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Aston Villa's hopes of keeping Ollie Watkins after this season were given a significant boost by reports Arsenal no longer want to sign him.

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Arsenal made £60m bid for Watkins in JanuaryWill not return with new offer in the summerGunners going after younger targetsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners attempted to sign the England international with a reported £60 million ($75m) offer at the end of the January transfer window. Watkins was said to be open to the move, but Villa turned down the bid and instead sold Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr in a lucrative move.

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Watkins, 29, remains in good form for Villa having scored 13 goals and set up a further six in the Premier League this term. However, Arsenal will not return with a new offer for him in the summer, reports. The Gunners are set to target younger options, including Newcastle star Alexander Isak, Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.

DID YOU KNOW?

Watkins and Villa could still come up against Arsenal this season. Should both teams win their Champions League quarter-final ties, they will meet in the next round.

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Watkins will hope to add to his goal tally when his side take on Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Next Wednesday, they will visit Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg of their Champions League tie.

If the mantra of this England Test side, coached by Brendon McCullum and captained by Ben Stokes, is about “moving the game forward”, then the first day of the opening Test of the summer could scarcely have gone better. But after a flying start with the ball, England went back to old habits as New Zealand exposed familiar failings with the bat. Seventeen wickets went down on an apparently true Lord’s surface, and come the close it was far from clear which side was on top.The game began in fast-forward, New Zealand sliding to 12 for 4 inside the first hour, but gradually settled on to a more even keel. James Anderson, playing the 170th match of his Test career, and Matthew Potts, in his first, shared eight wickets between them as the tourists were rounded up in two sessions following Kane Williamson’s decision to bat first; they were in dire straits at 45 for 7 only for Colin de Grandhomme to marshal some lower-order resistance.After an encouraging opening stand of 59 between Zak Crawley and Alex Lees, England then shipped seven wickets during the evening session to bring New Zealand roaring back into the contest. Even after Kyle Jamieson produced the initial breakthroughs, they were still well placed on 92 for 2 and with thoughts beginning to turn towards consolidation. But Joe Root, in his first Test since resigning the captaincy, steered de Grandhomme to gully and England promptly lost 5 for 8 to revive memories of the grisly collapses that have disfigured their red-ball cricket over the last year.Related

• 'We're going to throw our punches,' says Matthew Potts after action-packed England debut

• 'Still felt like we were in the game' – Kyle Jamieson on New Zealand fightback

• England's entertainers get carried away with new-found Test zest

• Williamson relishing return, insists elbow will stand up to the Test

• Stokes wants 'blank canvas' – but not 'reset'

Crawley was the first to depart, having produced a number of eye-catching shots in his 56-ball 43. But after stroking Jamieson through the covers for four, he attempted another lavish drive off his next ball only to produce a thin edge through to the keeper.Ollie Pope’s maiden outing in first-class cricket at No. 3 did not last long, feathering behind off a rising Jamieson delivery, but it was the dismissal of Root that really shook England’s resolve. Tim Southee struck twice in the space of consecutive overs, trapping Lees lbw shuffling across his stumps after another dogged-but-insubstantial innings, before Stokes edged behind with just a single to his name. The slide gathered momentum as Trent Boult, straight into the side after his late dash from the IPL, claimed two in three balls, Jonny Bairstow dragging on to his stumps and Potts bounced out to conclude an eventful start to his Test career.In true McCullum style, England charged headlong into their new era – literally, in the case of Jack Leach, who suffered a concussion when throwing himself full length over the boundary rope to prevent four and had to be substituted from the game. Matt Parkinson, the Lancashire legspinner, was called in as Leach’s replacement for an unexpected Test debut, although New Zealand’s first innings was over long before he had completed his journey from Manchester to Lord’s.England ran rampant during an exhilarating morning session that saw New Zealand totter in at lunch on 39 for 6, as Potts, the Durham debutant, struck with his fifth ball and added two during an impressive first spell in Test cricket, going on to finish with 4 for 13. If England began the series with, in Stokes’ words, a “blank canvas”, they were soon daubing pretty pictures for an expectant crowd – and such a rousing start might help squeeze a few more in through the gates in the days and weeks to come.Only two of New Zealand’s top six made it into double figures, a grim sequence which included Williamson scoring 2 from 22 balls before edging behind off Potts, Ben Foakes swooping to his right for his maiden dismissal behind the stumps on home soil. Daryl Mitchell struck three retaliatory boundaries only to play on in Potts’ fifth over, and the new boy had a third shortly before lunch when bringing one back up the slope to clatter Tom Blundell’s off stump.Ben Stokes walks back after falling early•PA Images via Getty Images

New Zealand’s position worsened when Jamieson was out hooking to fine leg in the first over after lunch, and they were grateful for a counterattacking hand from de Grandhomme, who helped eke out 87 runs for the last three wickets.For all the buzz around England promising a fresh approach to Test cricket, it was the familiar sight of Anderson and Stuart Broad that greeted the New Zealand openers, the new-ball pair back in harness after being dropped for the tour to the Caribbean. Stokes, who wore a one-off shirt in tribute to the hospitalised former England batter Graham Thorpe at the toss, confirmed that he too would have opted to bat, but was able to settle straight into his new role orchestrating proceedings from mid-off.It took Anderson, playing his first Test since helping to secure a draw at the SCG in January, a mere seven balls to find his groove once again. Will Young was lured into pushing outside off but might have got away with a fast, low edge had it not been for a fantastic one-handed catch from Bairstow, throwing himself to his left from third slip. Anderson bagged the wicket of Latham in his next over, with Bairstow again the catcher – this time throwing himself for the rebound after dropping the initial, chest-high chance.Broad did not have to wait long to get amongst it either, luring Devon Conway into a hard-handed prod that again provided catching practice for Bairstow in the slips, leaving New Zealand deep in trouble at 7 for 3 in the eighth over.Their woes were deepened by the impact of Potts, handed his cap before play by Steve Harmison after being backed by Stokes – another Durham and England man – for his debut. Potts had never played a first-class match before at Lord’s, but walked off at lunch with figures of 3 for 8 after living up to his billing as a deck-hitting catalyst of a fast bowler.He was on the money from the outset, and his first victim could scarcely have been more illustrious, as Williamson was drawn into pushing at one in the channel. Mitchell looked more comfortable than most of his colleagues, but was undone by some extra bounce as he looked to defend from the crease, before Blundell also fell cheaply to Potts, whose relentless line left the New Zealand wicketkeeper uncertain of his response, and fatally late on an in-ducker.Jamieson threw the bat at four of his five deliveries after the break, before picking out Potts in the deep, but Southee was more successful in pushing England back, striking four boundaries in 26 off 23 balls. He fell in identical fashion to Anderson, and the removal of Ajaz Patel by Potts with the first ball of his second spell left both seamers contemplating a spot on the honours board. Potts limped off with cramp shortly after, replaced mid-over by Stokes, and the new captain finished the frivolity – at least until England’s madcap final hour.

Growing more and more desperate for defensive reinforcements amid continued injury setbacks, Manchester City are now reportedly entertaining the possibility of signing one particular addition as soon as the January transfer window.

Man City transfer news

Even after returning to winning ways for the first time in seven games last time out, Man City didn’t escape their battle against Nottingham Forest unscathed, with Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji suffering ill-timed injuries. With Pep Guardiola short on options once again just when he managed to turn a corner with the 3-0 victory, the Spaniard will be desperately awaiting the January transfer window.

On that front, the rumours are already coming thick and fast. The likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Viktor Gyokeres have recently stolen plenty of headlines regarding potential moves to the Etihad Stadium in 2025 in two deals that would go a long way to returning City to the summit of English football.

They’re not the only names to have been mentioned, however. According to GiveMeSport, Manchester City are now entertaining the possibility of signing Juma Bah as soon as January. The central defender is currently on loan at Real Valladolid from AIK Freetong, but the Citizens could attempt to cut that spell short to boost their defensive options in the winter window.

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Still just 18 years old, Bah would likely be seen as someone who can add depth rather than the solution to City’s defensive problems. At such a young age, the teenager would be a wise investment given Guardiola’s proven success when developing the next top stars. So whilst Bah would be entering quite the storm at the Etihad, the calm that follows could potentially result in an impressive rise.

"Promising" Bah is one for the future

With the likes of Kyle Walker and John Stones part of an ageing backline, the addition of a future star in the form of Bah would represent the type of transfer genius that we’ve become familiar with from Manchester City. The Citizens could instantly ease their future concerns by welcoming the teenage sensation, who was described as “promising” by EuroFoot after an impressive display for Valladolid.

If the Premier League champions are to make their move in the January transfer window, it will be interesting to see just how much of a part Bah plays. The last thing that City should do is disrupt his development and leave him confined to the reserves, and if that is to be the case, they should allow the defender to at least complete the season at Valladolid and continue to steal the headlines.

Mumbai have lost three in three, and need to turn it around against a team that will be reinforced by the addition of Glenn Maxwell

Deivarayan Muthu08-Apr-20222:23

Is Rohit Sharma’s form a concern for Mumbai?

Big pictureStarting the season with three defeats in as many matches: Mumbai Indians have been in the same rocky boat in the past, in 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2018. In 2015, they famously steadied themselves, steered past the troubled waters, and went on to win the title. That was Hardik Pandya’s first season with Mumbai. Seven years later, the Hardik-less Mumbai are hoping not to capsize already. Captain Rohit Sharma has called for more desperation and hunger from his team.Among Mumbai’s issues has been the fact that new recruits Basil Thampi, Tymal Mills and Daniel Sams have leaked runs with the ball, while their older batting hands Rohit and Kieron Pollard are yet to impose themselves on this season like they can. Mumbai’s bench strength, too, doesn’t inspire the kind of confidence it did in the past. Suryakumar Yadav’s return from injury, however, was a timely boost to the side and he immediately shook off any rust with 52 off 36 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. They will need more shaking off of rust from his team-mates on Saturday.Royal Challengers Bangalore are set to receive a major boost of their own, with the newly wed Glenn Maxwell ready to return to action after missing the side’s first three games this season. Maxwell’s presence could ease the load off Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik on the batting front and give them an offspin-bowling option against the left-handed pair of Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma.Live in the USA

You can watch the match live in the USA on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi.

With Maxwell back, Royal Challengers could have seven genuine bowling options in addition to having a deep batting line-up, with allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga potentially slotted at No. 9. Ominous signs for Mumbai and the other teams in the league?In the newsMaxwell has trained with the Royal Challengers squad and is set to replace West Indies’ Sherfane Rutherford in the XI.Mumbai Indians are in desperate need of a reboot, but they’ve done it all before•BCCILikely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Anuj Rawat/Mahipal Lomror, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 David Willey, 6 Shahbaz Ahmed, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Wanindu Hasaranga, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Akash DeepMumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tim David/Dewald Brevis, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Fabien Allen/Daniel Sams, 8 M Ashwin, 9 Tymal Mills, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Basil Thampi/Jaydev UnadkatStrategy puntThere’s a case for Royal Challengers to continue to use the left-handed pair of David Willey and Shahbaz Ahmed as floaters, to tackle legspinner M Ashwin and left-arm fingerspinner Fabian Allen who might get a game in place of Sams.Willey, in particular, is strong against legspinners, as his T20 strike rate of 134.40 against them suggests. In all, Willey has scored 250 runs off 186 balls from legspinners, and been dismissed 11 times against them in 33 innings. Having said that, Ashwin, like Ravi Bishnoi, relishes bowling the wrong ‘un more than his stock legbreak. So, Ashwin vs Willey and Shahbaz could make for an interesting duel.Stats that matterKarthik has dominated Jasprit Bumrah in T20s, taking him for 54 runs off 33 balls at a strike rate of 163.63 being dismissed. Bumrah has been more successful against Maxwell, removing the batter seven times in 15 innings while giving up 75 runs off 65 balls. Harshal Patel has excelled against Mumbai, having picked up 18 wickets in ten matches against Mumbai at an economy rate of 7.59 and average of 12.94. Royal Challengers (13.32) and Mumbai (12.94) have the worst death-overs economy rate in IPL 2022. Rohit is 51 runs away from becoming the seventh player overall – and second Indian after Kohli – to 10,000 T20 runs.

Bahrain’s consolation win not enough; Philippines rolled over for 36 by Oman while Canada crumble to 80

Peter Della Penna in Muscat21-Feb-2022A wild day in Oman saw three blowouts and one match go down to the wire to decide the four semi-finalists still in with a shot at reaching the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia. Here’s how the final day unfolded.Group A
Bahrain and UAE experienced the full gamut of emotions in a see-saw affair that saw Bahrain prevail by two runs in the biggest upset of the tournament. However, they still failed to advance to the semi-final as UAE stayed fractionally ahead of them on net run rate.Choosing to bat first, Bahrain lost a wicket on the second ball of play as Muhammad Younis cut Basil Hameed’s offspin to backward point for a duck. But they counterattacked through captain Sarfaraz Ali and wicketkeeper Umer Imtiaz, who put on a 50-run stand for the second wicket. Sarfaraz muscled four fours and two sixes, seizing on UAE’s bowling unit going too full, to drive over the in-field on the way to 32 off 22 balls. He finally fell trying to drive over the top one time too many, as legspinner Karthik Meiyappan induced a skied catch to long-off in the seventh over to break the stand.Imtiaz eventually fell for a career-best 42 before Sathaiya Veerapathiran followed five balls later for 2. But former Karnataka player David Mathias, who hit 46* off 35 balls, teamed with Haider Butt, who got 35 from 17, in an extraordinary 76-run stand off the final 34 deliveries. UAE almost paid dearly for choosing to rest their best pace bowler Zahoor Khan, as their replacement options at the death failed to contain Mathias and Butt, who like Sarfaraz continued to seize on full lengths as Bahrain ended up with nine sixes in their innings.On paper, UAE were set a target of 173 to win the match but needed to score at least 158 to stay ahead of Bahrain on net run rate tie-breaker. UAE lost heavy-hitting opener Muhammad Waseem for 2 in the second over to a flat-footed swish, giving an edge behind off Shahid Mahmood’s medium pace. Chirag Suri then fell on the first ball after the powerplay for 26, miscuing a pull to midwicket off Veerapathiran’s medium pace.But Rohan Mustafa joined 19-year-old Vriitya Aravind for a 91-run partnership to get UAE back on course. With the score 65 for 2 after ten, it became clear that UAE’s primary focus was on getting to 158, with the match target of 173 a cherry on top. Bahrain had a chance to heap more pressure on the opposition, but failed to capitalise on a pair of chances offered by Mustafa. The first came on 18 in the 12th over bowled by left-arm spinner Muhammad Waseeq, who induced a skied chance to long-off that Junaid Aziz failed to hold on to running in from the rope.That became the only over of spin bowled in the chase as Sarfaraz took Waseeq straight out of the attack. It meant that Sarfaraz also did not give a single over to Aziz despite the fact that the legspinner had been Bahrain’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament, having turned in a Player-of-the-Match performance of 5 for 5 against Germany before following it up with 2 for 16 in four overs against Ireland.Mustafa could have been run-out on 25 in the 14th over as well following a near collision with Aravind while trying to pinch a leg-bye after the ball plopped dead adjacent to the pitch. But Veerapathiran’s throw upon collecting in his follow-through sailed wide at the non-striker’s end with Mustafa several yards short, and wound up turning into two thanks to an overthrow. Mustafa was not as fortunate in the 18th over though, as a relay from Butt at long-on caught him sleeping while coming back very casually for a second run to end his innings for 41.Kashif Daud was caught next ball heaving to deep midwicket for a golden duck, leaving UAE needing 32 off 16 deliveries to clinch a spot in the semi-final. Aravind had managed to cross with the ball in the air on Daud’s wicket, and swung momentum back UAE’s way with back-to-back sixes, bringing up a 44-ball half-century in the process.Sarfaraz then bowled a magnificent 19th over to build tension further, conceding six runs while taking the wickets of Hameed and Zawar Farid off consecutive deliveries before Muhammad Usman saw off the hat-trick ball by striking a two to end the over. It meant Aravind would have the strike for the final over, needing 12 to see UAE into the semi-final, and 27 to win the match outright and clinch the top spot in the group ahead of Ireland on points.Mahmood was given the ball but misfired on his lengths throughout the over. Aravind drove the first ball back down the ground for four before heaving over midwicket for another boundary. A two on the third delivery was followed by a six driven straight down the ground to clinch UAE’s spot in the semi-final and knock Bahrain out.With 11 needed off the final two balls to win and 10 to force a Super Over, Aravind cleared the boundary with another sizzling straight drive for six off the penultimate delivery before scuffing the final ball for two to long-off. But despite his heroics seeing UAE into the semi-final with an unbeaten 84, the match officials awarded Player-of-the-Match honours to Sarfaraz for leading Bahrain to their first T20I win over an Associate nation with ODI status.File photo: Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie added 67 for the first wicket•Sportsfile via Getty ImagesIreland finished on top of the group after thumping Germany by seven wickets with 41 balls to spare. They started the day behind Bahrain and UAE on net run rate, but leapfrogged them both after sending Germany in and restricting them to 107 before speeding to the target. Faisal Mubashir top-scored with 45* off 40 balls for Germany but found little support elsewhere. Josh Little was named Player of the Match for Ireland after taking 2 for 13 in a brisk spell of left-arm pace.Paul Stirling hit 34 off 27 balls and Andy Balbirnie 32 from 21, having added 67 for the first wicket before both fell in quick succession, followed a short time later by Gareth Delany for 11. But Harry Tector cracked three fours in his unbeaten 24 off 15 deliveries to take Ireland into the semi-final.Kushal Bhurtel and Dipendra Singh Airee completed Nepal’s paltry chase•Peter Della PennaGroup B
On the adjacent oval in Al Amerat, Oman completed their rally from behind the eight-ball after a day-one loss to Nepal by completing a nine-wicket win over Philippines. Following up on another nine-wicket victory – over Canada in which Oman chased a target of 156 with two overs to spare – Oman achieved the same result chasing a far smaller target as they bowled Philippines out for 36.After fielding first in their first two group matches and conceding back-to-back totals in excess of 200, Philippines opted to bat and responded by being bowled out for the fifth-lowest total in men’s T20I history.While the medium pace duo of Kaleemullah, with 2 for 5, and Fayyaz Butt’s 2 for 7 ripped apart the top order, legspinner Khawar Ali whittled through the lower order taking 4 for 11 in a Player-of-the-Match performance. After Kashyap Prajapati fell on the second ball of the chase, Khurram Nawaz dashed any hopes Philippines had of a historic upset by cracking an unbeaten 33 off 12 balls as Oman needed just 17 deliveries to haul down the target.The results mean that Nepal will face UAE in one semi-final, while Ireland will face Oman in the other. Each match is a winner-takes-all shootout, with the victor in each semi-final clinching a spot in the first round of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and a spot in the final of the qualifier in Oman, while the pair of losing sides fall back into a consolation third-place playoff.

Derby fixtures are the essence of the game. There is a different feel to a derby clash as opposed to a routine league fixture or cup tie, one that sparks some added passion.

The day of the game is filled with nerves. Will there be bragging rights at the end of the 90 minutes? Who will be the hero? Countless questions arise.

The UK is filled with plenty of mouthwatering rivalries that stretch from the south coast up to the north of Scotland. Several go under the radar, especially those lower down in the footballing pyramid.

Those in the Premier League or Scottish Premiership are among some of the most intense in the country. From Glasgow to London, rivalries are formed in each major city in the UK.

Here, we take a look at nine of the fiercest derby matches across England, Scotland and Wales.

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ByAlex Roberts Nov 4, 2023 9 Cardiff City v Swansea City South Wales derby

Cardiff and Swansea may be separated by around 40 miles, but it shouldn’t deter from the fact the teams both try to get the better of each other during games.

The first game between the sides took place in 1912, ending in a draw. Since then, the two clubs have played against each other 117 times, with Cardiff City coming out on top by 46 wins to 43 for Swansea City.

The teams made history during the 2013/14 campaign, facing off against each other in the Premier League for the first time. In terms of passion and atmosphere, the game is easily one of the most competitive derbies in the UK.

Cardiff wins

46

Draws

29

Swansea wins

43

Last meeting

Swansea 1-1 Cardiff, 25th Aug 2024

2024/25 meetings

Cardiff v Swansea, 18th Jan 2025

8 Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday Steel City derby

Sheffield is one of England’s most historic cities, which also has two of its most iconic clubs, which are separated by just under four miles.

Famous for playing a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution, steel production in the 19th century grew exponentially, and Sheffield is known as the Steel City for this very reason.

A total of 131 games have been played between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, with the Blades coming out on top with 46 wins compared to the Owls’ 42 victories. The Steel City derby is back on the calendar this season, as the clubs find themselves in the same league for the first time since 2018/19. Expect the clubs to make up for lost time.

7 Hearts v Hibernian Edinburgh derby

The Edinburgh derby is one of the fiercest in Scotland, contested by two teams who were formed in the 1870s. Scotland does not have a shortage of rivalries in the professional game, but clashes between the two capital sides have that extra spice to them.

Overall, 664 games have been played between Hearts and Hibernian, although ‘only’ 339 have been in competitive games. The Jambos lead the way with 149 wins in competitive games, with one of the most famous coming during the 2012 Scottish Cup final.

Having first met in the 1896 final, Hearts won 5-1 at Hampden 12 years ago against Hibs to claim the bragging rights in what was a game still celebrated by the supporters.

6 Manchester City v Manchester United Manchester derby

The Manchester derby has not often been played while both teams are at their peak. The first match took place in 1881, being won by Manchester United, who were then called Newton Heath.

193 fixtures between the two clubs have taken place since, with the Old Trafford side winning 79 and Manchester City claiming 61 victories. United’s dominance under Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson often coincided with City struggling, especially from the late 90s to early 00s.

Recently, Pep Guardiola has been the saviour for the Etihad side, who have won six of the previous seven league titles. United, on the other hand, haven’t won the Premier League since 2013.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 26, 2023 5 Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur North London derby

The north London derby is certainly one of the most intense rivalries to take place in the capital, especially when it comes to the quality of the teams.

Arsenal are the most successful club out of the two, and their superiority has been shown since games between them began in 1887.

The Gunners have won 83 times compared to 61 victories for Spurs, although Arsenal went on a run of just one win in the fixture between 2007 and 2023, as Spurs claimed nine wins during that period.

4 Everton v Liverpool Merseyside derby

Similar to the north London derby, the Merseyside rivalry is one contested by one team who is more successful than the other.

It is the longest-running top-flight derby in England, being played continuously since the 1962/63 season. Part of the allure is that Anfield and Goodison Park are located less than a mile apart. Although known for being a relatively friendly derby match compared to others in this list, the fixture is the one with the most red cards shown in the Premier League era.

Liverpool have won 99 games compared to 68 for Everton, with 77 draws, indicating that Reds have plenty of bragging rights.

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1 ByLewis Thompson Sep 14, 2024 3 Aston Villa v Birmingham City Second City derby

Commonly known as the Second City Derby, the games between Aston Villa and Birmingham City are often tense affairs, with the Villa Park side coming out on top more often than not.

The clubs haven’t faced each other since March 2019, in a game that saw Jack Grealish punched by a Birmingham supporter, highlighting the intense rivalry between the two sides.

With Villa riding high and Birmingham in League One, it could be a while before they next meet.

2 Newcastle United v Sunderland Tyne-Wear derby

The Tyne-Wear derby takes place between Newcastle United and Sunderland, with the results between the teams fairly even. Indeed, Newcastle have just one more win over their rivals (54 vs 53). Although the derby hasn’t been played in the top flight since 2016, the Magpies claimed an FA Cup win over Sunderland earlier in 2024.

Could this derby return to the Premier League next season? Only time will tell.

1 Celtic v Rangers Old Firm derby

The Old Firm derby isn’t just the biggest rivalry in the UK, but it is one of the fiercest in world football, contested by two teams who simply detest each other.

This feeling spreads down to the supporters on game day. The two teams have dominated Scottish football, winning every single league title since 1986.

Combined, the pair have won 109 league titles between them, while Celtic recently overtook Rangers in the overall head-to-head record, winning 170 matches compared to 169 for the Ibrox side. No game is ever meaningless between the teams.

There was barely any sign of the team that conquered all in Istanbul as the Cityzens were torn apart by the true kings of Europe

They'll always have Istanbul. That was the only positive thing to say after Manchester City's Champions League hopes were demolished by Real Madrid and an insatiable Kylian Mbappe. Pep Guardiola's side were not just outclassed by the 15-times winners, they were overwhelmed by them, both physically and mentally. Watching Madrid ease to a 3-1 win on the night, and an emphatic 6-3 on aggregate, it was easy to forget that these two sides could only be separated by a penalty shootout when they met in last year's quarter-finals.

City's incredible 4-0 win over Madrid in the 2023 semi-final second leg at the Etihad Stadium felt like a very long time ago, and on Wednesday in the Spanish capital, there was very little sign of the team that had emphatically booked their ticket to the Istanbul final and went on to win the club's first-ever European Cup in Turkey. Just five players who started the final against Inter began the play-off second leg, and very soon it was four as John Stones limped off injured in the eighth minute.

Erling Haaland sat out with an injury and Kevin De Bruyne was not even called upon from the bench, the clearest sign of all that the team that conquered all before them and became only the second English side to win the treble has been consigned to the past. Guardiola had said on Saturday that City had a one percent chance of overturning the 3-2 deficit from the first leg, and although he took that comment back in the pre-match press conference, it turns out he was right all along.

His side, in their present guise, are simply no match for Madrid. The serial-winning Catalan is in for the long-haul after signing a new two-year contract with City, but on this evidence he will need to sign another deal of a similar length to Haaland's decade-long agreement if he is to ever see his side win the Champions League again. The scale of the rebuild Guardiola faces was laid bare as Madrid's four-pronged attack of Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham feasted on their fresh kill, consigning City to their earliest exit from the Champions League since 2012.

Guardiola and his colleagues began the squad's reconstruction by spending £180m ($226m) on four new players in January, but it will take far more investment and far more time to reassemble a team that can even come close to rescaling the heights of just two years ago.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Santiago Bernabeu…

Getty Images SportWINNER: Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe finally has his first signature moment for Madrid. He has found form in La Liga of late, shaking off a poor spell before Christmas and hitting a real groove in front of goal. But he was truly immense here, as he proved to be both direct and deadly.

The former Paris Saint-Germain star started in a central role, and unlike in the early weeks of the campaign, when he was accused of crowding out his team-mates by floating out to the flanks, he never really drifted from it. Instead, Los Blancos’ willingness to open up the pitch ensured that he had room to make things happen.

Mbappe buried his first real chance with a delicate lob, saw a second well saved by Ederson, smashed home his third, and delicately placed in his fourth. More broadly, though, this was a footballer enjoying himself. Mbappe pressed when he didn’t have the ball – an anomaly for him – and, ultimately, served as the focal point of this star-studded team while providing the killer instinct everyone knows he is capable of. The Ballon d'Or might not be out of reach after all…

AdvertisementGetty Images SportLOSER: Erling Haaland

Haaland had finally broken his Real Madrid hoodoo by scoring against Los Blancos at the fifth time of asking in the first leg, and would have been relishing meeting his arch-nemesis, the returning Antonio Rudiger, at the Bernabeu. But the knee injury he sustained against Newcastle on Saturday, which was initially brushed off by Guardiola as a mere scare, proved to be more serious than first thought. Haaland was a shock absence from the line up after starting all 34 of City's previous Premier League and Champions League matches, although Guardiola made it clear that he had not made a bombshell decision by revealing that the player did not feel right on the morning of the game.

Haaland was only a substitute in name, as he did not warm-up before the game or during it, casting doubt on whether he will be able to face Liverpool on Sunday. But what is beyond doubt is that Haaland's Champions League campaign is over and he will not be able to continue breaking competition records at quite the same rate.

He will have to live without being the youngest player to reach 50 Champions League goals after being the youngest to reach 10, 20, 30 and 40. That particular record will remain Lionel Messi's until a new pretender emerges. Haaland is also set to fall way behind Mbappe in the race to eventually overtake Cristiano Ronaldo as the competition's all-time top scorer, as he will remain on 49 goals until the start of next season's League Phase (presuming City qualify), while Mbappe moved on to 55 with his hat-trick.

But Wednesday was not really about individual records; it was about the stage of Europe's greatest competition. Mbappe utterly owned it, while Haaland could only watch on from the sidelines.

Getty Images SportWINNER: Florentino Perez

Madrid's second goal was the kind of moment Florentino Perez would have been dreaming of the moment he finally got the deal to sign Mbappe over the line. Bellingham picked up the ball in midfield, and played an excellent through ball into the path of the flying Vinicius. The Brazilian then squared it across the edge of the penalty area, who in turn took Abdukodir Khusanov out of the game and laid it on for Mbappe. The French forward then sent Josko Gvardiol out of the stadium before planting a finish in the bottom corner.

A flowing team goal created and finished off by the members of Perez's new 'Fab Four' was the vision the Madrid president would have had when he decided to add to Mbappe to his already stacked attack, and while there were certainly teething problems in the early months of the season, Los Blancos' forward line is clearly now clicking into gear just as the Champions League knockouts begin to heat up.

Perez's first iteration of the Galacticos was criticised for the lack of trophies it returned, but the early signs are that things might be different this time around.

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Getty Images SportLOSER: City's hapless defence

It could be argued that City lost the tie the moment Manuel Akanji pulled up injured at the end of the first half at the Etihad last week. From then on, Guardiola's defence began to shake. And after a just few minutes at the Bernabeu, the floor began to give way.

The experienced and astute Swiss was a crucial piece in the treble-winning team, and his replacement, Rico Lewis, was bullied in the second half of the first leg before eventually giving the ball away to Vinicius in the build-up to the late third goal. Lewis' dismal display meant that Guardiola picked Abdukodir Khusanov ahead of him in Spain, but the Uzbek was simply not cut out for an occasion of this magnitude against such devastating opposition. The 20-year-old, who was making his first-ever Champions League start, was cut to ribbons by Vinicius and got very little support.

Ruben Dias, normally City's defensive leader, had set the tone for their night of misadventures by bungling a simple cut out, which allowed Mbappe to meet Raul Asencio's pass and lob Ederson. The dominoes truly began to fall as Stones was taken off injured moments later.

It was not long before Madrid sliced their way though City, as Mbappe manoeuvered his way around Khusanov and then sent Gvardiol on to his back and sliding all the way back to Manchester. It was little wonder then that when Mbappe picked the ball up in the second half and made his way towards goal to complete his hat-trick, no one even bothered to block his path.

The good news for City is that they will not have to face Madrid again for another year. The bad news is that this patched up, frail defence will be coming up against Mohamed Salah and Liverpool on Sunday…

Ruben Amorim has explained why Alejandro Garnacho did not make Manchester United's starting lineup for their Europa League clash at FCSB.

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Garnacho linked with Man Utd exitWinger benched for FCSB gameAmorim explains why he didn't startFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ahead of United's final Europa League group phase match against their Romanian opponents, head coach Amorim decided against starting Garnacho – who could leave the club in the coming days – in his starting XI. Now it has become clear why on Thursday.

AdvertisementAFPTHE EXPLANATION

Former Sporting CP boss Amorim explained before the contest that a number of players had been ill in the past few days, including the Argentine international. As a result, the 20-year-old is among the substitutes as a precaution.

WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

He told TNT Sports: "Some players like Garnacho were sick during the week and Amad [Diallo] was on the limit, he is playing every minute so we have to try to keep the players fit and the other ones are prepared to win the game."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

For a while it looked like the Napoli and Chelsea-linked 20-year-old would leave Old Trafford but time is running out for him to depart the Red Devils before the transfer window deadline on February 3.

Celtic continued their fantastic start to the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season with a 2-1 comeback win over Ross County in Dingwall on Sunday.

The Hoops have now won seven of their matches in the division so far this term and have only conceded one goal, which came from the penalty spot at the weekend.

Ronan Vale found the back of the net at the second time of asking after Kasper Schmeichel was adjudged to have been off his line after saving the first effort.

This means that the Scottish giants are still yet to concede a goal from open play in their seven outings in the Premiership this season, which is a remarkable start to the campaign defensively.

Offensively, Celtic have scored an eye-catching 22 goals in seven games – seven more than any other team in the division – and this shows that they are not missing Matt O’Riley, who joined Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer.

The Denmark international racked up 18 goals and 13 assists in the Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign, but the club’s impressive goal return so far this term suggests that his absence has not been felt.

Celtic have been great at finding replacements for the stars that they decide to cash in on and they may have finally found their new version of Jota, who left the club last year.

Jota's time with Celtic

Ange Postecoglou initially signed the Portuguese forward on a season-long loan from Benfica ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and he enjoyed a terrific first year with the Scottish giants.

The flying winger produced ten goals and ten assists in 29 appearances in the Premiership that term to help the Hoops to win the title, after Rangers had won the division unbeaten in the previous season.

His sublime form in the Scottish top-flight convinced the Bhoys to trigger the option to make his loan deal a permanent one for a reported fee of £6.5m, whilst it was claimed that Benfica retained a ‘significant’ sell-on clause as part of the agreement.

That turned out to be a fantastic decision by Postecoglou and the club as Jota went on to enjoy even more success in his second season in the Premiership for Celtic.

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese dynamo was directly involved in 22 goals in 33 appearances in the league, two more than he had been involved in during his first campaign at that level.

That form convinced Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad to swoop in for the winger last summer, and they splashed out a reported fee of £25m for the attacker – £7.5m of which went back to Benfica as part of their sell-on clause.

Celtic did win the league again in the 2023/24 campaign but they failed to find their new Jota as none of their wingers managed more than seven goals or nine assists.

However, Brendan Rodgers may well have found the club’s new Jota-esque talisman in Nicolas Kuhn, who spent the second half of last term settling into life at Parkhead.

How much Celtic paid for Nicolas Kuhn

In January of this year, the Northern Irish head coach decided that he needed more quality in the attacking areas and swooped to sign the German winger and Adam Idah, initially on loan from Norwich City before his deal was made permanent this summer.

Sky Sports reported that the Hoops spent a fee of around £3m to sign the former Bayern Munich trainee from Austrian outfit Rapid Vienna on a permanent basis.

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn had showcased his creativity quality in the Bundesliga during the first half of the season, albeit his goalscoring record was not particularly impressive.

The 24-year-old attacker produced two goals and two assists in 14 appearances during a solid, albeit not spectacular, start to his Celtic career in the Premiership last term. Although, towards the end of the season, teammate Cameron Carter-Vickers hailed him as a “really good” player and lauded his performances in training.

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This season, the German wizard has taken his displays in training and enjoyed a sensational start to the campaign, emerging as the club’s new Jota.

Nicolas Kuhn's sublime form this season

The left-footed star, who was hailed for his “magical” play by Rodgers in pre-season, has hit the ground running this term and showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Scottish giants.

He has already racked up six goals and eight assists in 11 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, which shows that he has consistently contributed in the final third.

The German talent has got supporters off their seats with his terrific play in possession. He has completed 2.0 dribbles per game, with a success rate of 61%, and this shows that he had the beating of defenders far more often than not.

Kuhn, who scored the winning goal against Ross County with a composed left-footed finish into the bottom corner on Sunday, has been a star in the Premiership for Rodgers.

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old magician has been directly involved in seven goals in seven matches and has created two chances per game on average so far this term.

These statistics mean that Kuhn is currently on course to reach double figures for both goals and assists this season if he continues at his current rate, which would see him match Jota’s achievements in his two seasons in the division.

None of Celtic’s wingers managed that feat in the 2023/24 campaign but – in Kuhn – Rodgers appears to have finally found a talismanic forward who can replicate the Portuguese dynamo’s impact at the top end of the pitch from a wide position.

Rodgers must cash in on Celtic midfielder who's played less than Palma

The Hoops do not appear to have struck gold with this particular signing.

2

By
Dan Emery

Oct 8, 2024

Carlo Ancelotti says Vinicius Junior is "very happy" at Real Madrid and wants to "make history" at the club amid links with the Saudi Pro League.

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• Vinicius Jr linked with Saudi move
• Winger "very happy" at Real Madrid
• Ancelotti shuts down transfer rumours

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 24-year-old has been linked with an eye-watering transfer to Saudi but it seems the Brazilian is content to stay at Madrid for a while yet. Now, manager Ancelotti has addressed the forward's future.

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  WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

  Ancelotti told reporters: "As far as I'm aware, and I have direct information from the player, he's very happy here and he wants to make history at Real Madrid. He's like everyone who works here, we all think the same way — we're happy here and want to make history."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ancelotti did admit a Saudi transfer offer may come for Vinicius Jr at some point but it seems the Los Blancos star is not itching to make an exit from the Spanish giants.

  He added: "I don't know if that [Saudi] offer will come or not. I have to say what I see, which is a player who's happy here… Lately I've been thinking I've been getting too angry in news conferences! I should stay calm. So no, I don't get annoyed by questions about Vinícius."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Aside from this transfer speculation, Vinicius Jr will miss Madrid's La Liga clash away to Real Valladolid on Saturday night due to suspension.