All posts by n8rngtd.top

An update on West Ham's search for a David Moyes replacement has been provided over the weekend.

David Moyes expected to leave West Ham

After several years of impressive service for the east Londoners, David Moyes is expected to depart West Ham at the close of the 2023/24 campaign.

Next West Ham manager: Who could replace David Moyes?

Julen Lopetegui appears to have taken a step closer to becoming the new Hammers boss…

By
Stephan Georgiou

May 6, 2024

The Scotsman led the Hammers to their first major trophy since 1980 in 2022/23, securing the Europa Conference League. The current campaign does not look set to go as well, with the east Londoners likely to miss out on any form of European football – being forced to settle instead for a top-10 finish in the Premier League.

However, given West Ham lost star man Declan Rice to Arsenal during the 2023 summer transfer window and did not really replace him with a similar-quality player, it is not surprising that Moyes' side have not been able to match their output from previous seasons.

Despite this, the higher-ups at West Ham are seemingly eager to part ways with their long-time manager this summer. A number of names have been tipped to make the move to the London Stadium in recent weeks. A report earlier this week claimed former Chelsea and current Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel is wanted by West Ham as he prepares to leave Munich this summer.

Elsewhere, it was claimed recently that West Ham have identified Lille manager Paulo Fonseca as a possible successor. And with widespread reports from reliable media sources in the last two weeks stating that Moyes is set to depart West Ham when his contract expires on June 30, Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has also been touted as a name of interest to West Ham.

However, it appears West Ham have opted to snub all of the aforementioned names and are close to appointing a former Premier League boss to replace David Moyes.

West Ham manager search close to end

This comes with talkSPORT, which is reporting that West Ham are in advanced talks with former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui. Lopetegui is now said to be the clear front-runner to replace David Moyes at the London Stadium and there is confidence on both sides a deal is close after technical director Tim Steidten held face-to-face talks with the former Wolves manager.

The Spaniard's last managerial role saw him guide Wolves to a 13th-place finish in the Premier League in 2022/23 but he left the club last August after criticising their lack of summer spending.

Despite issues at the end of his time in the Midlands, Lopetegui was seen as a serious get for Wolves at the time, with Jeff Shi, the club's executive chairman, previously labelling the Spanish tactician as a top coach:

“Julen is a top coach, with excellent experience at an elite level of the game,” said Shi. “Since the very beginning, Julen has been our No 1 choice to manage Wolves, and we look forward to welcoming him and his team when they join us in the coming weeks.”

Though he did not really set the world alight at Wolves, Lopetegui has proven himself outside of England, guiding Sevilla to one of their many Europa League triumphs in 2019/20. Will he be able to repeat that success with West Ham?

Gary Neville delivered a brutal “nowhere near” verdict on Benjamin Sesko after seeing the Manchester United striker make no impact against Fulham.

• Red Devils invested big money in new No.9
• Two substitute appearances made so far
• Slovenian striker is lacking match sharpness

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils invested £74 million ($100m) in Sesko when a protracted search for a new No.9 led to them completing a big-money deal with RB Leipzig. The Slovenia international has been eased into Premier League life off the bench.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  His competitive debut came in a 2025-26 opening weekend defeat to Arsenal, before being given 37 minutes in a 1-1 draw away at Fulham. Sesko struggled to make an impression in either outing, with questions being asked of how match ready the 22-year-old frontman is.

• WHAT NEVILLE SAID

  United legend Neville told after watching another frustrating performance from Ruben Amorim’s side at Craven Cottage: “I said this last week and it's a little bit worrying: Fulham got a lot stronger when they made their substitutions, I actually thought United got worse when they made theirs. Sesko, at the moment, let's just say it, he's nowhere near in terms of fitness or just getting up to speed.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Neville added on efforts to get minutes into Sesko, which are making selection calls tricky for United’s Portuguese coach: “Ruben Amorim said before the game that there is a clamour to play him. Last week, I was saying, 'look, let's just get him straight in'.

  “He is going to have to get him in against Grimsby and give him 90 minutes. He's going to have to probably play him against Burnley next Saturday, just to get him going, because you can see he needs football.

  “What you can't do is let a player of that value, that potential, just keep being on the bench. The problem he'll have is that he wants to keep [building] the team, but I think what you saw when they brought Sesko on, put Mount into midfield and took Casemiro off, they did get opened up and it looked like Fulham could score.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be set to lose one of their most reliable performers this summer, it has emerged, with Manchester United showing interest in bringing him to Old Trafford ahead of the new season.

Wolves with mixed season on and off the pitch

It has been a strange year for Wolves. After Julen Lopetegui quit over spending disagreements, Gary O'Neil was appointed head coach of a side widely tipped for relegation from the Premier League.

Instead, they enjoyed a fine campaign and were looking on course for European football. However, financial fair play meant that they couldn't sign a striker in January and squad size issues have contributed to a downturn in form.

‘We couldn’t afford to go to where other clubs were able to go to without putting ourselves at risk. It’s the position the club’s in, the position they told me they were in when they spoke to me", O'Neil explained when discussing the January window.

"We could afford wages but some of the fees – obligations, loan fees, penalties for people not playing – were too much of a hurdle for us. We couldn’t get anything done."

Their hard-fought 2-1 win over Luton Town ended a run of six Premier League games without a win, which included defeats to West Ham, Arsenal, Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

Wolves make pre-summer bid to sign star with "blistering pace"

Wolves are looking to get a jump start on the 2024 summer transfer window.

By
Josh Barker

Apr 27, 2024

With three games left to play, they currently sit 11th and are seven points behind seventh-placed Newcastle United, meaning that European football will remain a dream for another season. Now, though, they could be set to lose one of their stars.

Manchester United circle around Kilman

That comes as the Times claim that Manchester United are keen to sign Maximilian Kilman this summer after shortlisting him among their defensive targets. The Red Devils are set to be bolstered financially by the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, and they have already set about planning for the summer.

A centre-back is one of their top priorities after the defensive crisis this season has seen Casemiro play at centre back in recent weeks. Both Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane are out of contract this summer, while the futures of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are unclear.

They are keen to add English talent, which has led to their defensive targets being narrowed down to Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi or Kilman, who has enjoyed another fine season at Molineux, playing every minute under Gary O'Neil and grabbing two goals in the process.

Wolves have already rejected previous interest in the 26-year-old from Napoli, but may find offers too good to turn down this time around.

Perhaps pertinently, United will be able to offer Kilman a massive raise on his current £50k per week deal at Molineux, with 22 of Manchester United's squad already earning more than the Englishman.

Any deal would likely be in excess of £50m, the report adds, with Wolves not planning to let their captain leave cheaply. However, should the money be presented, cashing in could well suit all parties and help Wolves battle their ongoing financial fair play issues.

“It was a brain fade moment,” he said as he rued Kerala’s missed chance of winning their maiden Ranji title

Shashank Kishore02-Mar-2025Thirty youngsters, part of the state under-14s and under-16s, had been flown into Nagpur by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) in anticipation of Sachin Baby’s team creating history by winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title. While they didn’t see their illustrious seniors win Indian domestic cricket’s biggest prize, some of them clicked pictures with the replica of the Ranji Trophy, perhaps dreaming of laying their hands on the main one in the years to come.Several members of the Kerala team, heartbroken and lost for words, recognised the presence of these young kids in the stands, posing for pictures even as Baby momentarily brought some comic relief at the presentation. “You guys have beaten us in all three knockout stages. Next time, guys, we’ll beat you. We’ll give you a tougher time,” Baby told the Vidarbha team in jest.In 2017-18, Kerala were beaten by Vidarbha in the quarter-final. In the following season, Kerala were ousted in the semi-final. In 2024-25, Kerala were vanquished in their maiden final. Baby was part of all the heartbreaks. This one may have been the toughest to take, because Baby was at the front and centre of their march. A lead was in touching distance when Baby let the temptation of a hundred in his 100th first-class game get to him.”Brain fade,” he said at the post-match press conference, of the slog he dragged to Karun Nair at deep midwicket on 98. The occasion couldn’t have been bigger; a century in his 100th first-class game may have well killed the game. But it wasn’t to be; it was as if they’d run out of luck in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, which they scraped through courtesy leads of one and two runs respectively.The Kerala side with the runners-up trophy•KCA

“As the leader, I’ll take the blame,” he said. “My shot changed the momentum of the game. I wanted to be there for the team, and we were six down. I wanted to be there till the end to get the lead. I wanted to have a lead of 100-plus if at all we got a lead. That would have made a difference.”Baby couldn’t quite explain why he played the slog – it was instinct more than a calculated risk, one that he will perhaps replay in his mind over and over again. “I was playing all along the ground till that moment, but then I don’t know what happened and why I played that shot. But that and the dropped catch of Karun [Nair] were important moments of the game.”And then he continued. “If I take credit for the success, I will take the blame for failure, too. Nobody plays a shot to get out. That shot was not on my mind, actually. Maybe, it was a brain fade moment. But on this wicket, you had to play shots. If I had played too defensively, there would have been pressure on the team and myself.”At 36, Baby is the oldest member of this side. He hates the use of the word ‘veteran’ to describe ageing stars. He says he’s never felt fitter – all possible signs of him wanting to continue. But without wanting to make it about him, he continued: “We have to improve still. I was telling the team about how Vidarbha came back from the defeat in last year’s final to win the trophy this year.”

Stats highlights from Sri Lanka’s remarkable collapse on the final day of the first Test

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan30-May-2011In an extraordinary finish to a rain-affected game, England pulled off an innings victory when it seemed that a draw was a foregone conclusion. When Sri Lanka started their second innings trailing England by 96 runs, only 51 overs were left in the game. Incredibly, they didn’t even survive half that many, losing six wickets for 19 at one stage to slump to an utterly demoralising defeat. The stats highlights from their innings won’t make pleasant reading for their fans.

• Sri Lanka faced only 24.4 overs in their second innings and were bowled out for 82 to lose by an innings and 14 runs. It is the lowest number of deliveries faced by Sri Lanka in a completed innings in Tests. Their previous lowest was 24.5 overs against Pakistan in 2006, when they were bowled out 73.
• The 24.4 overs is also the least number of overs in which England have bowled out any team since they bowled India out for 42 in 17 overs at Lord’s in 1974. It’s also 14th in the overall list of least deliveries faced by a team which has been bowled out in their second innings.
• Sri Lanka’s total is their fourth-lowest score in Tests and their ninth score below 100. It is also their second-lowest score against England, after the 81 in Colombo in 2001. Their lowest score in Tests is 71 against Pakistan in 1994.
• The innings defeat is Sri Lanka’s 28th in Tests, their 22nd overseas, and only their second against England. The previous innings defeat against England came in 2002 when they lost by an innings and 111 runs in Birmingham.
• Sri Lanka’s innings had four ducks, which is one short of their record. Only twice have they had more in an innings: against India in Chandigarh in 1990 and against New Zealand in Wellington in 2006-07.
• This became only the fourth instance of Sri Lanka losing after scoring 400 or more runs in the first innings. The last such instance came against India at Colombo SSC in 2010 when they lost after scoring 425.
• For the first time, three English batsmen scored a century in a single innings in a Test against Sri Lanka. Their overall record is four, against Australia at Nottingham in 1938 and against West Indies at Lord’s in 2007.
• Graeme Swann’s 4 for 16 is his best bowling against Sri Lanka in Tests, surpassing his 3 for 78 in the first innings. It is also the sixth-best performance by an English spinner against Sri Lanka.

CSK coach plays down concerns over Dhoni’s form

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2020Chennai Super Kings have played their first two matches in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Having won one game, the opener against Mumbai Indians, they head into their third fixture against Delhi Capitals with some questions over their team composition. Stephen Fleming, the head coach, spoke to the Super Kings website about the challenges his side faces ahead of the Friday’s clash in Dubai.Excerpts:
On their bowl-first approach in the first two matches
“In our case, it has been that we are not sure. We look at it as almost safety-first so we get an understanding of what the wickets are going to be like. Both games that we’ve played so far have been the first games of the tournament, in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and to get a feel of the conditions we thought bowling first was the best way to go. It does seem to be a trend, but bowling first is a bit of an advantage with the dew [setting in later].”On finding the ideal balance given many players have been out of the game for over a year
“One of the biggest challenges is to find the right combinations. Also to give the guys some match play, keeping in mind we’ve got a number of players who haven’t played for 12 months. We are working hard on a number of fronts, one is to get the right team for the conditions that we’ve been unsure about, and also to get the guys up to speed with their playing form. You can do as much practice and training as you like, but it doesn’t completely replicate what happens in the middle. So it was always going to be an interesting start for us. I think we’ll take one from one with a lot of areas to improve.”On Dhoni’s batting position

“MS is one of the players that hasn’t played much cricket in the last year-and-a-half. Everyone expects MS to come out and do what he has done in the past. It doesn’t just happen, it takes a bit of work and a part of his process of getting up to speed is his game time and that (match against Rajasthan Royals) was really the first time that he’d batted in the middle apart from a couple of balls against Mumbai Indians. As the tournament goes on, he’ll just get better and better. To come in and expect him to get a 30-ball 70 would be a tough ask. We’ve other players also who are in good form and can do a job. So, it’s valuing what each player can do and also respecting Dhoni is one of a kind when he’s in form and has been playing.”MS Dhoni speaks to Faf du Plessis mid-pitch•BCCI

On boosting Lungi Ngidi’s confidence after a poor final over against the Royals

“It will certainly hit Lungi’s confidence hard. The key thing for us is just for him to get better and analyse what he didn’t quite get right and make sure that the next time he’s in that opportunity he is better than what he was the last time. It doesn’t matter whether he goes for 30 or five or 10. Trying to get better all the time is what’s important. We’ve got one of the best death bowlers in the game in our squad and already Dwayne Bravo has been alongside him. We’ll use the experience in the team to make sure he is okay and looks forward to the next opportunity he gets.”On when Ambati Rayudu and Bravo are likely to be back from niggles.
“Rayudu is our in-form player and to lose him at that time (against Royals) was disappointing. Hopefully, it’s only a couple of games. We’ve got a six-day break after this (Friday’s match against Capitals), and we are hoping that he’ll be back for the game on October 2 (against Sunrisers Hyderabad).”Bravo is progressing very well, and if he has a couple of good days of training, he could come into selection consideration for the next game. That would be a good headache for us to have as we’re looking to introduce players and also get our best combination for the rest of the tournament. You don’t necessarily pick your final-winning side in the first two or three games, but as soon as you can settle and get some cohesion into the team you are better off for, and that’s what we are working towards now, giving new players opportunity and then settle.”

Oh Unai, just what have you done? If the Spaniard wasn't already a villain in north London he certainly is now, having damaged Arsenal's title hopes in quite some style on Sunday.

As the full-time whistle rung out at the Emirates with the Gunners dispatched 2-0 on their own patch by Aston Villa, the Emirates Stadium looked empty.

Ironically, Emery is used to that sight. During the latter stages of his tenure with Arsenal, supporters were alienated and refused to attend matches. Their home was a toxic environment, largely due to the way the club had played since Arsene Wenger left.

The now Villa boss eventually took his leave and was replaced by Mikel Arteta, a man who has engineered two title-challenging squads in the last two seasons.

However, after the events of Sunday afternoon, it may not be enough to topple Manchester City. Following what happened last term, this feels all too familiar.

Where things went wrong for Arsenal

With Liverpool having slipped to a defeat just hours before, beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace, this was a wonderful opportunity for Arsenal to potentially turn this into a two-horse title race.

City had beaten Luton Town a day before and begun the day at the top of the table. They consequently ended the weekend top as well, thanking both Palace and Villa for some massive favours.

But, where did things go wrong? Well, it's hard to tell really. Arsenal dominated the first half and truth be told, should have been a few goals ahead when the half-time whistle sounded.

Leandro Trossard somehow struck an effort at Emi Martinez from close range, Gabriel Jesus headed an effort into the side setting, Kai Havertz saw a number of efforts saved and Bukayo Saka, ever effervescent, curled just wide of the far post.

That all happened in frantic 45 minutes where, but for a goal being scored, Arsenal looked like title challengers.

The second half, therefore, was inexcusable. Arteta's men lost control and handed the ascendency to the visitors. Villa began to have more of the possession and through Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins late on, wrapped up a famous victory to hand them a massive boost in their bid for Champions League football.

Bizarrely, Emery said he didn't need to make any changes at the interval. Asked whether he'd made any alterations, the Spanish coach noted: "No, the same. The first half was the same game plan, only the first half we didn’t do because the opponent was pushing being more successful on the pitch as well tactically.

"The second half we tried to continue building up, trying to avoid the press and then trying to maybe find Zaniolo with the long ball, the hold up was fantastic."

Thus, was this a defeat all of Arsenal's undoing? Quite probably. This was a worrying loss, no visiting team has looked this dominant in N5 perhaps since Brighton last term.

Changes will have to be made, and that starts by pondering what to do with Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Arsenal's biggest underperformer against Aston Villa

This game called for Arsenal's title-winning players, the likes of Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus to stand up and take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Sadly, they both left the pitch having severely underperformed for Arteta. It's a shame, particularly for Jakub Kiwior who had performed so admirably when his positional colleague had been absent through injury.

He put in a series of exceptional performances during Arsenal's best run of the season to date. Across handsome wins against Burnley, Newcastle and Sheffield United, the Pole registered a goal and two assists, proving himself a player who can contribute efficiently in the final third.

Being an inverted full-back, we know Zinchenko can do that, but it's defensively where Kiwior looked far more adept. Rarely did he look rushed, rarely did he give the ball away, rarely did he look uncomfortable.

Well, contrast that to the Ukranian's display on Sunday and it's night and day. Handed a dismal 4/10 match rating by 90min for his performance, James Benge of CBS was rather apt with his assessment of the former Man City star's display.

He noted; "the quietly good moments didn’t come close to outweighing the unmissably bad."

That has been the story of Zinchenko's Arsenal career. Yes, he has changed the way Arsenal play, but is it really worth it for an error-stricken player who consistently cedes possession? Arguably not.

He set the tone for a crazy end to the clash when he gave the ball away on the edge of his own area to Youri Tielemans who struck both bar and post with a dazzling effort from the left of Villa's attack.

That wasn't the only nervy moment for the 27-year-old. Just look at the clip below.

While the rest of Arsenal's backline is well-organised, Zinchenko has been dragged wildly out of position. He just doesn't appear to be on the same wavelength as some of his colleagues.

This was a dark old day for Arsenal and once the season is said and done, could be an afternoon they look back on with anguish. This should be the last chance for some players as regular starters, namely the Ukraine international. Takehiro Tomiyasu or Kiwior must be given an opportunity against Bayern on Wednesday.

As bad as Zinchenko: Arsenal's 4/10 star may have cost them the league

Arsenal were downed for the second time this season by Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.

By
Matt Dawson

Apr 14, 2024

There were a few records set in the match, and it was the toss that played a huge role in the result

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan26-Feb-2011Pakistan’s 11-run victory was the fourth in their previous 11 matches against Sri Lanka, but more importantly they maintained their 100% record against Sri Lanka in World Cup matches. Pakistan’s fourth win in eight matches at the Premadasa Stadium puts them second on the list of visiting teams with the most wins against Sri Lanka at this venue.Sri Lanka hardly had any useful partnerships in their innings while Pakistan managed quite a few, including the century stand between Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq for the fourth wicket. Pakistan made the most of the first ten overs, during which they scored 65, and the batting Powerplay – 36 runs. Sri Lanka scored 42 runs in the first ten overs, and were not aided in their big chase by an extremely slow innings by Chamara Silva, who scored his first 11 runs off 41 balls, and was eventually dismissed for 57 off 78 balls.This was Sri Lanka’s first defeat in a home World Cup game. In 1996, Australia and West Indies forfeited their games against Sri Lanka because of security issues in the country and Sri Lanka defeated Kenya and Zimbabwe. In their opening match of the 2011 tournament, Sri Lanka had defeated Canada by 210 runs.Top ODI allrounder
Shahid Afridi produced yet another superb bowling display in the middle overs to give Pakistan the upper hand. He picked up the vital wickets of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews during his spell of 4 for 34. In the process, he took his 300th wicket in ODIs, becoming only the 11th bowler to do so.He also became the second player after Sanath Jayasuriya to reach the milestone of 6000 runs and 300 wickets in ODIs. Afridi has been superb in ODIs since 2008, picking up 89 wickets at an average just over 31.Another record for Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan, currently the record holder for most wickets in ODIs, surpassed Wasim Akram’s tally of 55 wickets in World Cups becoming the second-highest wicket taker in the tournament. His tally is only behind Glenn McGrath’s record of 71 wickets. In his first two World Cups, Muralitharan took only 13 wickets, but added 40 in the next two. His wicket tally was instrumental in Sri Lanka making the semi-final in 2003 and the final in 2007.

Woes of chasing teams in Colombo
The bad luck for chasing teams continued at the Premadasa Stadium, where they have won only five of the 25 matches played since 2005. The record is worse when the match is played under lights: only two out of 19 matches have been won by teams chasing. Among grounds that have hosted at least eight matches since 2005, the win-loss ratio for chasing teams is the worst at the Premadasa.

Pep Guardiola has revealed that Rico Lewis has already told him he will stay at Manchester City, despite strong interest from Nottingham Forest. Nuno Espirito Santo's side are reportedly ready to double the 20-year-old’s wages in a bid to lure him away, but the Citizens remain determined to keep hold of one of their most exciting academy products.

• Forest ready to double Lewis' wages
• Guardiola says Lewis told him he will stay
• City determined to keep versatile academy graduate

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Guardiola has suggested that Lewis has informed him directly of his intention to stay at City, but he admitted that things can change quickly in football. The defender has grown in importance since breaking through and remains highly valued at the Etihad amid interest from Forest.

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  WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  When asked about Lewis' future, Guardiola told reporters: "I think he’s going to stay, I think. He told me that. But, I said, maybe tomorrow, after tomorrow, it’ll change.

  “The case from Phil [Foden], or from Rico, or from Nico O’Reilly, I have a special sympathy because they were 16 or 17 years old when [they] arrived here [in the first-team] and started to win Premier Leagues.

  "And his [Lewis’] role, when he plays his role, Rico is an extraordinary player. The only problem I have is he’s so small. If he was taller, I would say, 'Oh, what a player'. It’s that. Today, today, I think he’s going to stay, but I don’t know what’s going to happen."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lewis has been linked with a move away from City throughout the summer transfer window. Nottingham Forest are pushing hard to sign him and are prepared to offer him double his current wages in to lure him away. City, meanwhile, continue to insist they want to keep the versatile academy graduate in their squad.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEWIS?

  The Cityzens are expected to resist Forest’s advances, though a significant offer could still test their resolve as they have shown a willingness to cash in on their academy products in the past. Guardiola will hope Lewis continues his development within the squad, providing depth and flexibility. As the transfer window progresses, the young defender’s situation will be one to watch closely.

Manchester City made a huge blunder with Tijjani Reijnders' shirt which was noticed by fans as the new signing scored twice against Palermo in pre-season.

• Reijnders struck twice for City
• His name was misspelt on the back of his shirt
• Fans noticed embarrassing mistake by club

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Reijnders scored an impressive double for his new club against Palermo on Friday but the shine was taken off the day by a spelling mistake on the back of the Dutch midfielder's shirt – as his name was spelt 'Reijinders' with an extra letter 'i' – as spotted by eagle-eyed supporters.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reijnders joined the Cityzens in a €55 million (£47.5m/$64m) move – which could reportedly rise to €70m (£60m/$81m) – from AC Milan in June and has shown glimpses of quality in the Club World Cup and in pre-season, none more so than in the 3-0 victory over Serie B side Palermo. The Netherlands international is expected to have a key role to play for his new club this season, though ideally with the correct name on his shirt next time.

• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Pep Guardiola said of Reijnders after the match: "We knew he was a special player who would arrive in the box […] He scored two goals and had a fantastic performance, like the rest of his teammates. He can play defensive midfield, but he loves getting into the box to help our attackers like Erling [Haaland] and Omar [Marmoush]. Really delighted!"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REIJNDERS AND MAN CITY?

  Reijnders looks set to make his Premier League debut when Manchester City visit Wolves on Saturday 16. After a disappointing campaign by their elevated standards last term, Guardiola and his side will hope to bounce back with new signings such as Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki and Reijnders looking to make the difference for the eight-time Premier League winners.