Pep Guardiola made ten changes for Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen, Nico González the only man to keep his place and, well, this certainly did not pay off.

Manchester City were beaten in a home group stage tie for the first time since defeat to Olympique Lyonnais in September 2018, with Leverkusen leaving the Etihad comfortable 2-0 winners.

Nico O’Reilly, Jérémy Doku and Phil Foden were all introduced at half time, with Rayan Cherki and Erling Braut Håland thrown on soon after, but they still rarely threatened die Werkself’s goal.

Thus, the Sky Blues’ top eight spot in the Champions League is now somewhat under threat, traveling to Real Madrid in a fortnight, before rounding out the league phase against Bodø/Glimt in the Arctic Circle and then Galatasaray at home in late January.

After the match, Guardiola bemoaned his lack of squad depth, so could it spark him to go into the January transfer market, potentially set to make a move to sign the “best winger in the country”?

Manchester City targeting attacking reinforcements

In January this year, Manchester City splashed around £180m, recruiting Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Juma Bah, the aforementioned Nico González and Omar Marmoush, thereby spending more than the other 19 Premier League clubs combined.

Well, according to reports in Spain, similar heavy investment is forecast this winter, with the Citizens having made Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo a ‘priority target’.

They add that Man City are among those ‘considering’ making a January move for the Ghanaian attacker, alongside Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and others.

Well, earlier this month, it was reported that Semenyo’s contract contains a £65m release clause that becomes active on 1 January, meaning the winger could have his pick of clubs, and Bournemouth would be powerless to prevent him departing.

So, could the 25-year-old soon swap Dorset for East Manchester?

How Antoine Semenyo would improve Manchester City

So far this season, former England international Chris Waddle has asserted that Semenyo is the “best winger in the country”, while Anantaajith Raghuraman of The Athletic took it a step further, arguing that he is ‘the best player in the Premier League right now’.

These are certainly not outrageous claims, considering the Ghanaian international has scored six goals and registered three assists already in this campaign.

More broadly, the Bournemouth attacker has been one of the stars across the whole league so far, as the table below highlights.

Goals

6

4th

Assists

3

5th

Shot on target %

57.1%

2nd*

Non-pen goals – xG

+2

7th

Big chances missed

5

6th

Goal-creating actions

7

3rd

Attempted take-ons

50

6th

Successful dribbles

21

6th

Average rating

7.21

20th

As the table documents, Semenyo has been one of the most outstanding players in the Premier League this season.

Only Håland, Igor Thiago and Danny Welbeck have scored more goals while, of all players who’ve mustered ten or more shots on target, Håland is the only one to boast a higher shots on target percentage, underlining his newfound clinical nature.

Lifting some of the burden on Håland would be a key benefit of signing Semenyo in January.

In the league thus far, the Norwegian already has 14 goals to his name, but the only other player to have netted more than once for the Citizens is Maxime Estève, who scored two own goals when Burnley visited the Etihad in September.

Players such as Foden, Cherki, Doku, Savinho and others have shown glimpses of brilliance, but nothing on a consistent basis on par with what Semenyo has been producing by the South Coast.

Thus, alongside Håland, he could form an unstoppable partnership that could bring the glory days back to the Etihad, as they seek to chase down Premier League leaders Arsenal once again.

4/10 Man City duo who "offer nothing" must now never start together again

This pair struggled in Man City’s 2-0 home loss to Leverkusen

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 26, 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo’s three-match ban for sustaining a red card in Portugal’s World Cup qualifier against Ireland has been suspended for a year, and the reason why has now been revealed.

Why Ronaldo will be allowed to play at 2026 World Cup

Ronaldo was shown a straight red card for violent conduct in his side’s 2-0 defeat against Ireland this month, having elbowed Dara O’Shea, but he is set to be involved from the start of the World Cup next summer.

FIFA have taken the decision to suspend the final two games of the ban, and with the forward sitting out of his side’s 9-1 drubbing of Armenia, he will be able to take part in all of Portugal’s group games.

The decision has caused plenty of controversy, with talkSPORT’s Andy Goldstein calling it “disgusting”, given that the same rules haven’t been applied to Nicolas Otamendi and Moises Caicedo, who both have one-match bans, meaning they are set to miss the first World Cup game.

Darren Bent also weighed in, saying the only reason FIFA have decided to make an exception is because the Portugal star sells tickets, but the BBC have now revealed that another factor is at play.

According to their sources, FIFA have taken into account that it was the 40-year-old’s first red card in 226 international appearances when making their decision.

The statement put out by the governing body is also relayed, which states: “If Cristiano Ronaldo commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension set out in the disciplinary decision shall be deemed automatically revoked and the remaining two matches must be served immediately.”

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In truth, the decision is definitely questionable, given that similar exceptions haven’t been made for Otamendi and Caicedo, and journalist Colin Millar has drawn comparisons to Inter Miami being allowed to play at the Club World Cup.

However, Ronaldo will undoubtedly be relieved, given that he has already confirmed the 2026 World Cup will be his last, saying: “Definitely, yes. I will be 41 years old and I think [this] will be the moment in the big competition.”

Should the Al-Nassr star win the competition with Portugal, there is a case to be made for him winning the ‘GOAT’ debate, but it will be a tall order, with the likes of Spain, England, France and Argentina all looking strong.

Barcelona’s Champions League hopes took another hit after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, worsened by Ronald Araujo’s first-half red card that left the Catalans battling with 10 men for most of the game. Hansi Flick admitted the sending-off was avoidable and vowed to review the incident with his captain as pressure mounts on Barca amid their poor European form.

Araujo’s red card leaves Barca with uphill battle

Barcelona’s trip to Stamford Bridge quickly turned into a nightmare as Flick’s side were reduced to 10 men in the first half, eventually falling 3-0 to Chelsea. The Catalans had started brightly, creating early chances through Ferran Torres, but their momentum collapsed the moment Araujo received two bookings – the first for dissent, the second for a heavy challenge on Marc Cucurella just before the end of the first half.

The dismissal forced Barcelona into damage-control mode, leaving them outnumbered for over an hour in a must-win Champions League tie. Flick did not hide his frustration post-match, admitting the defender “shouldn’t have gone in like that” and that the red card fundamentally changed the game’s dynamic. That set the stage for the German coach to share his wider assessment of a disappointing night.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFlick’s frustration over Araujo and the team’s display

In the post match press conference Flick made it clear he believed the Uruguayan's dismissal was avoidable, while also reflecting on Barca’s struggle to compete a man down.

"I don't know what happened with the first yellow card," the German said. "I have to talk to him and see the videos, and the second one shouldn't have gone in like that. But these things happen in football. It wasn't the right time or the right play, but that's how it was."

He then expanded on the team’s overall performance in London: "It's just one game. We started well, with good chances, from Ferran, and then with one less player it became very difficult. We didn't have the necessary intensity, but I'm positive about the future." 

"It's not easy to win against this team, Chelsea, with one less player. But I'm positive about the upcoming matches. We have three games left and I'm confident we can win them. But today we made some mistakes, we didn't keep possession, some players made errors… Today it wasn't enough, but there are positives: Raphinha is back, Marcus is playing well… we have to be positive. If you analyze the game, you have to see that we played with one less player and that has a big impact. You play better with one more player. For Chelsea, playing against ten is a huge advantage."

Champions League qualification hangs by a thread

Barcelona’s European campaign is now in a precarious position. With just two wins from five Champions League group games and sitting 16th in the table with seven points, the Catalans must win their remaining fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague and Copenhagen to have a realistic chance of going straight through to the round of 16 without having to navigate the knockout play-off.

Flick acknowledged the challenge, stressing that qualification remains possible but only if the team drastically improves their aggression and intensity. "It will be very difficult to finish in the top eight, but anything is possible. We need to play aggressively. We've seen a more dynamic Chelsea, and that's what I want from my team. We have to fight harder and play more aggressively," he said.

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Getty Images SportFlick promises a response as Barca look to rebound

Despite the setback, Flick ended the night with an optimistic tone, insisting that Barcelona’s level will rise in the coming weeks. With La Liga fixture against Alaves up next and Champions League qualification on the line, the pressure is growing but the coach remains defiant. "We'll see a different Barca, I can promise you that. I see how we train, the intensity and the quality, and it's different from a few weeks ago… I have a good feeling about it." 

The Blaugrana sit second in La Liga, a point behind Real Madrid, but must now juggle domestic ambitions with the crucial European mission ahead. All eyes turn to the Camp Nou this weekend, where Flick hopes a convincing performance can reset their trajectory.

Game 5 of the World Series featured a pitching performance for the ages.

It just wasn’t authored by the player most would have expected it from.

Blue Jays rookie starter Trey Yesavage dominated the defending champion Dodgers, spearheading a 6–1 victory that brought Toronto one win away from its first championship since 1993. He struck out 12 batters and gave up just one run on three hits over seven innings, breaking the record for most strikeouts by a rookie in World Series history previously set by Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949.

He outdueled Los Angeles ace Blake Snell, who gave up five runs on six hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings.

The Blue Jays ambushed Snell, with Davis Schneider driving the game’s first pitch over the left field wall for a lead-off homer. Two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did the same, blasting the eighth home run of his historic postseason.

That start to the game took the air out of Dodger Stadium, and Yesavage made sure it never returned. As the series heads back to Toronto, here are four takeaways from Game 5.

Dave Roberts is out of lineup options

Their dominant pitching and sweep of the Brewers masked it, but the Dodgers bats haven’t been clicking for some time now. Los Angeles managed only 15 runs across four games in the NLCS, and has scored just 18 in the Fall Classic. And no matter what tweaks Roberts makes, it hasn’t seemed to make a difference.

For Wednesday’s game, Roberts tried to shake things up by moving Mookie Betts from second to the No. 3 hole, and shifting Will Smith up to No. 2. And after resisting for the entire playoffs, he finally decided to bench center fielder Andy Pages, who was 4-for-50 during the postseason with zero walks. None of it mattered.

Too many key Dodgers bats are slumping at the wrong time. Betts is 3-for-23 this series, and has just one extra-base hit in his last 52 plate appearances. Tommy Edman is 3-for-21. Since his home run in Game 2, Max Muncy is 1-for-13 with five strikeouts. Roberts can reshuffle things all he wants to, but with the Dodgers’ backs against the wall, none of it is likely to wake the lineup out of its prolonged, ill-timed slumber.

Trey Yesavage rises to the occasion

The 2025/26 season has been one full of inconsistency for Newcastle United. Whether it be on the field or in the treatment room, they cannot seem to string a positive period together.

After drawing 2-2 in last-gasp fashion with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday evening, it meant that Eddie Howe’s men have not won back-to-back games since the end of October.

In the Premier League, they are yet to win consecutive fixtures all campaign long. This cannot go on forever and sooner rather than later, the Magpies are going to need to sustain a period of form.

They have, of course, been hampered by Alexander Isak’s departure but in their bid to replace the iconic Swede, they have not been helped by Yoane Wissa. Signed from Brentford, the DR Congo striker is yet to be seen in the famous black and white stripes due to injury.

That said, he is nearing a return. Perhaps the former Bees forward could be the man to spark some extra life in this Newcastle team.

The tactical tweaks Eddie Howe needs to make at Newcastle

To cut Howe some slack, he has not been helped out by a number of his chief lieutenants this season.

In the last few weeks, Nick Pope has become something of a calamity between the sticks and even if he is now injured, it would not be a surprise to see Aaron Ramsdale replace Newcastle’s no.1 long-term. That feels like a necessary change if they are to improve at the back.

The defence has not been helped by injury either. Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall have both missed games and if Howe can now keep the English duo injury-free, they will be key to any improvement Newcastle make in the future.

Hall, in particular, has been outstanding since returning. He was hailed as the “best player on the field” against Spurs by BBC North East correspondent Andy Sixsmith and looks every bit a left-back who should be in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad next summer.

Hall’s return has led to one key tactical tweak. Dan Burn is no longer playing at left-back. In that position, he had floundered and flattered to deceive, notably described as “the stuff of nightmares” in that role.

It’s in midfield and up top where Howe has struggled to find the most consistency. Summer arrival Anthony Elanga is still without a goal since arriving and Wissa’s injury problems are well-documented.

Anthony Gordon is arguably in the worst form of his Toon career too, scoring just once in nine league outings throughout 2025/26. It’s just as well they also have Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes to choose from in wide areas.

Gordon has been one of the biggest scapegoats of the ongoing campaign but there’s a bigger one in the middle of the park and it’s time for Howe to drop him to the bench.

Newcastle's long-term servant must no longer start regularly

This has been a hugely frustrating season for the likes of Elanga and Gordon but it’s arguably been a worse one for Joelinton, whose performances in the middle of the park are waning.

Signed as a striker by Steve Bruce in a then club-record deal, Howe has worked wonders with the Brazilian, turning him into a no-nonsense midfielder who loves a duel.

He’s been one of the most important components of Howe’s squad throughout the year, delivering his ‘greatest performance’ for the club during that League Cup win at Wembley last term.

Since then, however, it’s been a tale of woe for the former Hoffenheim man. Excusing his first term in England, this is arguably his worst since moving from Germany.

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In the words of journalist Mark Douglas in mid-October, he has been “nowhere near his best” in recent memory, leading to sections of the fanbase calling for him to be dropped from the XI.

He remained on the bench in the defeat to Marseille in Europe but has started the last three league games. His form, however, is not getting much better.

Journalist Charlie Bennett noted that Joelinton was “very sloppy” on the ball during Newcastle’s 2-2 draw with Spurs on Tuesday. The club’s number seven lost the ball 11 times out of 49 touches and had a pass accuracy of only 83%.

Joelinton vs Spurs

Minutes played

90

Touches

49

Accurate passes

29/35 (83%)

Key passes

1

Crosses

0

Shots

1

Dribbles

0

Possession lost

11x

Duels won

3/12

Stats via Sofascore.

Judging by recent performances, which have been gritty but lacking composure, the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Joe Willock must be wondering what they need to do to start more games.

There is no dislodging the likes of Sandro Tonali and skipper Bruno Guimaraes but there is an extra slot that is being filled, perhaps undeservedly, by Joelinton.

Willock, signed from Arsenal in a deal worth £25m has barely been seen this term. He’s fallen behind in the pecking order and the days of him running riot during that famous loan spell are now a distant memory.

Likewise for Ramsey. He joined from Aston Villa in the summer for a whopping £40m and even if he has struggled with injury, he should now be starting more matches.

The fact that error-prone Joelinton is starting ahead of them on a regular basis should leave the pair rather angry. Newcastle needed some extra drive and the ability to hold onto possession. Ramsey, in particular, with his ability to surge through midfield, could have offered this against Spurs.

Lewis Miley has started the odd game recently and was one of their best players in the win over Everton last weekend. Even he had a right to be fuming that Joelinton has started more games than him.

It’s time for a regular spot on the bench for the big Brazilian.

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Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) legend, has decided to call time on his IPL career after not being retained by the franchise ahead of the 2026 season, and announced that he would be joining the team’s support staff as its “power coach”.”I’ve made a decision to retire from the IPL. I’ll still be active playing in various leagues all around the world and all the other KKR franchises,” Russell said in a video message. “I had some amazing time and great memories. hitting sixes, winning games, MVP and all of those things. But sometimes you just have to know when to hang up the boots. When I made this decision, I just felt like ‘yes, this is the best decision’. I don’t want to fade out. I want to leave a legacy and it’s best to retire when fans ask ‘why, you still have some more in you, you still could go for a bit longer’ than say, ‘yeah, you should have done it years back’.”We are part of the Instagram world, so when you’re going through your feed, you keep seeing yourself in different jerseys and, you know, friends, team-mates sending you stuff and, like, ‘you’re looking good in this jersey, what do you think’ and I’m like, ‘hmmm, I look weird in that jersey’. And it’s just those thoughts that’s been going through my head. I had a few sleepless nights. There have been a lot of conversations, between me and Mr Venky Mysore, and also Mr Shah Rukh Khan, about another chapter in my IPL journey, and they have shown me respect and love and they appreciate whatever I have been doing in the field and to be in a set-up where I’m familiar, that matters to me a lot.”Russell, who was part of KKR’s title-winning teams in 2014 and 2024, was also the IPL’s Most Valuable Player in 2019. Russell won 16 Player-of-the-Match awards at KKR, only behind Sunil Narine’s mark. And that long association has been strengthened with a position in the team’s support staff as “power coach”.