with Boult running backwards from short third and finishing with a juggle.Unicorns’ problems were compounded when Hassan Khan was involved in a mix-up with Cooper Connolly, falling short to a direct hit from Nicholas Pooran while on a golden duck.Bartlett then rebuilt the innings in partnerships with Hammad Azam and Brody Couch, smashing towering sixes down the ground. He helped Unicorns race from 50 to 100 in just four overs after the halfway mark, and finally fell when he slapped a slow and short delivery from Kieron Pollard straight to midwicket in the 18th over. Rushil Ugarkar dismissed Liam Plunkett and Couch on either side of Bartlett’s wicket to finish with 3 for 19.A rain break delayed the start of the chase but didn’t reduce any overs. Monank Patel and Quinton de Kock were going steady, scoring 37 runs in the powerplay. But then came Short’s double blow: he trapped de Kock lbw from around the wicket, and four balls later struck the top of middle stump by going through Pooran’s bat and pad.Hassan Khan hurt MINY with two double-wicket overs•Sportzpics for MLC

Monank led the chase, going at just over a-run-a-ball. But he soon pulled a Short delivery to deep square leg and MINY were 81 for 3. The alarm bells went off when Pollard, who had scored two fifties in the last three games, chipped an innocuous delivery to long-on. Fraser-McGurk took a diving catch, and suddenly, Pooran was looking worried in the dugout.The alarm bells rang much louder when Hassan struck on consecutive deliveries, first going through Michael Bracewell’s pull to knock his stumps over, and then drawing an outside edge from Heath Richards that stuck in Seifert’s gloves. MINY were now 98 for 6, still 34 adrift with 31 balls to go.Hassan struck two more times in the 17th over. MINY were in a lot more trouble, with the equation soon reading 19 to get from 12. Boult stepped up with consecutive sixes off Hassan and even farmed the strike to deny Kenjige much exposure.In the end, Kenjige himself went on to hit the winning runs with three balls to spare.

West Bromwich Albion’s up-and-down start in the Championship under Ryan Mason continued away at Watford in their last outing.

The Baggies battled well last time out on their home patch against Preston North End to collect a 2-1 victory, only to then travel to the Hornets right after this home win, to pick up a disappointing fourth league defeat of the season already, as Javi Gracia’s hosts ran out 2-1 winners.

Leaking two strikes at Vicarage Road now means that West Brom have conceded more goals this season so far than they’ve scored, with just a paltry 12 league goals put away, next to the 13 they’ve surrendered.

Unfortunately, expensive summer recruit Aune Heggebo has failed to click into gear as the Baggies’ main marksman, with the £4.75m splashed out on the Nordic striker’s services already looking to be a rash use of cash.

Assessing Heggebo's poor start at West Brom

Having lit up his native Norway with Brann for some time, as seen in his mammoth tally of 51 strikes from 146 clashes, Heggebo would have been confident in his ability to be an instant success on English shores.

It hasn’t been entirely pear-shaped for Heggebo since his arrival to the West Midlands, though, with the bundled-in strike above against Middlesbrough opening his Championship account for the season.

But, it’s now been five straight games in the second tier since this consolation effort unnerved Rob Edwards’ men, with his showing against Watford standing out as a very passive one looking back.

Minutes played

70

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

14

Unsuccessful touches

2

Shots

0

Accurate passes

4/4

Possession lost

5x

Total duels won

2/13

Staggeringly, despite being on the pitch for a lengthy 70 minutes, the Bergen-born forward would fail to register a single shot at the Watford goal.

To make matters worse, from his minimal 14 touches of the ball, Heggebo would also lose possession a worrying five times, while the 6-foot-1 striker would also lose out on 11 of his 13 duels as he cut an isolated figure up top.

Josh Maja hasn’t fared any better in recent weeks, either, with the ex-Sunderland man goalless throughout October too. Therefore, Mason could be tempted to throw in this other option against Ipswich Town later today, as he attempts to get the goals flowing again.

Mason could unleash West Brom's "natural goalscorer"

Of course, both Maja and Heggebo will have opportunities again to impress as the season chugs along, with Daryl Dike still getting up to speed with what’s expected of him in the Championship, after yet another long injury layover.

While Dike builds back up his fitness, however, the time could be right for Mason to gift another forgotten Baggies attacker in Karlan Grant, some more minutes, with the former Huddersfield Town star even being branded as a “natural goalscorer” by his ex-Terriers boss Jan Siewert, for his blistering form in the second-tier once upon a time.

Indeed, Grant – who has also been praised as “versatile” by ex-West Brom player Carlton Palmer – has quite the impressive back catalogue in the EFL’s elite league, with 54 goals put away from 227 career appearances at the level, 28 of which have come donning Baggies blue and white.

22 of those efforts have come about, too, from the centre-forward spot on the pitch, even with Grant being accustomed to a spot down the wing, with Heggebo – and even Maja – perhaps fearful that Mason will roll the dice very soon in attempting to get the 28-year-old back to his Championship best, to also spark his goal-shy outfit into life.

After all, seven of those goals would come about just last campaign when he was given consistent chances to impress, despite it once looking certain that Grant would be exiting the Hawthorns.

If Mason were to put his arm around the hot-and-cold number ten and start him as his leading man, a confidence, goalscoring hero could well be unearthed once more, with Grant potentially firing home the goals that result in West Brom breaking out of their frustrating inconsistencies.

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West Bromwich Albion looks to have signed a new Matheus Pereira-type menace in this exciting attacker.

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Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki combined to devastating effect as Manchester City comfortably beat Bournemouth 3-1 and provided the perfect response to last week's defeat at Aston Villa. The French playmaker started at No. 10 after impressing against Swansea City in midweek and proved to be the perfect foil to City's insatiable striker, who he provided with two goals.

City got an early scare when Eli Junior Kroupi finished off a lightning-quick breakaway move in the opening minute but he was offside. Their game plan was above all about getting the ball to Haaland in dangerous situations and it paid off in the 17th minute, when Cherki's cushioned header went behind Bournemouth's high defensive line and to Haaland, who sprinted clear from behind the halfway-line to slot past Djordje Petrovic.

Bournemouth levelled thanks to some suspect goalkeeping from Gianluigi Donnarumma, who tried to punch away a corner but instead swatted it into the air for Tyler Adams to volley home from close range. The Italian's protests that he had been fouled fell on deaf ears. City appealed for a penalty when a cross hit the body and then the arm of Alex Jimenez and it did not take long for fans to turn on referee Anthony Taylor. But they did not need any help when they regained the lead.

Cherki crafted a delicious first-time pass which split Bournemouth's defence and released Haaland, who powered his way into the area and rounded Petrovic to score his 13th league goal of the season in 10 games. The Norwegian could have had a hat-trick before the break when he was released by Jeremy Doku but this time Petrovic got the better of him and punched his chipped attempt away.

Bournemouth had three decent attempts to level after the break as Donnarumma denied Brooks and Kroupi, who also fired just wide. City made them pay down the other end with another slick move. Cherki and Foden combined to set Nico O'Reilly on his way and the academy product curled a low strike into the bottom corner, effectively ending the game on the hour-mark.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (5/10):

  His lousy punch was a stark reminder of his occasional weakness dealing with crosses and he didn't help himself by getting booked for his protests. To his credit he bounced back with important saves to deny Kroupi and Brooks.

  Matheus Nunes (6/10):

  Coped very well with the threat of Antoine Semenyo throughout. Made an important tackle on Brooks after the Ghana winger had surged forward. Didn't do too much damage going forward.

  Ruben Dias (6/10):

  Given a couple of scares by Kroupi but largely kept the visitors at bay with some astute defending.

  Josko Gvardiol (6/10):

  Had an early warning when Brooks raced past him in the move leading to the offside goal. Steadied himself and combined well with Dias to snuff out any future threats, including making a crowd-pleasing tackle on Semenyo.

  Nico O'Reilly (8/10):

  A powerful display in every sense. Played on the front foot and could have scored in the first half. Made amends with his brilliantly-taken strike.

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• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (6/10):

  Took a back seat and rarely got forward but still played an important role in the victory with clever use of the ball.

  Nico Gonzalez (7/10):

  The best compliment you can pay him is that City are barely noticing the absence of Rodri. Put himself about to ensure City won the midfield battle and combined well with Cherki.

  Phil Foden (7/10):

  Was overshadowed by Cherki somewhat but still played his part in opening up the visitors, particularly with his pass to set up O'Reilly.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Rayan Cherki (9/10):

  Weaved his magic throughout and no one benefitted more than Haaland. His headed assist was unexpected but exactly what City needed to open up their opponents while his first-time pass to the Norwegian was a work of art. Wasn't far from crowning his excellent display with a goal, being denied by Petrovic from a free-kick and blasting over in the second half.

  Erling Haaland (9/10):

  Simply inevitable. Had a telepathic understanding with Cherki and put the fear of God into Bournemouth's defenders whenever he latched on to a through ball. Produced two confident finishes and was mighty close to his first hat-trick of the season.

  Jeremy Doku (6/10):

  A hit-and-miss display. Lost the ball leading to Bournemouth's offside goal but probed well in attack, laying the ball on for Haaland on the one occasion the Norwegian failed to beat Petrovic.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Savinho (5/10):

  Didn't capitalise on Bournemouth effectively throwing in the towel, misplacing a key pass which could have unlocked a fourth goal.

  Tijjani Reijnders (6/10):

  Tried to do damage on the break after replacing Cherki.

  Omar Marmoush (N/A):

  Replaced Haaland in the 82nd minute.

  Rayan Ait-Nouri (N/A):

  Came on in the 90th minute.

  Rodri (N/A):

  Came on in the 90th minute.

  Pep Guardiola (8/10):

  Playing Foden and Cherki together raised eyebrows against such a quick Bournemouth side but it worked a treat.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has provided fresh comments regarding Brendan Rodgers’ future at Celtic, following a frustrating period for him at the club.

Rodgers' summer frustration at Celtic

The Hoops haven’t always been at their brilliant best so far this season, highlighted by the fact that Hearts lead the way in the Scottish Premiership title race currently.

It was a summer transfer window to forget for Celtic, with a lack of top-quality new signings coming in, with Rodgers vocal about it at the time, saying: “It didn’t make me think of walking way, I just felt empty, if I’m honest.”

There is a feeling that all is not too well between the manager and the club at the moment, and he is yet to sign a new deal, which further suggests that the Northern Irishman is weighing up his future at Parkhead, deciding whether to stay on and move elsewhere.

Rodgers is only contracted to Celtic until the end of this season, which is why there is concern about his future, with the clock ticking down all the time.

"Massive concerns" regarding Rodgers' Celtic future

Speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke admitted that Rodgers’ future is still up in the air at Celtic, with no real progress made over a contract extension amid how he was left “frustrated” at Parkhead.

At this point, it is hard to predict what will happen with Rodgers, but it is certainly easy to envisage him walking away at the end of the season.

He clearly felt disappointed by a lack of financial backing in the transfer market during the summer, which has played a part in his side not yet flourishing this season, and if that doesn’t change moving forward, he could part ways and head elsewhere.

Rodgers made to sweat over two Celtic stars amid international break injury scares

A potential blow for the Bhoys.

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 12, 2025

Most supporters will hope that isn’t the case, given the success Rodgers has achieved, winning four Scottish titles and Scottish League Cups apiece, as well as three Scottish Cups.

MatériaMais Notícias

Parte da torcida do Palmeiras apontou as escolhas de Abel Ferreira na escalação como o principal motivo pela eliminação diante do Boca Juniors, na semifinal da Copa Libertadores. Sem Dudu, lesionado, o treinador repetiu a escalação utilizada na Bombonera e o Verdão apresentou os mesmo problemas ofensivos.

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Na entrevista após o jogo, o treinador deixou claro que não abre mão de suas convicções e diz preferir perder com suas próprias ideias. O Lance! listou outros momentos em que Abel Ferreira tomou decisões equivocadas que acabaram tendo efeito negativo no Palmeiras. Veja abaixo!

LIBERAR MERENTIEL AO BOCA

Emprestado pelo Palmeiras ao Boca Juniors, o atacante Merentiel teve papel importante na classificação dos argentinos, tendo em vista a assistência para o gol de Cavani no Allianz Parque. O atacante foi liberado ao Boca no começo do ano com o aval de Abel Ferreira, que justificou o empréstimo pela antiga regra da CBF, que limitava os clubes a utilizarem apenas cinco estrangeiros em uma partida. Em contrapartida, Abel optou pela permanência de Flaco López, que não conseguiu se firmar no ataque alviverde.

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TRÊS ZAGUEIROS NA COPA DO BRASIL DE 2023

Na partida de ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil, contra o São Paulo, Abel Ferreira mudou completamente o esquema do Palmeiras, colocando Gustavo Gómez, Murillo e Luan para atuarem em um sistema de três zagueiros. O rival foi superior no Morumbi e largou em vantagem no confronto graças ao gol de Rafinha.

CAUTELA COM ENDRICK

Desde a lesão de Dudu, Abel Ferreira mudou o sistema tático do Palmeiras, colocando Artur na ponta esquerda e Mayke na ponta direita, sendo que Endrick vinha pedindo passagem para ocupar a vaga do camisa 7. A cautela do treinador com a maior revelação da base palmeirense vem desde o ano passado, e Endrick poderia ser mais utilizado por Abel.

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+ Saiba quanto o Palmeiras vai deixar de faturar pela eliminação na Libertadores

GUSTAVO GÓMEZ COMO LATERAL-DIREITO

Na partida contra o Atlético-GO, pelo Brasileirão de 2022, Abel Ferreira escalou Gustavo Gómez como lateral-direito, já que Marcos Rocha estava suspenso. O zagueiro paraguaio já exerceu tal função no Milan e marcou dois gols na partida contra o Dragão, mas o rendimento dele na posição não agradou a torcida.