If you’re an Arsenal fan right now then it must feel as though the world is ending. The Gunners had enjoyed an 18-game unbeaten run but it’s now over, swept clean by Aston Villa and Unai Emery no less.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been the best side in the country this season. They’ve been one of the best teams in the whole of Europe. However, whatever you have to say about their impressive squad depth, they look tired and leggy.

Their performance at Villa Park was not one that we’ve become accustomed to. Yes, they were missing the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, but the defence looked a mess, a shell of what we’ve come to expect from this outfit.

In attack, they also struggled and the fact Arteta made two substitutions at half-time spoke volumes about the display his team were showing.

Arsenal's biggest underperformers against Aston Villa

Let’s get one thing out in the open first. Villa Park is not an easy ground to go to. It’s a bit like St James’ Park. The supporters raise their voice even louder when the big boys come to town.

While Arsenal had their fair share of the ball, when Matty Cash slammed home the opener at the back post, it was always going to be an uphill battle.

Leandro Trossard came to the rescue once again, scoring a vital equaliser but Arteta’s defence crumbled in the dying embers. Emilino Buendia – once linked with Arsenal – slammed home a last-gasp winning goal.

That chaotic moment came from their inability to clear the ball. Piero Hincapie – Gabriel’s stand-in – claimed the ball inside the penalty area and, instead of clearing it upfield, ran possession out of play.

The resulting phase of play ended up in a goal for the Villans. A game of pinball played out inside the area and with several Arsenal players scrambling to get their bodies in the way, Buendia came up with a moment of composure and quality.

Truth be told, this was Arsenal’s worst defensive display of the season. While Jurrien Timber filled in well at centre-half against Brentford in the week, he and Hincapie were terrorised by the runs of Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers throughout.

At left-back, Riccardo Calafiori struggled too and in midfield, Martin Zubimendi looked dead on his feet. Any chance of a Christian Norgaard cameo? That signing looks all the more puzzling as the days go by.

For once, Mikel Merino as a striker didn’t work. The Spaniard managed just 17 touches and didn’t have a single shot before he was dragged off for Viktor Gyokeres at the break.

The Swede didn’t cover himself in much glory either. He made just four passes and didn’t have a shot during his 45 minutes on the field. Arsenal needed an elite centre-forward in the summer and if we’re being brutally honest, it doesn’t look like they’ve signed one.

So, changes must be made. Arteta needs to find a solution. Here’s one of them.

Arsenal duo must not start together again

While something of a makeshift defence was put together by the manager on Saturday lunchtime, the midfield and forward line looked fluid.

It’s always exciting when two silky playmakers in the form of Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze are named on the same teamsheet but it’s safe to say it did not work against Villa.

Eze had just been named Arsenal’s Player of the Month for November over the weekend. He had found his groove last month, scoring that hat-trick against Spurs and linking superbly well with Merino in the final third.

He did so having played as the number 10, just behind the striker. This time, he was forced out onto the left to accommodate Odegaard and it’s a decision Arteta must regret.

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Eze perhaps endured his worst performance for the club yet. It was his lack of awareness, switching off at the back post, that led to Cash’s goal and even if the summer signing did have a goal disallowed for offside, he failed to offer much in the final third.

That said, can you really blame him? The former Crystal Palace man likes to affect the game from central areas but was pinned out on the left and told to stay there.

Odegaard, on the other hand, did not possess the same pizzazz as Eze has offered from central areas. The Norwegian did manage three key passes, but from three efforts at goal, only amassed an xG of 0.14.

Odegaard & Eze vs Villa

Stat

Odegaard

Eze

Mins played

90

45

Touches

80

13

Key passes

3

0

Shots

3

0

Successful dribbles

1/4

1/1

Duels won

3/10

2/5

Possession lost

15x

3x

Stats via Sofascore.

Odegaard was keen to get on the ball but unlike Eze, whose movement and decision-making are quick, he took far too many touches. He slowed the play down, allowed Villa to regroup and reorganise. When Arsenal go forward, it needs to be quick but the club captain was not alert enough.

While there is an argument to suggest that Bukayo Saka looked more threatening with Odegaard back in the team, some of Arsenal’s finest attacking displays of 2025 have come with Eze playing behind Merino. If the £65m addition is going to play then it cannot be out on the left.

As a result, it doesn’t look as though a combination of Eze and Odegaard will ever work. It’s an experiment that Arteta must quickly forget about unless he can get the former to impact things from the middle.

Related 4/10 star had his worst game in an Arsenal shirt vs Aston Villa

Arsenal suffered their second defeat of the season against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair 5 days ago

Unseasonal weather in Western Australia, and a relatively new venue, means surface characteristics are unknown

Tristan Lavalette19-Nov-2025Given the hyperbole, with unseasonal weather adding another layer of drama, there is much intrigue over an expected fast and bouncy Perth Stadium surface ahead of the first Test.However, Australia quick Mitchell Starc remains pessimistic of a pitch which the local tabloid newspaper, in its latest effort to needle England ahead of the series has dubbed a ‘Green Monster’.The teams in recent days have been preparing in the nets behind the massive ground, with the practice sessions notable for sharp and rapid bounce. Whether conditions can be replicated on a drop-in surface that was put in just four weeks ago remains unknown, although the groundstaff do remain hopeful.”The wickets out the back have had a bit of sideways, and up and down,” Starc told reporters. “I’m not going to pretend I know how to read wickets until they’re played on.”A fair bit has been made about the colour of it and that it’s going to be a green mamba. I think it’s probably ready to go now, so I don’t expect to see it do as much as you all anticipate it to do.”Having opened in 2018, and missing two international cricket seasons due to Covid, Perth Stadium is still a relatively new Test venue with no consistent trend established yet.In last year’s India Test, similarly played in late November, both first innings were over within four sessions before the pitch then flattened on days two and three, before unevenness started to come through via large cracks. The year before, against Pakistan, batting was treacherous in the fourth innings thanks to those same cracks, although that Test was played in the oppressive conditions of mid-December.While the WACA’s lore has been rekindled at times, Perth Stadium has been the best batting surface in Australia across the last four years since the new Kookaburra and greener surfaces have made conditions much more difficult on the east coast. Only five overseas batters have scored centuries in Australia in that time and three of them have come in Perth”We’ve had five different wickets in the sense,” Starc said of surfaces at Perth Stadium over the years. “We got a pretty slow, flat wicket against the West Indies [in 2022 which went deep into day five].”The first Test here [in 2018] was one where it cracked up and played a bit like the WACA used to. Last year saw all those wickets on the first day and then it got pretty flat.”You can look at trends and you can look at what’s happened. In the end you got to play what’s in front of you.”Related

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Adding to the intrigue, there has been some stormy weather in the metropolitan area in recent days, while rain is forecast this weekend on the back of a wetter winter and spring in Perth.Wet weather in Perth this deep into spring is unusual, with the famously sun-drenched Western Australia capital usually almost totally dry from November through to April.But WA Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald does not believe the elements will change the expected characteristics of the surface.”You look historically at every Test through both venues here in the west, pace and bounce is a mainstay, and that’s not going to change any time soon,” said McDonald, whose on-field press engagement was pushed back due to lightning strikes close to the ground.”This forecast has been hit and miss. The temperatures have been varying by a few degrees here and there every day. Taking lessons learned from last year, we started prep a day earlier…..really trusting to get our moisture and firmness right.”McDonald said 9mm of grass is currently left on the drop-in pitch, a similar amount to recent Tests at the ground. “The cracks will be present later in the game. What I’ve really knuckled down this preparation is ensuring the pace and bounce is spot on for day one, to ensure an even battle,” he said.”Previous years, I think we’ve been on the flatter side. But last year, being the exception, we were probably a day early in preparation.”So we tried to tackle that with giving ourselves an extra day in preparation to try and even out that balance.”

Scotland discovered their World Cup 2026 group opposition after the draw took place in Washington DC, but only after an infernally long pre-draw build-up that left many of those watching fuming. One of those frustrated by the long videos, interviews with stars, including US President Donald Trump, was Scotland star John McGinn, who summed-up everyone's frustrations in one simple, but hilarious image.

Draw eventually made ahead of World Cup

The waiting is finally over, but it came only after Rio Ferdinand, Heidi Klum, Shaquille O’Neal and a host of other presenters took what felt like several lifetimes to complete the draw for next year’s tournament in America, Canada and Mexico. Steve Clarke’s side has been drawn in a very tricky group where they will face South American giants Brazil, 2022 semi-finalists Morocco, and Haiti.

Qualification for the World Cup marks the Tartan Army's first appearance at the tournament since 1998, a campaign where they also faced Brazil and Morocco in the group stage. The draw presents a challenging but exciting prospect after they topped their qualifying group ahead of Denmark following that thrilling 4-2 win at Hampden Park. Scotland can progress past the group stage for the first time in their history.  

But in the couple of hours it took for the draw to start, McGinn posted an image which described how the vast majority of the viewing public felt. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMcGinn sums up mood in one image

The image earned McGinn lots of replies, many agreeing with him that the draw was dragging on wary too, long. One of his followers said: "Rumour has it. The second half of the draw is on display at Villa Park at half time tomorrow." Another added: "This makes the 27 years without qualifying feel short."

Christie: 'You can't ask for more exciting games'

Following the draw, Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie told the BBC: "It's exciting. A tough group but one we're looking forward to. We have to go over there wanting to try and prove a point. We're not just there to make up the numbers. We're wanting to go and compete and get through the group phase. Two out of the three games are going to be massively tough and even Haiti, nobody gets to a World Cup without being a decent team. (They are) teams we're not used to playing. You can't ask for more exciting games."

He added: "I'm sure me and the rest of the boys are buzzing for it. Everybody's been asking me who I've wanted, I've been saying Brazil the whole week and then they came out and I thought, maybe I shouldn't be saying that. Brazil was one of my favourite international teams growing up. Hopefully, we'll get the chance, myself, to play them next summer."

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Getty Images SportWait to discover kick-off time

This edition of the World Cup will feature a new, expanded format with 48 teams and nations have been divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to a new Round of 32 knockout stage. This increases the total matches from 64 to a whopping 104, and the champions this time round will play eight matches instead of seven. The draw is now complete, but the specific match dates, venues, and kick-off times are being announced by FIFA in a special program tomorrow. The opening match will be on June 11th in Mexico City, and the final will be on July 19th in New Jersey.

Stats highlights from the second Test between Pakistan and South Africa in Rawalpindi

Shubh Agarwal23-Oct-20253 – Number of Test wins for South Africa in Pakistan. Their previous two wins came in Faisalabad in 1997 and in Karachi in 2007. Since then, South Africa had lost three Tests in Pakistan.1 – Instance of two South Africa spinners taking five-wicket hauls in the same Test. Keshav Maharaj dismantled Pakistan in the first innings with 7 for 102. Simon Harmer then took 6 for 50 in the second innings, his best figures in Test cricket.7 for 102 – Maharaj’s first-innings figures are the best by a South Africa bowler in Pakistan. Left-arm wristspinner Paul Adams had the record with 7 for 128 in the Lahore Test in 2003. It is also the second-best figures by a South African spinner in Asia. Maharaj also holds the top spot with his 9 for 129 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2018.Related

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4 – Number of South African bowlers to complete 1000 wickets in first-class cricket. Harmer reached the milestone in the second innings in Rawalpindi when he dismissed Noman Ali. Only Mike Procter (1417), Allan Donald (1216) and Charlie Llewellyn (1003) have more first-class wickets among South African bowlers.38 years and 299 days – Asif Afridi’s age at the start of the second Test, making him the oldest debutant to take a five-wicket haul. England’s Charles Marriott was 37 years and 332 days old when he picked up 5 for 37 on debut against West Indies in 1933.3 – Maharaj, Asif and Harmer picked up five-wicket hauls in Rawalpindi; it was the first time that three bowlers over the age of 35 took five-wicket hauls in a Test.35 – Number of wickets picked up by South Africa’s spinners in the two Tests, the most in a series for them in the 21st century. South Africa’s spinners took 17 wickets in Rawalpindi, the second most for them in a Test.ESPNcricinfo Ltd71 – Kagiso Rabada’s score is the highest by a South African No. 11. It was also his maiden first-class fifty.15.2 – The difference in batting average for Pakistan between their first and second innings in Test cricket since 2023. They average 34.49 in the first innings and only 19.29 in the second. The difference is the highest among all Test nations in this period.786 – Number of days without an international hundred for Babar Azam. His last century came against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup.Babar has now gone 75 innings without an international ton. Among Pakistan batters to bat in top four, only Kamran Akmal (76 innings) and Mohammad Rizwan (82) have had a longer streak without a hundred in international cricket.

Manchester City are now reportedly one of the two most interested clubs in signing a key defensive reinforcement for Pep Guardiola worth over £40m.

Man City interested in key defensive addition

This time last year, Man City were gearing up for a frantic January transfer window. The Citizens were struggling more than ever before under Guardiola, who was on the worst run of his career himself.

One year later, things are little less concerning. The serial winners still have problems to address, but they still very much find themselves in a Premier League title race.

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Before they can even think about leapfrogging Arsenal, however, Man City must improve defensively. Close collapses against Leeds United and Fulham were worrying warning signs and the January transfer window represents the chance for Guardiola to add key reinforcements.

He told reporters when asked about his side’s defensive frailties as of late: “I don’t like to concede six goals in two games, but we have to build from that. We have to fix these kind of things. I believe we can do better. We create chances and score goals because we have built a team for that, but we have to be more solid.”

So, who could Man City sign in 2026? As things stand, the biggest names on their radar seem to be Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown.

Guehi would be a particularly impressive signing, given how Liverpool remain so closely linked with his signature. If he’s available as a free agent next summer, City should jump at the chance to welcome the England international.

Meanwhile, Brown would also be an impressive addition. The left-back reportedly has plenty of fans at the Etihad and has emerged as an early target to help Guardiola solve his current defensive leak.

Man City battling Arsenal to sign Brown

According to Caught Offside, Man City are now the most interested club to sign Brown alongside title rivals Arsenal. The two Premier League sides are seemingly leading the chasing pack to sign the impressive Frankfurt man, who is set to cost around €50m (£44m) when 2026 arrives.

It’s easy to see why Man City are one of the top contenders to sign Brown next year, especially as Guardiola transitions back towards flying full-backs.

The German was described as exactly that by Ben Mattinson last season, with the Como scout also calling the Frankfurt man “pacy”.

Man City rarely miss out in the transfer market and even as Arsenal rise to the top of the Premier League, they should feel confident that they can lure Brown to Manchester in 2026.

Man City now expected to sign "unbelievable" PL star who nearly joined Liverpool

Newcastle United dropped more points in the Premier League on Tuesday night, drawing 2-2 at home to Tottenham Hotspur in a chaotic game.

Eddie Howe’s side were the dominant team at St. James’ Park, but could not prevent Spurs’ only two shots on target from going in the back of the net.

After a goalless first half, it took until the 71st minute for the deadlock to be broken. It was Magpies midfielder Bruno Guimaraes who opened the scoring. He strolled onto Nick Woltemade’s layoff and fired home to give his side the lead, after good play by Anthony Gordon.

Just six minutes later, Spurs had their equaliser. Cristian Romero got in front of Dan Burn to score a clever diving header at the near post.

However, it did not take long for the home side to get back in front. They won a contentious penalty, which Gordon emphatically scored, his first Premier League strike since January.

Just as it looked like the Magpies might hold on, Spurs equalised, five minutes into added time. It was their captain, Romero, again, whose acrobatic overhead kick somehow found its way through a mass of Newcastle shirts and into the back of the net.

It was a disappointing result for the Magpies in a game they dominated. Indeed, their attack left a little to be desired.

Newcastle’s misfiring attack vs. Spurs

After scoring four goals at the Hill Dickinson Stadium against Everton last weekend, the Magpies might have expected to continue that sort of form.

However, they could only turn their 19 shots, and seven on target, into two goals, which proved to be too few.

One man who struggled to get into the game was Woltemade.

Although he grabbed the assist for Guimaraes’ goal, a neat lay-off into the Brazilian’s path, it was a tough night against the physicality of Romero and Mickey van de Ven.

The summer signing only had 36 touches of the ball and lost possession 12 times, as per Sofascore. He could only muster two shots and was often left fairly isolated against the Spurs centre-backs.

Another attacker who struggled for the Magpies was Jacob Murphy. The winger was unusually sloppy in the final third, completing just three out of ten attempted crosses.

Jordan Cronin, journalist for Newcastle World, said he ‘lacked conviction and concentration’ during the game.

However, it was not just Woltemade and Murphy who struggled against the Lilywhites.

Newcastle’s most disappointing player vs. Spurs

For all their domination, the Magpies struggled to get a real grip on the game. Indeed, Joelinton was another player who looked off the pace and did not have the sort of impact going forward that Howe might have wanted from him.

It was notable just how poorly the Brazilian performed on Tuesday night. Cronin was one of the people who criticised him, giving him a 5/10 for his efforts and explaining that he ‘needlessly gave the ball away’ too many times.

His fellow journalist, Charlie Bennett, also noted that Joelinton was “very sloppy” on the ball. The stats back that theory up, with Newcastle’s number seven losing the ball 11 times out of 49 touches, and having a pass accuracy of just 83%.

Touches

49

Pass accuracy

83%

Possession lost

11

Ground duels won

3/10

Number of times dribbled past

3

Key passes

1

It feels like Howe has an interesting selection call to make ahead of Newcastle’s next game, at home against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

It is a game you can expect the Magpies to dominate, so perhaps their manager will want midfielders who look after the ball better.

Chalkboard

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

There are options, too. It seems almost certain that Guimaraes will slot back into the side after he only played 45 minutes on Tuesday, replacing Sandro Tonali.

Lewis Miley would deserve to keep his place in the starting lineup, and Jacob Ramsey is another player who could come into the fold.

Joelinton’s poor showing against Spurs may well have cost him his place in the side. Howe has other players at his disposal, all of whom may offer him extra quality on the ball.

It would certainly not be a surprise if Joelinton was rotated out of the side against the Clarets.

Fewer passes than Ramsdale: Howe must drop 6/10 Newcastle star after Spurs

Newcastle United were denied another Premier League win by Tottenham Hotspur last night.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Abhishek didn’t have a great start to the day and Gill had not been in great touch in the tournament, but both redeemed themselves, and how

Shashank Kishore22-Sep-20252:08

Chopra: Abhishek-Gill completely decimated the Pakistan attack

Abhishek Sharma’s evening started poorly. Three balls into India’s Super Four match against Pakistan at the 2025 Asia Cup, he put down a chance at deep third to reprieve Sahibzada Farhan. And when a shot at redemption came in the eighth over, he tipped the ball over the long-on boundary, giving Farhan another life. The result: a 34-ball half-century that set the platform for Pakistan.Having spent the rest of the innings patrolling various pockets in the outfield where he took an excellent catch to send back Saim Ayub, Abhishek’s real opportunity to redeem himself didn’t come until the start of India’s 172-run chase. Exactly a week ago, Abhishek had charged at Shaheen Shah Afridi, walloping ten off the first two balls to kickstart India’s chase.This time, Mohammad Haris was quick to play some mind games, standing up to the stumps to prevent Abhishek from charging again. Except, Afridi was having none of it. With Haris back to his usual spot, Afridi dished out a snarky bouncer. With a fine leg in place, the idea seemed legit, until Abhishek got inside the line and hooked him for six.Related

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It was to be the start of a batting exhibition that helped Abhishek forget the nightmarish opening act. When he was finally out for a 39-ball 74, Abhishek had to drag himself off, visibly distraught at missing a century that was there for the taking. In between the drops and his dismissal, Pakistan’s vaunted pace attack was sent on a leather hunt.It didn’t matter if he was hustled off the previous delivery – like when Mohammad Nawaz put down a miscued pull at midwicket in the third over – or got streaky runs off thick outside edges. The intent to make a statement in the powerplay trumped everything.At the first sign of spin in the fourth over, he muscled Abrar Ahmed over deep square. And when Haris Rauf went hard length, he charged at him by opening up the off side. With Abhishek, beneath the intent is often a strong belief that this high-risk, high-reward approach will help deliver impact.”It’s just the way he is,” Suryakumar Yadav said at the post-match press conference. “Abhishek is very selfless when it comes to his batting style. In the powerplay, he goes hard, but even after that he knows what’s required. He analyses situations, he’s learning every game. Most importantly, he never misses practice. Even if he doesn’t want to bat, he’ll be at the ground, doing something. If you keep working that hard, god always has plans for you.”1:56

Chopra: Pakistan spinners were underwhelming

On the eve of the match, that “something” was as significant as his powerplay salvo. He was helping his best friend, Shubman Gill, find his groove at an optional training session. Against UAE and Pakistan, Gill had been dismissed looking to attack. Two nights ago against Oman, he was cleaned up by a ripper of an inswinger.And so, even though they’d had a late night thanks to the drive back from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, Gill was back in the nets to work on a few aspects later in the evening with Abhishek and Varun Chakravarthy for company, while the rest of the squad enjoyed an off day.When Gill struggled for timing, Abhishek was beside him – at times offering inputs, sometimes even bowling certain deliveries in the absence of other net bowlers, to have Gill attempt certain shots until he got the .On Sunday, Gill had that almost immediately as he picked up two fours off Saim Ayub’s first over. But it wasn’t until he lofted Afridi over mid-off with nonchalance that he truly got going. Soon enough, there was a bit of bite. There were words exchanged, and tension was palpable.Gill wasn’t going to lie low. He responded by unleashing a shot that could be his trademark – the short-arm jab for four off Rauf. Hard length, high pace – no problem. As Rauf turned back to see Abhishek punch the bat and yelp “shot”, Rauf waved his hands away at him angrily.And then as Gill and Abhishek met mid-pitch, there was a fierce staredown with Rauf, followed by an exchange of words that needed the umpires to intervene. By then, India were flying, and the game was tilting.

“Abhishek is very selfless when it comes to his batting style. In the powerplay, he goes hard, but even after that he knows what’s required”Suryakumar Yadav

Gill kept threading gaps behind point both off pace and spin, hitting fearlessly through the line over extra cover, and even added range to his repertoire with a reverse sweep off Ayub, a stroke Suryakumar particularly relished.”With Shubman, everyone knows what kind of player he is,” Suryakumar said. “The only thing I’ll say is he knows how to score runs. Today he backed his shots, took fewer risks, trusted his strokes. And that reverse sweep – I was really happy. He’s been working on it a lot.”For a brief spell, the Gill-Abhishek madness that helped India pummel 69 in the powerplay made it seem like Pakistan were 15 short, like Salman Agha had assessed later. Afridi had been taken for 24 off his two wicketless overs, while Abrar and Ayub, despite their mystery spin, were equally flat.Abhishek reached his fifty off just 24 balls, and amid the war of words, he celebrated his landmark by blowing a kiss to the crowd – seemingly towards his family, while Suryakumar punched the air in the dugout. The best friends were now proving to be a menace to their opponents.”It’s really important to be very good friends off the field,” Suryakumar explained of their camaraderie. “When you open together, that bond matters. Sometimes you don’t have to say anything in the middle. Just a look is enough – to take a cheeky single, to complement each other if one’s flying or if one’s struggling. That friendship comes into the picture when they bat together.

“He [Gill] knows how to score runs. Today he backed his shots, took fewer risks, trusted his strokes. And that reverse sweep – I was really happy. He’s been working on it a lot”Suryakumar Yadav on Shubman Gill

“It’s like a fire and ice combination. They complement each other really well. And that’s what I want to see. If someone is batting brilliantly, the other can take the backseat and rotate the strike. It was required today to have a very good start. And they did [provide that].”There was also some history woven into the fire. Back in 2018 at the Under-19 World Cup semi-final, Afridi and his mates had needled Gill with the line: “our bowling isn’t Bangladesh.” Gill answered with a hundred and celebrated animatedly, hurling words towards the Pakistan team as he hit a last-ball six to bring up three figures. That day, Abhishek added the kicker: “Our batting isn’t Pakistan either.”Seven years later, in Dubai, flashes of that aggression and fire they exhibited as teenagers were in full view again. By the time Gill fell, India were cruising at 105 for 1 in ten overs. Abhishek batted on for a bit more to impart more agony.By the end, the dropped catches that had threatened to define Abhishek’s evening seemed distant. Instead, two friends who grew up pushing each other to be their best versions, and live their India dream together, delivered in a statement win.Their “fire and ice” was more than just a glimpse of an opening act that is here to stay.

Manchester City are now willing to make a £70m January bid for an “absolutely incredible” Real Madrid star, with Pep Guardiola personally a fan.

Man City looking to boost title push by signing new forward

Man City have bounced back from their 2-1 loss at Newcastle United by winning their last two Premier League games on the spin, but they haven’t made easy work of it, scraping past Leeds United 3-2 courtesy of a late Phil Foden winner.

City then travelled to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham and raced into a 5-1 lead, but they only just managed to get over the line, with the hosts fighting back to 5-4, which will be a worrying sign for Guardiola.

Conceding six goals in the last two matches, against two of the weaker sides in the Premier League, suggests the Blues could do with strengthening their defence in January, and a new right-back is of interest, with Newcastle’s Tino Livramento being identified as a target.

However, Guardiola is also eager to upgrade his attacking options, with a report from Spain revealing Real Madrid star Rodrygo is one of the Man City manager’s top targets for the January transfer window.

City are determined to make a move for the Brazilian, with it being revealed they are willing to make a €80m (£70m) offer for his services, and Guardiola believes the forward would be a perfect fit in his system.

The 24-year-old’s agents have been working to secure their client a move away from the Spanish club this winter, offering him to a number of top Premier League clubs, but the Blues are making the most decisive moves to get a deal done.

"Absolutely incredible" Rodrygo may need fresh start

The Brazil international has been a fantastic servant to Real Madrid, with journalist Bence Bocsak praising him for the impact he’s made in the Champions League.

However, the former Santos man, who is regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, may be in need of a fresh start, given that he has now gone 31 games without a goal for the La Liga side, which is the worst streak ever for a Real Madrid attacker.

That’s not to say the Osasco-born forward wouldn’t make an impact at the Etihad Stadium, however, as he has previously shown a keen eye for goal, chipping in with 68 goals and 53 assists in 286 matches for the Spanish side.

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City have taken the lead in the race for a Premier League star, with Pep Guardiola a big fan.

ByDominic Lund Dec 2, 2025

£70m would be a huge fee to pay for a player in such poor form though, and Man City should test the waters with a lower offer to begin with.

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