All posts by n8rngtd.top

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."

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  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.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  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."

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  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."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  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.

Spring training has begun as MLB teams gather to prepare for the 2025 season. While not every roster is set and there are still moves to be made, it's fair to take a look back at the offseason that was and point out the teams who failed to improve as they should have.

Here's a look at the franchises that had the most demoralizing offseasons this winter.

San Diego Padres

This is not to say the Padres will be bad in 2025, as they'll almost certainly still be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Their inclusion here is more about how they went from one game away from eliminating the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason, to losing significant pieces of their roster without replacing them and missing out on their top target of the offseason.

Key contributors Ha-seong Kim, Jurickson Profar and Kyle Higashioka were allowed to depart in free agency and the team didn't spend to improve at those spots. Catcher Elias Díaz was brought back on a cheap deal, while Connor Joe and Jason Heyward were signed to form a platoon in left field. The recent signing of Nick Pivetta was shrewd, and lefty Kyle Hart dominated the KBO last season and is a lottery ticket signing.

Perhaps most painfully, the Padres threw a lot into landing Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki in what was a multi-year chase only to watch him sign with the Dodgers. A family legal dispute over the team's ownership was the icing on the cake of a brutal offseason for the Friars.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals firmly entered rebuild territory this offseason, as they didn't acquire anyone of note. They also looked to trade several veteran pieces, most notably third baseman Nolan Arenado. As of now, those moves haven't come to fruition. Spring training has begun with Arenado and veteran pitchers Sonny Gray, Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas still on the roster.

The Cardinals watched Paul Goldschmidt, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson walk away, while reliever Andrew Kittredge also left. The team is clearly attempting to turn things over to a younger generation led by shortstop Masyn Winn.

Until they move Arenado, the franchise will remain in a state of limbo. If things are bad early in the season, St. Louis could look to unload a number of pieces, including its best starting pitchers. If that was the route the Cardinals planned, it would have been better to do it this offseason.

As they look to take their title party into the summer, Premier League champions Liverpool now reportedly want to sign an impressive forward who has scored 33 goals in all competitions this season.

Liverpool look towards Chelsea and summer transfer plans

The Reds have been in party mode ever since thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 to secure their 20th league title and their second in the last five years, but must now turn towards Chelsea this weekend. It’s at Stamford Bridge that Arne Slot, even with the title sealed, will be looking to see his side continue their celebrations and prove exactly why the Blues will be giving them a guard of honour ahead of kick off.

Chelsea’s applause will be the first of four guard of honours that Liverpool receive on their way towards lifting the Premier League title, with Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace to come.

Arsenal’s at Anfield will, of course, taste the sweetest for all those in Merseyside after Liverpool dominantly beat the Gunners to the English crown this season. It’s a feeling the Reds will be desperate to get used to and one that Mohamed Salah has already set his sights on ahead of next season.

FSG now on high alert as Liverpool race to sign "fantastic" UCL midfielder

He’s enjoyed an excellent season…

By
Tom Cunningham

May 1, 2025

The Egyptian took to social media to celebrate title success whilst also laying down an early marker for the next campaign, posting: “This is what we wanted to deliver to our fans more than anything.

“This is a club that should always compete for everything and be right at the top. No excuses. All teams win games but in the end there’s only one champion. That’s what history remembers and this applies to next season as well.”

It’s next season that the Anfield legend could be joined by some fresh faces too, which may yet include a 33-goal star.

Liverpool complete Maeda scouting mission

According to The Boot Room, Liverpool now want to sign Daizen Maeda from Celtic after completing their scouting on the forward this season. The Japan international has enjoyed an excellent campaign and has earned the interest of the Premier League champions as well as Arsenal and Aston Villa as a result. Amid such interest, Maeda hasn’t exactly ruled out a departure either.

The Celtic forward told reporters when quizzed about his future: “Well, I’m not sure. That’s a difficult question. While I’m here, I always want to fight and play for Celtic. I want to keep focusing and playing for the team.”

With just two years remaining on his current deal, Celtic could have a decision to make on Maeda sooner rather than later. They already proved that they will sell if necessary last summer when Matt O’Riley left for Brighton in a deal worth a reported £25m. Now, a year on, Maeda could leave for a similar price, following the same path from Glasgow’s east end to Merseyside trodden by the legendary Kenny Dalglish.

Dubbed “amazing” by manager Brendan Rodgers earlier this season, it’s clear that the impressive striker is ready to take the Premier League or elsewhere by storm if he does depart the Scottish champions this summer.

Celtic are basking in the glory of becoming Scottish Premiership champions and could now have eyes on a bright starlet who has admitted he is dreaming of a move to Parkhead, per reports.

Celtic set to enjoy another productive transfer window

Brendan Rodgers leads his side into battle against Rangers this weekend and will hope they can lay down a marker after claiming their fourth successive league title against Dundee United.

The Irishman will also hope to become the first Celtic manager to deliver three trebles during his tenure in charge if the Bhoys can navigate past Aberdeen in next month’s Scottish Cup final, though it is reasonable to assume he will already have one eye on the summer window.

There is an expectation at Parkhead that some form of squad refresh could take place. New blood is expected, and James Wilson could be on his way to the Hoops after a breakout campaign at Heart of Midlothian.

Kieran Tierney is on his way back to Celtic on a free transfer once his contract at Arsenal comes to an end. AC Ajaccio forward Moussa Soumano could join the Scotland international to bolster Rodgers’ options across the final third.

Champions League league phase involvement isn’t guaranteed for the reigning Scottish champions next campaign, meaning they will need to adopt a laser-focused approach to recruitment amid a swift turnaround between the end of this term and 2025/26.

Worth more than Tierney: Celtic have hit the jackpot on "brilliant" star

Celtic have hit the jackpot on this star who is now worth more than Kieran Tierney.

By
Dan Emery

May 1, 2025

However, there is also time for Celtic to look to the future with long-term additions who can develop into stars of the future, and they may now have their next candidate after a surprise transfer admission.

Dylan Leonard admits his dream is to play for Celtic

Speaking to A Leagues, Western United youngster Dylan Leonard has admitted he wants to join Celtic in the future, claiming signing for the Scottish Premiership champions is his ‘ultimate dream’ in football.

He stated: “That’s probably one thing I want to achieve in football is play for Celtic. Win something with Celtic obviously, but that’s definitely the one thing I want to do, the one club I want to play for.”

Enjoying an impressive campaign in his homeland, the 17-year-old has registered a goal and an assist across 24 appearances in the Australian top-flight. Primarily a central defender, Leonard has also come out in 100 duels and made 28 tackles on league duty, illustrating his potential to grow into a solid presence at the back.

Celtic are always on the lookout for talent and the Carlton-born starlet definitely appears to be someone that would fit the bill, but it remains to be seen whether a deal can be struck between all parties.

Manchester City have now seemingly come out the other side of their disastrous dip in form in the Premier League with Pep Guardiola’s men yet to taste the bitter disappointment of a loss this April.

A comprehensive 5-2 victory secured over Crystal Palace at the Etihad in the middle of the positive month has since been followed up by a determined late 2-0 win over Everton on Easter weekend, leaving City sitting pretty in fourth spot in the tight Champions League race.

An FA Cup semi-final even awaits the boosted Citizens heading into May, but before any talk about Wembley intensifies, the away faithful packed into Goodison Park would have been pleased with a number of top performances from their beloved side.

Man City's best performers at Everton

The visitors would have known it was going to be a tough contest when travelling to the blue half of Merseyside, with David Moyes’ men fresh off a brilliant 1-0 win on the road at Nottingham Forest away from City’s own upturn in results.

Still, City would finish the contest as 2-0 victors, with makeshift full-back Matheus Nunes and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan picking up assists to play key roles in the away day success.

Gundogan was crucial in sealing the three points when teeing up late second-half substitute Mateo Kovacic for his emphatic strike, with the 34-year-old even firing two efforts of his own at Jordan Pickford’s goal.

Away from the likes of Gundogan shining bright, City also had to stand strong defensively when the Toffees ventured forward themselves, with Stefan Ortega making two big saves to preserve his clean sheet, on top of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol having to remain cool throughout with a remarkable combined 213 touches.

But, there is one performer who hasn’t yet been mentioned who stole the show once more, with wild shouts even claiming that Guardiola could have his very own Declan Rice.

Guardiola is brewing his very own Rice

The outspoken Spaniard has been unafraid to chuck youngsters into the City first team mix this season, with 22-year-old James McAtee scoring in the aforementioned rout versus Oliver Glasner’s men, on top of 21-year-old sensation Abdukodir Khusanov gaining six Premier League starts after arriving over the winter.

But, the most hyped starlet of them all is Nico O’Reilly and deservedly so, with the breakout number 75 scoring yet another senior strike at the death at Goodison to take his men’s career total to a stunning five goals and two assists from 14 outings.

These unbelievable numbers to date have led to outlandish comparisons being drawn between the Manchester-born ace and Arsenal enforcer, Rice. Indeed, speaking earlier this amid O’Reilly’s impressive form, City content creator Stephen McInerney stated that he has the “physicality of someone like Rice” alongside his ceiling in the game being “so, so high.”

West Ham United supporters must watch on with dismay now when they consider how much Rice’s game has been elevated since leaving the London Stadium behind, with the 26-year-old even bagging two outrageous free-kicks recently in the Champions League against Real Madrid.

Much like Rice, O’Reilly can also dazzle from the centre of the pitch and that is surely where the youngster’s future lies.

O’Reilly certainly has the added spice of goals and assists on his side like Rice, with his overall career numbers above largely for the U18s and U21s suggesting he could do a spectacular job under Guardiola in the midfield positions if given a chance, away from currently being shoehorned into defence.

Capable of holding his own in a tussle too, City really do have an “outstanding” talent – as he has been lauded by his manager – on their hands, with the new-look makeup of the reigning Premier League champions to come perhaps centred around the 20-year-old’s impressive emergence.

Bad news for Rico Lewis: Man City readying offer to sign £41m "engine"

Full-back has been a clear problem for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this season, but are the Sky Blues preparing to sign an “excellent” youngster?

2

By
Ben Gray

Apr 18, 2025