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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is potentially having to oversee more business in the January transfer window than he would have expected before the start of the season.

The Citizens have almost had their hand forced by their poor form on the pitch so far this term, with the club currently sat in sixth place in the Premier League after six defeats in 20 matches.

They are reportedly set to complete the signing of RC Lens central defender Abdukodir Khusanov as their first addition of the January window to bolster their options at the heart of the defence.

The Premier League champions are also reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush this week, as they also look to add to their attacking unit before the end of the window.

This month is not only about incoming deals for City, though, as long-serving right-back Kyle Walker is also on course to move on from The Etihad on a permanent deal.

Italian giants AC Milan are set for talks over a deal to land the England international, who also has interest from Saudi Arabia, and that could take a big amount away from the club’s weekly wage bill.

Why Kyle Walker should be sold

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender, who made the move to City in the summer of 2017, is reportedly on a weekly wage of £175k-per-week, which works out as roughly £9m per season.

He reportedly earns more than the likes of Ederson, Savinho, Nathan Ake, and Mateo Kovacic, among others, and his performances on the pitch this season have not backed up the finances involved in keeping him around.

Walker has made 15 appearances in the Premier League this term, starting nine times, and has struggled defensively. He has been dribbled past 12 times and only completed 17 tackles, which shows that opposition wingers have found it far too easy to get the better of him in one-on-one situations.

As you can see in the graphic from Sky Sports above, Manchester City have been significantly better off without the English veteran in their team in all competitions this season, winning more frequently and conceding far less.

This suggests that Guardiola is right to sanction an exit for the experienced right-back because he is not contributing enough on the pitch to justify his wages.

However, he is not the only high earner the Cityzens should consider moving on in the January transfer window, as there is also speculation over Kevin de Bruyne’s future.

The latest on Kevin de Bruyne's future

At the start of this month, Football Insider reported that Manchester City are not set to stand in the Belgium international’s way if he wants to move on from the club at the end of the season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

His current contract at The Etihad is due to expire in the summer and he is able to negotiate pre-contract deals with other clubs this month ahead of leaving on a free transfer ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The report added that teams in the MLS and in Saudi Arabia are interested in swooping for the attacking midfielder, whilst de Bruyne is said to favour a transfer to America at this moment in time.

There was no mention, however, of whether or not any of the interested clubs would be willing to pay a fee to sign him five months early, to provide City with a fee for his services as well as being able to get his wages off their bill earlier than expected.

De Bruyne is reportedly the highest earner within the Manchester City squad on £400k-per-week, even more than Erling Haaland on £375k-per-week, and this means that the Citizens could save themselves a mini fortune by selling him this month, instead of waiting for him to leave for nothing in the summer.

The MLS season starts next month and that could tempt any interested parties from that league to be willing to pay now to sign him three or four months earlier than they otherwise would be able to.

Why Guardiola should ditch De Bruyne

As great as De Bruyne has been over the years for Man City, with 104 goals and 172 assists in 400 appearances in all competitions, the Belgian star has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons.

Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, the 33-year-old star has missed a whopping 51 matches through injury, after the midfielder only missed 15 games in the two seasons before that combined.

This means that the midfield maestro has consistently been unavailable for selection for Guardiola in crucial periods over the past 18 months, which also may be why they are willing to let him leave on a free transfer in the summer.

De Bruyne, who was described as a “world-class” player by Gary Neville in 2023, has not offered enough on the pitch – as is also the case with Walker – to justify his staggering wages.

24/25 Premier League	Kevin De Bruyne	Erling Haaland
Appearances	13	20
Goals	2	16
Conversion rate	7%	20%
Assists	3	1
Duel success rate	34%	44%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Haaland, who earns less than the Belgian in wages, has been significantly better in the Premier League this season, both in terms of his availability and his output in the final third.

There is no denying that de Bruyne is a City legend, as shown by his incredible statistics during his time with the club, but Guardiola should ruthlessly ditch him from the squad this month amid interest from the MLS.

Allowing the Belgian hero to move on in January, along with saving huge amounts of money in wages, would also free up Marmoush, who has scored 14 goals and provided seven assists, to arrive and feel like the main man in the attacking midfield positions, rather than being in de Bruyne’s shadow for the first five months.

Therefore, there are a multitude of reasons why Man City ditching the former Chelsea and Wolfsburg star in the January transfer window could make a lot of sense for the club.

After Marmoush: Man City chase £70m ace who's "very similar to Bellingham"

After Omar Marmoush, Manchester City are looking to further raid Eintracht Frankfurt for a highly-rated midfielder compared to Jude Bellingham.

By
Ben Gray

Jan 10, 2025

Dean Elgar praised his South Africa team for the “positivity” that they brought to their crushing innings victory over England in the first LV= Insurance Test, as they cemented their status at the top of the World Test Championship table in barely six sessions of high-octane cricket at Lord’s.After coming into the contest off the back of their own innings defeat against England A at Canterbury last week, Elgar’s South Africa showed it had processed the lessons of that contest quickly. However, it was the two key absentees from that contest, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, who combined to devastating effect as England were routed for 165 and 149 across just 82.4 overs all told.Rabada was duly named Player of the Match for his seven wickets, including 5 for 52 in England’s first innings, but Nortje was the game-breaker on day three, as he steamed in with speeds touching 95mph to rout England’s middle order with three for none in ten balls in the mid-afternoon, including England’s star batter of the summer, Jonny Bairstow, for the second time in the match.”I definitely didn’t think that waking up this morning,” Elgar said during the post-match presentations, when asked if he had envisaged such a swift denouement, given his side had come into the day with an overnight lead of 124 and three first-innings wickets remaining. “I was thinking the guys have got to bat long and hard and try and extend that lead, and when it’s our turn to come and bowl, we’ve got to put the ball in the right area thinking it might flatten out.”But Nortje’s spell was something that just broke the back,” he added. “He ran in with a lot of intent and a lot of anger, and it was great to watch from where I was fielding, I’m sure it wasn’t nice to face.”Related

• Ollie Pope's penchant for a shot pays off against Proteas' thunderbolts

• South Africa on top after Sarel Erwee half-century, Kagiso Rabada five-for

• Welcome to Bouchball, a work in progress

• England blown away in three days as Anrich Nortje fires up South Africa

The build-up to the series had been dominated by Elgar’s responses in the media to England’s so-called “Bazball” style of play, and while he did not double down on his previous suggestion that their ultra-positive methods could leave them with “egg on their faces”, he did quietly talk up South Africa’s own emerging brand of cricket – one which has already secured them an impressive 2-1 home series win against India this year, as well as a come-from-behind 1-1 drawn series in New Zealand.”My [captaincy] decisions come with a lot of positivity into the camp,” he said. “We want the guys to go out and express themselves. Even though we play in a South African way, it’s our way, it’s a unique way, and slowly but surely we’re building on that. For me, the toss is just a decision that one guy has to make and the rest have to follow, and the guys are doing a great job with that. I’m very grateful with the young squad that I have.”Elgar also joked that he had come into the game with pressure to perform from his coach, Mark Boucher, who won two of his three Tests at Lord’s between 1998 and 2003. “The coach gave me a bit of a summons, he was like, ‘I’ve got a very good record as a player here’,” he said. “But this is a brilliant day for us.”I’ve got a very good think-tank behind the scenes,” he added. “We’ve got good coaches with a lot of advice, and I process the advice as well. Sometimes you just go with gut and a bit of luck. Things worked out today, with Kesh [Maharaj] obviously getting a few wickets and then bringing on Anrich who bowls with the speed of light when he gets it right. But I never settle for what I have, I’m always trying to get better with my job.”Ben Stokes grimaces after holing out to deep midwicket•ECB/Getty Images

For his opposite number, Ben Stokes, it was a chastening setback after the highs of England’s early-season performances, in which they won four Tests in a row with a series of 240-plus run-chases. This time around, they were asked to bat first and floundered against both a high-octane bowling attack, and also the uncertainty of having to set the agenda rather than react to it.”Obviously, we’re disappointed to lose. It’d be silly for me to say anything different,” Stokes said. “But if we dive into this too much, about one result in a three-match series, then we’re not looking forward to what’s coming ahead. Now we’ve got two more games to bounce back from this. And then hopefully, take the series 2-1.”The crushing manner of the defeat, Stokes added, would not deflect the team from continuing in their recent proactive manner.”Absolutely not,” he said. “I look at captains before me, captains after me. They’re always going to get criticised at certain times about the way that they want to play. That’s just part and parcel with life, I guess.”We know that, when we perform to the capabilities that we’re capable of, then we can go out and put some incredible performances like everybody’s been able to see in the four games before this. This isn’t a wake-up call or anything like that. It’s just, unfortunately, we were unable to execute in the way that we wanted to play this week against South Africa.”Stokes did, however, hint that the ECB’s white-ball focus had been a factor in his team losing some momentum from the highs they had achieved against New Zealand and India six weeks earlier. Unlike South Africa, England’s players did not have the benefit of a red-ball warm-up match to reacquaint themselves with the longer game’s rhythms, and he suggested that would be an issue worth considering for the future.”I don’t want to use that situation as an excuse whatsoever. Maybe there could be an opportunity to put a first-class game in there for the lads to go off and just get out there in the field, whether it be a bowler or a batter, but I think if I’m looking at that and using that as an excuse, it’s not really what I want to be saying.”

Unlike their north London rivals, Tottenham are in the hat for the fourth round of the FA Cup, but not without an almighty scare along the way.

Having beaten Liverpool in the Carabao Cup just a few days prior, Spurs travelled to Tamworth where they faced non-league opposition.

They weren’t expecting an easy ride on an artificial surface away from home but it should have been a great deal less challenging than it was.

At the break, the score read 0-0 and come the end of the 90 minutes, it still read 0-0. Tottenham had their chances, as did Tamworth, but it took over 100 minutes for the breakthrough to finally be broken.

It came courtesy of an own goal. Ange Postecoglou’s men eventually prevailed 3-0 after extra time but even that flattered the visitors.

Tottenham's biggest underperformers against Tamworth

It’s safe to say this is not a day that will live long in the memory of the playing squad at Spurs. They did not do themselves justice at all.

While the defence kept a clean sheet, the forward line until extra time endured a torrid afternoon at the office.

Mikey Moore can perhaps be excused given this was his first game after a lengthy run of illness and Brennan Johnson did, at least, find the net in extra time.

German Timo Werner, already on the end of a verbal attack from his manager this season, was notably the biggest underperformer in the Premier League side’s ranks.

The winger hasn’t scored since October 30th when he found the net in the 2-1 win over Manchester City. That’s now a run of 14 straight games without finding the net.

Thus, a match against fifth-tier side Tamworth should have been the perfect opportunity to rediscover some form but he did not.

Werner had his chances too but had a header clearer off the line and also saw an effort well denied by Lambs goalkeeper Jas Singh.

Ultimately, however, the former Chelsea forward’s attacking play was fruitless, handed a dismal 3/10 match rating by the Express’ Jack McEachen who noted it was a ‘very underwhelming display’.

While his long-term future should be in doubt, so should Pedro Porro’s.

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Pedro Porro's performance in numbers

The Spaniard’s performance against Tamworth is likely to divide opinion.

That’s because, despite some bad elements to his game, he did actually play a pivotal role in Spurs turning the game around late on.

It was the full-back’s smart thinking, taking a free-kick quickly that forced the own goal for the opener in extra-time.

That being said, his general play was sloppy and in the words of the aforementioned McEachen who also gave him a 3/10, Porro ‘struggled in possession and against Tamworth’s biggest outfield threat of Beck-Ray Enoru’.

No disrespect to the Tamworth side, of course, but that viewpoint was made all the worse by the fact that Enoru is a semi-professional footballer who also works in retail.

While the left winger only completed three passes in the game, he did attempt seven dribbles to sum up the tricky afternoon Porro was given.

Speaking of numbers, the Tottenham full-back’s make for grim reading in some departments. While he did win 13 of his 17 contested duels, he could only complete two key passes and 68% of his overall passes.

Minutes played

120

Touches

149

Accurate passes

60/88 (68%)

Key passes

2

Accurate crosses

2/11

Accurate long balls

4/15

Ground duels won

8/13

Aerial duels won

3/4

Fouls

1

Possession lost

45x

Shots

1

Successful dribbles

2/3

That ensured that rather staggeringly, the 25-year-old gave away the ball on 45 occasions. The game did last 120 minutes but that was 27.5 times more than his average of 17.5 per game in the Premier League this term.

While it’s unlikely the Spain international departs this January, it would not be a surprise if Spurs did sanction his exit over the summer.

This isn’t the first time the defender has been caught out at the back this term and if Postecoglou is going to improve the club’s rocky defensive record, acquiring a right-back who’s more solid is a wise idea.

Porro offers plenty of gusto going forward, similarly to Trent Alexander-Arnold in that regard, but with Manchester City reportedly having an interest in the defender over recent windows, if a lucrative offer came in it would make sense to cash in.

Not just Werner: Spurs ace who lost the ball 15 times must be dropped

Tottenham were taken to extra-time by non-league side Tamworth on Sunday.

3 ByDan Emery Jan 12, 2025

With Klaasen and Miller set, the equation was seemingly in their favour – only to meet with crushing disappointment once again

Matt Roller29-Jun-2024It was the over that should have decided the final. It was clinical, destructive and dismissive: Heinrich Klaasen picked his moment to hit the 15th over of South Africa’s chase for 24 runs, ruthlessly targeting Axar Patel. It was stunning hitting in any context, let alone on the biggest stage in T20 cricket.Klaasen calculated that this was his chance to grasp a game that was in the balance. He lofted the first ball back over Axar’s head, then had the presence of mind to leave two wides alone. Two enormous sixes followed: the first, measured at 99 metres, hit the roof of the Greenidge and Haynes Stand at midwicket; the second, measured at 103m, landed in the Garfield Sobers Pavilion.After a violent launch over extra cover for four more and another for two, Klaasen had iced the chase: South Africa needed 30 runs off the last 30 balls with six wickets in hand. At first glance, it was the unloseable game: even if they decided to block Jasprit Bumrah’s final two overs out, they would still be favourites with either Klaasen or David Miller at the crease.Related

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• Rohit Sharma joins Kohli in retiring from T20Is after World Cup triumph

• Rohit: It's not what we did today, it is what we have done for three-four years

• Magic moments – Bumrah, Klaasen and SKY go flash, bam, alakazam

By now, you know what happened next. Forty-five minutes later, South Africa’s players sat disconsolately on the Kensington Oval outfield, waiting for their runners-up medals. Few words passed their lips. Those final 30 balls brought just 22 runs, four wickets and a single boundary, via Kagiso Rabada’s outside edge. There is no weight heavier than the burden of history.It is never quite as simple as a choke: one team being close to victory does not strip all agency away from the other. India’s bowlers were sensational at the death, none more so than Bumrah. South Africa were rendered shotless by his skill, his final two overs costing only six runs; it left Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya just enough to defend off the other three.But it is impossible to understand the last five overs of this final without acknowledging South Africa’s legacy. This was the first time they had reached this stage of a men’s World Cup in either format, a fact which owed to their repeated failures to win close knockout games – seven times exiting at the semi-final stage. How could it not have weighed on their players’ minds?This team thought it was different, finally overcoming the hurdle of a semi-final and winning countless close games along the way. One problem lingered: in choosing to play five specialist bowlers, South Africa were always vulnerable once they lost a fifth wicket. Against West Indies last week, they scrambled home regardless; in the final, their lack of batting depth proved costly.When Klaasen and Miller played out the 16th over, Bumrah’s third, South Africa needed 26 off the final four: it was a situation loaded in their favour. Time moves quickly in T20 finals and India realised they needed to win it back somehow. It was the mischievous Rishabh Pant who discovered a way to do so: he went down and called on India’s physio for treatment.

“It’s not the first game of cricket that’s been lost with a team needing 30 off 30. India are allowed to bowl well, they’re allowed to field well, they’re allowed to go from that position to a position of strength”Aiden Markram

This allowed Rohit Sharma the chance to rally his players. “The message was very loud and clear to everyone that until the last ball of the game is bowled, the game is not over,” he said. “My job as a captain is to make everyone believe that… Whether we were ahead in the game or behind, we wanted to keep fighting because moments like this will never come again.”It was only a short break, lasting barely three minutes, between the end of the 16th and the start of the 17th over. But it was long enough for the rhythm of the game to change: when Hardik sprayed the first ball of his over full and wide outside off, Klaasen could not quite reach it, and edged a catch through to Pant.This was the moment that the game changed for good, bringing Marco Jansen in at No. 7. It is a trade-off that South Africa have long accepted: rather than relying on part-timers in their top six, they have picked five specialist bowlers in their T20 team and backed their batters to get the job done more often than not.Jansen is not an overpromoted tailender but has been batting one spot too high. Suddenly, everything was on Miller; after he and Jansen exchanged four singles off Hardik’s over, the equation was 22 off 18. He seemed caught in two minds: should he take the responsibility of seeing off Bumrah himself, or get down the other end?The result was the worst of both worlds: two dots, a single which exposed Jansen, an unplayable ball which moved in late to hit leg stump, a firm block by Keshav Maharaj and then a single which kept Miller off strike for the start of the 19th. “Things happened very quickly,” Aiden Markram reflected. “They bowled really well at the back end.”Heinrich Klaasen left the job unfinished•AFP/Getty ImagesBy the time Miller got back on strike after Maharaj blocked, missed and finally connected at the start of the 19th, the equation was 19 off nine balls and India were favourites. He hauled Arshdeep away for two and inside-edged a yorker into the leg side to give Maharaj a free hit, but Arshdeep nailed his yorker to leave 16 required off the last.”A run a ball can go to 10 an over in the space of one over,” Markram said. “Your gameplan as a batter changes. You’re potentially thinking of keeping the ball on the ground, running hard until the job’s done. And then the bowler bowls a good over, and next thing you’d be searching for boundaries and everything changes quickly like that.”By the start of the last over, the plan was simple: swing, and swing hard. Finally, Miller got the ball he was after, a wide full toss from Hardik which he swung down the ground. It hung in the air, swirling towards the press box in the cross-breeze, as Suryakumar Yadav charged after it. He caught it, flicked it back up to himself as he ran over the boundary, and caught it again.Markram “couldn’t watch” as the TV umpire checked to see if he had stepped on the rope. “They were obviously pretty convinced that it was out, and that’s why it was a quick replay,” he said. Rabada edged his first ball for four but the game was up: South Africa only managed one more run off the bat, falling seven short of India’s total.”It’s not the first game of cricket that’s been lost with a team needing 30 off 30,” Markram said. “It’s more that India are allowed to bowl well, they’re allowed to field well, they’re allowed to go from that position to a position of strength. It happens often in this game.” He described the defeat as “gut-wrenching”, saying: “It stings a bit – but it’s good for it to sting.”The manner of this defeat will take some getting over. “When you get really close like that, especially the nature of how the game went, it obviously adds to the emotions,” Markram said.Ahead of the medal presentation, Miller spent 10 minutes by himself in the middle on his haunches; several players were in tears after this brush with immortality.For some, this was their final chance to write a new chapter in South African cricket’s World Cup story: Quinton de Kock’s reaction after his dismissal suggested that this was his final international appearance. Others will be wearing the same scars again in two years’ time, hoping that the ending will finally be different to this one.

With the T20 World Cup looming, the performances of Hendricks, Stubbs, Ngidi and others have made the selectors’ job exceedingly tricky

Firdose Moonda01-Aug-2022South Africa have five more T20Is to play before the World Cup, but just two more in which to finalise their squad (their three in India in October come just before the tournament) and there’s no better place to assess themselves from than the perch of a series win. From Rilee Rossouw’s comeback from Kolpak to Andile Phehlukwayo’s comeback from concussion, South Africa demonstrated what stand-in captain David Miller gleefully referred to as “great bouncebackability and character”, and found match-winners in different individuals.Only 15 can go to the T20 World Cup, though, and performances over the last 12 months mean South Africa will find themselves with several selection conundrums, though Miller doesn’t mind. “Its a great healthy space to be in,” he said. “We’d rather have those headaches than having no options.”With matches to play against Ireland in Bristol next week, we take a look at the main talking points ahead of the World Cup squad selection and some of those who’ve made strong cases to be included.Reeza Hendricks’ hot streak
In an opening partnership so often headlined by Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks does not often get to stand out but in his series, he has. Hendricks reeled off three successive half-centuries to finish as the leading run-scorer in the series ahead of much more well-known names on either side including the returning Rossouw and England’s man of the summer Jonny Bairstow. And he did it without much bludgeoning but with plenty of class. Hendricks is a smooth timer of the ball, has quick wrists, and is speedy between the wickets. He brings a sense of calm to the crease and allows the bigger hitters, like Rossouw, to bat around him, and on form should be part of the T20 World Cup group. Bur the reality is that Hendricks has often been a reserve. It’s only the ninth time in South Africa’s 18 series since 2018 that Hendricks has had the opportunity to play in all the matches in a series, and South Africa may need to start asking themselves why. The answer lies in the top-order bottleneck in the squad, and that will only become more complicated when Temba Bavuma returns from injury.Stubbs a shoo-in for the World Cup

There’s been plenty of hype around Tristan Stubbs – that’s what an IPL contract will do for you – and he lived up to it in this series. Stubbs is a big hitter in the truest sense of the words and has the power and the shots to clear the boundary. He is fearless against spin – long considered a weakness among South African batters – and earned the praise of Moeen Ali for being a “very, very good player”. With David Miller and Stubbs in the middle order, South Africa could have a threatening pair of finishers for the T20 World Cup, with the potential of more to come. They’ve so far resisted the urge to pick Under-19 World Cup record-breaker Dewald Brevis (who has yet to play a domestic first-class or List A game) but Dale Steyn reckons that in Stubbs and Brevis, the next decade of South Africa’s batting is safe.Tabraiz Shamsi overcame a difficult start to the series to end it as its highest wicket-taker•Getty ImagesThe case for Phehlukwayo
Dwaine Pretorius has proved his ability when there’s seam movement on offer but Phehlukwayo offers South Africa a point of difference when it comes to selecting one seam-bowling allrounder in their T20I XI. Given the pace of South Africa’s other specialist quicks, Phehlukwayo’s testing length – back of a good length but not short enough to be short – and his cutters are good variations to have in the attack. His challenge is consistency and he will want to to be able to string together several solid performances to secure the allrounder spot He didn’t get much opportunity to bat in this series but has shown he has big-match temperament in the past and a good return against Ireland could help him seal a spot in the T20 World Cup squad.Ngidi to lead the attack?
It seems impossible that Lungi Ngidi will warm the bench at this T20 World Cup, as he did in the previous one, after the way he has performed in the last few months. He only played in two of the five T20Is in India, and only bowled 4.3 overs, but was the leading wicket-taker among the fast bowlers in the England series. Ngidi, like Phehlukwayo, has a mix of slower balls at his disposal but can also turn up the heat to 140kph-plus, and has proved particularly difficult to get away, boasting an economy rate of 6.53 and an average of 7.81 this year. He is noticeably more agile in the field now, has been installed at backward point on occasion, and took two fabulous catches to dismiss Jonny Bairstow in the second T20I and Jos Buttler in the third. With Kagiso Rabada having two quiet series, Ngidi has stepped up and could be the bowler to lead South Africa’s quicks over the next few months.Shamsi still has it
After being spooked by short, straight boundaries in Bristol, Tabraiz Shamsi stormed back to finish as the series’ leading wicket-taker by trusting in his own game. Instead of rushing through deliveries and bowling quickly and flat, Shamsi returned to the fuller, slower approach that has worked for him in the past and it paid off. Shamsi grew more confident as the series went on, after he was reminded of what he was capable of by his team-mates.Miller said there were no major discussions over what went wrong in the first game but emphasis was placed on how Shamsi has elevated himself to the best in the world. “There were one or two pointers to remind him what he can do and what he is capable of, to build up his confidence rather than tell him what to do,” Miller said. “He knows what to do. You don’t want to harp too much on the negative but mention what his strengths are and remind him what he is capable of.”Shamsi remains focused on the dual role of wicket-taking and holding the game, as South Africa’s attack evolves from all-out pace to greater variety. “There was a big talk about Immi [Imran Tahir] retiring and I was expected to fill his shoes but I don’t see things that way,” Shamsi said. “Sometimes the captain wants me to hold the game. I don’t see it as a disappointing game if I don’t take wickets. We are all capable of taking wickets. We are also all capable of holding the game.” The return to Bristol will be a great test to see how he does.

The San Francisco Giants will never forget their 51st victory of the 2025 MLB season as it came in the most dramatic of ways courtesy of Patrick Bailey's three-run inside-the-park walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning at Oracle Park.

With one out and runners at first and third, Bailey pouned a ball to right field that hit the brick wall and then bounced right past Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh. Bailey was able to circle the bases and made it home with ease to score the winning run and send the home crowd and his teammates into hysterics.

Giants announcer Duane Kuiper had an excellent call of the thrilling play, yelling "Bailey's on the move!" a few times as it became clear that was happening. His voice seemed to give out as Bailey crossed the plate, leading to a great quip from Kuiper as he said his voice didn't see this wild play coming.

Here's his call:

What a way to win a game.

Tensions have quickly risen in Thursday afternoon's rubber match between the Cleveland Guardians and Toronto Blue Jays, with two of the game's stars being plunked by pitches within the game's first four innings.

In the top of the third, Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was struck by Guardians starter Tanner Bibee. He left the game with what the team is calling a "forearm contusion." X-rays have since came back negative for a fracture.

Then, just an inning later, Guerrero's teammate Kevin Gausman seemingly retaliated by beaning Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez with the first pitch of the frame. The slugger also left the game with a bruised forearm.

"And now with the first pitch Kevin Gausman hits Jose Ramirez," play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman said on the Sportsnet broadcast. "And that will tell you everything you need to know about how the Blue Jays feel about Guerrero getting hit."

Both benches were warned following the altercations. The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead over the Guardians into the ninth inning.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has revealed that the intense protests and backlash over the summer signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea sparked a fierce determination in the 23-year-old. Having only just returned from an extended injury layoff, Madueke is beginning to win over the Arsenal faithful, with Arteta admitting he made it his personal mission to support the winger through the challenging period.

• Arsenal supporters disapproved Madueke's transfer from Chelsea

  Arsenal had a blockbuster summer transfer window, signing the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, and Piero Hincapie. However, one particular signing received severe backlash from a large section of Arsenal fans online. 

  In July, reports surfaced that Arsenal – who were also linked to Real Madrid star Rodrygo – were interested in signing Madueke from their London rivals Chelsea. The news didn't go down well with Gooners, who voiced their disapproval of the move. A fierce campaign was launched on X (formerly Twitter), with the hashtag "#NoToMadueke" quickly trending. In fact, a petition to protest against the signing of the ex-PSV Eindhoven winger was signed over 4,000 times, too.

  Eventually, Madueke switched the Stamford Bridge for the Emirates Stadium in a £52 million (€60m/$70m) move. He made a good first impression in his first couple of appearances for Arsenal, but his momentum was halted after suffering a knee injury against Manchester City in September. 

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  Arteta's determination to help Madueke

  The cruel social media campaign against Madueke saw several former Premier League stars leap to the player's defence. Anders Limpar, a part of Arsenal's title-winning squad of 1990-91, posted a lengthy message on X in the aftermath of the backlash directed towards Madueke, claiming that it was "sad when fans are making a player's life difficult."

  Rio Ferdinand, one of Premier League's all-time greats, echoed the sentiments of Limpar, labelling the section of the Arsenal fan base as an "utter disgrace" for their "vulgar behaviour" on social media.

  On Friday, Arteta addressed the hate Madueke was subjected to ahead of his move and claimed that he used the reaction of the fans to fuel his own desire to win them over.

  "If anything, it gave me more conviction and more will to help him and do everything we possibly could to make this relationship work and to prepare everything around him in the best possible way," he told reporters.

  "I think that [campaign] lasted a short period of time and immediately we had the complete opposite reaction which I think he valued, respected and it was like fuel to him. It did not affect him."

• Madueke not worried about criticism from Arsenal fans

  Madueke spent nine weeks on the sidelines following his untimely injury against City two months ago. He marked his return to the pitch after coming on as a 78th minute substitute in the 4-1 win in the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. 

  This week, he reflected on the strong wave of criticism that came his way ahead of his move to Arsenal. The 23-year-old explained that he doesn't pay attention to external noise, but admitted that he was buoyed by the reception he received from the Arsenal faithful inside the Emirates Stadium last weekend.

  "You are in the public eye, people can say whatever they want about you," he said. "But being in the stadium, and how the fans have taken to me in the stadium, is unbelievable. I am not really worried about all of that. It is in the distant past. The last game versus Tottenham was incredible and that gives me such a boost. I play on the side of the pitch, I can feel [the fans], I can hear them. When they are that positive about me it gives me a massive boost. Honestly, I am made up about it."

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  Madueke in line for a start against ex-employers Chelsea

  Arsenal will visit the Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon to take on Enzo Maresca's high-flying Chelsea team. The Blues are currently second on the Premier League table, six points adrift of Arteta's troops. It promises to be a mouth-watering encounter, given what's at stake. 

  After scoring his first Arsenal goal in the 3-1 defeat of Bayern Munich earlier this week, Madueke could be in line for a start against his former side, with Arteta sweating over the fitness of Leandro Trossard after he limped off the field against Bayern. 

  Asked if any love will be lost between him and the Chelsea fans when he returns to the Stamford Bridge, Madueke said: "It might be a little bit hostile, it might not be, but I am a professional footballer. I have played in loads of atmospheres. I don't know if anything will faze me. I will just be focused on the task."

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has opened up about the controversy surrounding Thomas Tuchel’s exit and revealed that the 2017 team bus bomb attack played a major role in the breakdown of his relationship with the German coach. Tuchel spent two seasons with the Bundesliga club and won the DFB-Pokal in 2017 before being dismissed, a decision that Watzke says he regrets.

Bomb attack was turning point in Tuchel's Dortmund exit

Tuchel, who was appointed in 2015, was sacked just days after winning the DFB-Pokal. At the time, the split was believed to be due to internal tension and frustration over the club’s failure to seriously challenge Bayern. Now, Watzke says the turning point came much earlier. He explained that the bomb attack on the Dortmund team bus in April 2017 strained their relationship. The incident happened before Dortmund’s Champions League match against Monaco, and the rescheduled game was played less than 24 hours later. Tuchel publicly criticised the decision to go ahead with the game so soon after the attack, saying the players needed time to process the trauma.

AdvertisementAFPDortmund chief says relationship with Tuchel had already broken down

Watzke claims Tuchel's public statement did not match what was agreed internally. He says players were given a choice the night before the game, and that the situation was more complex than how it appeared from the outside.

"I don't want to go into the details for the hundredth time. What's important to me, however, is that what was reported publicly didn't correspond to what we had discussed internally. Every player was absolutely free not to play the next day without any consequences. We met immediately after the season to discuss how things would proceed," Wazke revealed to .

He added that once the season ended, talks were held to discuss the future, but the relationship had already broken down.

"No one tried to find common ground. There was no real dialogue at all. After 20 minutes, it was clear: it couldn't continue."

Watzke regrets Tuchel exit

The Dortmund director said tensions between him and Tuchel escalated after the incident, creating a divide that became hard to repair. He believes the situation might have unfolded differently if emotions hadn’t been so high at the time.

"Looking back: I don't think things would have come to this without the attack," the German said. "And in retrospect, I have to say: I probably wouldn't dismiss Thomas Tuchel today. But back then, we had torn each other apart so much because of this issue that things probably wouldn't have turned out well on a human level."

Despite the friction, Watzke says he now has a good relationship with the England coach again. "Today I get along well with Thomas again. We talked things out. And I have to say: He is an outstanding coach."

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Getty Images SportEngland thriving under Tuchel

Tuchel left Dortmund in 2017 and went on to coach Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich before taking charge of England in 2024. He has made a strong start with the national team after a turbulent end to Gareth Southgate's tenure. The Three Lions completed their World Cup qualifying campaign unbeaten and without conceding a goal, finishing with a 2-0 win over Albania. The run has boosted early belief in Tuchel’s project as he prepares for his first major tournament with the English team.

Newcastle United and PIF have now made their first move in the race to sign Brentford striker Igor Thiago, who has matched Nick Woltemade all the way for goals so far this season.

Whilst the Magpies have clear problems in front of goal in the Premier League – proven by their 3-1 defeat against West Ham United last weekend – their problems once again disappeared on the European stage.

Easing to a 2-0 victory over Athletic Club, both Dan Burn and Joelinton got themselves on the scoresheet in a refreshing change for Eddie Howe. With a trip to face Brentford up next, the Newcastle boss will simply be hoping for a repeat.

Speaking to reporters after securing a third-straight Champions League victory, Howe said: “Yes, it’s a big prize for us and our eyes are very much on it, and I want the players to be feeling the same.

“We said at the start of the Champions League campaign that we didn’t want to have that feeling that we were just pleased to be in the competition. It’s serious. We want to progress. We’ve put ourselves in a stronger position now to do that after the first defeat, but there are still many challenges ahead.”

Progressing on the European stage has certainly been no problem for those in Tyneside so far, but there’s no denying that their Premier League form has suffered at the same time.

Howe must boldly drop Newcastle star who has now moved clear of Isak

Newcastle fought their way to a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 6, 2025

Finding the balance and squad depth needed to thrive in both competitions should be Newcastle’s priority in 2026. As things stand, they’re six points adrift of the top four and, to make matters worse, it is Sunderland who sit in fourth place.

Following a slow start, those at St James’ Park should set their focus on the January transfer window and potentially welcoming attacking reinforcements.

Newcastle launch first Igor Thiago move

As reported by Trivela and ESPN Brazil and relayed by Sport Witness, PIF have now launched their first enquiry to sign Thiago for Newcastle in an addition that would certainly help solve their recent goalscoring woes.

Just like in their search for a striker in the summer, however, the Magpies aren’t alone. Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have also reportedly enquired about Thiago’s availability to spark an all Premier League race for his signature.

Appearances

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16

Goals

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7

Assists

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Having matched Woltemade for goals so far this season, Newcastle’s interest in Thiago should come as no surprise. Dubbed “powerful” by Brentford boss Keith Andrews earlier this season, the towering forward also crucially earned Alan Shearer’s seal of approval.

The Newcastle legend said: “He barely played last season because of injury but he got his two goals in that half and that’s what a striker is going to get judged for. He looks like he can fill the void left by Mbeumo and Wissa.”

After signing Yoane Wissa in the summer, Newcastle should make a return to West London to sign Thiago when 2026 arrives.

Newcastle hold internal talks to sign Ederson