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Elly De La Cruz has been historic this season and the Cincinnati Reds shortstop has put up some huge numbers. Both good and bad.

De La Cruz enters the final week of the 2024 season with some tremendous numbers. He's currently hitting .261, has an on-base percentage of .343, while slugging .476. He has 25 home runs, 74 RBIs and leads all of baseball with 65 stolen bases. His OPS is .819, he boasts an fWAR of 6.5 and a wRC+ of 121.

His campaign has been historic as the 22-year-old is the first shortstop in MLB history with 25 or more home runs and 65 or more stolen bases in a season. Additionally, he's only the fourth player since 2000 to register 90 or more home runs and stolen bases combined in a season. He's tied at 90 with Jose Reyes's mark from 2007, but trails only Ronald Acuna's 114 from 2023 and Shohei Ohtani's 108 this season. That's some pretty great company to be in.

De La Cruz is electric and has become a budding star, but the Reds have had to take the bad with the good as he's developed. He does lead MLB in stolen bases, but he's also tops in strikeouts (210) and errors (28).

The closest competition for the lead in strikeouts is Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar at 193, so there's very little chance he loses the strikeout crown. The MLB single-season record for strikeouts is 223, set by Mark Reynolds in 2009. The Cincinnati Reds record is Adam Dunn's 222 from 2012. De La Cruz is also on pace to become the first player to lead MLB in strikeouts and steals in the same season.

Despite the negatives, it's easy to see why De La Cruz is so exciting. His StatCast page is a really fun read. He's in the 90th percentile in average exit velocity, 89th in bat speed, 77th in hard-hit percentage, 98th in defensive range, 90th in arm strength and 100th in sprint speed. Then there are some weird takeaways. He's in the 34th percentile in xBA (.244), 25th in percentage of balls squared up, eighth percentile in whiff percentage, and fifth in strikeout percentage.

De La Cruz is a ball of contradictions, but he has a long career ahead of him to iron out his issues. His 2024 season has seen him post ridiculous numbers, both positive and negative. But he's been incredibly fun to watch the entire time.

Jack White takes 4 for 33 on T20 debut as Joe Clarke’s half-century goes in vain

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Jun-2025Dawid Malan hit his third consecutive Vitality Blast half-century as Yorkshire, having lost their first three North Group matches, defeated Notts Outlaws by nine runs at Trent Bridge, seamer Jack White taking 4 for 33 on his T20 debut.With Adam Lyth making 29 from 21 and Matt Revis 27 not out from 22, Malan’s 58 from 29 balls helped Yorkshire post 175 for 8.After Malan and Lyth had put on 83 in 45 balls for the first wicket they may have hoped for a few more with left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White (2 for 24 from four) and pace duo Dillon Pennington (2 for 29) and Daniel Sams (2 for 31) limiting the damage thereafter.Yet the target still proved beyond the Outlaws in the face of a tidy performance across the board by Yorkshire’s bowlers, led by 33-year-old former Northamptonshire man White, home skipper Joe Clarke making 50 and Freddie McCann 31 but no other batter passed 20.After winning the toss and opting to bat, Yorkshire had been 75 without loss in the opening powerplay, Lyth lofting Matt Montgomery and Sams for leg-side sixes before Malan did likewise to Pennington and Conor McKerr, the latter conceding 22 runs in his first over.Pennington broke the partnership on 83 in the eighth when Lyth, reaching, was caught at cover, Malan departing in the next when he hammered a third six over backward square off McKerr but was caught and bowled off a leading edge next ball.Three wickets in eight balls then tilted the balance towards Outlaws as James Wharton swiped Calvin Harrison straight to deep midwicket and Liam Patterson-White snaffled two in the same over – Harry Duke caught behind and Will Luxton on the midwicket boundary.From 121 for 5, Revis and Will Sutherland added 35 but Sams collected a steepling return catch to remove his fellow Australian and had Jafar Chohan taken at extra cover, conceding just 11 in his last two overs. In between, Dom Bess – reprieved when given out caught behind off a pad – was caught at midwicket.After losing Lyndon James (bowled) and Jack Haynes (caught cover) from consecutive Jack White deliveries in the opening over of their reply, Outlaws recovered to 67 for 2 from six. Clarke and McCann added 63 in 32 balls before the latter top-edged to cover for 31 off 18 trying to reverse-hit leg-spinner Chohan.On track at 91 for 3 from 10, Outlaws suffered a major blow when Clarke, having just completed his fifty with a fifth four to go with two sixes off White and a third off Lyth, holed out to long-off off Bess, with Tom Moores (19 off 22) caught at long-on off White in the next over. Matt Montgomery perished in similar fashion off Will O’Rourke in a tight over that left the home side, six down, needing 55 from the last 30 balls.Back-to-back sixes by Sams off Bess briefly raised home hopes but he fell when he drove the next ball straight back to the bowler, Chohan immediately snaring his second as Patterson-White picked out long-off.After the last over arrived with Notts still needing 17, White made McKerr his fourth victim, conceding only seven more runs.

Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has given head coach Ruben Amorim three years to prove himself and insists he will not run the club on “knee-jerk” reactions.

The Portuguese is approaching the first anniversary of his appointment at Old Trafford, but his position has been under constant scrutiny since he took over on November 1 last year.

He has failed to record back-to-back Premier League wins during that time, coming 15th last season – their worst top-flight finish since 1974 – and things have not improved much since the summer as United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Grimsby in August.

That has led to suggestions Amorim’s job is under threat, but Ratcliffe said the 40-year-old was a “good guy” and had time to turn things around.

“He has not had the best of seasons. Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be,” he told The Business podcast, produced by The Times and The Sunday Times.

“The press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. They think it’s a light switch. You know, you flick a switch and it’s all going to be roses tomorrow.

“You can’t run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week.”

Ratcliffe has owned just under 30 percent of United through his chemicals company Ineos since February 2024, taking over control of football operations at the club.

That still left the Glazer family, who have been the subject of numerous fan protests over their handling of the club since taking over in 2005, in overall charge.

Glazers "really passionate" about United, says Ratcliffe

Asked what would happen if the Glazers told him to sack Amorim, Ratcliffe said: “It’s not going to happen.”

The Ineos boss added the Glazers were happy for him to take charge, adding: “That probably sums it up. We’re local and they’re the other side of the pond.

“That’s a long way away to try and manage a football club as big as complex as Manchester United. We’re here with feet on the ground.

“They get a bad rap…but they are really nice people and they are really passionate about the club.”

Ratcliffe has come in for criticism of his own after controversial cuts designed to drive down costs saw around 450 jobs axed and the removal of perks like subsidised staff lunches.

“The costs were just too high. There are some fantastic people at Manchester United, but there was also a level of mediocrity and it had become bloated,” he said.

“I got a lot of flak for the free lunches, but no-one’s ever given me a free lunch.

“The biggest correlation, like it or not, between results and any external factor – is profitability. The more cash you have got, the better squad you can build.

“So a lot of what we have done in the first year is spend an awful lot of time putting the club on a sustainable, healthy footing.

“We’re not seeing all the benefits of the restructuring that we’ve done in this set of (financial) results (United last month reported record revenues of £666.5million for last season but a loss of £33million for the financial year) and we were not in the Champions League.

“Those numbers will get better. Manchester United will become the most profitable football club in the world, in my view, and from that will stem, I hope, a long-term, sustainable, high-level of football.”

The runners and riders in the North Group as the T20 Blast prepares to get underway

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay28-May-2025Birmingham BearsPreviewed by Brian HalfordCaptain: Alex Davies
Overseas players: Tom Latham (New Zealand, full competition), Hasan Ali (Pakistan, availability tbc)
Finals Day appearances: Four (2003, 2014, 2015, 2017)
Titles: One (2014)
2024 finish: Quarter-finals
2024 leading run scorer: Sam Hain (569)
2024 leading wicket taker: Danny Briggs (29)Key winter moves: It was all change off the field during the close season but the Bears’ T20 side on the field is likely to be little changed beyond the arrival of New Zealand batter Tom Latham. Aussie all-rounder Beau Webster was initially signed for the Blast but has been called up by his national team.The big question: After four successive quarter-final defeats, the big question among the Bears’ fans is can they overcome the nerves of big knockout games? Clearing the memory of last year’s quarter-final implosion against Gloucestershire at Edgbaston, when they failed to chase 138, will surely be a driving force.Wildcard watch: Ethan Bamber. Short-format cricket thrives on exuberance and Bamber has it by the bucketload. An attacking player with ball or bat, he makes things happen and has infectious energy in the field. Bamber moved from Middlesex to Warwickshire to kick-start his career and the early signs are he has done exactly that.Final thought: There is much talk of the quarter-final hoodoo but a lot of hard work remains ahead before that even becomes an issue, The Bears have scintillated at times in the group stage in recent years only to then falter. To reach a fifth successful quarter-final would be a notable effort in itself…then they can try to get their heads round the hoodoo!Pat Brown was in form with the ball last season•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesDerbyshirePreview by Nigel Gardner Captain: Samit Patel
Overseas players: Caleb Jewell (Australia, all group stage), Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar (Afghanistan, all group stage), Blair Tickner (New Zealand, all group stage)
Finals Day appearances: One
Titles: None
2024 finish: Sixth (North Group)
2024 leading runscorer: Wayne Madsen (336)
2024 leading wicket taker: Pat Brown (22)Key winter moves: Jewell provides both quality at the top of the order and a winning mentality after he helped Hobart Hurricanes lift the Big Bash trophy for the first time last winter. Martin Andersson was top scorer for Middlesex in last year’s Blast and the all-rounder is set to play a key role for the Falcons this summer.The big question: Can the Falcons get over the line in 2025? They fell at the final hurdle in the past two seasons when victory would have secured a place in the knock-out stages. The current squad looks impressive and will expect to be among the front runners in what is traditionally a competitive North Group.Wildcard watch: For a 19-year-old, Ghazanfar has already made a big impression in white-ball cricket. The right arm off-spinner can turn the ball both ways and was named in the ICC Men’s ODI team of the year in 2024. For a player who is said to have “the world at his feet,” he could be one of the stars of the tournament.Final thought: If experience counts, the Falcons could go deep into the competition with five of the squad tasting T20 success at home and abroad while Wayne Madsen and Zak Chappell were part of the Rangpur Riders team coached by Derbyshire’s head of cricket Mickey Arthur that won the Global Super League in December. Patel, Brown and Ross Whiteley are past Blast winners while Jewell and Ghazanfar could help the Falcons soarJimmy Neesham is a high-profile signing for Durham•Abu Dhabi T10DurhamPreviewed by Graham HardcastleCaptain: Alex Lees
Overseas players: David Bedingham (South Africa, full competition alongside South Africa commitments), Zak Foulkes (New Zealand, all group stage), Jimmy Neesham (New Zealand, full competition), Codi Yusuf (South Africa, all group stage).
Finals Day appearances: Two (2008, 2016)
Titles: None
2024 finish: Quarter-finals
2024 leading runscorer: Graham Clark (322)
2024 leading wicket taker: Ben Raine (21)Key winter moves: Batter David Bedingham’s availability will be limited due to South African Test commitments, including the World Test Championship final against Australia. But Durham have recruited Kiwis Zak Foulkes and Jimmy Neesham and all-rounder Codi Yusuf from South Africa. Two can play at any one time, so rest and rotation will come into play. Sam Conners, Emilio Gay and Will Rhodes were domestic signings ahead of the summer.The big question: Will Durham follow Gloucestershire’s lead and secure a first Blast title? Gloucestershire won this competition for the first time in 2024, taking the number of counties never to have triumphed in T20 cricket down to four. Coach Ryan Campbell has assembled an exciting looking squad. Graham Clark, Nathan Sowter, captain Alex Lees and Jimmy Neesham all jump out on paper as key men.Wildcard watch: Callum Parkinson. The left-arm spinner impressed with 18 wickets in last season’s run to the Blast quarter-finals, his first as a Durham player following his move from Leicestershire. An up-and-at-you spinner whose change of pace can be difficult to combat. Spent the first four years of The Hundred with the Northern Superchargers but was not retained for this summer.Final thought: Ryan Campbell has banged the drum for leg-spinner Nathan Sowter in recent seasons, believing he has the capability to play for England in white-ball cricket. Sowter has taken 43 wickets combined in the past two Blast campaigns and brings a real x-factor to Durham’s bowling attack. With a T20 World Cup coming up in India and Sri Lanka during the early stages of next year, this is a particularly key campaign for 32-year-old.Steven Croft will switch from player last season to coach this season after Dale Benkenstein’s departure•Getty ImagesLancashirePreviewed by Graham HardcastleCaptain: Keaton Jennings
Overseas players: Chris Green (Australia, all group stage), Ashton Turner (Australia, all group stage)
Finals Day appearances: Nine (2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2022)
Titles: One (2015)
2024 finish: Quarter-finals
2024 leading runscorer: Keaton Jennings (278)
2024 leading wicket taker: Chris Green (14)Key winter moves: Former Blast-winning captain Steven Croft called time on his 250-game T20 career last September and has now stepped up as interim head coach following Dale Benkenstein’s sudden departure. Lancashire’s overseas recruitment has replaced that experience in the form of Australian all-rounders Chris Green and Ashton Turner. Green impressed last season and has signed a new two-year Blast deal. Dynamic Scotland batter Michael Jones has joined from Durham.The big question: Will a change in format help Lancashire build momentum after a difficult start in the Rothesay County Championship? Midway through this month, the Red Rose dropped to the foot of Division Two, and Keaton Jennings had already stepped down as club captain before Benkenstein paid the price too. However, freeing themselves up in the Blast may well aid their Championship recovery during the second half of the summer. Jennings remains in charge in the Blast.Wildcard watch: Sir James Anderson. The England fast-bowling legend will be 43 years old by the time The Hundred starts in August, but he has made himself available for the Blast because he’s keen to have another crack at T20 cricket, which he hasn’t played since 2014. If he has success for the Lightning, surely teams will be clamouring for his signature.Final thought: No county has won more T20 matches than Lancashire since the start of the Blast in 2003. The Lightning have won 150 of the 260 matches they have played, and they are particularly strong at home. But they will be hoping to change the key statistic, titles won – 1. There would be no better way than to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their only triumph, victory in the 2015 final against Northamptonshire at Edgbaston, than adding to that number.Logan van Beek has been integral to Leicestershire’s flying start to the season•Getty ImagesLeicestershirePreviewed by Jon CulleyCaptain: Louis Kimber
Overseas players: Logan van Beek (Netherlands, full competition), Shan Masood (Pakistan, full competition)
Finals Day appearances: Five (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011)
Titles: Three (2004, 2006, 2011)
2024 finish: Fifth (North Group)
2024 leading runscorer: Rishi Patel (413)
2024 leading wicket taker: Scott Currie (20)Key winter moves: With club captain Peter Handscomb choosing to skip the Blast this season, the Foxes have turned to Pakistan international Shan Masood to plug the gap in their batting left by the Australian’s absence. This will be the 35-year-old’s fifth consecutive Blast season with his fourth county. Something similar to his 2022 campaign for Derbyshire, which yielded 555 runs at 42.69, would suit Leicestershire nicely.The big question: Will the left-field choice of Louis Kimber as captain prove to be an inspired move? Best known for smiting 243 off 127 balls against Sussex in red-ball cricket last season, Kimber’s numbers in Blast cricket have been relatively modest so far. Yet he has the potential to be destructive in this format, and will have Masood’s leadership experience to tap into as he finds his way as skipper.Wildcard watch: Sol Budinger is still looking for consistency in his T20 game but a 25-ball fifty against Yorkshire last season offered a glimpse of his potential. Never shy about taking on the new ball, he maintains a strike rate of around 80.00 even in red-ball cricket. A good eye and an instinctively explosive approach looks perfect for The Hundred’s all-action format.Final thought: The Foxes are flying at the moment following a sensational start to the Rothesay County Championship that has them 31 points clear at the top of Division Two. The question is can they take that form into the T20 arena? They narrowly missed out on the quarter-finals last season and if they can snatch a few early wins will then welcome back Rehan Ahmed and Josh Hull from England Men and England Lions duties.David Willey is back for another season as captain•Getty ImagesNorthamptonshirePreviewed by Jeremy BlackmoreCaptain: David Willey
Overseas players: Matt Breetzke (South Africa, all group stage), Lloyd Pope (Australia, all group stage)
Finals Day appearances: Four (2009, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Titles: Two (2013, 2016)
2024 finish: Quarter-finals
2024 leading runscorer: Matt Breetzke (460)
2024 leading wicket taker: David Willey (16)Key winter moves: The Steelbacks moved quickly to re-sign two stars of last year’s run to the quarter-finals, with leading run scorer South African international Matthew Breetzke and veteran England all-rounder Ravi Bopara both returning to Wantage Road. Leg-spinner Lloyd Pope, recently named in the Big Bash Team of the Tournament, joins after fellow Australian Ashton Agar was ruled out through injury.The big question: Northamptonshire’s batting frailties were much in evidence during the Rothesay County Championship. Will the change in format and addition of experienced hands in Willey, Breetzke and Bopara inspire the crop of talented young guns to fire? They will be buoyed by the excellent form of Saif Zaib whose all-round contributions played an important role last summer.Wildcard watch: Young quick Raphy Weatherall, a former England Under-19 star, showed maturity behind his years in his debut senior season last summer and was entrusted with key overs in the Blast. Returning from injury this season he has clearly put on an extra yard of pace and has caused real problems for opposition batters in the Championship.Final thought: Darren Lehmann and Willey make a formidable head coach and captain pairing with a wealth of international and franchise trophies to their names and will look to mastermind a second consecutive Steelbacks run to the knockout stages. Bopara proved talismanic in 2024 with bat and ball and while Northamptonshire will miss Agar’s runs, they swiftly secured the dangerous mystery spin of Pope in a like-for-like swap. Ben Sanderson’s accuracy and Weatherall and George Scrimshaw’s pace add potency with the ball.Joe Clarke leads Nottinghamshire into their Blast campaign•Getty ImagesNottinghamshirePreviewed by Jon CulleyCaptain: Joe Clarke
Overseas players: Daniel Sams (Australia, full competition), Moises Henriques (Australia, full competition)
Finals Day appearances: Six (2006, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020)
Titles: Two (2017, 2020)
2024 finish: Ninth (North Group)
2024 leading runscorer: Joe Clarke (306)
2024 leading wicket taker: Olly Stone (15)Key winter moves: There will be no Alex Hales at Trent Bridge for the first time in 17 seasons after the county’s 36-year-old all-time record runscorer opted not to return. But an Outlaws side in transition will benefit from having two experienced Australian all-rounders as overseas players in 32-year-old former Essex and Trent Rockets star Daniel Sams and 38-year-old Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques.The big question: The Outlaws’ decline in this format was put in sharp focus by last season’s bottom-of-the-table finish. Can their failings be corrected in 2025? Joe Clarke will have Henriques’s leadership skills to tap into in his second season as skipper but as well as the loss of Hales, last season’s leading wicket-taker Olly Stone will miss the tournament through injury.Wildcard watch: Freddie McCann. The 20-year-old top-order batter, with three first-class centuries to his name already, made his Blast debut against Yorkshire in the final 2024 group match and had an immediate impact, hitting 44 from 32 balls in a rare Outlaws victory. If he gets the chance to build on that as Notts seek a winning blend he could well catch someone’s eye.Final thought: Is there a touch of back to the future about the signing of Henriques? Notts fans will hope the dynamic all-rounder carries a little of what his close friend and Big Bash-winning ex-Sydney Sixers teammate Dan Christian brought to Trent Bridge when he led the Outlaws to Blast glory in 2017 and 2020.Tom Taylor has been prolific for Worcestershire this season•Getty ImagesWorcestershirePreviewed by ECB Reporters NetworkCaptain: Brett D’Oliveira
Overseas players: Ben Dwarshuis (Australia, full competition), Jacob Duffy (New Zealand, first eight matches)
Finals Day appearances: Two (2018, 2019)
Titles: One (2018)
2024 finish: Eighth (North Group)
2024 leading run-scorer: Ethan Brookes (321)
2024 leading wicket-taker: Tom Taylor (17)Key winter moves: The Rapids have strengthened their bowling with overseas duo Jacob Duffy, who is available for eight games, and Ben Dwarshuis while Ben Allison has signed permanently from Essex. Dwarshuis is a tried and tested T20 all-rounder, Duffy should hit the ground running after four impressive Rothesay County Championship games while Allison will be available this season to add further depth to a handy attack. Two-time Blast winner Josh Cobb left after a one-year white-ball contract.The big question: Can they win the close ones? T20 cricket is about fine margins and the Rapids learned that the hard way last season. Their campaign was put on the skids by four successive losses by 11 runs or less – after impressive early wins against Lancashire and Notts – and they lost a further three games in the last over when defending. Bringing in veteran Dwarshuis to pick up the tough overs and supply some late hitting seems a clever piece of business with that in mind.Wildcard watch: Ethan Brookes. The 24-year-old showed his all-round quality in the Blast last season to be the Rapids’ leading runscorer while also chipping in with 11 wickets. His power hitting was on full display in the Rothesay County Championship at Essex earlier this season when he smacked a quickfire 88 to almost haul his side over the line against the odds.Final thought: There’s clearly room for the Rapids to improve on last season if they can win the close ones and better a home record that saw them win just twice at Visit Worcestershire New Road. Their attack looks strong with Tom Taylor and Matt Waite sharing 54 wickets to start the red-ball season and Allison taking 21. Add in the international class of Dwarshuis and Duffy and there’s reason to be optimistic so long as the batters can put up better numbers than last term when only Brookes past 300 runs.New Zealand’s Will O’Rourke is a notable signing•Getty ImagesYorkshirePreviewed by Graham HardcastleCaptain: Dawid Malan
Overseas players: Will O’Rourke (New Zealand, first eight group games with possible extension), Will Sutherland (Australia, all group stage)
Finals Day appearances: Three (2012, 2016, 2022)
Titles: None
2024 finish: Seventh place in the North Group
2024 leading runscorer: Dawid Malan (420)
2024 leading wicket taker: Jordan Thompson (20)Key winter moves: While Yorkshire have recruited two exciting overseas signings in all-rounder Will Sutherland and x-factor New Zealand fast bowler Will O’Rourke, the biggest moves have come in the leadership department. Club legend Anthony McGrath returned as coach to replace Ottis Gibson, while the responsibility of replacing Shan Masood as captain was handed to Jonny Bairstow in red-ball cricket and Dawid Malan in the Blast.The big question: Can Yorkshire finally break their duck in T20 cricket? The White Rose, no longer the Vikings in this format, are one of only four counties never to have won the Blast, alongside Derbyshire, Durham and Glamorgan. With the quality of players they’ve had at their disposal down the years, that they are part of that statistic is a significant surprise.Wildcard watch: James Wharton. More recognised as a top-order batter, but he has the power to bat a bit further down as well and could, for example, finish an innings. He scored a brilliant 111 not out in a 2023 home win over Worcestershire. Yorkshire’s management rate the 24-year-old incredibly highly, and believe he is not miles away from England honours.Final thought: Yorkshire’s squad looks very well balanced. Power and poise with the bat, depth in the all-rounder options, quality spin and significant pace with the ball. The prolonged availability of Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan will be vital, while it’s a big campaign for the continued progression of England fringe leg-spinner Jafer Chohan. Fit again seam-bowling all-rounder Matt Milnes (back stress fractures) will be like a new signing. To be successful, Yorkshire must gain the consistency their early-season Championship cricket has lacked.

Following yet another defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City have now reportedly commenced negotiations to sign a big-money megastar for Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola: Man City missed "simple things"

Whether it’s been Ange Postecoglou, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte or others in charge, Tottenham have remained Man City’s bogey team in one of the most bizarre common occurrences in Premier League history.

Man City set to be offered £303m "best player in the world" in Haaland swap

One of Europe’s top clubs are preparing an audacious swap move for Erling Haaland.

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 21, 2025

They’ve won a historic treble together whilst also winning four consecutive league titles. Yet, when Spurs come to town, the Citizens consistently endure an afternoon to forget. And, as ever, that proved to be the case this weekend.

This time, it was Thomas Frank in charge as the North London club hit City on the counter before enjoying unexpected control to secure what was, in the end, a comfortable 2-0 victory. On the end of defeat courtesy of Tottenham once more, Guardiola lamented that his side missed the “simple things” against the Lilywhites.

The second goal would have particularly disappointed the Spaniard after new signing James Trafford conceded possession in his own area before Joao Palhinha fired home.

Whilst it will be a learning curve for the young Englishman and one that the likes of John Stones have suffered in the past, Man City are reportedly unwilling to let the same mistake happen twice.

Man City commence talks to sign Donnarumma

According to Fabrizio Romano, Man City have now commenced talks to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma after agreeing personal terms with the Italian.

The Citizens are now in club-to-club negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth less than their initial €50m (£43m) asking price.

Donnarumma has already said farewell to PSG fans and is on the move this month. Whether it is City that secure his signature still depends on Ederson’s future, however.

Reports have indicated that the Brazilian could be heading to Galatasaray and the fact that he’s been benched at the Etihad would suggest that move is very possible, but the Turkish club have less than 10 days to get their deal over the line.

Replacing one of the best goalkeepers in Premier League history will be no easy task for City, but signing a megastar who reportedly earns £11m-a-year would instantly ease any concerns in Manchester.

Ben Curran beat his brothers Sam and Tom to become the first sibling in the family to score an international century. His unbeaten 118 helped Zimbabwe seal their first ODI series win since March 2023, their first against a Full Member team since August 2022, and their first against Ireland in nearly ten years.Curran came in on the back of low scores in the first two ODIs, but showed exactly why he’s rated so highly while leading Zimbabwe to their target of 241 with 63 balls to spare. As the Harare pitch eased out in the afternoon, he stroked his way to a 38-ball half-century – hitting nine of his 14 fours during that initial burst – before settling into a more relaxed pace as his captain Craig Ervine glided his way to an unbeaten 69 off 59 balls. Curran added an unbroken 122 with Ervine for the second wicket, having first put on a 124-run opening stand with Brian Bennett.It was a perfect day for the hosts from the time Ervine won the toss and elected to field. Ireland’s innings never got going despite fifties from Andy Balbirnie, Harry Tector, and Lorcan Tucker. Zimbabwe only used five bowlers, with Richard Ngarava and Trevor Gwandu, who picked up two wickets each, applying constant pressure across all phases of the innings.Curran played his shots fearlessly from ball one – his attempted flick off that ball flew away off the leading edge, but it didn’t discourage him from cutting the next ball for four. Mark Adair, who bowled that first over, was on the receiving end again in the fifth as Curran and Bennett hit him for three fours.There were middled pulls, edged slashes, and swipes down the ground as the openers hit Ireland’s bowlers off their lengths. Curran’s scooped four off Graham Hume in the eighth over was a highlight. From overs five to ten, Zimbabwe hit 12 fours while scoring 60 runs off 36 balls. They finished the first powerplay at 77 for 0 with Curran batting on 54.Curran and Brian Bennett put on a century opening stand•Zimbabwe Cricket

The introduction of spin and a 30-minute rain interruption did not break the flow of the batters or affect the conditions. If anything, the pitch got even better for batting.Bennett fell to Hume, against the run of play, in the 20th over. He missed the flick, got hit on the pad, and was given out lbw despite height seeming to be an issue on replay. DRS is not available for the series, so Bennett had to walk.Ervine hit a four and a six within his first ten balls. The four was off a length ball from Hume that he directed through the slips with a tap on its head, and the six an effortless flick off Andy McBrine. The run flow was constant as Zimbabwe cruised to 151 for 1 in 25 overs.McBrine tried to buy wickets by bowling slower and fuller but that didn’t bring any reward as the game kept slipping away from Ireland, with Ervine chipping him over cover and flicking him over midwicket for successive fours in the 28th over. His flowing on-drive for six off Harry Tector in the 33rd was even better, and arguably the shot of the day. He brought up his fifty and Zimbabwe’s 200 soon after with a single to long-on.Meanwhile, Curran coasted towards his hundred. His 10th boundary came off his 40th ball, his 11th off his 65th – when he was on 66 – and his 12th off his 127th – with his score now 108*. He went from 80 to 100 via 18 singles and a two, and even played out a maiden on 99, before bringing up the maiden hundred off his 120th ball, much to his delight and that of his team-mates and the fans in attendance.In the end, the hosts rushed to victory in the 39th over to complete their first series win of this home summer.Andy Balbirnie was one of three half-centurions in Ireland’s innings•Zimbabwe Cricket

Sent in to bat, Ireland started cautiously in the hope of seeing off the new ball under cloudy skies. Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava bowled Test-match lengths and challenged the outside edge regularly. Getting beaten by Muzarabani twice in the sixth over didn’t stop Paul Stirling from trying to take another chance off Ngarava in the seventh. He saw width and tried slashing the ball up and over but lobbed it straight to cover. Balbirnie, his partner, finished the first powerplay on 12 off 40 balls, with Ireland 26 for 1.Gwandu, who came on in the 12th over, began by overstepping and conceded seven off two attempts at his first legal ball, but beat Curtis Campher on the outside edge two balls later. In the next over, he beat Campher on the cut with extra bounce before rushing him on the pull to have him caught at midwicket.Tector joined Balbirnie in the 14th over with Ireland 42 for 2. They put on 86 for the third wicket, hitting four fours and two sixes along the way, but took 115 balls to do so. Balbirnie was dropped on 42 in the 29th over and reached fifty off 87 in the 31st. He brought up his first six with a slog-sweep off Wellington Masakadza, but fell next ball when he miscued the same shot to deep midwicket. It left Ireland 128 for 3 in the 33rd over with their run rate still under four.Sikandar Raza bowled quick and varied his lines and lengths in a ten-over spell without a break. He kept Tector quiet after Balbirnie’s dismissal as the batter looked for boundary options. Ngarava was the beneficiary of Tector’s attempts as he miscued a pull to midwicket the ball after reaching an 83-ball fifty.After Gwandu found extra bounce to nick off George Dockrell cheaply, Adair joined Tucker to put on 57 for the sixth wicket in 52 balls. Tucker’s fifty, which came off 44 balls, was the quickest of the innings. However, none of the last ten overs went for more than ten runs or more than one boundary.

GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI

The Premier League finally decided to go mad this week. We've been waiting for it, in all honesty. This thing has been too calm, too predictable early in the season. Liverpool winning everything? BORING. Arsenal failing to ground out wins? Man United are bad? Business as usual. 

The good news is that some of that has changed. What would have been an eight-point gap between first and second is now just two, after a bit of weekend chaos. Chelsea seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot. And Man United found another way to be bad.

Elsewhere across the continent, Christian Pulisic has been really rather good this year, and continued that streak in a big win for Milan. Real Madrid showed that it might be quite difficult to be good at football. And then, to round it all off, Lamine Yamal did something ridiculous with a ball at his feet. We are so back.

GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.

Getty Images Sport1Liverpool slip up …

The first thing that needs to be established is that Crystal Palace are a really good football team. They haven't lost in their last 18, and won the FA Cup last year. Selhurst Park is a tough place to go, and the Eagles are flying high.

But Liverpool are reigning champions, and if they want to win again, they have to get it done in the tough ones. Well, that didn't go to plan. Palace won 2-1 on a last-minute Eddie Nketiah volley. In truth, it really should have been five or six.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport2… and Arsenal take advantage

The problem with Arsenal last year was that they couldn't capitalize on others getting it wrong. Call it mentality, quality, or even bad luck – the Gunners just didn't make up gaps. Well, it's a new season with a revamped squad.

And they appear to mean business. They ground out a gutsy 2-1 win over Newcastle, and were good value for it, too. Just like that, we have a title race on our hands. 

Getty3Man Utd's crisis continues

Fun stat for you: Ruben Amorim has now nearly lost as twice as many games as he has won as Man United manager. You read that right. This club is in shambles at the moment. That's not news, of course.

United have been varying degrees of bad for nearly a decade now. And the misery piled on this weekend. The hope was that a win over Chelsea might galvanize something. Instead, United were comprehensively beaten by Brentford. Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty, too. In a word: yikes. 

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AFP4Chelsea, and the art of going down to 10 men

Is this Chelsea's vibe now? Do they like the challenge of playing with 10 men? It certainly seems so. For the second week running, they had someone sent off – and deservedly so. And for the second week running, it was enough to see them throw a game the really should have won.

This time it was Trevoh Chalobah, who dragged an opponent down as he ran through on goal. Stonewall red. Chelsea have, like, one centerback for * Liverpool next week. Nice. 

Birmingham City were mere minutes away from sealing an impressive 1-0 opening day win over Ipswich Town on their arrival back into the Championship.

Unfortunately, controversy ensued at St. Andrew’s during the dying moments of the Friday night clash, resulting in George Hirst firing home a last-gasp penalty to rid Chris Davies’ men of a dream victory.

Still, that shouldn’t take away from the exciting attacking display that was on show, with Kyogo Furuhashi proving himself to be an instant hit, on top of Jay Stansfield already finding himself off the mark in the second tier this season by firing home the opener.

That’s before you even throw new recruit Marvin Ducksch into the equation, too, as Davies licks his lips at the attacking arsenal he has at his disposal.

Why Ducksch is a great signing for Birmingham

The reigning League One champions have routinely splashed the cash in recent years to land some thrilling talents, with the aforementioned Kyogo costing £10m just this summer to bring in to further improve Birmingham’s attacking options.

Ducksch, on the other hand, has cost far less at around the £1.7m mark. Yet, his career numbers in his native Germany – before moving on to England – would suggest he’s another stunning pick-up by the Blues.

Bundesliga

130

34

28

2. Bundesliga

138

71

34

3. Liga

54

19

14

Indeed, just one glance at the table above is enough to gain an insight into the prolific nature of the 6-foot-2 marksman, with a bumper 124 career goals coming his way when rising up the German divisions all the way up to the top with Werder Bremen.

The hope will be that Ducksch acclimatises to his new Championship environment well, with his red-hot ability to put away chances a dangerous weapon for Davies to have by his side in crucial games to follow.

The Blues might well dip their toes into the European market once more with this next potential summer buy, hopeful that he can be as intimidating to Championship defences as their new German centre-forward.

Birmingham line up move for £1.3m star

Davies and Co are already ten signings down this summer, but don’t expect that to deter them from making even more moves before September’s deadline.

French journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter has taken to X in recent days to reveal that Birmingham are showing strong interest in Montpellier winger Tanguy Coulibaly, with Coulibaly reportedly worth around the £1.3m mark, when assessing his value via Transfermarkt.

Much like Ducksch, the 24-year-old attacker has proven himself at a top level for a considerable amount of time now, having skilfully plied his trade at both Montpellier and Stuttgart for a hefty 119 games.

His spell at Stuttgart even resulted in sporting director Sven Mislintat hailing him as “very gifted”, on top of being described as possessing “plenty of tricks in his locker” by academy coach Peter Reichert.

Stuttgart

74

6

3

Montpellier

45

4

1

While his numbers for both clubs in question might not be as instantly as jaw-dropping as Ducksch’s in Germany, Coulibaly would, no doubt, be a valuable asset to Birmingham this season if he were to join, having accumulated 14 goal contributions in total out in Germany and France.

Capable of also lining up as a centre-forward and as a number ten, Coulibaly should be able to offer himself up to Birmingham as a worthwhile utility body, particularly when the Blues are suffering deep into the 46-game marathon.

Ducksch could also have to make do with being an impact option for Davies, with the task of displacing the likes of Stansfield from the main team a tricky one to pull off.

Still, both players in question will feel they can offer their all to the Birmingham mission this coming season – having been in and around elite leagues for some time now – with the Blues dreaming of another fairytale promotion story if everything slots into place.

Birmingham City could land dream signing for Ducksch in £16k-p/w star

Birmingham City would secure a dream partner for Marvin Ducksch by going back in for this exciting playmaker.

2 ByKelan Sarson Aug 10, 2025

Mitchell Starc has conceded Cameron Green’s absence will change the dynamic of Australia’s Test team, hinting pace reserves may be needed to get through the summer.Green’s season-ending back surgery has left Australia’s selectors with several questions for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, beyond just who opens the batting with Usman Khawaja.Namely, the allrounder’s absence has the potential to have a flow-on effect for Australia’s aging pace attack, with an increased workload likely against India.Related

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• Green out for the season as he takes surgery option

Captain Pat Cummins had stated before the start of the summer that Australia were likely to rely heavily on Green and fellow allrounder Mitchell Marsh, particularly if India bat for long periods of time.Starc, Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will almost certainly start the summer as three quicks, but Scott Boland, Michael Neser and Sean Abbott all now loom on the fringes.”It will always change the dynamic when you take a genuine allrounder like a Cameron Green, or with England when you take a Ben Stokes, out,” Starc said. “When you have that genuine allrounder who has been part of a group for a while … you get into a bit of a routine of having that extra bowling option.”I don’t know what the dynamic of that line-up is going to be, there is a lot of talk around that opening spot and Mitch [Marsh] bowling as well.”It’s not completely foreign. We’ve had series in the past where we haven’t had an allrounder at all.”We’ve had to take some of that workload, and Gaz [Nathan Lyon] has probably had to bowl a bit extra as well.”Mitchell Starc last played a Shield match in the 2020-21 final•Getty Images

Starc will begin his red-ball summer against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield on Sunday, with Steve Smith and Lyon also playing.Hazlewood will then play in the Blues’ following match against Queensland, with Starc to be rested.Australia have five Tests in seven weeks against India, with the longest gap being a 10-day break between the series opener in Perth and second Test in Adelaide.Starc said Australia’s bowlers had always taken an extended-squad approach, with several factors coming into whether the first-choice group’s workloads were managed.”That’s been the mindset for a number of years now, with overseas tour or a home series and the mentality of how gruelling a summer or series can be,” Starc said. “It’s been spoken about, if you have four or five Tests that go four days, the extra day between games [can be important].”There is obviously a big gap between the first and second Test and the third and fourth Test. That may play a part as well.”We don’t know what wickets we’ll get, we don’t know how successful or unsuccessful we will be.”Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon played unchanged through the last four-Test Border-Gavaskar series at home in 2020-21. They also did likewise in the five-Test home summer last season, with Australia losing the last Test at the Gabba on both those occasions.”There are too many factors to sit here at the start and say this is what is going to happen,” Starc said. “But there are certainly times where you feel the grind of five Tests.”Meanwhile, Starc has declared there is no reason why NSW teenage prodigy Sam Konstas won’t be able to handle Test cricket if he was called up next month.One week after blazing twin tons against South Australia, Konstas shared a net session with Steve Smith on Friday at NSW training. While Starc would not be drawn into whether Konstas’ time should come this summer, he had seen enough to believe the young talent could succeed.”There’s no reason [for him] not to [handle it],” Starc said. “He’s obviously got the talent, got the work ethic, he’s a lovely young man.”Time will tell. If he’s not picked this summer then I am sure runs on the board will help him in the long run.”

تحدث سيد عبد الحفيظ، نجم الأهلي السابق، عن أوضاع الأحمر في الموسم الجاري، وحاجة الفريق لمدرب جديد.

وقال عبد الحفيظ عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “الأهلي يحتاج إلى أجواء مناسبة، فمن المفترض أن تكون مبسوطًا وأنت ذاهب إلى عملك وتدريبك ومعسكرك”.

وتابع: “فالموضوع ليس مجرد لاعبين ومدرب، بل منظومة كاملة تبدأ من عامل غرفة الملابس الذي يرتب ملابسك، مرورًا بالجهاز الإداري المتفاني في عمله، والجهاز الطبي كذلك، والجلسات بين اللاعبين يجب أن يسودها الإيجابية والتركيز”.

وأكمل: “عبقرية القيادة ليست في الوجه الجامد، وإنما في كيفية التعامل مع من حولك لكل شخص طريقته، والقيادة الحقيقية تكمن في إدارة المجموعة التي معك”.

طالع.. خاص | حكم مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في الدوري المصري

واستكمل: “عندما تحتاج إلى المزاح تمزح، وعندما يحين وقت إظهار القوة تكون قويًا، هناك أمور تحتاج إلى حكمة، وأمور أخرى يجب أن تكون فيها حاسمًا وصارمًا جدًا في اتخاذ القرار لمنع وقوع الكوارث”.

وأضاف بخصوص المدرب الجديد: “المدرب عنصران، الكفاءة والشخصية، وإذا تمتع بهما فلا يهم كثيرًا مدرسته التدريبية أو سيرته الذاتية، لأن الفوز بمباراتين أو ثلاث كفيل بأن يرفع مكانته لدى الجماهير”.

واستمر: “الأهلي بحاجة إلى مدرب كفء، صاحب شخصية قوية، يفرض أسلوبه وطريقته على اللاعبين، وإذا توافرت هذه الصفات يكون الأمر إيجابيًا كما يجب أن يمتلك شغفًا، لأنه قد تأتي بمدرب كبير الاسم لكنه بلا شغف”.

أما عن مباراة القمة: “مباريات الديربي ليس لها مقاييس، لكنها تُحسب جيدًا، هذه النسخة حتى الآن باهتة فنيًا؛ الأهلي على غير المتوقع، والزمالك يعيش أجواءً خاصة لكنه يخسر نقاطًا أمام فرق أقل”.

وتابع: “أرى أن الفريق الذي سيقف بشكل صحيح سيكون الأقرب للفوز، والأهلي يحتاج إلى تنظيم دفاعي جيد، وأن تكون عملية الترحيل بين الخطوط نموذجية”.

وأشار: “حالة اللاعبين أكثر ما تقلقني، أنا دائمًا رهاني على الروح فمنذ كنا صغارًا نسمع عن روح الفانلة الحمراء، كأن اللاعب يقف على باب بيته ويدافع عن أهله، هذه الروح يجب أن تكون حاضرة، والزمالك يمتلك لاعبين أصحاب مهارات فردية مثل خوان ألفينا”.

وأردف: “حسين الشحات في مباريات القمة يكون عنصرًا مهمًا، ومحمد شريف محظوظ في هذه المباريات، بينما ديانج بحاجة إلى استعادة تركيزه أكثر”.

وأضاف: “بالنسبة لعودة أحمد عبد القادر، فهو لاعب على مستوى عالٍ، ومن الوارد جدًا أن يجدد الأهلي عقده معه، لكن في النهاية كل لاعب يختار ما يراه مناسبًا، والأهم أن يتوفر البديل في حال رحيله، فبمجرد وجود البديل، ينسى الجمهور من رحل”.

وأتم: “يجب أن تكون هناك دائمًا بدائل جاهزة تحسبًا لرحيل أي لاعب أو مدرب، بشرط أن يكونوا على مستوى يليق بالنادي الأهلي”.