CSK picked three spinners for their first home game of the IPL 2025 season against Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-20259:50

Rayudu: The MI-CSK rivalry is real

Chennai Super Kings won the toss in Chennai and had no reservations deciding to chase in their IPL 2025 opener against Mumbai Indians. The pitch wore a sheen and looked hard as against the expectations from CSK, who have three quality spinners in their line-up.Suryakumar Yadav, the MI stand-in captain, said he would have batted first anyway because there hasn’t been much dew around due to windy conditions in the night. There were two exciting newcomers for MI. Well they built them up at any rate. S Raju was the fast bowler expected to be their death specialist, and left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur was a possible Impact Player when they start their defence later in the night.On a day that had been excellent for at least one Jharkhand wicketkeeper, MI handed a debut to Robin Minz to make it three Jharkhand wicketkeepers in IPL action on the same day.The third one, MS Dhoni, of course continued to be a leader for CSK without a title. As is the case usually with CSK, they were not handing out any debuts, banking instead on experienced players. R Ashwin came back to the team representing his beloved home town of Chennai. Nathan Ellis edged out Matheesha Pathirana. CSK had a more established left-arm wristspinner of their own in Noor Ahmad.Mumbai Indians 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Naman Dhir, 7 Robin Minz, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Trent Boult, 11 S RajuSubstitutes: Vignesh Puthur, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, Karn SharmaChennai Super Kings 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Deepak Hooda, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 Sam Curran, 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Khaleel AhmedSubstitutes: Rahul Tripathi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vijay Shankar, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed

CSK’s 12 possible overs of Ashwin, Noor and Jadeja could well decide the outcome with the RCB batters happier bashing pace than spin

Sidharth Monga27-Mar-20251:32

Pujara: Kohli should utilise powerplay to set the base for RCB

Big picture: CSK vs RCB, a one-sided but high-voltage rivalryThis should be a dream match for the hype machine. Two of the three teams that have created a ferociously loyal fanbase at the grounds and on the internet. They represent capital cities of neighbouring states that share a river, often acrimoniously; whose rulers traversed boundaries repeatedly before the borders as we know them came to exist; whose people now build their lives in each other’s states. Both states are given to hero-worshipping their film stars and politicians. Now they have accepted MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for worship even though they are neither from there nor live there.It might still not matter to the ratings, but as cricket rivalry it needs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to catch up. They are 11-22 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) overall, and 1-8 in Chennai. The last time RCB beat CSK in Chennai was in 2008, the IPL’s first year. The last time these two sides faced each other, RCB were so ecstatic at winning and making it to the playoffs that they didn’t shake hands with the opposition. Cue more storylines.Related

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You see, the lack of cricketing closeness doesn’t really matter to the ratings when it comes to CSK and RCB. You expect CSK to start as overwhelming favourites in home conditions, which are ignoring the memo that asks for even higher scoring rates than the last year.CSK have put together Noor Ahmad, Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin; it is no surprise they put together a game where they completed a chase of 156 in the last over. RCB have built themselves up for higher scores, which showed in their emphatic chase of 175 in the tournament opener. But the Chennai conditions are going to be as big a challenge for them in IPL 2025 as any.New loyaltiesJosh Hazlewood’s last team in the IPL before the break last year was RCB, but for some reason, you picture him in yellow when you think of the IPL. Possibly because his reinvention as a limited-overs bowler began at CSK in 2020 and 2021. He has made a great start for RCB this year with figures of 4-0-22-2.2:56

Cricinformed: Kohli, Patidar and who? Spin trial awaits RCB at Chepauk

Team news and likely XIIsCSK love their allrounders, but it won’t take long for question marks to appear over Sam Curran if he doesn’t improve drastically from his start this year where he could bowl just one over and scored 4 off 9. This is in keeping with the dip in his form overall, which has resulted in his exit from the England team. As an overseas player, he keeps out Matheesha Pathirana, although a direct switch means Dhoni has to bat at No. 7, which CSK or Dhoni don’t quite fancy.Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 Khaleel AhmedBhuvneshwar Kumar missed the previous game with a reported niggle. RCB will want him in if he is fit. They could think about legspinning allrounder Mohit Rathee or left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh if the pitch is expected to be heavily spin-friendly.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Rajat Patidar (capt), 4 Devdutt Padikkal/Mohit Rathee, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Rasikh Salam/Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Swapnil Singh, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash SharmaBig questionHow do RCB handle the possible 12 overs of Noor, Ashwin and Jadeja? Mumbai Indians (MI) went 5 for 70 in 11 overs against them. Captain Rajat Patidar will be the key because around him are batters that can be shut down by slow bowlers.In the spotlight: Noor Ahmad vs Rajat PatidarThis is the contest that could direct the whole match. Noor Ahmad has started off beautifully for CSK with figures of 4-0-18-4 against MI. RCB are a team of pace-hitters. If Rajat Patidar can attack Noor, he can set the cat among the pigeons, which could even result in Jadeja not bowling out. If Patidar gets out early, CSK could choke RCB.Pitch and conditionsChennai is one of the venues that works in synergy with the franchise. So expect the conditions to continue helping the slower bowlers.1:12

Cricinformed: Patidar, a menace for spinners

Key stats Ashwin vs Kohli is a fascinating contest between two alphas of Indian cricket. You can see neither wants to lose: only one dismissal in 147 balls but a strike rate of only 123.12. Despite being a left-hand batter, Rachin Ravindra averages 11.63 and strikes at 120.75 against orthodox left-arm spin. That makes Krunal Pandya important.Next three fixturesCSK will travel to Guwahati on Saturday and play Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday before they return home for Delhi Capitals (DC) and then travel to Mullanpur to play Punjab Kings (PBKS).RCB’s next match will be their first of the season at home, against Gujarat Titans (GT). Then MI at Wankhede Stadium and DC at home. Three high-voltage and potentially high-scoring matches to follow.

Glasgow Rangers legend Ally McCoist hit out at the Gers after their “unacceptable” Champions League exit to Club Brugge.

Rangers lose 9-1 on aggregate after 6-0 second leg humiliation

Russell Martin continued his woeful start to life as Ibrox manager on Wednesday evening, with Rangers exiting the Champions League with a 9-1 aggregate playoff defeat to Club Brugge.

Already trailing 3-1, the Gers quickly went a goal down before Max Aarons was sent off after less than 10 minutes of action.

The floodgates then opened in Belgium, with Rangers now in the Europa League. Talking after the embarrassing 6-0 second-leg defeat, McCoist labelled the Gers’ display as “unacceptable” and said “Rangers supporters deserve a lot better”.

“That was unacceptable. I wasn’t confident Rangers could get a result tonight. Hopeful, yeah, you have everything crossed haven’t you, but realistically, you look at the performances this season, look at our first half against Club Brugge last week, miles off it.

“But what those travelling fans and watching back home expect is a level of competition and competitiveness which they didn’t see tonight. They took their foot off the gas ever so slightly in terms of the finishing, but the substitutes they brought on didn’t slow the game down at all. But in terms of the urgency to score goals, in terms of the level of finishing, it dropped second half.

“Rangers supporters deserve a lot better than the level of commitment, organisation and willingness to defend that they saw tonight. It’s a sad reflection when the best player on your team is the goalkeeper who has lost six goals, because make no mistake about it, if it wasn’t for him – he’s had two or three tremendous saves – that could have been a cricket score.”

Update shared from Rangers on Russell Martin's Ibrox future before Celtic

The 39-year-old is under huge pressure.

1 ByCharlie Smith Aug 28, 2025 McCoist makes Rangers transfer claim on new signings

There were eight new signings in Rangers’ starting line-up, including Aarons, and McCoist has not been impressed by the club’s recruitment this summer.

Talking after the game, McCoist slammed the squad and their new signings’ physicality.

Max Aarons

5ft 8

Nasser Djiga

6ft 3

Jayden Meghoma

5ft 8

Lyall Cameron

5ft 10

Thelo Aasgaard

6ft 2

Joe Rothwell

6ft

Oliver Antman

6ft

Djeidi Gassama

5ft 8

It is a quick turnaround for Rangers and Martin, with a Glasgow derby against rivals Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon before the international break.

Barcelona legend Xavi has explained why Lamine Yamal was beaten to the 2025 Ballon d’Or by Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele. One exciting forward that used to grace the books at Camp Nou pipped one that is starring in the present to the title of best player on the planet. Dembele fended off the challenge of teenage wonderkid Yamal to collect the first Golden Ball of his career.

• Can Yamal match Messi in the Ballon d'Or stakes?

  Yamal is expected to go on and claim plenty in the future, with it being suggested that he could match or eclipse the efforts of fellow La Masia academy graduate Lionel Messi – who has eight Ballons d’Or to his name and is widely considered to be the greatest player ever to lace up a pair of boots.

  Time is on Yamal’s side when it comes to achieving such feats, as he is just 18 years of age. He has signed a lucrative new contract at Barcelona and inherited the iconic No.10 shirt that Messi once filled with such distinction. He is already considered to form part of the global elite, with that standing being highlighted in his runner-up finish behind Dembele.

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  Why Dembele beat Yamal to Golden Ball in 2025

  Former Barca player and manager Xavi believes there were a number of contenders to land the Golden Ball in 2025, with Dembele ultimately emerging as a deserving winner. The ex-Spain international told when asked about Yamal missing out: “This time, collective titles weighed more heavily. For me, of course, he deserved it. So did Vitinha, [Mohamed] Salah, Pedri, and Raphinha… many players deserved it. But in the end, titles count more. Lamine will win it, I’m convinced – but when his team wins the Champions League or a World Cup.”

  Xavi was the man to hand Yamal his senior debut for Barcelona at 15 years of age. He had been knocking on the door prior to that, with it impossible to limit such potential. The youngster has come a long way in a short space of time, with La Liga and European Championship titles being added to his CV.

• Xavi explains why Yamal was destined for greatness

  Xavi added on helping to put the hottest of prospects on the path to potential greatness: “I feel very proud of what Lamine is doing and of having given him the chance to make his debut. I saw him as very prepared despite being 15. He was very confident, very capable, making a difference in training. He wasn’t afraid of anything. From the very first day, he stood out. For me, he’s one of the chosen ones and can define an era in world football. He has no complexes, no fear whatsoever.”

  Barca always expected Yamal to reach the very top of the game, despite being a rough diamond in need of some polishing. Xavi remains convinced that the teenager will win a Golden Ball at some stage.

  He added when asked if that standing was clear from day one: “Yes, without a doubt. We said it among the staff – we said he was Ballon d’Or material. Watching him train, you could already see something different. You immediately realised he was one of the chosen ones.”

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  Yamal injury: How long teenage wonderkid will be out for

  Yamal is being forced to take in another enforced spell on the sidelines at present. He picked up a groin injury while on international duty in September and, after taking a period of rest, aggravated that when returning to action against Real Sociedad. He will play no part for his country in their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria.

  It has been claimed that Yamal will be out for “two or three weeks”, with Barca needing to nurse him back to full health. A break in domestic competition will aid that cause, with the reigning La Liga champions playing host to Catalan neighbours Girona on October 18 – with others, such as on-loan Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, needing to step up in Yamal’s absence.

Antonio Conte-managed Napoli want to sign a new right-back in January and, in a shocking turn of events, it is understood that Brentford full-back Michael Kayode is on their shortlist as the manager searches for depth behind Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

Kayode to Napoli in January?

While Napoli need a right-back, according to SpazioNapoli, they are yet to make any formal offer to Kayode or establish contact with Brentford. The player, meanwhile, is contracted to the Premier League outfit until 2030; hence, it is expected that the Italian defender won't be cheap for the Naples-based giants. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportKayode's season so far

While Kayode struggled in the second half of the 2024-25 season, the ongoing season of the Premier League has seen him appear seven times. Although he is yet to deliver any assists, his dangerous long throws and distance covering might be something Conte would like to add to his arsenal. Napoli have other options on their radar as well, but the 21-year-old might just be the candidate they are searching for.

Napoli eyeing the Scudetto again?

Under Conte's tactical brilliance last season, and riding on Scott McTominay & co's ruthless performances, Napoli were successful in winning their fourth Serie A title and their second in just three years. This season, they have made some key additions to the side, which includes former Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund (loan), and winger Noah Lang from PSV Eindhoven. One of the reasons behind such impactful signings is their determination to defend the Serie A title. 

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Getty Images SportWhen are Napoli playing next?

Napoli currently sit atop the standings with five wins in six games. They have accumulated 15 points and lost only to Milan in the domestic league. They will be playing their next game against Torino on October 18.

Aston Villa have made contact over a deal for an “unstoppable” forward, who is now an “option” for the final week of the transfer window.

Villa keen on new forward after disappointing Brentford loss

Villa are winless in their opening two Premier League matches this season, most recently suffering a 1-0 defeat away at Brentford, and Troy Deeney was left very unimpressed by their attackers’ performance at the Gtech Community Stadium.

When asked whether Villa need to sign Nicolas Jackson, Deeney said: “Absolutely they need him. I put down on my notes ‘toothless’, Aston Villa going forward. It’s long throws, it’s set pieces, it’s just not looking right in the midfield for me, there’s too many central players.”

Unai Emery’s side are still yet to register a league goal this season, with Ollie Watkins drawing two blanks, while new signing Evann Guessand failed to make an impact after coming off the bench against the Bees.

Just like Kamara: Aston Villa preparing bid to sign £17m star

Aston Villa anticipate a deal or two before the summer transfer window slams shut.

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Angus Sinclair

Aug 22, 2025

As such, Emery may want to bolster his attacking options ahead of the September 1st transfer deadline, and the Villans have now stepped up their interest in signing a Premier League forward…

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who recently took to X to state that Aston Villa have made contact over a deal for Chelsea’s Christoper Nkunku, who is now an “option” for Emery’s side going into the final week of the summer transfer window.

However, there may be fierce competition for Nkunku’s signature, with Bayern Munich also being named as potential suitors, alongside former club RB Leipzig, with a potential price tag of £35m recently being touted.

Nkunku is not the only attacker on the shortlist, however, with Romano revealing that Villa are also targeting Jackson and Marco Asensio.

"Unstoppable" Nkunku could excel at Villa Park

Given that Chelsea are blessed with a wide array of attacking options, the Frenchman has found game time difficult to come by at Stamford Bridge, but there are signs he could excel at Villa Park.

Journalist Zach Lowy has waxed lyrical about the former RB Leipzig man’s pace and movement in the past, while he also proved himself as a reliable goalscorer in Germany.

Indeed, the ex-Leipzig star amassed a whopping 36 Bundesliga goals across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns, while also providing 21 assists during that time.

Nkunku has been unable to reach similar heights in the Premier League, scoring just three goals last season, but he was often utilised as a substitute, and the 14-time France international’s previous exploits indicate he could excel at Villa if given regular time.

Jackson Bird will return to Tasmania for one more Sheffield Shield season after thinking his career was going to finish with New South Wales.Bird, 38, started his Shield career in Tasmania way back in 2011-12 having moved down from NSW to begin a career that saw him play nine Tests for Australia.He returned to NSW two seasons ago with a view to finishing his career in Sydney. He took 34 wickets at 17.20 in seven games last season to finish fourth among the Shield’s leading wicket-takers for the summer. He will now get the chance to finish career where he started in Hobart.Related

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“Two years ago, I probably didn’t think I would get the opportunity to play for Tassie again,” Bird said. “I am really grateful to be able to come back here and finish my career with Tassie after spending so many years here.”Bird is one of only five bowlers in Shield history to have taken 400 wickets and is only 35 wickets shy of going second on the all-time list while he is seven games away from playing 100 Shield matches. He is already Tasmania’s all-time leading wicket-taker in Shield cricket with 350 and will likely add more.Tasmania’s high-performance manager Salliann Beams said Bird’s return would be invaluable for Tasmania after they had injury issues among their fast-bowling ranks last year, and also lost star allrounder Beau Webster to Test duty at key times.”I’m so pleased we’ve been able to find a role for Jackson that has been mutually beneficial,” Beams said. “His talent and bowling expertise around our group once again should excite all of Tasmanian cricket.”Our bowling stocks were tested last season through injury, and the experience of Jackson will give us another reliable option in a bowling line up, while being able to provide his mentorship to a bowling group that has an exciting future.”Tasmania have signed tall left-arm quick Marcus Bean after his surprise emergence in the BBL for Hobart Hurricanes while Riley Meredith has also signed a new deal to remain with Tasmania after being linked with a move to Victoria.

His impact was huge, his efforts far more than lovable

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Apr-2025

It was 10 overs into Sussex’s second innings that Farhan Ahmed took the ball from the Stuart Broad End. Glint of opportunity in his eyes, dark mop of hair bouncing as he marked his run-up, he looked every bit a cartoon fish embarking on a grand adventure.You cannot get further from animated japery than an early season County Championship match, even if it is between the two surprising and flawed main protagonists of Division One so far. The cloud cover means the colours don’t pop, and, here, the white sheets covering the Trent Bridge pavilion during its renovations dull any whimsy to riff upon.Then there’s the threateningly short 50-yard boundary to our protagonists’ left, the hard place to be pushed up against by the rocks of an entirely southpaw visiting top four. Two of the rock-steadiest, Tom Haines and Daniel Hughes, were already squeezing, exchanging nine fours in a steady unbeaten 50, munching through Nottinghamshire’s first innings lead of 131.What of friends to make along the way? At this juncture, struggling. Brett Hutton, the resident warlock, peak of his powers with 4 for 53 on day one, had gone off four balls into the previous over at the end Farhan was now to occupy. With only two seamers left on the park in Fergus O’Neill – already five overs deep into his work – and Josh Tongue, a lot would be required of the 17-year-old offspinner whose cursory seven overs on day one – 1 for 19 – had been somewhat carefree. As they should be at that age.Related

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Fast forward 34 overs, well into the second act of this production, and our plucky fish was not simply alive and thriving, but treacherous for his own means. Sussex were stuttering on 138 for 5, scoring curtailed, batters prised out, ahead by just seven. Farhan’s uninterrupted spell of 17 overs – 11 of them up to tea – had come to an end. But his impact had been huge, his efforts far more than lovable, but a perfect distillation of the multi-purpose benefits a spinner brings when they know exactly what needs to be done, and how they are going to do it.He did not just take the first two of Sussex’s seven Saturday wickets – Hughes caught behind, then No.3 Tom Clark trapped in front in the space of nine balls. He brought a level of control that turned captain Haseeb Hameed’s anxiety about juggling his now scarce seam options into a luxury now that he only needed to worry about the Radcliffe Road End.Able to focus on himself, O’Neil banked his first wicket of the match in his second spell, trapping Tom Alsop lbw. A high-calibre second followed nine balls after tea when sticking his right-hand out in his follow-through around the wicket for a stunning catch off a flowing Haines drive.Haines, by then, had 64, a fourth fifty-plus score in his last five innings, with a third century seemingly in the offing to make amends for his two-ball duck yesterday. A lashed cut over cover point, into the PKF Smith Cooper Stand on the short side, took him to 53 from 65 deliveries, and past 500 for the season already.He had been dropped by Joe Clarke at first slip off O’Neil on 34. And it is not hard to surmise that Haines’s keeness to crack on in the evening, which allowed the Australian to finally get his man, was because he was not getting much change from the kid at the other end. Ben Duckett, scooping low to his left at second slip, removed Ollie Carter for O’Neil’s third, by which point Sussex were five down and still six behind.That was the final dismissal during Farhan’s mammoth stint. By the time he had been given the “that’ll do for now” by Hameed, his 2 for 45 had brought Nottinghamshire back into the ascendancy. The frugality of it all – conceding only four boundaries in those first 17, and just two to the leg side when skipper John Simpson arrived to sweep firmly behind square in the offspinner’s last two overs – meant the lower order dart for runs did not really shift the dial.Farhan Ahmed in his delivery stride•Jas Ghata-Aura

Tongue, having replaced the offie, was well-rested enough to find movement with a 48-over-old Dukes to remove James Coles lbw. The more senior spinner Liam Patterson-White – even if this was his first appearance of the season to Farhan’s fourth – snuck one under Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s bat and into his stumps. Even Hutton had time to shake off cramp and a neural issue to rejoin the attack late in the day.By the time Farhan returned for two more overs at the dregs of day two, Simpson had found a valuable ally in Jack Carson, whose resolute unbeaten 21 in a stand of 28 does represent a sliver of hope. They lead by 64. A sharp turner past Simpson’s edge – the first to really go big – was a nod to what the spinner might get up to tomorrow.Make no mistake, this remains a seamer’s pitch, which is another feather in Farhan’s cap. After all, we’re at Trent Bridge in April. Even before Farhan made his appearances, the sharks of Jayden Seales and Ollie Robinson wreaked havoc. The Test duo, averages a lowly 22 at that level, are a big reason why we are the best part of three innings through this fixture inside two days.They hacked away at Nottinghamshire’s strong first innings position of 164 for 3 at the start of play – five away from parity – splitting six morning wickets between them. Nottinghamshire’s eventual grind to 300 thanks to cameos from Patterson-White (42) and Tongue (39) went some way to regaining that dominance, spitting on Robinson and Seales’ graft in the process. By the end of it all, the respective four-fors for the Englishman and West Indian came from a combined 45 overs of the 68.3 Sussex sent down.Both Robinson (from the Radcliffe Road End) and Seales (Stuart Broad End) began with eight-over stints that elicited a collapse of 5 for 43. Seales, struggling with a stomach issue on Friday, showed the benefit of a night’s rest when he shaved Jack Haynes’ edge with his first ball of day two.Once Robinson had removed Haseeb Hameed for 85 with a quality delivery that finally lured the home skipper into a misjudgment – the result of movement in, pitching full but not full enough for a push – both ends were opened. And when O’Neill and Hutton were seen off with ease, 210 for 8 spoke of shifting sands.Though the 90 more runs added kept Sussex uncertain under foot, the opening stand between Hughes and Haines was on its way to wiping the slate clean. That they haven’t got away with it is not down to some pesky kid, but an English offspinner beyond his years, marrying control and responsibility.There was nothing cartoonish about it, just a generational talent doing it for real.

Despite not starting the 2025/26 season in perfect fashion, one thing that Manchester City have not had trouble with in their five Premier League games so far is finding the back of the net. According to Understat, there are just four sides that have scored more than City’s nine goals so far this term.

Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s side have been consistent in front of goal this season. The Citizens have the fourth-highest expected goals tally in the English top flight, with 8.8xG. That means they’re exceeding it by just 0.2xG so far, showing extreme consistency.

It is no surprise that City’s goalscoring form has coincided with Erling Haaland’s fine form.

Haaland’s start to the 2025/26 season

There is a certain inevitability about Norwegian striker Haaland. The 25-year-old has been one of the best strikers in the Premier League since he first moved to East Manchester.

His record for City currently stands at 131 goals in just 152 games.

This season, the former Borussia Dortmund star simply cannot stop scoring.

He’s already found the back of the net seven times in just six appearances, which included two goals per game against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United on derby day.

There has been a constant debate over the past 12 months over who is the better striker, Haaland or new Liverpool recruit Alexander Isak. Of course, the Swede scored 23 times in the top flight last season, finishing second in the Golden Boot race behind new teammate Mohamed Salah.

It is not easy to settle. Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones used data to assess the pair. This shows Isak to be “the more complete footballer”, although when he posed the question of who he would want to score a goal for his life, he said it “has to be Haaland.”

Well, in actual fact, City once sold a striker who now ranks close to Isak in numbers and shone in the 2024/25 campaign.

City already sold their answer to Isak

Imagine a team with both Isak and Haaland leading the line. That would certainly be a strike partnership that would be nigh on impossible to stop. Actually, Guardiola had something similar at the club, with a former player.

One of the most exciting duos up front in recent times was certainly Haaland partnered with Julian Alvarez. The Argentine striker was excellent for City before moving to Atletico Madrid last summer, where he has excelled.

During his time at the Etihad Stadium, the 2022 World Cup winner scored 36 goals and assisted 19 in 103 games for the club.

However, he only played 6007 minutes and averaged just 66 full games. That left him with a goals and assists per game record on average of 0.8.

Since moving to the Spanish capital, Alvarez has once again shone. In 63 appearances, he’s found the back of the net 33 times and grabbed a further nine assists. 29 of those strikes came last season, with eight assists also coming in 59 games.

It is for that reason that Argentine journalist Roy Nemer called him “the best forward in the world” back in March. This term, that forward has four goals and an assist in six La Liga games already.

If the stats from the past year are anything to go by, Alvarez really could have been Guardiola’s own Isak.

The pair are deemed to be statistically similar, as per FBref, both averaging 0.2 goals per shot and similar goal-creating action numbers each game, where Alvarez averages 0.49 and Isak 0.45.

Alvarez vs Isak

Stat (per 90)

Alvarez

Isak

Goals

0.64

0.74

Goals per shot

0.2

0.2

Key passes

1.55

1.33

Shot-creating actions

3.92

2.98

Goal-creating actions

0.49

0.45

Stats from FBref

Perhaps, on reflection, the decision to sell Alvarez last summer was one Guardiola regret. Having both he and Haaland in the same side was a luxury they enjoyed for a few seasons, but they could have had their own Isak in the side and been even more imperious.

He really could have been City’s answer to Isak and made them an even bigger threat in front of goal.

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Manchester United legend Teddy Sheringham has just told rivals Leeds United to go and sign one particular Old Trafford ace when the transfer window opens in January.

Leeds' January transfer plans

Credit where it’s due, Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland have all got off to better starts than anyone could have imagined. All three promoted sides are vying to end the trend of sides crashing straight back down to the Championship and the pressure was on after the last six teams did exactly that. But the record books will show that their respective attempts have so far been more positive than those previous clubs.

All three clubs aren’t resting on their laurels, however, and Leeds have already set their sights on the January transfer window. Daniel Farke has reiterated several times that his side were left short in attack during the summer and solving that problem should be the 49ers’ top priority this winter.

On that front, a number of names have already been mentioned. Recent reports have name-dropped the likes of Josh Sargent when it comes to potential targets and there’s no doubt that the American is ready to take the Premier League step.

Whilst Norwich City have struggled to get going under Liam Manning, Sargent has scored six goals in seven Championship games to get himself on the radar of Premier League clubs.

Alas, it’s not just Farke’s frontline that the 49ers could focus on in the winter window. They’ll be well aware of just how important it is to build on a strong start and secure survival at the first time of asking in the Premier League. As a result, midfield foundations and potentially the addition of a rival star could prove all important.

Sherringham tells Leeds to come and get Mainoo

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, former Premier League striker and Man United legend Sheringham has told Leeds to go and get Kobbie Mainoo in 2026.

Leeds and Daniel Farke now ready to sell once-£50m player on the cheap

Is this the right decision by 49ers Enterprises?

ByHenry Jackson Sep 26, 2025

The Old Trafford midfielder wanted to leave the club on loan in the summer and the Whites were reportedly among the interested parties before United shut down any potential exit for their academy graduate. Now, after failing to see his game time increase, Sheringham has told Leeds that they should push to sign Mainoo when they get the chance.

Whether those at Elland Road take Sheringham’s advice is the question. In a World Cup year, welcoming a player of Mainoo’s calibre who is fighting for his England place certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea.