The Bosnian broke the deadlock after just eight minutes with a terrific volley before fellow golden oldie Henrikh Mkhitaryan struck in a 2-0 win

Age really is just a number as far as Edin Dzeko is concerned. At 37 years old, he might just be about to play in his first Champions League final, with the Bosnian having netted a brilliant opener in Inter's 2-0 win over AC Milan in the first leg of their last-four showdown at San Siro on Wednesday night.

On a great night for the game's golden oldies, the 34-year-old Henrikh Mkhitaryan doubled the Nerazzurri's advantage in the 11th minute, as the 'visitors' stunned their city rivals with the fastest of starts.

Indeed, Milan didn't manage a single shot in the opening 25 minutes – Inter had already racked up seven by that point – and, in truth, never looked turning the game around, despite seeing Sandro Tonali strike the post in the second half.

As a result, Inter are now perfectly placed to make amends for their two previous Champions League derby defeats to Milan, in 2003 and 2005, by booking their place in next month's final in Istanbul against either Manchester City or Real Madrid.

Below, GOAL runs through the winners and losers on an incredible night for Nerazzurri supporters…

GettyWINNER: Edin Dzeko

Immediately after the full-time whistle, Dzeko was asked when he's signing a new contract with Inter. "You have to ask the club," he said with a smile in his post-match interview with . "It depends on them."

On the evidence of what we saw at San Siro on Wednesday night, Inter need to sign him up as soon as possible, because the veteran striker is showing no signs of slowing down. He's now just the seventh player in history to score 20 Champions League goals after turning 30, while he's the second-oldest to ever score in a semi-final.

Dzeko's never relied on blistering pace, of course. His game has always been about a mix of physique and technique – as his goal so perfectly illustrated.

Quite why Davide Calabria was charged with picking up Dzeko at a corner is anyone's guess. It was, as Alessandro Nesta said on , "a complete mismatch", with the Bosnian easily holding off the Milan captain before almost effortlessly guiding a fantastic volley into the top corner of the net.

Dzeko could – and perhaps should – have added a second goal shortly after half-time but when he exited, he did so to a fully deserved standing ovation from the 'visiting' supporters on the Curva Nord, who will no doubt be hoping that confirmation of that contract extension arrives sooner rather than later.

After his 14th – and most important – goal of the season so far, Dzeko definitely deserves one.

AdvertisementLOSER: Milan's attacking options

Stefano Pioli waited for as long as possible to see if Rafael Leao would be fit enough to feature at San Siro, which was wholly understandable. The Portuguese winger is, by some distance, Milan's most talented attacker. The Rossoneri simply aren't the same side without a player who has previously provoked comparisons with Thierry Henry and Ruud Gullit on account of his tremendous turn of pace.

So, his injury-enforced absence came as a massive blow, even if it had been expected, given Leao hobbled off just 10 minutes into last weekend's win over Lazio with a minor muscular problem.

The hope was that Milan could make do without their talisman, just as they had done on Saturday, beating the second-placed Biancocelesti to boost their hopes of a top-four finish in Serie A.

However, the Rossoneri were already reeling when Ismael Bennacer was forced off with a knee problem after only 17 minutes of the derby. The Algerian, who has been operating as a kind of defensive-attacking midfielder, has been one of Milan's best players of late, even netting the crucial winner in the first-leg win over Napoli in the previous round.

The exact nature – and full extent – of his injury has yet to be determined but Pioli will be praying that Bennacer recovers in time for the second leg, particularly as there is no guarantee that Leao will be close to 100 per cent by next Tuesday.

As this loss so painfully underlined, Milan are not a squad blessed with a vast array of attacking options. Junior Messias is not good enough for this level, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is always injured, Divock Origi has been a disaster and Charles De Ketelaere a colossal waste of money.

So, if you take a couple of key men out of this side, they are always going to struggle to score.

GettyWINNER: Beppe Marotta

Beppe Marotta appeared on Amazon before the game and admitted that while Inter's Champions League run wouldn't resolve all of the club's financial problems, it would go some way towards ensuring that more money is available to strengthen the squad this summer.

It's not as if Marotta will need much to work with, though. He may have made the odd mistake over the years but Marotta's mastery of the market has long been the stuff of legend. He made one fantastic free transfer after another at Juventus, and is now doing likewise at Inter. Indeed, Inter's opening two goals were both scored by players who arrived at Inter from Roma for nothing.

The Nerazzurri could yet be forced to sell at least one of their stars at the end of the season to help balance the books, which is a disconcerting situation for the supporters. But they should thank their lucky stars that they have Marotta managing the situation. No other director in football has a better eye for a bargain buy.

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GettyWINNER: Federico Dimarco

It's hard to imagine any Inter player enjoyed this derby more than the Federico Dimarco, who was born and bred in Milan. The 25-year-old was in the stands at San Siro when Inter lost out on away goals to their city rivals in 2003, so, as he pointed out on the eve of the game, he didn't exactly have "wonderful memories" of the last time these two teams met in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

It's fair to say he's remember this particular game with far more fondness, having set up Inter's second goal with a brilliant break down the left-hand side. Dimarco is arguably Inter's most improved player this season, having emerged as an excellent attacking wing-back, as underlined by the fact that no player has more assists in this season's Champions League (five).

Chelsea's woeful season finally came to an end on Sunday afternoon, with the Blues finishing in 12th place after a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge.

The game was Frank Lampard's last as interim manager, with the Chelsea legend managing just one win in his time at the club, with Mauricio Pochettino hoping to enjoy a far better spell when takes over in the summer.

What happened in Chelsea vs Newcastle?

Lampard opted to start youngsters Lewis Hall and Noni Madueke for his final game, with Newcastle also making changes for what was essentially a dead rubber game at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues found themselves in a familiar position in the first half when Anthony Gordon was left with the freedom of the penalty box to slot past Kepa Arrizabalaga from Matt Targett's cross.

However, Lampard's side would haul themselves level when Enzo Fernandez's quick free-kick found Raheem Sterling in a dangerous position, and his shot was turned into his own goal by Kieran Trippier.

Although both sides had chances in the second half, with the visitors hitting the crossbar late on, it would finish 1-1, with the Stamford Bridge faithful once again going home dissatisfied.

There were a number of underwhelming performances once again from Chelsea's starters, although it was arguably the much-maligned Kai Havertz who disappointed the most.

How did Havertz play against Newcastle?

As per Sofascore, the Germany international would earn a 6.7/10 rating for his performance, with only Conor Gallagher (6.4) rated lower of the Chelsea players to start the game.

Hauled off just before the hour mark, the 23-year-old mustered just 24 touches of the ball, which was fewer than Kepa, who managed 38.

During his time on the pitch, the former Bayer Leverkusen man would contribute no shots and no dribbles, which is hardly what you would expect from the starting striker, but this is what Chelsea fans have become accustomed to with Havertz over the years, with an average of just two shots and 0.5 dribbles per game in the top flight this season.

Previously dubbed as "so weak" by talkSPORT pundit Dean Ashton, the £150k-per-week frontman has done little to suggest that he can be relied upon as the main man in Chelsea's side, as he managed just seven goals in the top flight again this season, with a striker surely on Todd Boehly's shortlist.

Following another anonymous display, Havertz may well be questioning whether he lasts the summer transfer window, with sales surely on the cards if Boehly wants to make new signings, especially with the arrival of Christopher Nkunku.

Tim Bresnan, whose valiant batting narrowly failed to bring Yorkshire a third Championship title, has undergone a third elbow operation to try to restore some of the nip that made him an England allrounder

David Hopps22-Oct-2016Tim Bresnan, whose valiant batting narrowly failed to bring Yorkshire a hat-trick of County Championship titles, has undergone a third elbow operation to try to restore some of the nip that made him an England allrounder.After several seasons of managing the elbow injury that has afflicted him since 2011, Bresnan had a further operation on Monday to clean out the joint, bringing him hope that he can “get some of the old firepower back.”Bresnan set greater store by his batting in 2016 as his bowling standards slipped a little, his efforts culminating in his unbeaten 142 against the eventual champions Middlesex at Lord’s which kept Yorkshire’s challenge alive until deep into the final day.Bresnan averaged more than 48 in the Championship, more than any other regular Yorkshire batsman – outdone only by irregular contributors Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and the short-term overseas signing Jake Lehmann.”The surgery went really well and the post-op signs have been very positive,” Bresnan told Yorkshire’s website. “The surgeon has said that it wasn’t as bad as they thought it might be. They just removed a few spurs and bumps.”It should give me a better range and reduce the pain that I have had, which hopefully will help me to get some of my old firepower back. It’s feeling pretty good already and it’s just a case of easing back into my gym work over the coming weeks. I wouldn’t normally be bowling at this stage of the year so it’s worked alright.”Yorkshire’s physio Kunwar Bansil said: “Tim has had problems with his right elbow dating back to 2011. We have managed these problems over the past few seasons but there is now a window of opportunity following the end of the 2016 season to improve the symptoms. He has had key-hole surgery to clean out the joint and smooth off any rough edges.”It should result in an increased elbow extension range making him feel more comfortable when bowling. We are now five days post-op and the initial signs are really good. We envisage that he will be fully fit in a couple of months but there are no real time constraints due to the time of the year.”Bresnan first had an elbow operation late in 2011 to remove a bone fragment. He regained his England place, but his bowling returns supported the notion that his effectiveness with the ball had been somewhat diminished.Another operation followed before the 2013 season to remove extra bone and scar tissue, causing him to miss England’s tour of New Zealand, and though he returned to play in the back-to-back Ashes his Test career ended in Australia later that year.Flashback to Tim Bresnan’s Lord’s heroics•Getty Images

Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that Newcastle United could be in with a chance of signing Cristiano Ronaldo on loan if Al-Nassr cover his wages.

What's the latest news on Cristiano Ronaldo and NUFC?

With Champions League football potentially on the cards for the Magpies next term, there have been plenty of exciting rumours about how could join the Premier League side in the summer.

Manager Eddie Howe actually played down talk that Ronaldo or Neymar could be joining his team, telling BBC Sport: "We could not be able to come close to affording those players."

However, as explained by Jones while speaking on NUFC Matters, Newcastle may not actually have to pay the 38-year-old's wages.

The insider explained (12:49): "If, and now we're just speculating, it ever happened, it would in likelihood be a loan from Al-Nasir, funded by our Al-Nassr.

"And this is where there is a genuine opportunity potentially for a suitor, if it's green, lighted by both Al-Nassr and the wider partners funding that particular deal at the moment.

"Because Ronaldo could be loaned somewhere with Al-Nassr picking up the bill. But the only reason why Al-Nassr would pick up the bill is because they're not really paying the bill. It's wider partners within Saudi Arabia that are funding this.”

Is Ronaldo going to be at Newcastle next season?

Now it might seem odd that those connected with Al-Nassr would be happy to pay for Ronaldo to go on loan. But his very connection to football in Saudi Arabia is no doubt great for publicity.

However, for the time being, it sounds as though he's not particularly happy, with reports in Spain claiming that he is already thinking about quitting the Saudi Pro League (via El Nacional).

Despite this, he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club, estimated to be worth $75m (£59m) a year, back in December.

With that being the case, he might not be able to leave permanently but if he could technically remain an Al-Nassr while being shipped out to Newcastle, which could be a decent compromise for all parties – especially if Ronaldo had the intention of eventually returning after the loan.

What's more, the Magpies would be an obvious destination due to their own links to Saudi Arabia, as they are owned by the country's sovereign wealth fund PIF.

And so, all in all, it sounds as though Newcastle could land the £3.4m-p/w star while not having to worry too much about actually paying those wages.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke have been removed from their posts by the Supreme Court of India in an order passed in Delhi on Monday morning

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-20172:26

‘It’s a victory for the game of cricket’ – Lodha

The BCCI’s existing power structure has been dismantled by the Supreme Court of India in a landmark order, which directed the removal of the board president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke from office with immediate effect.The order was the culmination of a long-standing impasse between the BCCI and the Lodha Committee: the board had resisted implementing the majority of the committee’s recommendations despite being told to do so by a Supreme Court order on July 18.The court also ordered that other office bearers of the BCCI and state associations who did not meet the eligibility criteria set by the Lodha Committee shall “cease to hold office” immediately. According to the committee’s recommendations, an office bearer should be a citizen of India, should not be 70 years or older, should not be a government servant or minister, should not hold office in another sports organisation, should not have held office with the BCCI or state association for more than nine years, should not be insolvent or of unsound mind, and should not have a criminal record.All existing office bearers who fulfilled the eligibility criteria were permitted to continue in their roles, but were asked to file an “unconditional undertaking” in the Supreme Court within four weeks from January 2 that they would implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.To fill the gap created by Thakur and Shirke’s removal, the court said the most senior vice-president of the BCCI would perform the duties of president in the interim, and the joint secretary – Amitabh Chaudhary – will perform the secretary’s role.I wish them all the best – Anurag Thakur

In a video on Twitter, Anurag Thakur said he had fought for the autonomy of the BCCI and not a personal battle. “Over the years, Indian cricket saw its very best in terms of administration and development of the game. BCCI is the best-managed sports organisation in the country, with defined procedures. India has the best cricket infrastructure, built and maintained by the state associations with the help of BCCI. India has more quality players than anywhere in the world.
“I respect Supreme Court as any citizen should. Supreme Court judges feel that BCCI could do better under retired judges, I wish them all the best. I’m sure Indian cricket will do well under their guidance.”
Shirke said he wasn’t too concerned by the development. “If I am removed, there is absolutely no issue. I will go back to my work,” he told CNN News from the UK. “The enforcement of the order is not in my individual control. The members decide. They have accepted many recommendations. Now that the Supreme Court has settled the matter, let the new dispensation carry on the good new work.”

The court also said that a committee of administrators would be appointed on January 19 to supervise the functioning of the BCCI through its chief executive officer. The committee will also oversee the functioning of the BCCI and states’ office bearers and ensure that the Lodha Committee recommendations approved by the Supreme Court order on July 18 are implemented.Amicus Curiae Gopal Subramanium and senior advocate Anil Divan* were asked by the court to suggest names of persons having “integrity and experience in managing a similar enterprise” for the committee of administrators. “We request the learned Counsel appearing on behalf of the parties to also place their suggestions before the Court so as to facilitate a considered decision,” the court said.At the previous hearing on December 15, before breaking for the winter holidays, the court had reserved its order in response to the Lodha Committee’s status report, which recommended that all ineligible BCCI office bearers be removed and an observer be appointed to oversee the board’s operations.On Monday, the three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, approved the Lodha Committee’s view of the BCCI’s office bearers.”The Committee has in its status report dated 14 November 2016 drawn the attention of the court to the fact that several office bearers both of BCCI and the State Associations continue to hold posts although they stand disqualified in terms of the above norms which have been accepted by this Court,” the order read. “Persons who have a vested interest in continuing in their positions in spite of the norms noted above have ensured that the writ of the court is obstructed and impeded.”We need to emphasise that the turf of the cricket field is not a personal turf or fiefdom. We must hence order and direct that no person shall hereafter continue to be or be entitled for appointment as office bearer of BCCI or a State Association in breach of the above norms. All existing office bearers of BCCI and of the State Associations who do not fulfill the above norms shall with effect from the date of this Order stand disqualified.”The course of events indicates that though sufficient opportunities have been granted to BCCI to comply with the judgment and order of this Court, it has failed to do so. The President and Secretary and office bearers of BCCI have obstructed the implementation of the final directions of this Court on the basis of a specious plea that its State Associations are not willing to abide by the directions. This Court having furnished sufficient opportunities to BCCI to comply, it is constrained now to take recourse to coercive steps to ensure that the directions contained in its final judgment and order are not left to be a writ in sand.”5:04

Ugra: A legacy judgement from Justice Thakur

Former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha, the chairman of the Lodha Committee, said the court order was “the logical consequence” of the position the BCCI had taken. “Once the recommendations were accepted by the court, it had to be implemented,” he said. “There were obstructions, there were impediments … obviously this had to happen, and it has happened. The Supreme Court itself has ensured that its order of 18 July is now enforced.”It’s a victory for the game of cricket and it will flourish. Administrators come and go, ultimately it is for the game.”The Lodha Committee was formed in January 2015 to determine appropriate punishments for some of the officials involved in the 2013 IPL corruption scandal, and also to propose changes to streamline the BCCI, reform its functioning, prevent sporting fraud and conflict of interest.In January 2016, the committee released its report, which recommended an exhaustive overhaul of the BCCI’s governance and administrative structures. On July 18, the Supreme Court approved the majority of the recommendations and directed the Lodha Committee to supervise the BCCI’s implementations of the same. However, despite the Lodha Committee laying out timelines and other directives, the board did not cooperate because its state associations objected to the recommendations.

The Lodha Committee has clarified that it has not asked for the BCCI’s accounts to be frozen, but only for two specific payments from the board to its state associations to be stopped. Payments required for other routine affairs – such as organising cricket matches – can go on as they earlier did, the Committee said.It issued the clarification on Tuesday morning, following reports in newspapers that quoted a BCCI official saying the board would have to cancel the remainder of the New Zealand series because its bank accounts had been frozen by a directive from the Lodha Committee.New Zealand Cricket, however, had not received any communication from the BCCI regarding the cancellation of the remaining fixtures, and the team was said to be preparing for the third Test in Indore as planned. They are scheduled to travel from Kolkata to Indore on Wednesday.The communication sent via email by the Lodha Committee to two Indian banks on Monday had made no mention of the freezing of the BCCI accounts; instead it had directed the banks to stop two specific payments, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, from the BCCI to its state associations. The payments were related to an increase in infrastructure subsidy to the states, and the distribution of funds received by the BCCI from the broadcasters of the Champions League T20 because of the cancellation of the tournament.The Lodha Committee’s secretary, Gopal Sankaranarayanan, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday that the directive was restricted to just those particular payments and did not threaten the organising of the rest of the series or any other cricket.However, in an email to state associations later on Tuesday, the Lodha committee revealed that some of the funds had been transferred via transactions “hurriedly carried out by RTGS between September 29 and October 1”.

States told not to touch recent BCCI funds

The Lodha Committee has warned state associations not to touch funds received from the BCCI between September 29 and October 1, 2016, or risk being in contempt of court. It is these funds that the Lodha Committee had directed the banks not to disburse to the states, which led to a BCCI official claiming the board’s accounts had been frozen.
In an email to the states, the committee said the BCCI had decided at its annual general meeting and special general meeting to “disburse large funds to each Association without framing the Disbursement Policy which was mandatory.
“It is further learnt that amounts between INR 10-20 crore were disbursed to each Association as infrastructure subsidy and INR 28 crore as compensation shares from the Champions League T20 cancellation,” the email said. “The banks confirm that most of these transactions were hurriedly carried out by RTGS between September 29 and October 1.
“You are aware that a Status Report has been filed before the Supreme Court for certain directions and that will be taken up for hearing on October 6, 2016. In this light of events, as the actions of the BCCI to transfer these funds is contrary to this Committee’s directions and sub judice, you are hereby directed not to in any way transfer or disturb those funds that have been transferred as above to your association. If anything is done contrary to this express direction, it will be brought to the knowledge of the Hon’ble Supreme Court for appropriate orders on contempt.”

Sankaranarayanan said the Committee’s concern with those payments was that they didn’t want huge sums of money – said to be about INR 500 crore according to the committee – being transferred from the BCCI accounts overnight. On August 31, the Lodha Committee had issued a directive to the BCCI not to take decisions on matters regarding the future that were not routine. In the committee’s opinion, the disbursement of such funds was not routine.”It has come to the notice of this Committee that certain decisions have been taken at the ‘Emergent Working Committee’ meeting of the BCCI on 30th September 2016 to disburse large funds to the various member associations,” the Lodha Committee’s email to the banks said. “You are aware that by way of this Committee’s direction dated 31.8.2016, no further decisions were to be taken regarding the future apart from routine matters. The disbursement of these amounts are not routine, and in any case, not emergent.”As the status report is to be taken up for directions by the Hon’ble Court on Thursday, 6.10.2016, you are hereby directed not to take any steps towards financial disbursement of the amounts as resolved/approved after the direction dated 31.8.2016.”On October 6, the Supreme Court of India is likely to hear the BCCI’s response to the Lodha Committee’s status report with regard to the Indian board implementing the committee’s recommendations that were passed by a court order on July 18. In that order, the court had said the BCCI had to implement all the recommendations it had passed according to various timelines and deadlines set by the Lodha Committee.New Zealand have not received communication from the BCCI regarding the future of their ongoing tour•Associated Press

The Lodha committee had recommended a complete overhaul of Indian cricket, from the very top down to the grassroots level and affecting every stakeholder. Its report covered every aspect of the game with special focus on the BCCI’s administrative and governance structures and the issue of transparency. The most important set of recommendations was aimed at transforming the entire power structure in the board.In its status report on September 28, however, the Lodha Committee had asked the Supreme Court to “supersede” the BCCI’s top officials with “immediate effect” because they had not complied with the committee’s timelines and were impeding the implementation of the recommendations. The court reacted by telling the BCCI to “fall in line” and that it had a week to respond.The BCCI had also filed a fresh application in the Supreme Court on September 27 pleading for the court’s July 18 order to be “suspended” until it heard the board’s review and curative petitions against the mandatory implementation of most of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. The review petition singled out TS Thakur, the chief justice of India who was on the two-judge bench that passed the order, and said he had a “prejudiced” approach towards the board and should recuse himself from hearing the matter. However, the petition has been lying “in defect” because the court raised technical objections to the petition and asked the BCCI to repair them.On October 1, the BCCI said it had “unanimously” adopted “important recommendations” made by the Lodha Committee at its Special General Meeting (SGM) in Mumbai. However, the list the board said it had accepted did not include key recommendations such as the age cap of 70 years for board officials, the tenure cap of nine years with cooling-off periods in between, and the one-state-one-vote policy, among others.The BCCI’s move appeared to be against the Supreme Court order, which said that all of the Lodha report’s recommendations passed by the court – and not a selection – would have to be adopted by the board.The Lodha Committee – comprising former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha and retired Supreme Court judges Ashok Bhan and R Raveendran – was formed in January 2015 to determine appropriate punishments for some of the officials involved in the 2013 IPL corruption scandal, and also to propose changes to streamline the BCCI, reform its functioning, prevent sporting fraud and conflict of interest.

Pep Guardiola's team are on track to complete the treble thanks to the out-of-contract midfielder's stunning double at Wembley

Ilkay Gundogan was the decisive figure once again for Manchester City as they beat Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final to keep their hopes of completing the treble alive.

The 32-year-old fired the Premier League champions to an immediate lead with a record-breaking strike from distance after just 13 seconds and followed it up with another from outside the box in the second half. He now has six goals in as many games, showing once again that City cannot afford to let him leave for free this summer.

Gundogan did more than score, though, as he kept the ball moving in midfield and linked up expertly with Kevin De Bruyne, who grabbed two assists and was a constant threat with his deliveries and runs at United's defence. The pair stepped up to make the difference in place of Erling Haaland, as the super striker had a quiet game with only a couple of chances.

Two down and one to go for City, who turn their attention to the Champions League final against Inter next week.

GOAL rates City's players from Wembley Stadium…

• Getty
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Stefan Ortega (6/10):

  Had few shots to save until the penalty but he rushed out to stop RVarane in stoppage-time and keep his team ahead.

  Kyle Walker (7/10):

  Tasked with keeping Sancho quiet and he did a great job, giving his fellow England international no time to threaten.

  Ruben Dias (7/10):

  Another classy display in the centre of defence as he was strong in the tackle and always comfortable on the ball.

  Manuel Akanji (6/10):

  Looked sound in defence as he gave nothing away and partnered Dias well.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Midfield

  John Stones (7/10):

  Had a solid game in midfield, making some excellent stops in deep roles, composed on the ball and getting forward to support the attack.

  Rodri (7/10):

  Looked strong at the base of midfield, pitching in with plenty of strong tackles to protect the back line.

  Kevin De Bruyne (8/10):

  Always a danger, he set up both goals plus made some dangerous passes and deliveries from set-pieces to keep United under pressure.

  Ilkay Gundogan (9/10):

  His phenomenal end to the season just keeps getting better. Sent an incredible strike sailing into the net after just 12 seconds and then had another bounce into the bottom corner to restore the lead.

• Getty
  

  Attack

  Bernardo Silva (6/10):

  Escaped punishment for a kick at Shaw and was unusually quiet for the most part.

  Erling Haaland (6/10):

  Won the ball in the build up to the opener, made some smart runs but found it impossible to get enough space to be a direct threat until a shot was saved by De Gea in the 72nd minute.

  Jack Grealish (5/10):

  Felt hard done by when his handball gave United the penalty that tied things up and had a hard time getting on the ball beyond setting up Haaland for a shot in the second half.

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• Getty
  

  Subs & Manager

  Phil Foden (6/10):

  Looked bright after replacing De Bruyne for the final 13 minutes.

  Nathan Ake (N/A):

  Came on for Grealish for the last few minutes to protect the narrow lead.

  Aymeric Laporte (N/A):

  A last-minute introduction in place of Walker.

  Pep Guardiola (8/10):

  His team had a perfect start thanks to Gundogan and were on top for large parts. Next stop: delivering an incredible treble to enhance his legendary status at City.

Aston Villa have missed out on signing Real Madrid ace Marco Asensio, however the Villans are reportedly in the mix to capture another star from the Spanish capital.

Unai Emery has given the club a significant pull ahead of the summer transfer window, both on the pitch in sealing European football and off it with his individual accolades in his lucrative managerial career.

Villa shouldn’t feel discouraged by Asensio’s decision to join Paris Saint-Germain, with another option suggesting a new candidate to join Villa Park.

What’s the latest on Joao Felix to Aston Villa?

As reported by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Aston Villa have emerged as one of the options for Portuguese ace Joao Felix to relocate this summer.

The report states that Emery would be “delighted” to sign the 23-year-old, speaking in a press conference earlier this season regarding Felix’s move to Chelsea.

At the time, the Spaniard suggested the youngster was “better” than Villa, however with the club securing European football next campaign, the tides could change this summer.

What could Joao Felix bring to Aston Villa?

Lauded by Jose Mourinho as being an “incredible talent”, the forward has an impressive array of experience in European football behind him, despite being just 23.

The youngster has contributed to a total of 107 goals in his budding career, scoring 72 and assisting 35 playing at Benfica, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea – as per Transfermarkt.

After having disagreements with Diego Simeone, Felix has been searching for a new home, with Chelsea declining the option to sign the player permanently after a loan deal that came at a tough time for the Blues.

Despite playing in a disjointed Stamford Bridge squad, the forward showed his worth, scoring four goals in 11 starts in his debut season in the Premier League.

The attributes that the forward could offer Villa are endless, especially as Philippe Coutinho looks likely to depart this summer, with the Atletico gem being the perfect upgrade to the underachieving Brazilian.

When comparing the two, the Portuguese starlet gives a glimpse of what Coutinho could have been at Villa, and what he could give the club should he opt to join Emery’s project.

The £195k-per-week ace averages a mammoth 0.35 goals per 90, as well as being a live wire in the final third, as shown through his average of 4.04 shots on goal per 90 – as per FBref.

The former Liverpool magician falls short in both areas, averaging 0.11 goals per 90 and 2.40 shots per 90, showing that Felix would be a firm upgrade in the advanced areas.

A similar pattern is highlighted in the duo’s progressive play, with Coutinho averaging 2.06 progressive carries to the former Chelsea forwards’ 3.11 per 90, communicating his desire to get forward which is integral in Emery’s set-up.

Hailed as being “special” by the Villa coach himself, Felix could thrive in the Spaniard’s project at Villa, becoming one of the club’s star players and having an area to enjoy his football under a manager that can accommodate his playing style.

Cameos from Darren Sammy and Umar Akmal late in Rajshahi Kings’ innings gave them enough momentum to beat Rangpur Riders by 12 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDarren Sammy’s 18-ball 44, along with Umar Akmal saw them add 70 runs in the last 37 balls•BCB

Rajshahi Kings’ bowlers latched on to the momentum of Darren Sammy’s late assault to defend 162 and beat Rangpur Riders by 12 runs. Rajshahi rose from 94 for 5 to post 162 thanks to a 70-run partnership between Sammy and Umar Akmal for the sixth wicket, which came off only 37 deliveries. That was sufficient to put Rangpur under pressure, given their most successful chase in this season was 126.Losing Mohammad Shahzad in the seventh over was a blow for Rangpur but Mohammad Mithun and Nasir Jamshed led a brief recovery, adding 40 runs for the second wicket. Mithun waged a lone battle after Jamshed fell, and then watched as Soumya Sarkar, Anwar Ali and Liam Dawson were dismissed, leaving the score at 119 for 5 in the 17th over. With a six over long-on, Mithun reached his fifty in the 18th over, and Rangpur went into the last two overs needing 28.Mohammad Sami, however, bowled a tight penultimate over, giving away just three singles. Mithun slammed his fourth six in the final over but his unbeaten 64 off 36 balls was not enough to take Rangpur over the line.Earlier, Rajshahi’s innings got off to a rollicking start as Sabbir Rahman struck four boundaries and a six before falling in the seventh over for a 24-ball 31. Rangpur fought back in the next seven overs to reduce Rajshahi to 94 for 5.Sammy and Akmal hit a flurry of boundaries, taking 17, 15 and 23 off the last three overs. Sammy struck three fours and four sixes – over long-off, square-leg and midwicket – in his unbeaten 44 off 18 balls, while Akmal hammered two fours and a six in his 33 not out

The Gunners are crazy to be spending up to £65 million on a dire finisher who is nowhere near as good as any of their starting forwards

About halfway through last season, Andy Townsend was asked about Chelsea's goalscoring problems during an interview with and confessed that he didn't "quite get" Kai Havertz. It was a wholly understandable admission. The Germany international is one of the European game's most curious players.

We're talking about a 24-year-old who has already scored winning goals in the finals of both the Champions League and the Club World Cup – and yet is renowned for his poor finishing and lack of a fixed position. Nobody seems very sure of what kind of player Havertz, or whether Chelsea's £75 million ($96m) signing from Bayer Leverkusen is even any good.

And the debate over the attacker's true value has only intensified in recent days, after it emerged that Arsenal are about to commit to spending up to £65m ($83m) to sign him.

Getty ImagesArsenal's more pressing concerns

A small section of supporters called for caution, arguing that Mikel Arteta has clearly seen something in Havertz that many others have not. Others were outraged, though, wondering what on earth Arsenal are doing even entertaining the idea of signing a player who has scored just 19 times in 91 Premier League appearances. The one thing that united the fanbase was a sense of shock, though, because nobody saw this coming, and it's easy to understand why.

Arsenal's brave bid to dethrone Manchester City as the champions of England didn't collapse because of a lack of an attacking threat from midfield or out wide. They scored 88 goals last season – just six fewer than Erling Haaland & Co.

No, Arsenal were ultimately punished for their defensive deficiencies, which were brutally exposed following William Saliba's season-ending injury. The Frenchman's absence, coupled with the mental and physical fatigue caused by trying to fend off City, resulted in costly draws and losses down the home stretch.

So, Arsenal's determination to sign a centre-back and a right-back this summer makes perfect sense. As does their interest in a winger to provide back-up for Bukayo Saka, who tired during the closing stages of the 2022-23 campaign, a replacement for Granit Xhaka and a top-class defensive midfielder to provide the back four with great protection.

AdvertisementGettyHavertz any better than Smith Rowe?

The hope is that the latter role will be filled by Declan Rice. Given the England international is held in the highest esteem, not only at West Ham, but also in Manchester, Arsenal are likely to have to pay around £100m ($128m) for the 24-year-old. Is Rice really worth such a fee? Maybe not, but he would be to Arsenal – and that's all that matters at the end of the day.

However, given it's going to take a colossal amount of cash to make that transfer happen, Arsenal's willingness to pay even £50m ($64m) – their opening bid – for Havertz is utterly baffling. The Gunners are not backed by a Gulf state, meaning that the eventual fee that they will pay for a player who would not walk straight into Arteta's starting line up is astronomical.

Indeed, the question has to be asked as to whether Havertz is as good as any other attacker that Arsenal presently have at their disposal. How much would he actually add to this team? Emile Smith Rowe couldn't get in the side last season – would Havertz fare any better?

GettyHavertz the new Zidane…

There is no doubting Havertz's potential. It's been obvious since he broke into the Leverkusen line-up at 17 and began breaking one club record after another. There was huge and wholly justified excitement surrounding a kid that missed the second leg of a Champions League last-16 tie with Atletico Madrid because he had to sit a school exam.

Lothar Matthaus, arguably the most complete midfielder in football history, called Havertz the most talented player to emerge in Germany for decades, even going so far as to compare him to the great Zinedine Zidane.

"He has set the bar very high – for me he was the player of the [2018-19] season," Matthaus told magazine. "If Havertz can maintain this high standard, with his natural talent, cleverness, presence on the pitch, and goal threat, then he could someday follow me as world footballer of the year."

Five years on, though, he looks nothing like a Ballon d'Or winner.

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GettyAdmired by Madrid

There was a brief spell in March and April of last year when it appeared as if Thomas Tuchel may have successfully unlocked Havertz. He netted five goals in five Premier League games, and also scored against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti was certainly impressed, as he asked Florentino Perez to try to sign Havertz last summer.

Talk of a transfer to Santiago Bernabeu resurfaced following Karim Benzema's shock exit, but it is believed that Madrid were put off by Chelsea's asking price – and Arsenal should be too.