Manchester City made history on Wednesday night, breaking the record for the longest unbeaten run in the Champions League, previously held by cross-city rivals Manchester United.

It was a destructive win that sealed the deal for Pep Guardiola’s side, as they destroyed Czech side Sparta Prague 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium. The record now stands at 26 games.

It was a superb showing from the 2022/23 winners, who had four different goalscorers on the night. Unsurprisingly, it was Erling Haaland who scored twice, with his first a particularly impressive acrobatic effort. The other City players to find the back of the net were Phil Foden, John Stones and Matheus Nunes.

There were several standout performers from the Citizens last night, although Foden was in imperious form against the Czech side.

Foden’s stats vs. Sparta Prague

It has been a curious season for the 2023/24 PFA Player of the Year winner. After a spellbinding campaign last term, in which he helped win another Premier League title, Foden has struggled to break into the starting lineup under Guardiola this term.

He has played nine games in all competitions, with two goals and two assists to his name so far. However, the City number 47 has just 494 minutes, equating to just 5.4 full 90-minute games in total, with injury and illness a contributing factor.

Against the reigning Czech champions, Foden impressed. His goal was a classic finish, dancing between a few defenders before drilling his shot low and hard into the bottom left corner. Outside of that, he was superb, a real creative force for the hosts in the final third.

His Sofascore stats also reflect a superb performance. The England international had 78 touches, completing 92% of his passes and creating two chances. He completed both of his attempted dribbles and won four of seven attempted duels.

Foden’s enterprising performance won him a 7/10 rating from Goal journalist Richard Martin. He explained that the City attacker is finally “approaching his best form” after an indifferent start to the season, and called him a “constant headache” for the opposition.

The 24-year-old starred on Wednesday night, but another of his City teammates, Savinho, arguably outshone him.

Savinho’s stats vs. Sparta Prague

Since joining the Premier League champions this summer, Brazilian winger Savinho has shone. He has four assists in 11 games and has shown – notably on Wednesday night – that he could even be City’s answer to talented Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal.

Not only are they both young, left-footed wingers, but the pair are similar statistically on FBref too. Amongst other stats, the City man averages 2.75 key passes per game and 10.5 progressive carries; comparatively, the Barcelona teenager averages 2.39 key passes and 5.57 progressive carries.

Savinho vs. Yamal stats compared
Stat (per 90)	Savinho	Yamal
Key passes	2.75	2.39
Passes into final third	0.50	2.73
Passes into penalty box	4.50	3.07
Progressive carries	10.5	5.57
Carries into final third	3.0	3.18
Carries into penalty area	5.5	2.73
Take-ons completed	2.75	3.41
Stats from FBref

The wingers are two of the most exciting talents in world football, so for City to have a player so similar to Bracelona’s exciting young talent, both stylistically and statistically, is an exciting luxury for Guardiola.

Focussing on the performance against the Czech outfit, former Girona winger Savinho stood out for all the right reasons and received an 8/10 rating from Martin. The journalist was full of praise for the Brazil international, explaining that he “ran the visitors ragged”, praising him for the fact he was “destroying opponents” on the right wing.

The 20-year-old was spellbinding having created five key passes and two big chances, even managing to register an assist for Haaland’s first goal. He completed four of his eight attempted dribbles, and worked hard off the ball, winning six ground duels.

It was a wonderful performance from City’s answer to Yamal, Savinho last night. He will no doubt be hoping to continue this form as the Premier League champions look to push for titles in all competitions.

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By
Charlie Smith

Oct 22, 2024

Newcastle United are keen to add a new forward to their ranks after a difficult start to the season in front of goal, according to reports.

The Magpies have scored just 13 goals in the Premier League this term, which is the joint fourth-lowest total in the division. Having been beaten 2-0 by struggling West Ham United on Monday night, they’ve also now failed to find the net in three of their last six top-flight matches.

Club

Goals

League Position

Southampton

9

20th

Crystal Palace

10

19th

Everton

10

15th

Newcastle United

13

10th

Ipswich Town

13

18th

Manchester United

13

12th

After the defeat to the Hammers, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was asked if his side’s goal return this season is a cause for concern. He replied: “Yes, it is. I can’t say anything other because it’s the most important aspect of the team.

“We need to score, we need to feel that confidence, to feel that belief, and we’ve had that for such a long time. “We’re probably still not as fluent as we have been previously, and so that’s stuff for us to try to fix.”

Semenyo wanted at Newcastle

To fix the problem, Newcastle are reportedly eyeing a move for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo. According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, the Cherries frontman has emerged as a January target for the Magpies following his impressive displays on the South Coast this season and last.

Semenyo has scored four goals in 12 games this term for Andoni Iraola’s side, while last year, he managed eight in 33 games.

Thomas claims that Newcastle are keen on the 24-year-old, ideally in the New Year, but would be unlikely to sign him in the upcoming transfer window unless other players leave the club.

Liverpool are also tracking Semenyo, according to Thomas, who says the Reds are assessing future targets that could play for Arne Slot.

Cook on Semenyo: "He's got a lot better"

Semenyo, who is valued at £16.7 million by Transfermarkt, joined Bournemouth in January 2023 from Bristol City, where he made 125 appearances and scored 21 goals across six seasons.

Though he had a slow start to life at the Vitality Stadium, he’s come into his own since the appointment of Iraola last summer, establishing himself as one of Bournemouth’s top stars.

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Following Bournemouth’s 3-1 victory over Southampton back in September, in which Semenyo was on the scoresheet, Cherries midfielder Lewis Cook heaped praise on the Ghana international, who has been capped 25 times by his country.

“As a team, we knew the quality he has and we saw that last year. He’s got to just keep working hard – being aggressive and being clinical.

“He’s got a lot better at running back and helping out the team too. He’s a powerful lad and has all the ability in the world. Hopefully he can continue to show that.”

With a 2-0 lead, Australia only had to play risk-free cricket on the fifth day at the MCG to win the series. They achieved victory, but did they take caution too far?

Jarrod Kimber at the MCG30-Dec-2014″We’re going to play entertaining cricket,” Australia coach Darren Lehmann, on the 0730 report earlier this year.”Get on with it.” “Just declare.” “Play a shot.” “Boring.” The MCG crowd, today.Every single opinion you have on cricket is wrong. Even when it isn’t. No matter how firmly you believe, or have researched, or how often you’ve seen it play out, you’re still probably wrong. So is Ian Chappell. So is Ravi Shastri. So is your uncle. So is your daughter. All of them, wrong. Because rights and wrongs in cricket are never absolutes. It doesn’t work that way.Today Australia declared at lunch, well just after lunch was supposed to begin. There were people who thought Australia batted three hours too many. There were people who thought Australia batted two hours too many. There were people who thought it was only an hour. Each thought the other was wrong.Then there were people who thought there was no need for Australia to declare. They thought the longer they batted, the more chance they’d win the series. Why give India a sniff? Why worry about Virat Kohli when you didn’t need to? Either India play out the draw, and you win the series, or they collapse and you win the Test and the series. The early declarer obviously thought this was as wrong.Even if Australia had bowled out India by tea, some would still have said they had declared too late. Steven Smith would be wrong, and a winner. India end up nine wickets down, Smith would be wrong and a winner. India finish three wickets down with 50 runs to get, Smith would be wrong, and a winner. Instead it was four wickets left for Australia, many would say that’s a session of bowling. Maybe they’re wrong.Under Lehmann, we were promised exciting cricket. When talking about how England play, Lehmann said, “Dour. It’s not the type of cricket I’d play.” In general, he’s not wrong. This morning if you had England on the scoreboard instead of Australia, would anyone have noticed? Big lead, plodding batting, waiting for milestones, ensuring you couldn’t lose – it was dour, dull and defensive. This was Boof’s boys at their most English.There were MCC members in London cheering as the ones in Melbourne were screaming for a declaration.Ryan Harris likes to play his shots, and often pose after them as the crowd cheers his work. Here he scored 13 runs from nearly 20 overs. The only applause was from a few blokes giving him the slow clap. Shaun Marsh made only a few more in the same time. This was the innings of a man trying desperately to show he could play this kind of innings. Gritty and determined. Obdurate rather than obliterate.Australia needed four wickets in four overs when they decided to call off the game•Getty ImagesMarsh was stung into action with Harris’ wicket, and for the only time in the morning session we had anything approaching entertainment as he was dropped and then hit 6,4,2 in the space of four balls. It was so attacking that a woman in the Betty Cuthbert cafe was woken up.The entertainment continued as Marsh played and missed, started unlikely singles and then ran himself out on 99, but it wasn’t really the kind of excitement Lehmann had promised. This was more spoof than action film. It was made funnier by the arrival of a playing and missing Josh Hazlewood, and then Australia forgot that at nine wickets down, sessions get extended. They couldn’t even walk off the ground correctly.Then Uncle Boof called them in. Australia’s dour hours were finally over.It was telling – and maybe this is wrong – that it was Lehmann who could be seen waving them in, not Smith. Of course Smith could have been doing his shoelaces up behind the coach. Some thought that under Michael Clarke, Australia would have declared far earlier, they talked about the Oval Test. But that was a dead rubber, and a gamble for a win, so the comparison was wrong. Clarke was even defending Australia’s actions from the commentary box. Some people still think Clarke would have declared earlier. Maybe they are wrong, maybe Clarke was wrong, maybe Lehmann was wrong.194,481 came to this Test. Plus the two coaching staff, so probably 200,000 all up. All with their own opinions. All wrong.Smith shook hands with MS Dhoni, ending the match with four overs to go and four wickets to take. Maybe Lehmann or Clarke thought that was wrong. On William Barak bridge, the fans thought it was wrong. One bloke said, “bloody, defensive, crap cricket.” His mate said, “They won it the wrong way”.Wrong. Even in glory.

Louis Kimber’s hundred add to Somerset’s August dejection

ECB Reporters Network12-Aug-2022A maiden List A century from batting prospect Louis Kimber and a disciplined bowling performance saw Leicestershire make it three wins in four games in the Royal London One Day Cup at the expense of a Somerset side which has now lost all four games in the competition.But the most striking image of all in a match that brought further dismay for Somerset – already part of a south-west region frozen out of The Hundred – was that of their opening batter Andrew Umeed walking across a parched Leicester outfield as England’s worst drought for a generation or more continued.Kimber, who last month scored his maiden first-class century, hit four sixes in going to three figures off just 87 deliveries after the Foxes had struggled to 18-3 at the end of the first powerplay. The 25-year-old received good support from Harry Swindells (70) as Leicestershire recovered to post a competitive total on a pitch of variable pace.South Africa internationals Beuran Hendricks and Wiaan Mulder then picked up three wickets apiece as Somerset’s chase subsided in the face of testingly accurate seam bowling.Related

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Both counties came into the match with plenty of motivation. Leicestershire, with only four players lost to the Hundred, see this competition as a genuine chance of silverware in an otherwise disappointing season, but having won well at Surrey and Middlesex in their first two games, were looking to regain that early momentum after going down to a heavy defeat against Sussex at Hove last Sunday.Somerset, in contrast, had lost all three of their opening fixtures (against Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire and Durham) and knew they could not afford another defeat if they were to retain any real hope of qualifying for the knock-out stages.A green tinge to the pitch – a far cry from the outfield which was grey around the gills – suggested it would be a good toss to win, an impression apparently confirmed by the events of the first ten overs. Kasey Aldridge and Jack Brooks both used the conditions well, finding swing and a little movement off the pitch with the new balls. Nick Welch had already been dropped, by Ben Green at mid-off off Brooks, when Aldridge picked up his first wicket, Rishi Patel driving at an out-swinger and edging a simple catch to solitary slip Matt Renshaw.Welch followed in almost exactly the same manner, though his edge was thinner, into the gloves of wicketkeeper Steve Davies, and captain Lewis Hill lasted only four deliveries before he too drove at an Aldridge outswinger to give Renshaw another catch.Kimber and the in-form Wiaan Mulder set about rebuilding the innings, and went some way towards doing so, adding 49 for the fourth wicket before disobeying one of batting’s fundamental rules and attempting to run on a misfield. Mulder it was who paid the price, trying to complete a second after Aldridge had juggled the ball at deep square leg, but the fielder grabbed the ball cleanly at the second attempt and arrowed in a throw which Mulder failed to beat.Kimber was unaffected. Having registered his first-class century at Hove against Sussex last month, the Lincoln-born player gave another demonstration of his considerable potential, striking the ball cleanly and powerfully in hitting four sixes and eight fours in going to his hundred. He was dropped on 75 by George Bartlett, a difficult chance in the covers off Aldridge, but having reached three figures, almost immediately holed out, Renshaw taking his third catch, this time at long-on off youngster Alfie Ogborne.Ogborne, a young left-arm seamer playing just his second game for the county, continued to impress and was duly rewarded when he finished his spell with consecutive wickets, bowling Arron Lilley and pinning Tom Scriven leg before. But Swindells, who has been struggling with the bat this season, found form at just the right time for the Foxes with a battling half-century which, in company with the tail, saw the home side reach 269 – a total they would probably have taken after those first ten overs.Somerset’s hopes of a solid start to their reply were dashed almost immediately when Davies was bowled off the inside edge by Beuran Handricks. Lewis Goldsworthy also played on, in his case off Chris Wright, and when Andy Umeed pulled a Mulder delivery gently to Scriven at midwicket, the visitors were in trouble at 46-3.Renshaw led a recovery of sorts, keeping Somerset in the hunt – at least in comparative terms – as he and Bartlett took the score on to 118 before Renshaw, having reached his half-century and begun to hit the ball with authority, was bowled by a slower delivery from Mulder. James Rew and Bartlett were both bowled off inside edges swinging at Hendricks, and though the tail did its best, with Brooks hitting a lusty 25, they never looked capable of getting close.Still, at least the beer and cider festival is only one week away…

PCB says his “return to international cricket will be subject to successful completion of rehabilitation programme”

Umar Farooq14-Nov-20222:34

Mumtaz: Afridi’s injury tilted the contest dramatically

Pakistan are facing the prospect of another significant length of time without Shaheen Shah Afridi after he hurt* his right knee again in the men’s T20 World Cup final on Sunday in Melbourne.He has been advised two weeks of rehabilitation after a scan on Monday morning confirmed there were no signs of an injury and the knee discomfort was likely “due to a forced knee flexion whilst landing”. However, it appears unlikely that Afridi will be available for the home Tests against England and New Zealand through December-January; the PCB said his “return to international cricket will be subject to the champion fast bowler’s successful completion of the rehabilitation programme and following go-aheads by the medical staff.”Related

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Afridi was, in any case, expected to sit out the England Test series, which starts from December 1 in Rawalpindi. That was part of a planned gradual return to the longer format from the original knee injury – which had kept him for three-and-a-half months – that he had also picked up while fielding during a Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July.He returned in time for the World Cup, and started Pakistan’s campaign at the marquee tournament slowly, feeling his way back into rhythm. By the time of the final, he appeared to be back to his best, reflected in returns of 4 for 22 against Bangladesh, 3 for 14 against South Africa, 3 and 24 in the semi-final against New Zealand, and 1 for 13 in the final against England until the injury. With 11 wickets, he was Pakistan’s joint-highest wicket-taker in the competition.As with the original injury, this one occurred while he was fielding during the 13th over of England’s chase. On this occasion in the final at the MCG, he ran in from long-off to hold on to a sharp chance from Harry Brook. As he slid low to hold on, he appeared to hurt his knee and was immediately in some pain. He was helped off the field by the team physio and doctor. He returned an over later, ran in gingerly to send down one delivery, but couldn’t carry on.The right knee appeared to buckle as Shaheen Afridi completed the catch to dismiss Harry Brook•PA Photos/Getty Images

His right knee is currently believed to be in a brace. Afridi will fly back home via Dubai with the rest of the Pakistan squad today. Haris Rauf is understood to be in line for a shot at red-ball cricket for the first time as Afridi’s replacement.The PCB’s handling of Afridi’s rehab from the original injury had come under scrutiny and criticism at the time. After he got injured he travelled with the team to the Netherlands for a three-match ODI series in August, in the hope that he would recover while on tour. That didn’t pan out as expected and the PCB eventually announced that he would be out for four to six weeks.Afridi continued to travel with the team to the UAE for the Asia Cup, as another attempt was made to get his rehab going. But medical scans and reports confirmed a posterior cruciate ligament injury and it was eventually decided that he would travel to the UK for further rehab and work with doctors on the PCB medical panel, Zafar Iqbal and Imtiaz Ahmed. He missed the Asia Cup as well as the seven-T20I home series against England in September, before joining up with the squad in Brisbane ahead of the start of the world event.14:23 GMT – *This story has been updated to reflect details from the PCB’s statement