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The Atlanta Braves will play host to MLB's All-Star weekend in 2025, with Truist Park set to serve as the site for both the All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby.

Among the participants in this year's Derby include the Braves' own Ronald Acuña Jr., who is making his third appearance in the event.

spoke to Acuña ahead of the derby as part of his new collaboration with Call of Duty Mobile, which introduced Acuña's "La Bestia" baseball bat that was added to the game as an in-game cosmetic. Acuña said he plays Call of Duty Mobile regularly, and even more so while going through his recovery and rehabilitation from the ACL injury that ended his 2024 season early and delayed the start of his '25 campaign.

Now gearing up for the derby, the 27-year-old discussed why the event being at home at Truist Park makes the occasion even more special.

"It means a lot to me. Being in the Home Run Derby in my home stadium in Atlanta and in front of the home crowd is an absolute dream come true, and I can only hope to win," Acuña said, speaking via translator.

No player in Braves franchise history has ever won the Home Run Derby, so Acuña has the chance to become the very first. To do so at his home stadium with the fans backing him would make that accomplishment even more special.

If Acuña were able to achieve the feat, he'd join a select group of players in the event's history to win it at home, including Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg, who won at Wrigley Field in 1990, Todd Frazier of the Cincinnati Reds, who won in 2015 at the Great American Ball Park, ex-Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper who took home the trophy in '18 at Nationals Park and Adolis Garcia, who won in 2024 at Globe Life Field in front of the Texas Rangers faithful.

Like many other baseball fans and players, Acuña also grew up watching the Home Run Derby. When asked about his favorite Derby growing up, he said it was 2011 when New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano won it all while his father Jose was pitching to him.

Acuña spoke highly of his competitors, referring to all of them as "incredible players," but he will be hoping the support from the home crowd in Atlanta can help propel him to victory over the rest of the pack.

In an interview with Time Magazine published at the end of July, Erling Haaland claimed that Norway would only have a 0.5 percent chance of winning the 2026 World Cup. He added: “If we would qualify for the World Cup, it would be like another big nation winning it. It would be the biggest party ever. Scenes in Oslo would be incredible.” That party is now underway, with Norway having booked their spot at the tournament for the first time in 28 years after thumping 4-1 wins over Estonia and Italy during the November international break.

The latter of those victories, recorded at a packed-out San Siro, was particularly impressive. Italy deservedly led at the interval through a clever finish from Francesco Pio Esposito, but Norway exploded into life in the second half and put on an attacking football clinic to blow the hosts away, with Antonio Nusa and Jorgen Strand Larsen scoring either side of a Haaland brace.

It must be noted that Italy are no longer the force of old, but steady improvements have been made under new boss Gennaro Gattuso, and five members of their Euro 2020-winning squad –  Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nicolo Barella, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Bastoni and Manuel Locatelli – started the match. Norway are just the second team to ever beat Italy in a competitive away game by three goals or more; Sweden were the last to achieve that feat way back in 1983.

They also exacted revenge over Italy for their round of 16 defeat at the 1998 World Cup finals. Statement results don't come much bigger, and you'd have to imagine that Haaland is now revising his expectations for next summer. 

The Manchester City talisman is leading a golden generation of talent that should fear no one. All the evidence from a stunning qualification campaign points to one undeniable truth: Norway are serious dark horses for World Cup glory, and not just because they can call upon the best striker in the business…

GettyProper firepower

Haaland's presence is main factor, though. Norway won all eight of their games in Group I, scoring 37 goals, and Haaland bagged 16 of them, equalling Robert Lewandowski's single qualifying campaign record. 

The irrepressible City terminator has already notched 32 goals for club and country this season, and his double against Italy brought him up to 55 in just 48 appearances at international level, 22 more than any other Norway player in history. Haaland has found the net in nine consecutive games for his country, and in eight of his last nine Premier League outings for City. Norwegian journalist Lars Sivertsen has described Haaland as the nation's "greatest ever player", ahead of icons like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, John Arne Riise, and Tore Andre Flo, which feels totally justified.

Amazingly, at the age of 25, Haaland has not even entered his prime yet. No other team at the World Cup will boast such a deadly weapon: a quick, strong, deceptively skilful and frighteningly ruthless centre-forward who doesn't seem to feel pressure.

But he will also benefit from a stellar supporting cast. Atletico Madrid's Alexander Sorloth has been the perfect foil for Haaland as an imposing target man, while Wolves marksman Strand Larsen has emerged as the ideal impact substitute. As Italy learned to their peril, Norway have enough firepower to go toe-to-toe with any opponent.

AdvertisementGettyOdegaard to return

Remarkably, Norway managed to seal their spot at the World Cup without their prized playmaker and captain, Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal midfielder missed his country's final three qualifiers due to a knee injury, and Solbakken has confirmed he is still "some distance" from a return to the pitch.

But time is on Odegaard's side, and Norway need him to unlock their full potential. In tighter games, he is the one who can sprinkle the magic required to open things up, as he did when setting up three goals in Norway's 4-2 win away in Israel in March.

Odegaard produced seven assists overall, more than any other player in European qualifying. Like Haaland, he is a world-class operator built for the big stage. The 26-year-old also demonstrated his commitment and leadership credentials by flying out for the latest Norway camp and joining their celebrations instead of focusing only on his recovery at Arsenal's training base.

"He was there before, during and after," Solbakken said after the win over Estonia. "There is always an aura with Martin." Norway team-mate Morten Thorsby added: "Martin is our captain. He gives us security and strength. We wanted him with us. Even though he couldn’t help us on the pitch, he did off the pitch."

Odegaard leads by example in everything he does, and Norway fans will be praying that the former Real Madrid starlet returns to full fitness sooner rather than later, because he is the key to a deep World Cup run.

AFPExciting young guns

With an average age of just 25.8 years, Norway possess one of the most exciting young squads in the international game. Haaland and Odegaard have shared most of the plaudits in recent years, but there is every chance that, by the time the World Cup kicks off, the spotlight will extend to fit in two hugely talented up-and-comers: Nusa and Oscar Bobb.

Nusa, who has been catching the eye in the Bundesliga with his exploits on the left wing for RB Leipzig, has racked up 16 goal involvements in 20 games for Norway since making his debut in 2023. There is still scope for the 20-year-old to improve his decision-making, but he gives defenders nightmares with his explosive turn of pace and magnetic footwork, which have also been vital to Norway's emergence as an effective counter-attacking side.

On the opposite flank, Bobb has not been quite as influential, but he offers something different. The Manchester City ace does most of his best work when coming inside, and is happier to link the play rather than be a difference-maker in the final third. Bobb, 22, is more of a technician than Nusa; he excels at finding space between the lines and picking out incisive passes. 

Nusa gives Norway an X-factor, while Bobb has the footballing IQ to help draw opponents out of position. They could be an effective combination in North America, while former Nordsjælland wonderkid Andreas Schjelderup is another option in advanced areas. Struggles for form at Benfica and off-field controversy have halted the 21-year-old's career trajectory over the last year or so, but he is also a gifted footballer who is versatile enough to play on the wing or as an attacking midfielder.

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AFPBrilliant Berge

Norway's rise can at least partly be attributed to the vast Premier League experience in their dressing room. In addition to Haaland, Odegaard, Strand Larsen and Bobb, Solbakken has also utilised the qualities of Sander Berge (Fulham), Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford) and David Moller Wolfe (Wolves) to take Norway to the next level.

With so many players used to the intensity of life in Europe's most demanding league, Solbakken has genuine strength in depth. There is an unsung hero in that group who deserves far more credit, though.

Berge was arguably Norway's most consistent performer in qualifying. The Fulham midfielder's ability to break up play initially gave them the platform for success, and after Odegaard was ruled out, he also became the man to drive the team forward.

"He's taken a huge step forward at Fulham. We've been able to tailor-make a role for him in the national team that really suits his strengths," Solbakken has told .

Berge has been Norway's chief disruptor and architect in the No.8 slot, setting the tone for the rest of the squad with his work rate. When Berge is playing alongside Odegaard and Bodo/Glimt's Patrick Berg, Norway have the perfect blend of physicality and creativity in the middle of the park. The former Sheffield United and Burnley star is now living up to the promise he showed in his younger years, and Norway are a much braver side in attack and defence because of him.

Tottenham Hotspur are in the market for quality attacking reinforcements come January and have now been told how much it will take to land a winger who is thriving in one of Europe’s top-five leagues.

Thomas Frank has had mixed luck with signings since walking through the door in N17, and many would argue that Spurs’ capture of Mohammed Kudus has been their best bit of business so far.

On the flip side, Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani may take a little longer to fully settle at the club after some mixed performances, which is part and parcel of football at the end of the day, and the latter’s been very stop-start due to multiple injury problems.

As January approaches, signings will be necessary for Tottenham to kick on under Frank’s stewardship, and he already appears to have identified some exciting names to help their push for a strong Premier League finish.

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo is a high-profile Spurs target and may be on his way to N17 amid the Lilywhites’ wish to recruit a new winger as a top priority, rather than a fixed number nine.

Looking towards in-form Premier League stars may be their preference. Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye is another name wanted by Tottenham, and they have made an approach for the Senegal international, even if he could cost close to £70 million.

Truthfully, Spurs have the financial muscle to acquire top talent, but half the battle may be convincing players that their project has more to offer in the long term than rival clubs.

Competition for new additions in mid-season is usually fierce, though Tottenham have been told in no uncertain circumstances how much it may cost to bring one of their known targets to North London if they decide to press ahead with a move.

Tottenham told how much it will cost to land Takefusa Kubo

According to Pete O’Rourke on Football Insider’s Inside Track, Tottenham target Takefusa Kubo has a £52 million release clause inserted in his Real Sociedad contract, and any bid submitted matching that figure would be enough to enter direct negotiations with the player.

He explained: “He’s been continually linked with the move to the Premier League with Tottenham, Liverpool over the years, Aston Villa as well. Top young player who’s done really well for Real Sociedad. So, it’s no surprise that the top European clubs are looking at the Japanese international as well.

Takefusa Kobe at Real Sociedad – is he worth £52 million?

Appearances

147

Goals

24

Assists

18

“He has got a release clause in his contract, so it would be straightforward if Tottenham wanted to go and sign him in January. £52million, it’s not a cheap deal by any stretch of the imagination. So, that will come into consideration if Tottenham are to firm up their interest in Kubo as well.”

Lauded by Zinedine Zidane for his “very interesting” tendencies as a player, Kubo has emerged as a target amid concerns over whether Everton would be willing to let go of Ndiaye, though it remains to be seen whether Spurs can land either of their targets.

A senior ticket collector at the New Delhi Railway Station, Sangwan sent Kohli’s off stump cartwheeling for 6

Daya Sagar31-Jan-2025On Friday, when the second day of the Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy match began, the fans were waiting eagerly for a Delhi wicket so that they could see their hero, Virat Kohli, bat. But Delhi’s overnight batters Sanat Sangwan and Yash Dhull made them wait for an hour. During their 67-run partnership for the second wicket, the spectators kept getting impatient and kept demanding a wicket from the Railways bowlers.However, when their wait ended, the joy did not last long. After only 23 minutes and 15 balls in the middle, Kohli was back in the pavilion for 6. This was a disappointing end to Kohli’s first innings in the Ranji Trophy after 12 years, and the stadium, which was reverberating with chants of “Kohli, Kohli… RCB, RCB” a while back was now completely silent.The man responsible for this was Railways’ right-arm fast bowler Himanshu Sangwan. Posted as a senior ticket collector at the New Delhi Railway Station, Sangwan bowled a good-length ball to Kohli. The batter took a step forward to drive it down the ground but the ball came in, beat his inside edge, and sent his off stump cartwheeling. Just one ball before this, Kohli had nailed the same shot off a similar length. Not this time.Related

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In the previous over, Kunal Yadav had beaten Kohli outside off stump on two successive deliveries. Perhaps to avoid that, Kohli charged at Sangwan and lost his wicket in the process. It was undoubtedly the biggest wicket of Sangwan’s career, and he celebrated it by punching the air and clenching his teeth.”We did not have any special plan for Kohli,” Sangwan said after the day’s play. “Since all Delhi batters play aggressive cricket, our plan was to bowl in the channel. If you do not give runs to an aggressive batter, he will try a big shot and get out. Perhaps the same happened with him.”Talking about his reaction after the wicket, Sangwan said: “That was my natural celebration. If you have seen me playing before, I always celebrate my wicket like this. I did not do anything different there.”Sangwan, 29, was born in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana. But his father’s job meant he spent his childhood in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. Like most Indian boys, he has been playing cricket since childhood, but in 2008, when Virat Kohli’s team won the Under-19 World Cup, he was very impressed by fast bowler Pradeep Sangwan, the guy with the same surname as him, and started dreaming of becoming a fast bowler like him.To focus on cricket, he moved from Jhunjhunu to his uncle’s place in Najafgarh, Delhi and started taking coaching there. Incidentally, Pradeep also hails from Najafgarh.After playing school and club cricket for four-five years, Sangwan was selected in Delhi’s Under-19 team and made his debut with Rishabh Pant in the 2013 Vinoo Mankad Trophy. In that 50-over game, he took 1 for 30 from eight overs. But after that, he was never selected for Delhi’s junior or senior team.Disappointed by this, Sangwan decided to play for his home state Haryana. He played district and university cricket there for about three-four years but did not get a chance in senior cricket.During this time, Sangwan got a job in Indian Railways as a ticket collector through sports quota. In 2018-19, he represented Railways in the Under-23 CK Nayudu Trophy, where he took 37 wickets in seven matches at an average of 18.21. That earned him a place in the senior team for the next season.Since then, Sangwan has been a key part of Railways’ bowling attack. Before the match against Delhi, he had 77 wickets in 23 first-class matches at an average of 19.92. His tally includes international names such as Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarawal, Prithvi Shaw and Ishan Kishan. Apart from this, he has taken 21 wickets in 17 List A matches and five in seven T20s.”When I was not getting any opportunity, Railways supported me,” Sangwan said. They gave me chances, so my first priority is the Railways team. It is nothing like I had to prove something to Delhi for not giving me a chance.”

Fast bowler hopes to prove fitness in good time for first Test at Perth in November

Vithushan Ehantharajah27-Aug-2025England fast bowler Mark Wood is set to make his competitive return to action for Durham in the County Championship next month as he steps up his rehabilitation from knee surgery ahead of this winter’s Ashes.Wood has been out of action for the last six months following an operation to his left knee to repair medial ligament damage that was exacerbated during the Champions Trophy. Though a success, the initial recovery time of four months proved to be optimistic, with Wood missing the entirety of England’s Test series against India, having initially earmarked the fifth Test at the Kia Oval for a return. The 35-year-old had been with the squad during that series but suffered a minor setback while training at Lord’s ahead of the third Test, which required fluid to be drained from his left knee, delaying his return. He was then pencilled in to feature in England’s white-ball fixtures in September, against South Africa and Ireland, but was subsequently left out of those squads.Related

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Wood targeting fifth India Test for potential comeback

Mark Wood ruled out for four months after knee surgery

Durham are currently battling relegation, sitting ninth in Division One after promotion last season. Their destiny remains in their hands with the last three rounds against other teams fighting the drop, against Essex (September 8), Worcestershire (September 15) who are adrift at the bottom, and Yorkshire (September 24).Wood’s availability is an undoubted boost for the county, but his participation in their run-in will be limited. It is unlikely he will turn out for the Essex fixture but is on course to face Worcestershire at Chester-le-Street. Any appearance against Yorkshire will depend on how his left knee holds up after what will be his first red-ball match since the first Test against Sri Lanka last August. His previous appearance for Durham came in the County Championship back in May 2021.”I’m hoping to play for Durham as there are a couple of games in September – so I’ll try and play one or two of those,” Wood told the Stick to Cricket podcast.Wood and Ben Stokes discuss tactics•Ben Radford/AllSport UK Ltd”The injury is alright. It was fifty-fifty whether I was going to make the India Test but I was bowling at Lord’s and then, the next day, my knee swelled up again so I had it drained and since then it’s just been about taking things easy looking ahead to the winter.”England are keen not to push Wood too hard. Despite his long injury history, he remains one of the fastest bowlers in the world. He was the best visiting bowler on show for the previous 2021-22 Ashes campaign, taking 17 wickets at 26.64. In the 2023 home summer, he dropped in for the last three Tests against Australia and bagged 14 dismissals at 20.21. England were 2-0 down upon his arrival and went on to square the series.It was Wood who has pushed for game time before the season ends, a plea he made to England head coach Brendon McCullum, having grown weary of the monotony of bowling in nets.”I’ve been well looked after and very cautious, that’s the way that it’s been. I value it as they’ve (the ECB) got this end-game where they want me to get to Australia.”But I said to Baz McCullum, I can’t just bowl to a net for four months, I’ll go insane. There’s a bowling camp in Loughborough in a tent – getting acclimatised there ready for Perth – then I’ll go over to Perth early with a couple of bowlers. We’ll arrive about a week early to prepare and get acclimatised.”Wood’s mooted return is a boost to England’s pace bowling stocks ahead of the Ashes, which are as close to full capacity as they have been this summer.Jofra Archer’s reappearance in Test cricket against India ended a three-year absence, which has subsequently been built upon for Southern Brave in The Hundred. Olly Stone, who was sidelined after his own knee surgery, turned out twice for London Spirit. Josh Tongue has been the standout bowler of the competition, with 14 dismissals.Brydon Carse was rested for this season’s edition, while Gus Atkinson made a single appearance for Oval Invincibles before playing for Surrey in the One Day Cup on Tuesday. The emergence of Sonny Baker also adds an extra quick to the Ashes mix.Chris Woakes remains a doubt with the dislocated left shoulder he sustained in the fifth India Test. The allrounder has opted against surgery for a regimented rehabilitation programme which gives him the best chance of making the tour, which begins at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 21.

The Red Sox are back in the playoffs.

Cedanne Rafaela's clutch walk-off triple to bring in Romy González gave Boston a 4-3 win over the Tigers and clinched the Red Sox' first postseason appearance since 2021 in dramatic fashion. The party started immediately on the field to celebrate Rafaela's big moment that returned the storied franchise to October as they officially claimed one of the AL's wild-card spots.

Champagne bottles and goggles awaited the group in the locker room to continue the well-deserved celebration. Before the champagne showers began, though, Red Sox manager Alex Cora made sure to give an absolutely electric message to exclaim that his team was only getting started.

"You could feel the energy in that game," Cora said during his postgame speech to his team. "I want to thank you for the effort, I want to thank you for everything that you guys have done. But, you guys know, we didn't come here to play only 162. We came here to win the World Series."

What a perfect message to start the absolute chaos that ensued.

Cora's squad is currently set for a wild-card series with the AL's first wild card, which will be whoever falls short of the AL East crown between the Yankees and the Blue Jays. Boston has won five of their past seven games and seems to be hitting their stride at the right time as they march toward October.

SA’s spin trio of Muthusamy, Harmer and Subrayen took 4 for 248 on a Lahore pitch already showing signs of turn

Firdose Moonda12-Oct-2025A 161-run second-wicket stand between Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood, and an undefeated 114-run sixth-wicket partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha bookended a strong opening day for Pakistan against South Africa, the World Test Champions. All four of Imam, Masood, Rizwan and Agha recorded fifties, with Imam falling seven short of what would have been a fourth Test hundred.On a Lahore surface that showed signs of deterioration as early as the third session of the opening day, first-innings runs are considered crucial, and South Africa will be concerned by how many they conceded. Though they took three wickets for no run either side of the tea interval as Pakistan went from 199 for 2 to 199 for 5, South Africa could neither contain Pakistan for any length of time nor close things out. They also put down four catches which changed the complexion of the day.Knowing conditions would be challenging and unfamiliar, South Africa opted for three spinners and two seamers in their bowling attack but it lacked international experience. Between them, the spin trio of Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer and Prenelan Subrayen have played just 16 Tests, but they have 422 first-class wickets, and were made to do the bulk of the work. They combined to bowl 74 overs, and took 4 for 248; enough of their deliveries gripped and turned to suggest batting will become difficult later on.After choosing to bat, Pakistan were rocked immediately when Kagiso Rabada’s third delivery beat Abdullah Shafique’s inside edge and hit him on the back pad. Stand-in captain Aiden Markram reviewed successfully to hand the visitors their first wicket. South Africa had barely finished celebrating when Masood hit Rabada for back-to-back boundaries. Wiaan Mulder bowled just two overs before South Africa turned to spin, and Pakistan’s plan was clear. Masood hit Subrayen over his head for six to assert himself immediately.Senuran Muthusamy struck back-to-back just before tea•Getty ImagesImam had latched on to anything too full or wide early on, used his wrists well, and played the ball late to become the dominant partner in his stand with Masood. He reached fifty off 65 balls and blunted the spin threat, especially as Harmer found turn and bounce, while also surviving a pre-lunch lbw appeal in Rabada’s second spell. Markram had reviewed again, but the impact was outside the line. Pakistan went to the break on 107 for 1.Masood’s half-century came after lunch when he drove Harmer through mid-on, and though he was untroubled to that point, South Africa started to create chances. Masood was on 61 when Subrayen drew him forward and he inside-edged the ball on to his pad. It popped up for Tony de Zorzi at short leg, who went one-handed to his left and could not hold on. In Subrayen’s next over, Imam charged down the track and hit him aerially to mid-off, where Mulder moved to his left first and then had to readjust to his right but spilled the chance.Subrayen was eventually rewarded, four overs later, when he beat Masood’s inside edge with a ball that didn’t turn and had him out lbw.The Pakistan captain left to huge cheers. None of it was for his 76 though. The home crowd was celebrating the arrival of Babar Azam to the crease. But they were soon stunned into silence when Babar was given out caught behind to Muthusamy, who turned the ball just past his outside edge. Babar reviewed immediately, and with no spikes on UltraEdge, the decision had to be overturned. Babar went on to inside edge Muthusamy past Kyle Verreynne for his first runs, but then found his touch with back-to-back boundaries through midwicket. He raced to 21 off his first 22 balls.But South Africa were able to pull him back and then strike twice to end the middle session on a high. Imam inside-edged Muthusamy to de Zorzi at short leg. Saud Shakeel gave South Africa a bonus wicket when he popped a leading edge back to the bowler and leave Muthusamy on a hat-trick at the break. He didn’t complete it, but South Africa picked up a third wicket 14 balls after tea, when Harmer pinned Babar on the pad, Markram reviewed, and ball-tracking showed it would have gone to hit leg stump.Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha walked back after an unbeaten 114-run stand•AFP/Getty ImagesHarmer had a strong appeal for lbw against Rizwan later in the over as the ball ripped and spun in sharply, but the impact could have been outside the line. Rizwan counterattacked well, hit Muthusamy for six over long-on, and Harmer for fours through midwicket and cover. Agha seemed happy to hold his end, and was on 8 off 13 balls when he reverse-swept Harmer and the ball ended up in Verreynne’s hands, deflected in off his boots. The umpires checked for a catch, but one angle showed it had bounced off the bat and on to the turf before it made contact with Verreynne.The chances kept coming as Rizwan, on 26, edged Muthusamy to Markram at slip. But Markram wasn’t sure whether he had taken a clean catch, and replays showed the ball died on him and bounced in front. Then, Rizwan was on 28 when he was given out lbw to Subrayen but a review showed it was missing leg stump.Rizwan kept accumulating as South Africa wound down to the second new ball, and Markram gave himself an over before it arrived. He thought he had Rizwan, on 47, caught at leg slip but the ball had come off the batter’s arm.Rizwan’s fifty came off the first delivery with the second new ball, which Rabada shared with Muthusamy. The new ball almost brought a breakthrough when Agha edged Muthusamy, but Verreynne initially going for the chance may have distracted Markarm at slip, who put down a simple chance.South Africa’s day got longer when Rizwan swept Harmer powerfully to short leg, but the ball was hit so hard that it did some damage to de Zorzi’s hand as he tried to hold onto the catch. Agha’s fifty came just after that, and he took Pakistan to the close with plenty to be pleased about.

Pep Guardiola has not been afraid to be ruthless when it comes to selling players at Manchester City. One of the best examples would have to be Joe Hart.

The former Citizens number one left the Etihad on loan for Torino in 2016, before exiting the club on loan for West Ham United the year after and leaving on a free in 2018.

More recently, you might look at Raheem Sterling as an example of this ruthlessness. After years of exceptional service for the club, City’s Spanish boss was happy for him to join Chelsea, a move which proved to be a good decision.

It could well be the case that Jack Grealish was on the receiving end of this ruthlessness from Guardiola this summer.

Why Grealish left Man City

City spent a huge fee on Grealish back in 2021, paying his boyhood side, Aston Villa, then-British record of £100m. There is a perception that things didn’t work out for the attacker, but his Champions League medal suggests otherwise.

Nonetheless, Grealish did fall out of favour under Guardiola. He played 157 games for City, but last term only managed 32 appearances across all competitions. However, from Boxing Day and beyond, the attacker only played seven times in the top flight.

After being snubbed in the FA Cup semi-final, with Guardiola opting to bring on youngster Claudio Echeverri for his debut, it seemed like the England star’s time at City was done. Alan Shearer said on the Rest is Football podcast afterwards that he “has to leave.”

Leave, he did. Everton swooped in to sign Grealish on loan with an option to buy him for £50m. It has been a hugely successful move for the winger, too. He is thriving under David Moyes and has five goals and assists to his name in 13 games.

Unfortunately, there is a City star who finds himself in a similar predicament this season, who could be the next to face Guardiola’s ruthless nature.

Man City's next big departure

Looking at this season, it hasn’t been easy to break into the City side. They have a settled 11, especially in attack, with the likes of Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden locking down spots in the lineup and Guardiola sticking with them week in, week out.

This has meant there are fewer opportunities for some players to get into the side. This can certainly be said for Savinho, who has found there have been limited chances this season in a City side performing well on the whole.

The 21-year-old has played 62 times for City now, and did impress last term. He scored and assisted 14 goals across all competitions, but has struggled for that form in 2025/26.

He’s bagged once in the Carabao Cup against Huddersfield Town, and has only assisted twice, in 14 appearances.

Indeed, his performances in 2025/26 have received criticism from fans and pundits alike. Sports writer Amos Murphy said he has been “awful” this term and that his efforts in the 2-1 defeat away to Newcastle United last weekend were “unacceptable.”

Last season, a campaign where City failed to win a trophy, Savinho’s underlying numbers were impressive. For example, he created an average of 2.3 chances each game, down this term to 1.8 per 90 minutes.

Key passes

2.3

1.8

Dribbles completed

2.8

2

Big chances created

0.5

0.4

Expected goal involvements

0.46xG

0.28xG

Tackles and interceptions

1.4

1.3

Savinho’s performances certainly need to improve soon. As the season goes on, Guardiola will need the entirety of his squad to be at their top level in order to push for titles in the Premier League and Champions League.

However, at the rate of his performances, it is easy to see Savinho becoming another Grealish, and really falling out of favour under the Spaniard. Perhaps the Brazilian will be the next player to face the ruthless side of City’s boss.

New Foden: Man City star who will "surprise everybody" is one of PL's best

Manchester City need their stars to step up as Erling Haaland continues to dominate the centre stage.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 22, 2025

Neymar has reportedly suffered another injury setback as his bid to be part of Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad hangs in the balance. The 33-year-old had recently returned from a hamstring injury and just when he was settling in to playing again for Santos, the former Barcelona star is now set to miss their crucial clash with Internacional because of a new issue.

Hype over Neymar move wearing off

There was a huge sense of excitement when news circulated that Neymar could return to his boyhood club at the start of 2025 following the cancellation of his Al-Hilal contract. Sure enough, the ex-Paris Saint-Germain star was unveiled by the Brazilian giants in late January, with the attacker eager to regain top form and get himself back into the international picture. While a return of seven goals and three assists in 25 matches in all competitions does not make for bad reading, Neymar has repeatedly been out injured. That has coincided with the veteran missing many games, with Santos currently hovering just above the relegation zone. Now, BeIN Sports are reporting that he has been dealing with knee discomfort throughout the week and therefore he will miss Monday's clash with fellow strugglers Internacional in a battle between 17th and 15th in Brasileiro Serie A, respectively. They add that there is no structural damage but Neymar's pain has been enough to sideline him and raise concern within the club. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportQuestion marks over Neymar's Santos future

Neymar's contract at Santos expires at the end of this year, meaning he could be a free agent in early 2026, with a World Cup half a year away. So far, there has been no contract breakthrough, although club president Marcelo Teixeira appears confident a deal can be struck. 

He said earlier this month: "Neymar's project is the 2026 World Cup. If there's consensus, he will extend. There is great trust between him and the club, and I believe we'll find a solution at the right moment."

However, there is no guarantee he will stay, but a move to rivals, Fluminense, has been ruled out by club president Mario Bittencourt.

He tweeted: "Regarding Neymar, I clarify that there has been no recent contact between Fluminense and the player, or his staff. Fluminense has immense respect for Santos and, obviously, the club and the player are 100% dedicated to winning the remaining games in the Brazilian Championship."

Ancelotti not giving up on Neymar

Despite not picking him in recent Brazil squads, former Real Madrid manager and current Selecao boss Carlo Ancelotti has issued an ultimatum to Neymar: Stay fit and perform well, and you may go to the 2026 World Cup.

He said just under a fortnight ago: "Neymar is on the list of players who can go to the World Cup. He has six months to make the final list. Neymar has recovered, but he needs to show performance. When the Brazilian league ends, he’ll have some vacation time, and then he must show his quality and physical condition again."

The former AC Milan boss also offered some words of advice for the Brazilian great in his bid to play at next year's iconic tournament in North America. 

"The truth is that soccer today asks for many things, not just talent. Also physical condition, intensity. hopefully Neymar can be at his best level," Ancelotti said. "He needs to play more centrally, not as a winger. Wingers in today’s soccer are players you need to help also defensively. When you play a little bit more inside the defensive work is much less than if you play as a winger."

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GettyWhat comes next for Neymar and Santos?

A Neymar-less Santos travel to Internacional on Monday night, hoping to ease their relegation fears. They sit one place and three points above the drop zone ahead of their final four fixtures of the season. After this encounter, they take on Sport Recife, Juventude RS, and Cruzeiro as they attempt to maintain their top-flight status. Whether Neymar will play a part in that remains to be seen.

Ex-pat community rally round to celebrate the occasion of first Test in England since 2003

Firdose Moonda24-May-2025It is as rare for a team that loses by an innings and 45 runs to go on a celebratory lap around the ground as it is for Zimbabwe to play in England, which may be why they did it. The post-match presentation had not even happened when Zimbabwe’s squad went to meet their fans, who had spent the past three days singing the country’s traditional supporter’s songs, waving its flag and soaking in the feeling of home.Theirs is a population that is dispersed around the world, often through necessity not choice, as a collapsing economy forced people to seek opportunity abroad. The largest diaspora resides in neighbouring South Africa. The second largest? In England, where more than 100,000 Zimbabweans live. If you didn’t know any better, you’d have thought all of them were at Trent Bridge, given the reception they gave the national cricket team, who played their first Test in England in 22 years in what has been received as a symbol of new-found relevance.”We had an idea that there was going to be a lot of support for us and there’s a lot more fans out there today than there was yesterday,” Craig Ervine, Zimbabwe’s captain said at the press conference afterwards. “We can hear them singing from up in the changing room where we were sitting, and it’s pretty special.”There was almost a note of apology in Ervine’s voice. “I know losing is difficult to take, but the lap that we did shows how special the fans are for us and how much we also appreciate their support day in and day out. These are fans that haven’t had the opportunity to come and see us play for a long time and a lot of guys would have just seen us play on TV, so to watch us play live will be special for them. We also wanted to give them something to remember when they go back home.”Those memories will not be all good. After choosing to bowl first under cloudy skies, Zimbabwe’s bowlers broke records they won’t want to be reminded of. They conceded the most runs on the first day of a Test in England, which was a combination of nerves and inexperience that Ervine has already analysed and hopes they can learn from.”We weren’t really up to par,” he said. “Our big quicks probably didn’t get enough in the right area. According to the data, it was only around 40% in the six meter length. When you do get it in the right area, especially in these conditions, you ask a lot of questions of the batters and unfortunately, we couldn’t do that which then made it difficult to be able to control the scoring.”Zimbabwe took 67 for 3 on the second morning, too late to make a material difference to the total they had allowed England to get, but enough to show some fight. It was with the bat that the resilience their nation is known for started to emerge.Sean Williams salutes the crowd after his innings was ended by Shoaib Bashir•Getty ImagesBrian Bennett’s 139 – also Zimbabwe’s fastest Test hundred – was the stand-out but there were other contributions. Even though Zimbabwe followed on, there was resistance from Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Wessly Madhevere and Ervine was proud of their effort. “From a batting perspective, guys really, really fought hard. We got ourselves into decent positions in both innings and couldn’t really kick on,” he said.That two of the three Zimbabwe batters to go past fifty are 38 and 39 years old respectively does not worry Ervine or make him question the strength of their younger talent. Instead, it suggests there’s the opportunity for knowledge transfer between those who have been around (and Williams has been in the set-up for two decades) and those who are coming through.”It’s important to have that blend, especially in Test cricket, with the senior players and junior players,” he said. “You don’t want to put too much responsibility on the younger guys. But if you look at the maturity that Brian Bennett has bought, he’s only 21 and he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”So do Zimbabwe, at least in fixtures terms. They play six more Tests this year (two against each of South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan), all at home, where Ervine hopes they can show what they’ve learnt in tougher conditions in England.”You face the ball moving around up front, being asked questions of your technique, your defence, and then, if you get through that period, you also have to get through a short ball period so there’s lots of little challenges in there,” he said. “If you can combat those in these conditions, there’s no reason why you can’t get through those same challenges back home in familiar conditions at home.”Related

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The first four home Tests will be played in Bulawayo, which is slower and lower than England but the pace attacks of both South Africa and New Zealand will pose a similar threat. At the same time, both those sides have strong batting line-ups and Ervine would like to see his seamers perform better.”From a bowling perspective, guys will understand that they weren’t at their best,” he said. “We’ve got to get better and in conditions back home, which are possibly a little bit flatter, we’ve got to be a lot more consistent and a lot more patient. There’s a lot of things that we can take out of these things that we need to improve on, and not just talk about.”And Zimbabwe don’t have to wait too long to start showing that they’ve learnt their lesson. In nine days’ time, they play South Africa at Arundel as part of the latter’s preparations for the World Test Championship final. The extra fixture in England means Zimbabwe will have spent a month in the country and have played three red-ball matches, which has presented many opportunities to gain experience and as many to see their compatriots And it’s that that seems to matter so much.Now that the bilateral door to England is open again, Ervine hopes Zimbabwe will be back and promised when that happens, they will also be better.”The Zimbabwean fans will really appreciate that, so they don’t have to wait so long to see us play in the UK again,” he said. “And as a Zimbabwean player, there’s no better place to come and test yourself as a cricketer. Now that we’ve had a taste of what it’s like, when we come back here, hopefully it’s soon enough, we’ll be better prepared.”