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West Ham United have been named as one of the clubs believed to be interested in Leeds United winger Jack Harrison, as David Moyes plots new reinforcements this summer.

What’s the word?

As per 90min, the Hammers are said to be ‘taking an interest’ in the 25-year-old, with uncertainty over the future of a number of key players at Elland Road despite their final day survival.

It was the Englishman’s stoppage-time strike that rubberstamped the Yorkshire side’s safety from the drop, with that effort having been his eighth Premier League goal in an impressive campaign on a personal note.

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The £60k-per-week forward – who joined his current side in a £11m permanent deal last summer after spending the previous three seasons on loan at the club – is also being tracked by both Newcastle United and Everton, however, as per the report, while a potential departure for teammate Raphinha could ‘impact’ Leeds’ stance regarding a sale.

The next Sinclair?

Although there is likely to be competition for his signature, as noted above, the east Londoners will no doubt have confidence in their own pulling power, with their involvement in next season’s Europa Conference League a potential attractive prospect.

One man who knows all about competing in Europe for the Irons is club icon Trevor Sinclair, with the Englishman notably scoring in the 1999 Intertoto Cup final success, before featuring in the UEFA Cup the following season.

The versatile forward had joined from Queens Park Rangers in 1998 and would go on to spend five years at Upton Park, netting an impressive 37 league goals in that time – ensuring he is currently fifth on the Hammers’ scoring list in the Premier League era.

Capable of featuring at wing-back, but also on either flank in an attacking role, the one-time Manchester City man was a real handful for any defender, while he also had a penchant for the spectacular, notably netting a stunning overhead kick – no, not that one – for West Ham against Derby County on Boxing Day in 2001.

In Harrison, GSB could well have found the perfect heir, with the £13.5m-rated gem – who has previously been dubbed a “revelation” by former New York City FC teammate Frank Lampard – also having the ability to dazzle from his left-wing berth, as well as his proving himself a potent force in front of goal.

The Europa League semi-finalists saw that finishing prowess up close this season, as the former England U21 international bagged a breathtaking hat-trick in a 3-2 win for the visitors at the London Stadium back in January.

Moyes and co will no doubt be hoping to avoid being tormented once again in the 2022/23 campaign, with the ideal way to prevent a repeat performance being to snap him up themselves.

IN other news, Cost £1.5m per goal: GSB made a colossal blunder on “strong” £40k-p/w West Ham flop

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Djed Spence to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that a recruitment source has revealed that Fabio Paratici has now opened talks with Middlesbrough regarding a deal for the right-back, with Antonio Conte believed to have made the Nottingham Forest loanee one of his priority targets ahead of Tottenham’s 2022/23 campaign.

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However, the report goes on to state that Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal are also interested in a move for the 21-year-old, who is expected to be made available to sign for a figure of around £10m this summer.

The next Trent Alexander-Arnold

Considering just how impressive Spence has been while on loan at Forest this season, it is not difficult to understand why Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the full-back to north London this summer.

Indeed, over his 41 Championship appearances for Steve Cooper’s side this term, the £7.2m-rated talent has been a revelation in the Reds backline, scoring two goals, registering four assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.6 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

The £4.4k-per-week right-back has also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 1.5 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 0.2 blocks and winning 5.8 duels per fixture, in addition to boasting a pass completion rate of 75.8%.

These returns have seen the 21-year-old who Danny Green dubbed an “unreal player” and Neil Warnock claimed has “all the tools” average a quite astonishing WhoScored match rating of 7.06, ranking him as Forest’s sixth-best performer in the second tier – playing a key role in the Garibaldi’s run to the play-off final.

So impressive has Spence been that, following the Reds’ 1-0 FA Cup victory over Arsenal back in January, Ian Wright compared the England U21 international to Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the 58-year-old stating:

“If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking about Reece James and Trent, but I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time. I said to him, in all seriousness, ‘That level we saw there? You should be in the Premier League.’ Simple as that.”

And, while the Boro starlet may still be a little way off the €100m (£83m) 23-year-old’s output, there are clear comparisons between the two, with the England international scoring two goals, providing 12 assists and creating 18 big chances over his 32 Premier League outings this season, as well as making 2.8 key passes, completing 0.6 dribbles and having a pass completion rate of 78.1%.

As such, should Conte be able to convince Spence of a move to north London this summer, it would very much appear as if the Italian could have landed himself the next Alexander-Arnold, and, if the youngster is available for as little as £10m, the 21-year-old may well prove to be one of the bargains of the summer.

AND in other news: “In the coming days”: Fabrizio Romano drops big Spurs update that supporters will love

The spinning pitch in Pune seems like a reaction to the seaming pitch in Bengaluru and its come back to bite them

Deivarayan Muthu25-Oct-20241:37

Manjrekar: Kohli’s perception of length seems to be an issue

Skittled for 46 by fast bowlers in seaming conditions under cloudy skies in Bengaluru.Skittled for 156 by spin on a dry, turning pitch under cloudless skies in Pune.After two collapses in contrasting conditions, India are on the verge of losing their first Test series at home since December 2012, when Alastair Cook’s England toppled them. It feels like a storied era might be coming to an end.Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips, who aren’t specialist spinners in Test cricket, outshone R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. New Zealand also outbatted India in Pune.Related

• 'Flatline' Mitchell Santner peaks with Kohli's wicket

• Santner, Latham give NZ a shot at maiden series win in India

While Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach, dismissed notions that it was a “desperate measure” to prepare a pitch that would help spinners create uncertainty simply by landing the ball on a good length – and bring in the extra offie from outside the squad to exploit it better – it seems like an overreaction to their collapse in Bengaluru. India were looking to take New Zealand’s quicks out of the game and then trust their batters to deal with the spinners but again when one ball turns and another doesn’t – even though they pitched in the exact same spot – batting becomes a lottery. Shubman Gill was lbw to a straight ball soon after seeing one rip past his outside edge. Rishabh Pant was bowled by a short ball that shot low.Perhaps India might look back and wonder if they could have done more to throw Santner and Phillips off their lines and lengths. A lot of batters, especially those visiting the subcontinent, turn to the sweep shot to accomplish this. New Zealand were no different. On the opening day, even though there was a short third, and a square point led to dissuade Devon Conway from playing that shot, he went for it anyway and prospered. Overall, New Zealand scored 87 runs off 67 balls using various varieties of the sweep across both innings. It has cost them just the two wickets.3:12

Why have India’s batters struggled in home Tests?

India had even more reason to try and upset the bowlers because by the time they batted it was difficult to be sure what the ball would do. Would it spin? Would it go straight on? Would it stay low? They tried to answer these questions with a vertical bat. That’s how they’ve had success playing spin. They went to the sweep only 17 times and got 24 runs for the loss of Virat Kohli. Increasingly, they just ended up stuck in the crease, allowing Santner and co. to keep hitting the drier, good-length spots.Morne Morkel, India’s bowling coach, admitted that New Zealand’s attacking approach disrupted their plans. New Zealand had similarly disrupted Sri Lanka’s plans in Galle with their sweeps.”Yeah, I think I must give credit to New Zealand, I think the way they’ve adapted to conditions, the way they’ve blocked out what is in front of them and just played the game has been incredible so far in this series,” Morkel said. “I think definitely in Bangalore and here, playing those sessions, playing those important moments, they’ve done it better than us at the moment, and that’s one of the reasons why they’re on top of this game at the moment as well.”They’re creating pressure with the ball, they’re putting our batters under pressure by sweeping well, reverse-sweeping well, so they’re a team that always plan well and they go into tours and really leave no stone unturned, so I’m not surprised with the way they’re playing at the moment.”Santner, who was rolling out some sweeps during New Zealand’s training session on the eve of the Test, said that they had made a concerted effort to take some calculated risks and attack India’s spinners.”We know how challenging it can be in these conditions,” Santner said. “We’ve seen India squeeze a lot of teams for a long time and I guess it was pleasing with the bat was guys trying to fire some shots and play some sweeps and take on the bowlers because we know on the flip side, as a bowler, if guys are using their feet or going back or sweeping it kind of can upset your length a little bit. You know, in the past we’ve come here and just tried to block it out and, you know, eventually one’s got your name on it.”The collapse on Friday will sting, especially with New Zealand finding ways to score and push their lead up to 301, and there will be serious introspection – both in terms of the options they chose with the bat and the problems they had with the ball. But these events are part of a team’s life cycle.”Every few years there comes a time when key players are not in their prime,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on . “And you can clearly say Rohit Sharma is not in his prime right now so is Virat Kohli. That happened in 2011, when India suffered defeats in England 4-0 and Australia 4-0. There you had many senior players who were on the wane, and they didn’t quite deliver and India suffered. But here there’s been a nice transition. There’s Gill, there’s [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, there’s Sarfaraz [Khan], there’s Rishabh Pant. It’s been a nice transition.”But I guess somewhere in a situation like this, when New Zealand were throwing some really difficult questions at India, experienced players have to be at the forefront and they haven’t quite contributed. Hardly any contributions from Rohit Sharma in the first innings. From Virat Kohli as well and that is somewhere coming into play.”From 2012 to 2024, India were invincible at home. With every series, they kept finding ways to outlast their opponents, seemingly immune to the way good things are supposed to work. Crowds all over the country had gotten used to this. The 20,000 or so in Pune were screaming their heads off as the second wicket fell. Because it wasn’t so much a success for the opposition. It was the intro to their hero. The DJ played Oscar winner AR Rahman’s as Kohli walked out to the middle. But this script wasn’t like the others, and now there is every chance that in the next two days – or maybe even less – a proud and unmatched streak will finally come to an end.

By the numbers: all the highlights from the fourth day of the Bengaluru Test

Sampath Bandarupalli19-Oct-20244 India batters, who in the second innings, outscored their team’s first-innings total of 46: Rohit Sharma (52), Virat Kohli (70), Sarfaraz Khan (150) and Rishabh Pant (99). Only one team had more batters outscoring their first-innings total in a Men’s Test – five by South Africa against England in 1924 in Birmingham.416 The difference in runs between India’s two totals in Bengaluru is the second-highest for any team after being bowled out for a sub-100 first-innings score. The highest is also by India, who scored 422 runs more in the second innings (505 for 3) than the 83 all-out in the first innings against New Zealand in Mohali in 1999.Related

• O'Rourke: 'I've been pretty streaky, pretty hot and cold with the ball'

• Eccentric, electric, entertaining – it's the Sarfaraz & Pant show

• India flex batting muscle before collapsing to set New Zealand 107

• Bengaluru weatherwatch: spells of rain and thunderstorms forecast for last day

10.04 The ratio between India’s totals in Bengaluru – 462 all-out and 46 all-out. It is the second-highest ratio between a team’s totals in a Test match, behind South Africa’s 13.00 – 30 all-out and 390 all-out against England in 1924.462 India’s second-innings total against New Zealand is the second-lowest all-out total in Tests, where the top five batters aggregated 400-plus runs. The lowest is 433 by Australia against England in 1970 at Brisbane.Zero to hero – Scoring ducks and 150+ runs in the same Test among Indians•ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Indian batters with a duck and a 150-plus score in a Test match, including Sarfaraz. Madhav Apte followed up his first-innings duck with an unbeaten 163 against West Indies in 1953 at Port of Spain, while Nayan Mongia bagged a duck after scoring 152 in the first innings against Australia in 1996 in Delhi.Sarfaraz is now only the 13th batter to follow up his first-innings duck with a 150-plus score in a Test match. The last of the previous 12 was Dimuth Karunaratne against New Zealand in 2014 in Christchurch.59 Runs Sarfaraz scored behind the wicket on either side during his 150-run knock. These are the third-most runs scored by an India batter behind the wicket on either side in a men’s Test innings since 2002, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data logs.Rahul Dravid scored 61 runs behind the wicket on either side against Pakistan in 2004 during his 270 in Rawalpindi, while Kohli scored 60 against South Africa in 2019 during his 254* in Pune.7 Dismissals in the nineties for Rishabh Pant in Test cricket. No batter other than Pant has been dismissed more than three times in the nineties since his debut in August 2018. He is also the only batter with more nineties than centuries scored (among players with five or more hundreds in Test cricket)Pant also became the first Indian batter to be dismissed on 99 in Tests since Murali Vijay against Australia in 2014 at the Adelaide Oval.7 for 62 India’s total in the 19.3 overs after the second new ball was taken by New Zealand. They managed only 29 runs for the loss of six wickets in the 11.3 overs after William O’Rourke was introduced in the 89th over.42 Runs added by India after the fall of their fifth wicket across both innings in Bengaluru. These are the second-fewest runs by India for their last five partnerships across both innings in a Men’s Test, behind the 28 against Australia in 2017 in Pune.7 Indian batters to have bagged a duck in Bengaluru, the joint-most for them in a Test match. Seven Indian batters bagged ducks also against England in 1952 in Leeds.

The year 2024 was a difficult one for Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and his family.

In the summer of the Dodgers' World Series-winning campaign, Freeman briefly stepped away from the team as his youngest son, Maximus, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. The rare autoimmune condition landed Maximus in the hospital, and Los Angeles rallied around Freddie as his son recovered.

Now, a year later, Freddie is giving back. The 2020 National League MVP is donating $1 million to the Children's Hospital of Orange County in California, he told ESPN's Jeff Passan Monday afternoon.

"Getting to know the doctors, nurses and care teams and seeing how they show up each day to bring healing and hope to kids and their families was inspiring," Freeman said. "CHOC saved Maximus's life."

Freeman, 35, is in his fourth year with the Dodgers. He currently leads the NL in batting average (.357) and OPS (1.063).

Elche head coach Eder Sarabia has still not gotten over the 2-2 draw against Real Madrid at the weekend, which saw Xabi Alonso's men come back twice from behind. Los Blancos equalised just three minutes from the end of normal time thanks to Jude Bellingham, but controversy erupted during and after the game as the Elche players and manager blasted the officials for what they believed to be an incorrect decision.

• Madrid held to a draw by Elche after controversial Bellingham goal

  Real Madrid endured yet another frustrating evening at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Sunday, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by the newly-promoted but daring Elche. The result stretched their winless run across competitions to three games. 

  After a goalless first half, former Real Madrid youth player and Elche captain Aleix Febas fired the hosts into the lead just eight minutes after the restart, capping off a brilliant team move that cut Madrid open. Dean Huijsen then pulled things back, scoring his first goal for Los Blancos in the 78th minute. However, Sarabia's troops didn't budge. Substitute Alvaro Rodriguez, a La Fabrica product who has featured in several games for Madrid, scored a great individual goal just six minutes later to restore Elche's lead.

  That wasn't the end of the drama. In the 87th minute, Madrid came back from behind for the second time in the game, courtesy of a Bellingham equaliser. Controversy, however, ensued, as the Elche players religiously protested Vinicius Junior's challenge on goalkeeper Inaki Pena, which left the latter bleeding from his nose. 

  The pleas from Elche players could only go in vain. The goal stood, and the match finished all-square, leaving the home team's head coach furious after the game.

  "It's a clear foul. Not a normal part of the game. That's what VAR is for. It's a very clear foul; it hits the goalkeeper and even draws blood. It's crystal clear," ranted Sarabia. "It's to Inaki's credit that he said it was a normal part of the game, but it really wasn't. It's a clear foul.

  "I'm not at all happy with the result, especially considering the decisive moments of the match. Vinicius's foul for the 2-2 equalizer was crystal clear. Inaki didn't see the play, but it wasn't just a normal part of the game, it was a clear foul. It makes me angry to waste time on these things, but you take the lead twice and you feel that there were factors that influenced the final result. It makes you angry."

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  Sarabia takes his anger to social media

  Sarabia took to his official account to express his contempt over the controversial refereeing over the weekend. He wrote: "My apologies to those who make decisions, but for more than 25 years now, "voluntariness/intentionality" has been removed from the regulations (except for hands). Therefore, the fact that an action is "fortuitous" is not a correct argument for deciding whether it is an infraction or not." 

• Alonso reflects on Madrid's poor form

  Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso addressed the media after the game and assured that the team is not in a crisis. "We haven't fallen apart," he told reporters. “That’s football. After a good run, we’re now getting results that aren’t what we wanted. But we still know what we want. We have to keep moving forward.

  “We're not happy because we know perfectly well that we always want to win, and when we don't, we can't be happy. There are still many games left before the end of the year, and we have to start thinking about the next one by analysing what we've done today.  

  “The team never gave up. We’re still competing. We know that the context of each game is different. Obviously, the result could be better. We're aware of that and we're self-critical, but the direction is clear, the spirit remains good and we have to respond in the face of adversity. This is Real Madrid and every unfavourable result attracts criticism, which we have to live with. We want to improve. The team never gave up.

  “The connection is improving because we have more time, we interact more and we're getting to know each other better. We're all in the same boat, everyone together in the same direction. We celebrate victories, we suffer, as we did today, and we're not happy when we don't get the desired result. The connection is good, the day-to-day is good. We need to turn this moment around a little bit and we have the opportunity to do so starting in Athens.”

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  Olympiacos and Girona up next for Madrid

  Despite their recent woes, Madrid hold a one-point lead over rivals Barcelona in La Liga and are in a strong position to secure a top-eight spot in the Champions League. They will visit Greece on Wednesday to lock horns with Greek champions Olympiacos in Europe's premier club competition, followed by another away game against Girona in the league this weekend.   

Over the last couple of seasons, Manchester United have failed to deliver in the Premier League, as seen by the embarrassing 15th-placed finish last time around.

From poor recruitment to managerial mistakes, there have been countless reasons as to why the Red Devils have found themselves in such a position of late.

However, after spending a year at the helm at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim will still believe he is the man to take the club back to their former glory in the seasons ahead.

There have been glimpses of quality during the early months of the 2025/26 campaign, but the 40-year-old desperately needs to sustain such success on a consistent basis.

Numerous of his first-team players have certainly gone under the radar over recent weeks, with many not quite getting the credit they deserve for their showings in England’s top-flight.

Man Utd’s most underrated players in 2025/26 so far

Amorim’s renowned 3-4-2-1 system has allowed numerous players at United to reignite their Red Devils career, but none more so than winger Amad Diallo.

The Ivorian was often an impact player under the last management team, but he’s featured in all but one league outing under Amorim so far this campaign.

He’s already registered three combined goals and assists, with his only goal coming in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest – but it was certainly a strike to remember.

Underlying stats such as three big chances created and 1.3 successful dribbles per 90 – both the most in the squad – highlight his incredible ability on the transition for the Red Devils.

He’s not the only first-team member who hasn’t received enough praise, with Brazilian midfielder Casemiro resurrecting his career at Old Trafford over the last few months.

Many would have expected the 33-year-old to depart last summer, but he’s once again become a regular starter and has matched Amad for total appearances this season.

He’s already posted four goal contributions – the third highest in the squad – often popping up with the goods when needed in the final third of the pitch.

However, he’s been just as impressive defensively, making 2.9 tackles and winning 6.5 duels per 90 – handing Amorim the disruptive force he’s been craving at the heart of the side.

The United star who’s showing shades of McTominay

Casemiro will no doubt have benefited from the departure of Scott McTominay last summer, with the Scotsman’s move to Napoli freeing a role for him as a starter once again.

The 28-year-old spent a huge chunk of his professional career on the books at United, allowing him to rack up a total of over 250 senior appearances for his boyhood club.

He was at the heart of numerous memorable moments during his first team spell at the Theatre of Dreams, with the highlight undoubtedly being his long-range goal in the Manchester Derby.

However, despite producing such impressive performances, he often didn’t get the credit he deserved from the supporters, which no doubt aided his move to Italy.

In the last 18 months in Serie A, McTominay has registered 14 goals and six assists, leading to a Ballon d’Or nomination – an unthinkable feat given his inconsistency at United.

However, the club do have another hugely underrated player on their books at present, with centre-back Matthijs de Ligt finally starting to show why the hierarchy paid £43m for his signature in 2024.

The Dutchman was seen as the solution to the club’s defensive woes, but endured a tricky debut campaign – one that was no doubt a culture shock to the 26-year-old.

The same can’t be said in 2025/26, with the defender undoubtedly being one of the club’s shining lights over the last couple of months in the Premier League.

He’s featured in every single minute of the Red Devils’ league campaign to date, allowing him to produce some simply mind-boggling numbers in the process.

De Ligt, who’s been dubbed a “warrior” by Dev Bajwa, has made 1.6 tackles and won 5.6 duels per 90 – backing up Casemiro and providing another line of solidarity.

He’s also won 63% of his aerial battles to date, at an average of 3.3 per 90 – handing Amorim that dominant presence which he’s craved since taking the reins.

Other numbers, such as 88%of passes completed and 1.3 interceptions made per 90, further showcase his all-round quality, leading to Bajwa even claiming he’s the club’s “most underrated player”.

Many of the aforementioned numbers are similar to those of McTominay, who has also dominated aerially in Serie A this season, as seen by his tally of four headed goals already this season.

Both also possess the leadership qualities to lead a side forward, with both players no doubt wanting to achieve added success at their various clubs in 2025/26.

There’s no denying the defensive unit at Old Trafford has massively improved compared to last season, with De Ligt’s upturn in form certainly contributing to their success.

However, he hasn’t yet received as much praise as he deserves for his efforts, with the Dutchman likely to play a key role in any success under Amorim come the end of the campaign.

Anderson upgrade: INEOS plan £105m bid to sign "world-class" CM for Man Utd

Manchester United appear to have another midfielder on their radar instead of Elliot Anderson.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 27, 2025

Benches cleared during Wednesday night’s game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles after O’s outfielder Heston Kjerstad took exception with Yankees second baseman Pablo Reyes as he slid into second.

As Kjerstad stole second, Reyes jumped to bring down the throw down from catcher Austin Wells and Reyes came down awkwardly on Kjerstad's head. Words were exchanged and benches quickly cleared between both sides. The Orioles' bullpen sprinted in from center field and the Yankees' relievers followed slowly behind.

The dust up amounted to a whole lot of nothing, with players quickly separating and play resuming shortly after.

Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay couldn't fathom why the bullpens cleared as well, as the incident settled before they could even get to second base from behind the center-field wall.

"I'm telling you, the run from the bullpen is one of the most ridiculous things," Kay said on the broadcast via Prime Video and . "No one's thrown a punch. No one's said a curse word. But they all had to run from the 410-foot mark."

You can't help but wonder why the bullpens even bothered. But, hey, they did what they could do get there as soon as possible, I guess.

The Orioles (12-18) beat the Yankees (18-13) by a score of 5-4 to take the rubber match of the three-game series between the American League East rivals.

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has admitted that he found it strange how Queens Park Rangers played the final moments of their historic game against Manchester City in May 2012, adding fuel to a longstanding conspiracy theory peddled by Wayne Rooney that Manchester United were done out of the title. Sergio Aguero's last-ditch winner famously secured the title for City instead.

• Rooney questions QPR's approach

  Rooney has always openly questioned whether QPR allowed City to win the game in question at the Etihad Stadium a little too easily. Roberto Mancini's team, who had hauled Manchester United back in during a rollercoaster title race up to that point, needed three points in their final match of the season to be sure of a first English league championship in 44 years. But QPR, who were fighting relegation, led 2-1 going into the final stages.

  It meant that because United won their own fixture away at Sunderland, they finished their season as champions. But City were still playing and had enough time to turn things around, through Edin Dzeko and then Aguero. What has always rankled with Rooney is that QPR survived relegation, even in defeat, because of Bolton’s 1-1 draw with Stoke. He has implied that they may have already before the end of the game they were safe, although that has always been unclear.

  "Paddy Kenny should have done better for a couple of the goals," Rooney said in 2022. "City get the second goal and QPR kick it straight back to them and that's never been questioned – I find that strange. Djibril Cisse celebrating after the game with the City players, but yeah listen it's a historic moment in the Premier League so I'm sure that, if you are not involved as a Manchester United player, that's probably one of the greatest moments in the league."

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  Dean adds weight to Rooney's claims

  Speaking on, brought to you by , Mike Dean gave his opinion on what happened that day. He was the referee for the game and considered it odd the way QPR surrendered possession so easily after City had got back level at 2-2 through Dzeko's equaliser.

  "[City] make it 2-2, and [QPR] just kick it back and give it to them. And we [the match officials] were like, 'What's going on, why are they giving the ball back straightaway?' I said [that] in the ear piece. To kick off and give the ball straight back to them. Neil Swarbrick, the fourth official, said, 'Keep switched on, something is going to happen.'

  "You just knew something was going to happen. You could just tell. What was strange about it, once QPR found out they were safe, Jamie Mackie was on the pitch celebrating while the game was still going on."

  Rooney was also appearing on the show and cheekily added: "They had loads of ex-City players in there as well," referencing Shaun Wright-Phillips, Nedum Onuoha and Joey Barton in the QPR side – Barton had earlier been sent off for violent conduct.

• Cisse denies foul play

  QPR and former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse was seen celebrating with City players afterwards, but recently denied that had anything to do with wanting the club to win the title over United. He told this year that it was only because close friend Samir Nasri was in the City team, combined with QPR's own survival.

  "I was celebrating with Samir Nasri," he said. "I didn't celebrate with Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero or anybody else. I celebrated with my brother, Samir, who had been a friend of mine for 15 years.

  "Manchester United lost the Premier League title because they dropped points throughout the season. It was nothing to do with me or QPR. What Rooney said isn't cool. He took out his frustrations on me. It's not my fault. If we had wanted Man City to win the league, would it not have been a little risky to have waited until the very last minute to let them score? We could have let them win 4–0 or 5–0 and gone home. But we played a strong team, the manager wanted to win that game. It wasn't our reserve team."

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  Man City still await Premier League charges verdict

  Theoretically, United could still be retrospectively awarded the 2011-12 Premier League title. The season falls within the period of time for which City face at least 115 charges for alleged financial rule breaches between 2009 and 2018.

  A verdict is still to be given on the case that has dragged on for years, with the long-awaited hearing concluding almost 12 months ago without any further updates. Nobody really knows what sanctions and punishments could be applied if City, who fiercely deny wrongdoing, are deemed guilty. But nothing, including titles being stripped, is off the table at this stage.

Sunderland have a habit of finding gems in the transfer market and could now look to sign another Moroccan star following their summer capture of Chemsdine Talbi.

The Black Cats have been the surprise package of the Premier League campaign, and the example they have set is up there with the best newly-promoted sides to enter the top-flight.

Regis Le Bris has been a breath of fresh air against the elite in English football, and his side maintained their unbeaten home record in some style on Saturday evening, claiming a dramatic last-gasp draw against Arsenal courtesy of Brian Brobbey.

Sparking scenes of jubilation at the Stadium of Light, the Frenchman’s post-match interview paid tribute to his players and supporters as they battled until the end against one of Europe’s in-form clubs.

He told Match of the Day: “The lads worked hard to the end. They believed it was possible to change the dynamic. It was a tough game, as we expected. They are probably one of the best teams in Europe. We struggled, but we still believed it was possible to score one more goal. Our fans helped a lot. We showed before that it was possible, so now we have this faith, this belief that until the final whistle, anything is possible.”

Admittedly, it would be difficult to imagine a better start for Sunderland in their long-awaited return to the Premier League. Granit Xhaka’s leadership in midfield has offered an excellent base to build from, while figures such as Dan Ballard, Wilson Isidor and Enzo Le Fee have led the charge.

Whether from the start or off the bench, the Black Cats have a healthy balance to their squad and will be keen to bolster the ranks in January, something that could see them enter an untapped market for a player who retains considerable potential.

Sunderland bid for Moroccan talent Hossam Essadak

According to AfricaFoot, Sunderland have submitted an official offer for Union Touarga Sport midfielder Hossam Essadak after his leading role in Morocco claiming glory at the recent Under-20 World Cup in Chile.

Leading his side all the way to the final and collecting the trophy from Gianni Infantino, the 20-year-old is also wanted by Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, and there could be scope for a transfer battle between two of British football’s notable clubs for his services.

Should he opt for Sunderland, Essadak may follow similar footsteps to those of compatriot Chemsdine Talbi, albeit he would likely be viewed as one for the future in the North East.

Amid growing speculation over the prodigious star, scouts from both the Black Cats and Celtic are set to watch him in action before the January window.

Either way, Essadak has two attractive options to pick from after a run of four goals and four assists in 35 appearances for Union Touarga Sport. Wydad Casablanca and RS Berkane have also expressed their interest, but he is likely to be sold to a European counterpart.