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Manchester City will be praying, despite some wobbles across recent matches, that they can go the distance with Arsenal in the ongoing Premier League title race.

A faultless winning run of eight matches in all competitions has now come to a halt with two uninspiring draws against Sunderland and Chelsea, with former Blues striker Daniel Sturridge stating after the 1-1 draw that the managerless away side “thoroughly deserved” a share of the points.

To help boost their chances of pipping the Gunners to the title, City look to be edging ever closer to officially announcing AFC Bournemouth superstar Antoine Semenyo on a statement January deal.

£65m being dropped on the Cherries attacker, but that won’t deter City from spending plenty more cash across the rest of the haywire window to come.

Man City dreaming of £85m move

Sky Sports pundit Sturridge weighed in further with his views on what the entertaining Ghanaian could offer at the Etihad post the disappointing Chelsea draw, stating that the ex-Bristol City forward’s “goal-driven” nature will make Guardiola’s men even more of a tantalising watch in the forward areas.

City could also look to shore up their midfield ranks in January, too, spending big to sign another high-class Premier League star.

Indeed, TEAMtalk report that the ten-time Premier League champions are dreaming of an audacious swoop for £85m-rated Elliot Anderson, to back up their much-talked-about move for Semenyo.

The report states that City wants to bolster their midfield options, even with Rodri back to full fitness, with Anderson sticking out as their desired target.

It’s further stated that Manchester United – who are also keen on Anderson’s signature – will fall behind in the race for the ex-Newcastle United man’s services, owing to the toxicity at Old Trafford at the moment, with Anderson also noted to be favouring a move to the sky blue half of Manchester, much like Semenyo made Guardiola and Co his top priority over Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

It’s been a remarkable ascent to the very top for Anderson, who was once plying his trade out on loan in the lower depths of the EFL with Bristol Rovers, as he potentially goes down as an even better long-term signing than Semenyo’s expected arrival.

Why Anderson could be a better signing than Semenyo

The excitement levels shouldn’t be dampened, however, regarding his counterpart’s anticipated move.

Indeed, Semenyo’s blistering tally of nine goals and three assists in the Premier League this season has even seen him branded as a “world-class” star by Cherries attacking teammate Justin Kluivert.

Further described as being “impossible to replace” by Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, the addition of Semenyo will only enhance City’s unbelievable firepower.

But, it might not be seen as the most pressing area of the pitch to drop £65m on, with Erling Haaland already leading the line with some venom, on top of Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku enjoying fine campaigns themselves.

Whereas, for £20m more, City could find their long-term heir to Rodri in Anderson, who has so often been the glue for Guardiola’s men centrally in their unbelievable title-winning exploits, having even won the Ballon d’Or during his celebrated stay at the Etihad.

Anderson’s PL numbers for Forest

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

24/25

25/26

Games played

37

20

Goals scored

2

1

Assists

6

1

Touches*

54.2

92.7

Accurate passes*

28.7 (82%)

59.3 (86%)

Big chances created

7

1

Ball recoveries*

5.6

8.3

Total duels won*

6.5

7.3

Stats by Sofascore

But, in recent times, it’s not always been guaranteed that the World Cup-winning battler will be fit, with Anderson potentially coming in to save the day to be equally as crucial to the City midfield, if a £85m move does get over the line.

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Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Anderson is in a league of his own in the Premier League as a “do-it-all midfielder-warrior” – as he was once branded by scout Ben Mattinson – with a ridiculous 8.3 ball recoveries and 7.7 duels won per game this season, backing up further claims that he is also “world-class” by commentator Jamie Martin.

While the powerful 23-year-old has consistently shone at the City Ground in the top-flight, with a standout six assists last season also sticking out, Semenyo hasn’t always found the pressures of the top division to be straightforward, as only one league goal came his way during his debut campaign on the South Coast.

He also suffered from a seven-game goalless streak earlier this season, with Semenyo perhaps falling to the wayside in Manchester, if a similar patch of form were to strike him down.

Moreover, while his versatility to line up as a right winger, left winger, or striker will be seen as a positive, it does also mean it’s not immediately fixed where the 32-time Ghana international would come into Guardiola’s side from the get-go.

Whereas, having also starred as a central midfield beast for England, when previously winning nine combined duels and tackles versus Latvia, Anderson would be confident of immediately coming into the heart of Guardiola’s midfield and making a difference, as the addition of the lively 23-year-old potentially pushes City to title glory.

Related Man City now favourites to sign £75m+ attacking star alongside Semenyo

He’s already working on an exit.

Posts ByTom Cunningham

Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Youssef Chermiti has a lot of work to do to justify the £8m transfer fee that Kevin Thelwell agreed to pay Everton for his services in the summer.

The Portugal U21 international has only scored two goals in 21 appearances in all competitions for the club so far, which is not good enough from their most expensive signing in 25 years.

However, his performance against St Mirren on Tuesday night showed signs of promise. He provided a brilliant assist for Emmanuel Fernandez’s goal, whipping a perfect cross in from the left, and won five of his nine duels, per Sofascore.

Whilst he has to do a lot more to prove that the Gers did not overpay for his services in the summer transfer window, it was a step in the right direction for Chermiti.

Danny Rohl driving Rangers interest in EFL star

The Light Blues are now reportedly keen to bring in a player who could work well alongside the Portuguese centre-forward in the second half of the season.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to TEAMtalk, Danny Rohl is taking a leading role in recruitment for the Scottish Premiership giants in the upcoming January transfer window, and a versatile forward is one of the things on his wishlist.

The report claims that the German head coach is driving the club’s interest in a deal for Wrexham attacking midfielder Josh Windass, due to his admiration for the former Rangers man.

It adds that the Gers have already had an attempt to sign the former Light Blues attacker on loan for the second half of the season rejected by Wrexham, who are not keen on losing their star forward.

TEAMtalk suggests that a deal may not be dead in the water, though, because of Rohl’s desire to sign him, but it remains to be seen whether or not the club would be willing to do a permanent deal for the 31-year-old star.

Why Rangers should sign Josh Windass

Signing the 31-year-old attacker on a short-term loan may not have been a particularly attractive option, as it would only be a quick fix, but a permanent move for him could be interesting.

Bringing Windass in on a permanent deal, despite his age, could be a good piece of business for the Gers because he is a player who could have an immediate impact on the pitch, whilst he could then be a good role model for younger players as he moves into the final years of his career.

In the short term, the experienced forward could be perfect for Chermiti because his main position is as a second striker or attacking midfielder who can play behind a main number nine, whilst offering a significant goal threat.

Windass currently plays off Kieffer Moore, who has a similar build to Chermiti, and has produced seven goals and three assists in the Championship so far this season, per Sofascore.

In the 2024/25 campaign, the English attacker scored 13 goals and provided five assists in 44 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday, whilst being managed by Rohl, which means that he already has a strong working relationship with the Rangers boss.

25/26 season

Windass (Championship)

Rangers leader (Premiership)

xG

4.47

Bojan Miovski – 4.89

Goals

7

James Tavernier – 4

Minutes per goal

177

Danilo – 266

Assists

3

Nico Raskin – 3

Key passes per game

1.0

James Tavernier – 2.0

Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, Windass’ form for Wrexham this season would make him the most prolific and impressive goalscorer in the current Rangers team.

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The English forward, who was described as a “polarising” link due to his first spell with the club by writer Kai Watson, would be perfect for Chermiti because he has the quality to provide an instant goal threat in the second striker or attacking midfield position to make up for the number nine’s struggles in front of goal.

Windass could take some of the pressure off the £8m signing’s shoulders by hitting the ground running as a goalscorer in the Premiership, as his consistency in front of goal would provide the Gers with the goals that they are currently lacking from their strikers.

Chermiti’s two assists in four Premiership starts for Rangers, per Sofascore, also suggest that he may have the creative potential to provide Windass with chances to score, which could see them strike up an effective partnership at the top end of the pitch.

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Danny Rohl could cash in on Lyall Cameron with a Rangers swoop for this star in the January transfer window.

Posts ByDan Emery

Therefore, signing the Wrexham star on a permanent deal, if they decide that is the route to go down, could be a good piece of business for the Scottish giants.

Rikki Clarke is a long way from the England reckoning at the moment © Getty Images

Derbyshire have confirmed the signing of Rikki Clarke from Surrey and named him as captain for the 2008 season.Clarke fell out of favour at The Oval mid-way through last season and his move away from London had been on the cards for some time. He has played two Tests and 20 ODIs for England, but is well out of the running for the current squad under Peter Moores.Although Derbyshire are a second division club the captaincy offer will have been a major factor in Clarke opting for the move north. He fills the role vacated by Simon Katich who decided not to return for another season.”My ambition is to play for England again and I think Derbyshire is the best place for me to achieve that ambition,” Clarke told the Press Association. “The club is looking to go forward and that really excited me. The chance to be captain played a part in my decision because I have always wanted to be a leader but I was more interested in where Derbyshire want to go.”I am looking at this as a long-term move. I was at Surrey since I was a young lad and it’s always difficult to leave but I felt I needed a fresh start. I could have gone to other counties that are regarded as bigger but I see this as one of the best career moves I have made.John Morris, Derbyshire’s head of cricket, said: “I am delighted to have signed a player of Rikki’s quality – he will be a massive addition to our squad. The great thing about Rikki is that despite his already fantastic record, he still wants to improve and he quite rightly has ambitions to play for England again in the future.”Clarke is the latest signing made by Derbyshire since the end of the season. His former Surrey team-mate Nayan Doshi has joined the club along with John Sadler from Leicestershire. They are also still chasing Mahela Jayawardene to be their overseas player.

Canterbury v Auckland
An out-of-form Lou Vincent will hold the key for Auckland in their chase for 271. Vincent was 26 not out at stumps and it will require all his skills for the home team to post the highest total of the match to steal an outright victory over Canterbury, who have already secured first innings points. Canterbury were dismissed for 200 with captain Chris Harris leading from the front with 52. Andre Adams was chief destroyer with 5 for 58. Richard Jones (1) and Tim McIntosh (2) were dismissed early as Auckland’s chase started disastrously.Central Districts v Otago
Central Districts will be faced with the task of batting for time to salvage a draw against Otago who plundered 624 against them, at Napier. Starting their second innings 230 behind, Central got off to a good start despite the loss of Peter Ingram. Central were 102 for 1 at stumps, with Geoff Barnett (51) still at the crease. Earlier in the day, Gareth Hopkins posted a century and was unbeaten on 126 when Otago were all out.Wellington v Northern Districts
Rain continues to play havoc with this match as Wellington seek an innings victory over Northern Districts at Hamilton. Resuming at 83 for 5, Northern showed some grit to get through to 253, with Peter McGlashan notching 50. It was not enough to avoid the follow-on though and Wellington, with pace bowlers Iain O’Brien and Mark Gillespie in good form, will be hoping for a full day to have a crack at Northern’s weak batting line-up tomorrow.

New Zealanders 273 for 9 (50 overs, McMillan 105, J Marshall 64, Henderson 5-38) beat South Africa A 199 for 4 (43 overs, Rudolph 73*) by 19 runs (D/L)
ScorecardNew Zealand kicked off their tour of South Africa with a winning start over South Africa A at Benoni. Spectacular electrical storms, which brought an early end to the match, meant that they eased to an 19-run Duckworth-Lewis victory.Craig McMillan won the Man-of-the-Match award for his 105, made from 106 balls after the New Zealanders had slipped to 42 for 4. Stephen Fleming, who had won the toss, made 11, Nathan Astle, who fell the ball after Fleming, 7, Hamish Marshall 10 and Lou Vincent 7 as the top order failed to make any impression.But supported by James Marshall (64), McMillan added a crucial 161 in 29 overs for the fifth wicket, before falling leg-before to Tyron Henderson, who finished with 5 for 38. Andre Adams chipped in at the end with a quickfire 32, including two sixes and three fours.South Africa A made a poor start, reaching 31 for 2 in the 15th over before a third-wicket stand of 76 between Jacques Rudolph (73) and Zander de Bruyn (40) put them back in the chase. Although Albie Morkel (48*) then helped Rudolph add an unbeaten 81 for the sixth wicket, they were always just off the pace. As the storms approached, the pair slammed 49 off four overs, but they ran out of time.”We knew we needed just one partnership somewhere and me and James [Marshall] were fortunately able to put on a substantial partnership,” McMillan told . “Because there are only two warm-up games I was pleased to get straight into form and I’ve been looking forward to this tour for a long time.”We’ve got plenty of allrounders and batters lower down the order and we’ve all got various jobs. So whenever we’re in trouble, hopefully someone puts their hand up – and luckily it was me today.”New Zealand will play a Twenty20 international and five ODIs against South Africa during their tour. Their next game is again against South Africa A at Potchefstroom on Sunday.

© Getty Images

Figures alone cannot describe the impact that Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis made on the game of cricket … although they go a long way towards that aim. In 191 Tests and 618 one-day internationals, the pair claimed 1705 wickets to establish themselves at the very pinnacle of the sport’s pantheon. And yet, to see the statistics is one thing, to witness the pair in full cry is quite another.Wasim and Waqar complemented each other perfectly – Wasim with the whippiest left arm ever to have graced the game; Waqar with a full-tilt hurtle towards the crease and an immense full-bodied catapulting action. Together they brought about a sea-change in the mentality of the fast bowler; in the 1980s, it had all been about naked aggression, short-pitched bowling, and the clatter of leather on helmet. In the 1990s, by contrast, the stumps – not the body – became the thinking bowler’s target.Waqar, with the most fearsome yorker the game has ever known, and Wasim, with the ability to move the ball in every conceivable direction through the air, used their mastery of reverse-swing to turn the old ball into the deadliest – and unlikeliest – of weapons. Bowling in excess of 90mph, they retained the fear associated with fast bowling, but did away with thuggery, to establish themselves as two of the noblest champions of the game.

Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore has been approached by the Board of Control forCricket in India (BCCI) with regard to coaching India’s junior players,according to the Hindu newspaper.Whatmore’s contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka(BCCSL) expires in May and the Sri Lankan bornAustralian is yet to confirm his plans for the future. The currentquadrangular in Sharjah will be his last assignment with the national side.According to the Hindu, Brijesh Patel, India’s chairman of selectorsapproached Whatmore after it became clear that his contract would not berenewed by the BCCSL. He is tipped as the possible head of a NationalCricket Academy.Whatmore had had two stints in charge of the Sri Lanka national team,guiding them to the World Cup in 1996 during the first tenure and thenoverseeing their progression to the World Cup semi-finals in 1999 during asecond four-year spell.

There was the desperate feeling in the pit of the stomach when NewZealand ‘A’ were shot out for a paltry 129 in the first innings oftheir semi-final clash against Indian Railways in the MRF Buchi BabuTournament. Playing some top flight cricket that included aggressivebatting sustained over a period of time and quick bowling that put thebatsmen on the back foot, New Zealand ‘A’ enjoyed the sweet taste ofsuccess when they, to use a cliché, derailed Indian Railways, beatingthem by 23 runs. The Kiwi’s now face the Cricket Association of BengalXI in the final of the MRF Buchi Babu Tournament.The wicket at the MA Chidambaram Stadium is one that cricket expertsover the years have found to read. Typically it is a track that has abit in it for the fast bowlers early on, but slows down quickly andtakes turn fairly early. New Zealand ‘A’ showed today that the role awicket plays can be overcome with positive cricket. Lou Vincentcreamed the Railways bowling to all parts in his run a ball 102, andgave his bowlers something to play with. One must remember thatVincent made a century in the last match he played too. Playing thespinners and pacemen with ease, Vincent spread the field in a hurry.Beginning the day on 216/6, with an overall lead of just 66, NewZealand ‘A’ had but a small chance of forcing a result in the match.Vincent, overnight on 57 struck nine boundaries in his century and inthe company of Kyle Mills (37) took New Zealand ‘A’ to 318/8 declaredoff just 62 overs. This left Indian Railways with a target of 169.For New Zealand ‘A’ to win, they needed at least one stunningperformance. In the event there were two! If Vincent’s ton won praise,then Shane Bond’s sensational bowling analysis of 14.3-2-45-7 deservesa lot more. Bowling in temperatures over thirty five degreescentigrade, Bond produced a spell of genuinely hostile bowling. Morethan anything, it was the sheer pace of Bond that knocked the wind outof Indian Railways. Constantly pitching the ball just short of alength and outside the off, the Canterbury mediumpacer scythed throughthe Railways batting line-up.After removing the Railway openers with just 9 on the board, Bondcooled off for a while, as the Railways middle order batsmen offeredsome resistance. When Brooke Walker ran out Murli Kartik (30) with thescore on 49, the beginning of the end was signaled. Soon after, Bondran thorough the innings, picking the last five wickets to fall.Bond’s 7/45 skittled Railways out for 145, handing the visiting sidevictory by 23 runs.* Cricket Association of Bengal brushes aside Jolly RoversCricket Association of Bengal beat Jolly Rovers Cricket Clubcomprehensively by 125 runs to enter the final of the MRF Buchi BabuInvitational Tournament. In the match played at IIT Chemplast Groundsin Chennai, on Sunday, Jolly Rovers were bundled out for just 96 runschasing a target of 222.Resuming on their overnight score of seven for the loss of twowickets, CAB XI found themselves in deep trouble after losing fivemore wickets in the morning to be reduced to 28/7 off 23.4 overs. Thewickets included that of Rohan Gavaskar (0), Souvik Mukherjee (1), APChakraborty (10), Laxmi Ratan Shukla (1) and Saikat Mukherjee (8).Sanjib Sanyal and Utpal Chaterjee added 87 runs for the eighth wicketto rescue the faltering CAB XI innings. Sanyal was run out aftermaking 44 runs with the help of three fours. Utpal Chaterjee went tocomplete his half-century (50, 102 balls, 4 fours) and was the ninthbatsman to be dismissed. CAB XI second innings did not last long asthey were bowled out for 133 off 63 overs. Divakar Vasu was easily thebest bowler, finishing with the figures of 22-8-42-2.Chasing the target of 222, Jolly Rovers batsmen threw their bat ateverything. Only opening batsman Sujit somasunder (26) and GaneshKumar 29 made any valuable contribution with the bat. Jinju Joesph andG Babu made 14 runs apiece. All the other batsmen failed to make todouble figures. Three run outs in the middle order did not help theJolly Rovers cause as they were bowled out for 96 off just 23.1 overs.Shib Sankar Paul (2/22) and Saurasish Lahiri (2/23) were the pick ofthe bowlers. CAB XI will meet New Zealand ‘A’ in the final.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBen Stokes troubled the Australians for much of the first session•Getty Images

On every day of this Test Australia have tightened their grip further and so it was again on day three, a day on which Alastair Cook fought hard for 96 and Ben Stokes lashed 87. They were innings that, viewed in isolation, would appear impressive enough, but seen against the backdrop of Steven Smith’s 215 and Chris Rogers’ 173 looked unequivocally inadequate. There are big scores, and then there are huge scores.And England will need a huge total to win this match. By the close of play, Rogers and David Warner had cruised to 108 for 0, with Rogers on 44 and Warner on 63, and Australia’s lead was already 362. Michael Clarke had declined to enforce the follow-on, not surprisingly given his history, and all that remained was to decide how long to give his bowlers and how many to set England.The one positive in the back of Cook’s mind, though, will be the knowledge that this pitch remains very good for batting and offers little sideways movement to bowlers either fast or slow. They should not view batting out a draw as an impossible task. It is worth noting that Cook himself survived for 351 minutes in the first innings. A little more support is what he will need.Cook frustrated Australia for much of the third day, first during a 145-run stand with Stokes and then as part of a 56-run association with Moeen Ali. He was patient and waited for the bad balls to score, and looked set for a 28th Test century. But with his 233rd delivery he drove at a Mitchell Marsh ball outside off stump and played on.Marsh has been responsible for more drag-ons than George R. R. Martin; he played on himself during Australia’s innings and then had both Cook and Stokes by that method on day three. Stokes had moved the score along briskly before lunch but on 87 he drove at a delivery that stayed a touch low and chopped on to give Marsh the first of his two wickets.Stokes had gone for his shots and struck 13 fours and one six during his 128-ball stay. He scored runs all around the wicket and brought up his half-century from just 67 deliveries with a four crunched through cover off Mitchell Johnson. Cook, meanwhile, was careful at the other end, anchoring the innings in the knowledge that eating up time was invaluable for England.His fifty came from his 142nd delivery with a flick through midwicket for three off Nathan Lyon and he struck 13 boundaries, including a classy drive through mid-off when he used his feet against Lyon and an on-drive off Mitchell Starc. Often he waited and played the ball late, finding the gaps square of the wicket on both sides.Cook was put down on 63 when he pulled Johnson to Steven Smith at square leg, and there were a few other nervy moments, but overall it was an excellent innings from England’s captain. He had support from Jos Buttler after Stokes departed, but Buttler managed only 13 before he edged behind when Lyon came around the wicket and drifted an arm ball on.Buttler walked without waiting for the umpire’s call; earlier he had stood his ground after edging Johnson behind. Peter Nevill took the ball low to his right and it seemed on first glance like a brilliant, athletic take, although an umpire review showed the ball had grazed the turf in the process and Buttler was reprieved to the chagrin of the Australians.Ali played his shots, as expected, and launched Lyon back over his head for six to go with five fours. But on 39 he was lbw to a lovely piece of bowling from Josh Hazlewood, who curled the new ball in and struck Ali dead in front. The batsman asked half-heartedly for a review but if it was any plumber it could have unclogged his drains.From there it was a quick finish. Mark Wood was bowled by Hazlewood for 4 and Stuart Broad was snapped up at slip off Johnson for 21 to end the innings on 312. England’s deficit was 254 but there was as much chance of Clarke enforcing the follow-on as there was of Kumar Dharmasena opening the bowling in the second innings. Clarke is a target-setting kind of guy.Australia’s second innings was fairly uneventful, although Adam Lyth was left to rue a missed chance at gully off James Anderson before Warner had scored. It was very catchable, and by the close of play Warner had brought up a 71-ball half-century and, perhaps most worryingly for England as the Investec Ashes wears on, found some decent form.Already the difference was such that England would need a record successful fourth-innings run chase at Lord’s – West Indies’ 344 for 1 in 1984 is the benchmark – and Australia seemed set to push their lead well into to the 400s. It will take some sort of effort from England to prevent Australia tightening their grip further on day four.