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Manchester City fell by the wayside last season. An upswing in form toward the end of the campaign saw Pep Guardiola’s side salvage Champions League football.

It was a great shock for the four-in-a-row Premier League champions, and some even clamoured for Guardiola to step down. But the legendary manager has picked his outfit back up, refashioning them into title challengers once again.

Kevin De Bruyne left at the end of his contract, but the likes of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders have joined winter recruits such as Omar Marmoush in defining a new age at the Etihad.

Man City’s tactical brand has changed, and no mistake. While an averseness to dribbling was never an accurate description of Pep’s vision, there’s no doubt a fresh emphasis has been placed on his side’s dribbling.

Pep's dribbling renaissance at Man City

Often has Guardiola been criticised for numbing the pulse of his ball carriers, Jack Grealish being a case in point. While it’s true that the sum of the Spaniard’s system is greater than its individual parts, it is a machine of many different dimensions, and fleet-footed brilliance has always been a part of that.

In the past, wingers such as Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane played instrumental roles in establishing City’s early meteoric success, the bedrock of a dynasty that rivals any across English football history.

Sane, in particular, was an incredible dribbler with searing speed, especially before an ACL injury suffered in 2019, which forced the German to reinvent himself somewhat.

Praised by Guardiola for his athleticism and “incredible quality”, Sane, now at Bayern Munich, is fondly remembered by the Sky Blues, with that particular brand of electric-paced dribbling hard to replicate.

Signing stars like Rayan Ait-Nouri and Cherki this summer underscores Pep’s desire for a faster brand of dribbling in his Citizen side once again.

Sane might be a one-of-a-kind type of attacker, but there are similar variations with skillsets perfect for Guardiola’s teachings. Pep knows his stuff, and he might have found not just a belated superstar replacement, but someone who might actually be even better than the former City winger.

Man City's ball-carrying superstar

There’s only one man in question here: Jeremy Doku. The Belgian winger has been in fine fettle indeed across the opening weeks of the campaign, with talent scout Jacek Kulig noting he has “taken his game to a whole new level”.

Man City signed the dynamic wideman from French club Rennes for about £55m in 2023, but his first two terms in the Premier League have been characterised by an ebb and flow in the final third, scoring three times each year.

However, creativity has always been one of the 23-year-old’s strongest suits, and he’s married that with a new level of completeness and gusto with has borne dividends across these early weeks.

Three assists from six Premier League matches is good going, but Doku’s skill and explosiveness on the ball have been things to behold; now, there’s a new confidence and clarity about his performances.

It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Doku ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90 (data courtesy of FBref), but he’s also in the top percentile for shot-creating actions, underlining his effectiveness when entering the danger area.

And this season, he leads the way in the Premier League, more accurate when progressing the ball than his attacking rivals.

Might City have one of the finest dribblers in Europe? Undoubtedly. In fact, pundit Adrian Clarke has even gone as far as to claim that Doku is “one of the best dribblers in Premier League history”.

Valued at around £58m by Football Transfers, Manchester City haven’t quite got bang for their buck from a financial standpoint yet, but Doku is only 23, remember, and is showing all the signs of incremental growth which has not yet reached full bloom.

He’s the real deal, and if he maintains this level, he might even eclipse Sane and the like as the best dribbler across the entire Guardiola era at Manchester City.

Better than Haaland: Man City must regret selling "the best player in PL"

Manchester City let this top talent slip through their fingers.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 3, 2025

No men’s internationals have taken place in New Chandigarh, but most of the India players have been here during IPL 2025

Sidharth Monga10-Dec-20251:28

Why did it feel like Hardik batted on a different pitch?

Big picture – New Chandigarh makes men’s international debut

There is a feeling India are such strong favourites for the home World Cup in two months that the one way to deny them a successful title defence is to catch them on the wrong side of the toss on a damp pitch or a dewy night.South Africa discovered first-hand in Cuttack that India are formidable even on such a night. They will now scramble from eastern India to the north-west with no training day in New Chandigarh and go again on Thursday evening.Related

• Hardik shows what he can do when fit and firing

India will be aware that despite their 6-2 head-to-head record against South Africa in recent encounters, T20s can surprise any team on a given night. They want to have reacted to almost every kind of contingency in their nine remaining matches at home before the World Cup. New Chandigarh will be just one such stop.This, incidentally, is the first men’s international at the venue. India and Australia played two women’s ODIs there in September this year.

Form guide

India WWWLW
South Africa LLLWLThere is nothing wrong with South Africa’s combination, but India might just be a bit too strong for them in these conditions•Associated Press

In the spotlight – Arshdeep Singh and Quinton de Kock

The first over of the chase in Cuttack set the tone for the rest of the night. Arshdeep Singh sought to make the most of whatever movement was on offer, and he got the dangerous Quinton de Kock in the first over. It is a match-up that Arshdeep has had the better of in all T20 cricket: 41 balls, 38 runs, five wickets. Watch out for this contest again. Perhaps South Africa might let Aiden Markram take first strike because de Kock is a key batter for them.

Team news – Changes only if conditions ask for them

In Cuttack, India were close to their best XI if you leave aside the question of Rinku Singh. If the pitch is dry, they can stick in Kuldeep Yadav for Arshdeep; if they worry about batting depth, Harshit Rana can play in Arshdeep’s place. Other than that, they don’t need to fiddle.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.South Africa might have lost big but the combination didn’t have much wrong. At a pinch, they might think of an allrounder in Lutho Sipamla’s place.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram (capt), 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Miller, 6 Donovon Ferreira, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Lutho Sipamla/Corbin Bosch/George Linde, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Anrich Nortje.1:29

Jitesh on competition with Samson – ‘He’s like a big brother’

Pitch and conditions

With no tall stands around it, the playing surface of New Chandigarh tends to not get affected too much by the dew. Teams batting first in the IPL hold a 6-5 record in New Chandigarh. Scores of above 200 have been defended successfully, as has been a 111. Fast bowlers tend to hold sway there.

Stats and trivia

• Only three players have hit 100 sixes and taken 100 wickets in T20Is. Hardik Pandya is one wicket short of joining this list of Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Nabi and Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh.
• Arshdeep has taken the joint-highest powerplay wickets for India: 47. He is tied with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
• Jasprit Bumrah is only the fifth player to have taken 100 wickets in each of the three international formats. Shakib Al Hasan, Lasith Malinga, Tim Southee and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the others.

He has captained in only four ODIs so far, and as an automatic pick, his inclusion might affect the balance of the bowling attack

Andrew McGlashan28-Sep-2023A few weeks ago, Pat Cummins was again asked to reflect on the Ashes series in England.”Batters dominated, higher strike rates, more white-ball problems you had to try and solve – felt more like a one-dayer than Test matches at different times,” he said. “Which was great. Really enjoyed it.”Experience in dealing with those “white-ball problems” as England’s Bazball batting line-up hurtled along at 4.74 per over might become relevant in the next month, although the field Cummins had for the first ball at Edgbaston, with three boundary fielders, won’t be allowed against India in Chennai on October 8.Related

• Maxwell a crucial piece to Australia's World Cup jigsaw puzzle

• Cummins targets comeback in India ODIs ahead of World Cup

• Cummins named Australia's ODI captain with a 'wider' leadership group underneath

Not since Kim Hughes captained Australia in the 1979 World Cup, having not led in ODIs before then, have Australia gone into the tournament with a captain as inexperienced in the format as Cummins. After leading in two of the three matches against India this month, he is on a grand total of four outings as ODI captain, alongside four Marsh Cup games for New South Wales in the 2020-21 season.Still, his appointment was not surprising, although it came at a curious juncture, five days before Australia started their defence of the T20 World Cup title last year. The selectors wanted to avoid talk about the role becoming a distraction in the wake of Aaron Finch’s retirement, at a time when David Warner’s leadership ban was also muddying the waters.”I think there has been a lot of speculation and conjecture around the position,” national selector George Bailey said at the time. “We are at the doorstep of a World Cup. I think it’s easier to just announce it and move on from that.”Cummins leads Australia out in his first 50-over match as captain, against England in Adelaide last year•Sarah Reed/Getty ImagesCummins’ first two games in charge came against England in a forgettable series immediately after the T20 World Cup. He sat out the middle contest, in Sydney, where Josh Hazlewood captained. Cummins then missed the series in India in late March due to the death of his mother, and he sat out the recent matches in South Africa with a wrist injury sustained in the Ashes.While some of his absences from the role would not have been planned, there was a certain broad acceptance when he was named captain that he wouldn’t always be there – to the point where the significance of him leading much before the World Cup was downplayed.
“In our one-day team, we do feel like we’ve got some strong leaders, some really experienced members of the team, and some developing leaders,” Bailey said. “So regardless of Pat being there, I think we are moving away from this concept of a captain taking over and their leadership being all-encompassing.”But while not a shock, when Cummins was appointed captain of the ODI side, it was arguably a less natural fit than his Test role.On the one hand there are the usual questions about how well a fast bowler can perform in the leadership role in a format that, if not quite as intricate as T20 or as time-consuming as Tests, involves plenty of moving parts. As in other formats, it’s rare to find a frontline bowler doing the job. Among the few recent examples at the top level are Mashrafe Mortaza, who led Bangladesh in 2019, and Jason Holder, who did so for West Indies in 2015 and 2019.Cummins has managed impressively in the Test role since he took it on ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes, leading Australia to the World Test Championship title, and has yet to lose a match at home. But there were a few cracks appearing by the end of the intense and draining Ashes, particularly when England were rattling along at ODI tempo at Old Trafford.Who sits out? Australia will not find it easy to pick their best fast-bowling attack on the spin-friendly pitches at the World Cup, given there can’t be any debate about Cummins’ place in the side•Paul Kane/Getty ImagesHowever, the way he coped with the hasty promotion to the Test role bodes well, because he had very little captaincy experience at all when that job came. In fact, he had been handed the New South Wales one-day job largely to ensure he had a bit of captaincy under his belt.In this World Cup he will be well supported by senior players in the squad, not least Steven Smith and his stand-in, Mitchell Marsh. “I think that’s one of Pat’s strengths – he leans on other people in the squad and other leaders in our team. He does an incredible job,” Marsh said before heading to South Africa.”There’s no doubt with his role as a bowler, playing every game in every format is near-on impossible, so for him to have guys that he trusts, he leans on… we’ve got a great friendship first and foremost, and a great relationship professionally, so I always know I can lean on him, and vice-versa.”However, there is a balance to strike. Too many voices could well do more harm than good. A few times during the Ashes, the question was asked – admittedly more often from the English side of the fence – about who was really captaining Australia in the field.Team selection is an aspect that is potentially affected by Cummins being captain. There will be times during the World Cup when Australia are likely to field just two frontline quicks – a lot of the pre-tournament planning and tactics have been based on an allrounder-heavy model – while some venues are likely to call for two frontline spinners.It’s hard to see Mitchell Starc being left out of the side if he is fit, and as captain, Cummins needs to be in. But if you had to pick just two white-ball quicks, would one of them be Cummins? While his numbers are very good in ODIs, they don’t leap off the page like his Test returns do. Meanwhile, Hazlewood is currently the No. 1-ranked one-day bowler in the world, but he could become the fall guy.Fill-in guy: there are indications the head of selectors, George Bailey, and the rest of Australia’s think tank are looking at Cummins as a stop-gap ODI captain for the World Cup•Steve Bell/AFP/Getty ImagesThrough the impact of missing tours during Covid, and more recently rotation with a focus on Test cricket, the three had not actually played an ODI together since 2020 until the final match against India in Rajkot.Hazlewood, who missed the 2019 World Cup injured, may have been a touch optimistic when he recently said that he thought Australia would return to the big three quicks in India, although the problems that emerged for Australia in the latter part of the South Africa tour and in India may change things. Also, if Glenn Maxwell is fit and able to take the load of second spinner alongside Adam Zampa, it could boost the prospect of Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc playing together more often. Either way, it’s unusual for a captain to even be in the mix when such team-balance issues are discussed.But regardless of how it plays out over the next few weeks, there is a strong chance this World Cup will mark the end of Cummins’ ODI captaincy. His appointment was made with only this tournament in mind and the signs are the white-ball teams will be put under one captain, most likely Marsh, after this event.However, having held aloft the World Test Championship and retained (if not won) the Ashes, should Cummins be lifting the ODI World Cup trophy in Ahmedabad on November 19, it would make for one of the more successful years by an Australian captain.

It isn’t the wildest exaggeration to say that the promoted teams that climbed up to the Premier League last season struggled significantly in the unforgiving division.

Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton only amassed 59 points in total as they unsurprisingly made up the bottom three come May, having given up a ridiculous 248 goals along the way.

Thankfully, Sunderland are flying the promoted flag high at this point, with the Black Cats, Leeds United, and Burnley already up to 23 points between them so early into the brand new season.

Amazingly, Regis Le Bris’ men find themselves positioned in a fantastic fifth spot in the league after just six games, with their stern defensive record just one standout aspect of their well-oiled unit.

Sunderland's impressive defensive displays

Sunderland definitely had both Omar Alderete and Robin Roefs to thank for their last 1-0 win on the road at Nottingham Forest.

Away from heading home the match-winner, the Paraguayan defender – who was hailed as a “warrior” at the full-time whistle by journalist Andy Sixsmith – would come away from the tense contest with three duels won and nine clearances registered to preserve the Dutchman’s clean sheet.

Roefs has also been near faultless at the back for Le Bris’ men to ensure only four goals this season have been leaked, with a high average of 3.3 saves per Premier League game so far this campaign, showing off a goalkeeper who’s always alert to the danger.

Roefs and Alderete aren’t the only striking partnership defensively that is being formed, however, with the ex-Getafe centre-back no doubt more at ease when settling into the heart of defence, knowing he has the imperious Nordi Mukiele next to him.

It’s even clearer when looking at the table above that both the South American and the Frenchman have already formed a formidable working relationship, with Sunderland yet to lose when the dominant pair are side-by-side, as only two goals have also been given up across their four outings together.

This could, unfortunately, spell the end for a long-standing Black Cats servant, even after he played a vital role in Sunderland’s leap to the big time.

Sunderland star on borrowed time thanks to Alderete and Mukiele

Le Bris would, after all, be foolish to try and switch up his Sunderland starting lineups, knowing he has a duo at his disposal who look born to play alongside each other.

The Frenchman sticking with both Alderete and Mukiele for the foreseeable future will be unwelcome news for Luke O’Nien, though, with the much-loved Sunderland defender named in Le Bris’ squad for the first time this season after battling back from injury.

He could well be utilised as a utility figure moving forward, considering the no-nonsense titan can play as a full-back, a centre-back, and as a midfielder at a moment’s notice.

But, it’s far-fetched to assume he will be able to usurp either Alderete or Mukiele in the starting lineup now to take up his usual centre-back spot.

Indeed, the EFL veteran’s lack of experience at a top-flight level immediately places him below both the 28-year-old and the 27-year-old in the refreshed pecking order.

Still, nobody will ever be able to take away O’Nien’s whirlwind success story with the Black Cats up to this point, with the tough-tackling 30-year-old one key figure who helped pull Sunderland out of their League One mire to then set them on the route to competing in the Premier League right now.

Last season even saw the ex-Wycombe Wanderers battler pick up three goals to steer Sunderland to playoff final glory, away from also collecting a sturdy 16 clean sheets in league action.

However, O’Nien won’t want to overstay his welcome now if the Premier League is too gigantic a step for him to take, having already been lauded as a “remarkable” icon of the club by EFL pundit George Elek.

For the time being, O’Nien will be patient and hope Premier League opportunities fall into his lap, even if his minutes now look to be restricted by the emergence of Alderete and Mukiele.

Sunderland's 8/10 star is fast becoming as important as Xhaka & Roefs

Sunderland kept up their incredible start to the Premier League season away at Nottingham Forest as this first-team star shone again.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 28, 2025

Gio Reyna earned a surprise start and made an immediate impact for the U.S. men’s national team, scoring inside four minutes against Paraguay during the November 2025 international window. The goal was his first for the USMNT since March 2024 and came in his first appearance since March 2025, marking a key step in his return to the squad.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Reyna’s goal highlights a promising return

  The goal was created by wing back Max Arfsten, who advanced down the right side before sending a chipped cross into the box. Reyna rose above defenders to head the ball off the underside of the crossbar and over the line, giving the USMNT an early advantage. The strike came after an extended period in which Reyna had been limited by injuries and reduced club minutes.

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• Watch the goal

• Getty
  

  Impact on team dynamics and attacking options

  Reyna’s return adds an experienced attacking option to the squad as the U.S. continues preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His goal highlighted his ability to link play and contribute in key moments after an extended absence from the national team.

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• Getty Images
  

  Looking ahead to World Cup preparations

  Following the match against Paraguay, the USMNT will face Uruguay on Nov. 18.

Leeds United have always gained great pride from allowing their homegrown starlets eventual minutes in the first team.

Kalvin Phillips would become a household name in the Premier League after making his Elland Road breakthrough, with Archie Gray also going on to be a £30m purchase by Tottenham Hotspur after he exploded into life in the senior picture at the Whites.

With Daniel Farke also recently stating that the development of youth is one of the “cornerstones” of the club’s ongoing philosophy, it wouldn’t be a great shock to see a new Phillips or Gray emerge in the very near future.

Amazingly, another member of the Gray family in Harry Gray, is already making considerable strides to break into the men’s set-up.

Harry Gray's rise at Leeds

With the young pair also having Leeds royalty deeply ingrained into their family tree in the form of great uncle Eddie Gray, it appears as if Elland Road is just woven into their DNA.

Before anyone gets too carried away, the 16-year-old striker has only made one fleeting cameo in Farke’s first-team to date, but his future does look very rosy in West Yorkshire, with his early goalscoring form in the Premier League 2 this season only adding to his immense hype.

From just four games this campaign in all competitions, Gray has helped himself to a blistering four strikes, with his weighty goal tally for both the U18s and U21s now standing at a very impressive 15 goals from 22 outings.

Branded the “real deal” by analyst Ben Mattinson, it does only feel like a matter of time now before the teenage sensation is leading the line for Farke’s men, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin potentially pushed all the way for a starting spot very soon by the England U17 international.

However, he isn’t the only hotly-tipped youngster at this moment in time in the U21 picture.

Leeds could even be brewing their next Phillips when looking at this very promising midfield talent who just signed his first-ever professional contract at his boyhood employers.

Leeds' next Phillips

While his career path has hit many a bump since exiting Leeds in 2022, with just 31 Manchester City appearances coming his way in three years, it goes without saying that he is the standard that many of the new rising crop at Thorp Arch still try to hit.

Indeed, under Marcelo Bielsa’s transformative guidance, Phillips would turn into an extremely hot midfield commodity, with a senior Three Lions call-up even falling into the 29-year-old’s lap, before moving on to the Etihad for a substantial £40m.

While Ollie Pickles is way off hitting those heights at the moment, he will hope – sometime down the line – that he can experience these same amazing highs, having just penned his first-ever professional contract at Elland Road that runs until 2028.

The 17-year-old hotshot warranted that deal coming into play, too, with Pickles even donning the captain’s armband for the U21s last time out to show off similar leadership skills to those of Phillips in the main team.

The similarities don’t just end there, however, with Pickles also showing off a similar eye for a goal and an assist to that of the former Bielsa favourite, with a standout five-goal contributions tallied up from the central midfield position from just ten outings.

Arguably, his added adaptability to slot into a right-wing or left-wing spot if needed also stands him in good stead to replicate Gray’s sharp rise, with the Spurs number 14’s malleable nature turning him into a constant regular under Farke.

Still, with previous interest in his services coming from the likes of Gray’s new employers, it could be that Pickles goes on to be another major sale for Leeds in the midfield department, like Phillips.

Before anything more concrete pops up over Pickles leaving, however, the teenager will have to prove himself in the senior side, with chances potentially handed to him in the near future.

Danny Murphy says Leeds "will" go down and names Farke's "biggest problem"

The talkSPORT pundit has revealed why he thinks the Whites will go down, despite the victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

2

By
Dominic Lund

Sep 23, 2025

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah piled up a few records along the way

Sampath Bandarupalli23-Oct-2023283 Target successfully chased by Afghanistan in Chennai, the highest they have ever managed in ODI cricket. The previous highest target they overhauled was 274 against UAE in 2014.1 This was the first instance of Pakistan failing to defend a 275-plus target at the men’s ODI World Cup, having defended them successfully on 13 previous occasions. India’s chase of 274 in 2003 was the previous highest against Pakistan at the World Cup.Related

• Babar: 'When we bowl well, we don't bat well; when we bat well, we don't field well'

• Young stars Noor and Ibrahim light the way on famous night for Afghanistan

• Relax, Pakistan have got this

• Gurbaz, Ibrahim, Rahmat boss 283 chase in Afghanistan's first ODI win over Pakistan

1 Afghanistan defeated Pakistan for the first time in ODIs after losing their previous seven meetings in this format. They have now defeated 13 of the 17 teams against whom they have played ODIs.3 Consecutive defeats for Pakistan in this World Cup. They lost to India and Australia in their last two matches. Only once before have Pakistan suffered a hat-trick of losses in an ODI World Cup – against Bangladesh, South Africa and India in 1999.1 Targets higher than Afghanistan’s 283 that have been successfully chased at the men’s ODI World Cup for the loss of two or fewer wickets. Sri Lanka defeated England by nine wickets while chasing 310 in 2015, while New Zealand also chased 283 against England in the opening game of this edition, for the loss of only one wicket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 Century stands between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran in ODIs, the joint-most by any pair for Afghanistan, equaling Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah. All four century stands between Gurbaz and Ibrahim have come in 2023, the joint-most by any pair in men’s ODIs this year alongside Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.1 This was the first time the top three batters in any side scoring 50 or more in a men’s ODI World Cup run chase. There have been eight previous instances of the top three batters making 50-plus scores in World Cup innings, but all of them have come while batting first.2 Instances where Afghanistan’s top three batters made 50-plus scores in the same ODI. The previous was against Sri Lanka in last year’s Pallekele ODI, also by the trio of Gurbaz, Ibrahim and Rahmat Shah.
Monday’s game was also the first time Afghanistan have had fifty-plus stands for the first three wickets in an ODI.2 Sixes by Abdullah Shafique in this game, both in the first ten overs. These were the first sixes hit by Pakistan inside the first powerplay in men’s ODIs this year. The game against Afghanistan was the 20th ODI innings for Pakistan in 2023, with their first six in this phase coming after 1168 balls. Pakistan’s two sixes in the first ten overs are still the joint-fewest among the 22 teams who have played men’s ODIs in 2023.

Pedri has never shied away from praising talent, but his latest admission makes one thing clear, there’s one player he’d sign for Barcelona above anyone else and that is Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala. The midfielder, currently recovering from injury, openly hailed Musiala as a rare talent who “blows him away,” sparking fresh debate about two of Europe’s most gifted young players.

• Pedri names Musiala as the only player he'd sign for Barca

  Appearing on the YouTube channel , the Barcelona midfielder was asked which single player he would sign if he had full control. He was quick to admit and name the one player on his mind: “A player who blows me away is Musiala. He’s very good.”

  The addition of Musiala to the already star-studded squad is exciting, but the reality is far more complicated. Musiala extended his Bayern contract until 2030, and even with a release clause reportedly in place, the figure is far from small with €175 million, dropping to €100m only in 2029.

  Pedri was also asked about his favourite player from La Masia, to which he replied: "The one I like the most is Dro, he is very good, he has a lot of quality and it seems that he does not have a hard time doing things."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Why Musiala impresses Pedri and why the transfer won't happen

  Musiala is one of Europe’s most complete young attackers – versatile, technically sharp, and dangerously productive in the final third. His ability to glide past defenders and contribute goals makes him a standout even among elite talent.

  But the admiration isn’t one-sided. Bayern once wanted Pedri. In 2020, shortly after Barca’s infamous 8-2 Champions League defeat, former Barca sporting director Ramon Planes revealed that Bayern requested a video call to push for Pedri’s signing.

  Pedri acknowledged the interest but said it was never realistic: “It's true that Bayern were interested in me. But I have an unconditional love for Barca. I’ve always wanted to play here. That's why it was very difficult to imagine going to another club.”

  So while Pedri dreams of Musiala in a Barcelona shirt, both players are entrenched pillars of their current clubs, neither likely to move anytime soon.

• How Pedri and Musiala became elite young stars

  Pedri and Musiala emerged almost simultaneously on the European stage, with both players making their senior breakthroughs in 2020. Pedri arrived at Barcelona from Las Palmas and adapted instantly to top-level football, while Musiala progressed rapidly through Bayern's youth system after his move from Chelsea.

  Their rise to prominence was equally swift. Pedri’s 2020-21 season turned him into a regular starter across all major competitions, marking him as Barcelona’s most influential young midfielder. Musiala’s breakthrough in 2021-22 confirmed him as Bayern’s next major attacking talent, earning consistent minutes and producing decisive contributions in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

  Since then, both have become central to the identities of their respective teams. Pedri anchors Barcelona’s midfield with his positional intelligence, composure, and ability to control the rhythm of matches. Musiala provides Bayern with a more explosive dimension, using his dribbling and acceleration to unsettle opponents and create scoring chances.

  By 2025, Pedri has accumulated roughly 200 appearances with 28 goals and 23 assists, reflecting his influence as a playmaker and organiser. Musiala, with around 200 appearances, 64 goals and 39 assists, has established himself as a more direct attacking threat with higher scoring output.

  Pedri brings control; Musiala brings chaos. One dictates the game, the other breaks it open. Their contrasting styles explain why Pedri speaks so highly of Musiala’s talent.

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  What lies ahead for Pedri and Musiala

  Both stars are currently on recovery paths. Pedri suffered a hamstring tear shortly after El Clasico. Initially ruled out for six weeks, he’s progressing faster than expected and could return sooner, though Barcelona are cautious about avoiding a relapse.

  Musiala, meanwhile, is recovering from a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle sustained in July 2025 during the Club World Cup. He has returned to light grass training and is expected to be fit for competitive action by December 2025.

  Their importance to their clubs cannot be overstated. Pedri remains the backbone of Barcelona’s midfield while Musiala is Bayern’s most exciting attacking hope.

  For now, both remain central figures in their respective projects and any talk of a Barcelona-Musiala union remains nothing more than admiration from one elite talent to another.

Nationals center fielder Jacob Young is finding a routine of making incredible catches in the outfield.

He continued that trend Monday evening when he came up with a wild grab against the Braves where he bobbled a liner off the bat of Atlanta shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Young dove for the ball and got in front of it, but the ball popped out of his glove and he miraculously made the catch with his bare hand.

He made an eerily similar catch just a day ago against the Mets in New York where he tracked down a ball on the warning track that fell out of his glove, but he kicked it back up off his foot and brought it in for a wild out.

In an MLB talent show, Young may take the cake with his impressive juggling and hacky sack skills. The catch off his foot Sunday is one you rarely ever see, and then he follows it up with a similar play the next day. Incredible.

The Nationals' season will come to a close Sunday against the White Sox as they sit at the bottom of the NL East. Maybe we'll see some more new skills from Young with just five games to go.

There are set to be at least five seasons and it will be the first professional women’s cricket event in Saudi Arabia

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2025FairBreak and Saudi Cricket have announced a five-year partnership to host the Women’s World T20 Challenge in Saudi Arabia from 2026. It is set to be the first professional women’s cricket event in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Cricket and FairBreak said in a release that the competition will feature players from more than 35 countries.FairBreak is a private company founded in 2013 that aims to improve gender equality in sport and previously hosted the FairBreak Global Invitational T20 in 2022 and 2023 in Dubai and Hong Kong respectively. A third edition was planned in 2023 in the USA but it was initially postponed to 2024 and eventually didn’t come to fruition.The FairBreak Invitational was fully sanctioned by the ICC and had six teams. It featured international stars like Chamari Athapaththu, Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp among others. However, the BCCI did not give No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the Indian players. It is also unclear as of now if any Indian players will feature in the new T20 tournament.The announcement said new T20 league is “in alignment with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030” and among its objectives are to develop women’s cricket talent through structured training programmes and pathways, to raise public awareness and inspire the next generation of players, to enhance international collaboration, and to bring in players from more than 35 countries.The Women’s World T20 Challenge will see Saudi Arabia increase its presence on the cricket map. The IPL auction was held in Jeddah in 2024 and the country was also poised to back a new Grand-Slam-style circuit of T20 tournaments. Saudi Arabia is also set to host some games in the future seasons of the ILT20.