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Manchester City's era of dominance is fading away right before our very eyes
The end of an era has already begun at Manchester City. The evidence is staring us in the face. When the greatest teams start to fade, reality is always delayed by a desperation to prove that the past is a pointer to the future. That's the space now being occupied by Pep Guardiola and his players.
It's a trap that every team falls into eventually. Manchester United clung to the belief that the standards set during Sir Alex Ferguson's two decades of success would ensure a swift return to glory following his retirement in 2013. But, more than 10 years later, United are now among the also-rans.
Liverpool experienced their own painful demise in the 1990s for similar reasons. Having been so successful for so long -- four European Cups in the space of seven years and 11 league titles in 18 years -- they assumed that previous success would return because that's what had always happened. But it took them 30 years to win a title after their success in 1990.
As City lost 2-0 at Liverpool on Sunday -- suffering a sixth defeat in seven matches and losing four consecutive Premier League games for the first time since 2008 -- the fault lines that eventually brought down the empires at United and Liverpool were there in plain sight. At Anfield, City were unrecognisable from the side that won six league titles in the last seven years and won the Champions League 18 months ago.
City's problems were embodied by players such as İlkay Gündoğan, Nathan Aké, Kyle Walker and even Kevin De Bruyne. And, for differing reasons, Matheus Nunes and Manuel Akanji. Ageing players and poor recruitment are the most debilitating combination for any club, and those that win tend to do so because they blend the energy of players at the peak of their powers and young stars making their way in the game. They also know when to move players on and when to recruit the next big thing.
Liverpool allowed their great team of the 1980s to grow old and made mistakes when signing inferior players to replace them. The same happened at United: Chris Smalling and Phil Jones were signed as long-term replacements for Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić, Luke Shaw to replace Patrice Evra and a 31-year-old Bastian Schweinsteiger to run the midfield having already played out his best years at Bayern Munich.
It is a gradual process of diminishing standards, but suddenly, the consequences of that hit home. City are now paying the price for repeating the same mistakes that played a significant role in the collapse of United's and Liverpool's dynasties.
City's off-field problems -- the club are fighting 115 charges of breaching the Premier League's financial regulations -- have undoubtedly contributed to their mistakes in the transfer market. Deals have been done that are unlikely to have been signed off had they not been attempting do business with the cloud of doubt hanging over the club.
The decision to re-sign Gündoğan from Barcelona this summer was out of character for City, but despite the former Germany international approaching his 34th birthday at the time, they signed him nonetheless. But after a year away in LaLiga, Gündoğan has returned to the Premier League looking like a player who cannot cope with its pace or intensity.
Had Ballon d'Or winner Rodri not sustained a season-ending cruciate ligament injury in September, Gündoğan may have only been a bit-part player in his second spell at the club. But with Nunes yet to impress in a City shirt since his 50 million arrival from Wolverhampton Wanderers 18 months ago, Gundogan has made 18 appearances in all competitions since returning to the Etihad.
Gündoğan and Nunes playing together in midfield at Anfield highlighted how City are suddenly suffering from recruiting inferior players to those who have gone before them. It's the drip-drip effect that leads to decline. Where are the long-term replacements for Walker (34) or De Bruyne (33)? City know that both, who have been integral to their success under Guardiola, are not the players they once were and becoming susceptible to injury, but they have not yet identified players capable of succeeding them.
City are now having to play catch-up, and that increases the risk of making a mistake. If they get it wrong, as United did with Smalling and Jones, it becomes increasingly difficult to get back on track. And by allowing young talent including Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Julián Álvarez (Atletico Madrid), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton) and Liam Delap (Ipswich Town) to leave over the last 18 months, City have offloaded players who could have helped ensure a smoother transition between the winning teams of the past and a successful new era. Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Aymeric Laporte and Riyad Mahrez have also left City in the past two years, though to limited success elsewhere.
The laser-like focus that saw City sign the best players -- their treble-winning squad from 2022-23 was full of players who were signed young and developed by Guardiola -- has gone and they have started to make too many mistakes and misjudgements. They have taken their eye off the ball, the team has suddenly grown old in key areas and opponents no longer fear them as they did. That's why Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Feyenoord have beaten or drawn against Guardiola's side on this recent winless run. What happened at Anfield was all of City's shortcomings combining at the same time while, in contrast, Liverpool looked hungry, vibrant and energetic.
City will still win big games this season and may yet even win a trophy, but their decline has already started. It feels like it has happened in the blink of an eye, but it always does, until you realise the evidence has been there all along.
'Anger and resentment': PCA holds crisis talks over ECB NOC policy
Players are said to have expressed "robust views" to their representatives at the PCA, and believe there was insufficient consultation from the ECB before the introduction of a new policy. They are also looking for further clarity on specific scenarios that could arise both during the upcoming English summer and the ongoing offseason.
An ECB spokesperson confirmed to ESPNcricinfo on Monday that, under the terms of their policy, any players who have any provision to play red-ball cricket in their county contracts will not be considered white-ball specialists. That could have significant repercussions for the PSL in April-May, ruling a number of English players out.
A senior county source said that the new restrictions will ensure that the best cricketers in the country are available to play in the County Championship, and remind players that their county clubs are their primary employers. But others fear that a stringent interpretation could risk prompting a series of players to retire from red-ball cricket in order to play in the PSL, or in other leagues that clash with the English summer.
Players are also frustrated at the fact NOCs will be granted to all-format county cricketers for the IPL but not the PSL, which they perceive to be a major inconsistency. There is no explicit mention of either league in the published policy, but the ECB has given clear indications that it will continue to issue NOCs for the IPL as it has done in previous years.
"There's anger and resentment around it," one agent told ESPNcricinfo on Monday. "This new policy just seems to show that the power lies with India, and it seems to be about the ECB not wanting to upset India Players feel as though they're not being listened to: has the PCA put the players' feelings across to the ECB robustly enough? Or has the PCA been sidelined on this?"
Further meetings have been scheduled for later this week, including one between the PCA and UK-based player agents on Wednesday morning. Daryl Mitchell, the PCA's interim chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo on Friday that the union's legal team were "completing a thorough check" of the new policy, raising the prospect of a restraint-of-trade lawsuit.
Greaves, Jangoo called up for West Indies' ODIs against Bangladesh
"Greaves is capable of batting anywhere in the top six and brings that genuine all-round ability to the squad, which is welcomed at this stage," West Indies head coach Daren Sammy was quoted via a press release. "Jangoo's prowess in the CG United Super50 shows his flexibility to bring another dimension to our batting unit."
"We continue to build towards the main target of the Men's 50-over World Cup where we are looking to broaden the pool of players even with the short-term objectives of winning series, especially at home and building momentum on the recent win against England," Sammy said.
The rest of the squad remains on expected lines. Captain Shai Hope and his deputy Brandon King will headline the batting unit, which includes Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Keacy Carty and Roston Chase. Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph will lead the fast bowling unit along with Jayden Seales and Matthew Forde. Gudakesh Motie will head the spin bowling department.
All three ODIs against Bangladesh will be played in Basseterre on December 8, 10 and 12 respectively. The series will be followed by a three-T20I series from December 16 in Kingstown.
West Indies squad for ODIs against Bangladesh
Shai Hope (capt), Brandon King (vice-capt), Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Shimron Hetmyer, Amir Jangoo (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd
Kohler-Cadmore's blistering fifty hands Gladiators Abu Dhabi T10 title
Deccan Gladiators 110 for 2 (Kohler-Cadmore 56*, Pooran 28) beat Morrisville Samp Army 104 for 7 (Du Plessis 34, Gous 21, Gleeson 2-16) by eight wickets
Electing to field, Gladiators ensured Samp Army were not allowed to get away at any stage. Maheesh Theekshana struck first sending back Sharjeel Khan for 5 before Charith Asalanka was run out. Andries Gous (21 off nine) and Faf du Plessis (34 off 23) added a 37-run stand in 16 balls for the third wicket to take the game forward.
Gladiators, however, stormed back to pick up four wickets for six runs in 11 balls to restrict Samp Army. Karim Janat's unbeaten eight-ball 16 took Samp Army to 104 for 7, an under-par score considering the format. Richard Gleeson was the most effective bowler for Gladiators, picking up 2 for 16 in his two overs.
In reply, Kohler-Cadmore wasted no time in hitting his stride. He smashed Rohan Mustafa for four successive fours in the opening over to set up the chase. Pooran then got into the act smashing Amir Hamza for a six before laying into Imad Wasim for two sixes and a four in the third over. It took all of 2.4 overs for Gladiators to reach the 50-mark.
Isuru Udana gave Samp Army some relief by removing Pooran, but Rilee Rossouw smashed three fours off his first four deliveries to wrest back all the momentum. Kohler-Cadmore then smoked Qais Ahmed for three sixes and a four in the fifth over, which went for 25, and Gladiators were almost home.
Rana five-for and enterprising batting put Bangladesh in the driver's seat
Bangladesh 164 and 193 for 5 (Shadman 46, Mehidy 42, Shamar 2-70) lead West Indies 146 (Carty 40, Brathwaite 39, Rana 5-61) by 211 runs
Bangladesh's counter-attacking batting and accurate fast bowling gave them their best day on this West Indies tour so far. At stumps on the third day of the Jamaica Test, the visitors lead by 211 runs after they bowled out the home side for 146 runs. This was only the second time in their history that Bangladesh took a first-innings lead after being bowled out for less than 200 runs.
They fared much better in their second innings - and the game's third - finishing on 193 for 5, coming on the back of some hostile bowling from the West Indies fast bowlers. The fielders, too, brought some heat with their words. Bangladesh, for the most part, appeared to show restraint. Umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Asif Yaqoob intervened several times to talk to a fielder or West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite.
Rana's morning burst that left West Indies limping was a continuation of his performance on the second evening. Apart from his pace, his height generated extra bounce on the Sabina Park pitch. It helped remove Brathwaite with a 142kph snorter that caught the batter hopping at the crease. The fend-off resulted in a loopy low catch to substitute Zakir Hasan at gully.
Rana forced Kavem Hodge into a mistimed pull shot shortly afterwards, but Taskin Ahmed couldn't latch on to the catch running in from fine leg. It didn't cost Bangladesh a run, when later in the same over, Litton Das took a superb catch to remove Hodge.
Taskin got into the act when he bowled Alick Athanaze off the under edge. But it wasn't just pace that knocked West Indies down. Taijul Islam got one to spin between Justin Greaves' bat and pad, bowling him for just two. Mehidy Hasan Miraz too picked up a wicket, when he trapped Shamar Joseph lbw shortly after the lunch break.
Rana and Taskin were fired up, and Hasan Mahmud wasn't too far behind. He trapped Joshua Da Silva lbw and got Keacy Carty caught behind, down the leg side, in the space of three deliveries.
Rana then made light work of Alzarri Joseph, forcing him on the backfoot, before foxing him with a slower ball. Alzarri timed it straight to mid-off where Mehidy took a tumbling catch. It ended a fine morning session for the visitors, who took seven wickets for 65 runs in 25 overs. West Indies lasted three more overs after the lunch break when Rana had Kemar Roach lbw, to complete his five-for and give Bangladesh an 18-run lead.
Before Bangladesh's innings began, umpire Dharmasena could be seen speaking to Brathwaite, the WI captain, and also with the slip cordon. Jayden Seales wouldn't back down however, continuing to engage the Bangladesh batters before gesticulating towards the Bangladesh dressing room when he dismissed Mahmudul Hasan Joy for a duck.
The chatter from the West Indies bowlers and fielders, though, lost its voice when, Shahadat Hossain, promoted to No. 3, started going after the bowling. He miscued a couple of lofted shots before he cracked Alzarri for a boundary with a square cut.
He curled one through mid-on off Shamar before Brathwaite dropped him on 22. Shahadat however didn't back off, as he slammed Alzarri through mid-off shortly afterwards, for another boundary.
Shahadat however fell trying one lofted shot too many. Seales took his catch at mid-off when he miscued Alzarri, but Shahadat's innings of a 26-ball 28 with four fours lifted Bangladesh's mood.
It resulted in a burst of boundaries from Shadman Islam and Mehidy, who came to bat at No. 4 in the absence of the ill Mominul Haque. Mehidy struck Shamar for four boundaries in a row in the next over. He struck two straight drives before edging two through the slip cordon. Shadman and Mehidy then hit three pull shots to get as many boundaries in the following over bowled by Seales. Shadman then struck Seales for two more fours, to make it ten boundaries in the space of four overs.
Shadman however fell shortly after the tea break, edging Shamar in a similar fashion for the second time in the game. He made 46 off 82 balls, including seven fours, most of it coming in that four-over burst. Shadman's dismissal ended a whirlwind 70-run stand for the third wicket. Mehidy followed Shadman shortly afterwards, strangled down the leg-side by Shamar and given out after West Indies successfully reviewed a not-out call. Mehidy hit seven fours in his 39-ball 42.
Litton and Jaker Ali then struck Seales and Shamar for two boundaries each, before Da Silva dropped Litton off Shamar's bowling. It was a slightly difficult chance down the leg-side but wicketkeepers take them regularly. Litton however fell for 25, almost against the run of play, when he missed Greaves' off-cutter.
Jaker stayed firm, taking Bangladesh past the 200-run lead. West Indies captain Brathwaite struggled to rotate his bowlers around in Roach's absence. Greaves filled in but the main bowlers struggled to keep the visitors quiet. Bangladesh fought tooth and nail against West Indies' bouncers - of various kinds - to claim a memorable day in Jamaica.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
Rams claim '23 1st-round CB Forbes off waivers
The Los Angeles Rams have claimed cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. off waivers from the Washington Commanders, head coach Sean McVay said Monday.
Forbes, the No. 16 pick in 2023, was cut by the Commanders on Saturday. He started seven games in two seasons but only one in 2024. He was benched in both seasons and missed time due to injury.
He was selected by the Commanders' previous front office and coaching staff that liked that Forbes was adept at taking the ball away. He intercepted 14 passes in his career at Mississippi State, setting a Division I record with six returned for a touchdown.
McVay said Forbes was a player the Rams liked coming out of college, praising his ball production, versatility, "competitive toughness on the edge" and good ball skills.
"He was a guy that we liked and had a familiarity with just based on the evaluation coming out of Mississippi State," McVay said. "And then I thought there was some good tape that he's put out there when we've gone against them, particularly later in the year last year."
Forbes is under contract through 2026 with a fifth-year option in 2027 the Rams can exercise.
In two seasons, Forbes has two interceptions and 45 tackles in 20 games.
ESPN's John Keim contributed to this report.
Sources: Oklahoma hires Arbuckle, 29, as new OC
Oklahoma has hired Washington State's Ben Arbuckle as the school's new offensive coordinator and playcaller, the school announced on Monday.
The deal is for three years, sources told ESPN.
The move comes in the wake of Oklahoma struggling significantly on offense in its initial season in the SEC, as they finished No. 15 of 16 teams in both scoring offense and total offense. He replaces Seth Littrell, who was fired in late October as Oklahoma was on its way to a 2-6 season in the SEC and a 6-6 overall finish.
In the 29-year-old Arbuckle, Oklahoma lands one of the country's top young coordinators and playcallers. Washington State finished No. 12 nationally in scoring offense this year, No. 9 in passing efficiency and No. 22 in total offense. Washington State had great success with quarterback John Mateer, as he threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. Mateer is a sophomore from Little Elm, Texas, who would have high-profile options if he were to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Last season under Arbuckle, Cam Ward threw for 3,735 yards and 29 touchdowns.
In Arbuckle, Oklahoma gets a precocious offensive playcaller who previously served as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Western Kentucky. In 2022, WKU quarterback Austin Reed led the national in passing yards with 4,746.
In a statement released by Oklahoma, Arbuckle says his preferred style of offense can vary.
"I've always played to the strength of my personnel. The personnel drives the scheme," he said. "There have been years where the best thing for the team to be successful was throwing the ball a lot, and there have been years where the best thing for the team was to establish the line of scrimmage and get rolling. That's how I'll always approach it. What gets us in the best position to be successful is what we're going to do.
"My mentors come from a bunch of different trees, whether that's the 'Air Raid' tree, the 'West Coast' tree, the 'Pro Style' tree. I have mentors from all different backgrounds, and they've all helped mold me into what you see on the field now."
The hire is a key one for Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables moving forward in the SEC, as he's 22-16 overall through three seasons. Venables, a defensive coach by trade, promoted internally to move Littrell to offensive coordinator this year.
USC QB Moss to enter portal, 'time to move on'
USC quarterback Miller Moss is entering the NCAA transfer portal, he told ESPN in a phone interview.
Moss will have one year of eligibility remaining after starting 10 games during his time at USC, which began in the spring of 2021. He said he has informed the USC staff of his decision.
"I really enjoyed my time at USC," Moss told ESPN. "It was transformative for my life as a whole and for me growing up for the last few years. I'm thankful. I gave that program everything I had.
"There comes a point where there's a time to move on to new opportunities, and I'm hoping to better myself as a person and a player."
In his career at USC, Moss threw for 3,469 yards and 27 touchdowns, completing 65.9% of his passes. Moss threw for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns for USC this season, where he started nine games before being replaced as the starter.
There's expected to be a strong market for Moss, 22, who brings the combination of age, experience and production, which are generally coveted in the NCAA transfer portal. Moss threw for 378 yards against LSU, threw for three touchdowns against Michigan, Wisconsin and Maryland and also ran for a pair of touchdowns.
Moss said that in his next step, he's going to look for a school that can compete for a conference championship and win "at the highest level." He also wants a program that can ultimately help him develop for the next level.
He said he's looking forward to engaging with different coaching staffs about systems.
"I think that's something that I'm excited about in terms of the process," he said. "Being able to dive into different systems with different coaches and places and see what I gravitate toward in that process."
Moss stressed the positive experience he had at USC, including earning a bachelor's degree in law, history and culture, with a minor in business finance.
He said his emotions about leaving are more of excitement than nerves, as he's curious what the college football experience is like somewhere other than USC.
"It's definitely exciting," he said. "The biggest part of leaving USC is that I'm going to miss my teammates and the relationships I've built there. The hardest part of leaving is that I have a tremendous relationships."
He expects the transfer process to move quickly and said he doesn't have a timeline in mind. He's looking forward to a year of full immersion in football that often comes with a graduate transfer year.
Moss said watching from the sideline the past three weeks is something he thinks will provide motivation going forward.
"I've had a tremendous amount of positive memories from USC," he said. "And those don't go away because it's been a rough last three weeks. But those three weeks don't go away either.
"We're all shaped or jaded by our experiences, whether they are positive or negative. It's something that I'll carry with me."
When asked what he'd tell a prospective team, Moss said: "There's nothing I wouldn't do for the guys in the locker room and guys I compete with. I'm hesitant to sell myself, but I have every confidence in myself as a player and a leader."
49ers RBs McCaffrey, Mason both headed to IR
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As the San Francisco 49ers departed Buffalo in the wee hours Monday morning, they were bracing for the possibility that running back Christian McCaffrey had played his final game for them this season because of a right knee injury.
What the Niners didn't know then was that not only were they going to lose McCaffrey for the season's final five games but that Jordan Mason, McCaffrey's backup, was also likely finished for 2024.
On Monday afternoon, all of that became the Niners' new reality as coach Kyle Shanahan announced that McCaffrey's posterior cruciate ligament injury would keep him out for about six weeks and that Mason suffered a high ankle sprain in the 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Both players are expected to land on injured reserve, according to Shanahan.
Shanahan said McCaffrey won't need surgery but lamented the loss of a player who was rounding into form after missing the first eight games with bilateral Achilles tendinitis.
"I just feel for him," Shanahan said. "It was a real frustrating year for him. He worked his ass off to get back to this point and I think he was really feeling good and about to take off. He just had that real unfortunate injury last night. I know he's as crushed as anyone, but he'll get through this. He's a hell of a player, a hell of a person and an unbelievable 49er. And he'll be back stronger than ever next year to help us."
Suddenly, the Niners' starting running back on Sunday against the Chicago Bears will be rookie Isaac Guerendo with practice squad back Patrick Taylor Jr. expected to be promoted to the 53-man roster and another back likely to be added.
McCaffrey was in the midst of his best game of the season Sunday night against the Bills, posting 53 yards on seven carries before leaving a few plays after banging his right knee on the Highmark Stadium turf when Bills safety Taylor Rapp narrowly prevented him from breaking a long touchdown run. McCaffrey briefly left the game, returned with 11:23 left in the second quarter and then promptly took himself out after he slid down on a toss to the right for a loss of 5 yards.
After McCaffrey departed, Mason capably filled in, much like he has all season. Mason had 13 carries for 78 yards against Buffalo, despite the ankle injury and, at one point, being evaluated and cleared for a concussion.
Mason finishes his season while leading the Niners in rushing with 789 yards and three touchdowns through the team's first 12 games. McCaffrey posted 202 rushing yards and no touchdowns in his abbreviated action. Mason is set to be a restricted free agent after the season with McCaffrey under contract at a cap charge of $9.8 million for 2025.
Guerendo, a fourth-round pick out of Louisville in April, scored San Francisco's lone touchdown against the Bills and has, at times, offered promise in the run game with his home run speed. On 42 attempts, Guerendo has 246 rushing yards on the season (5.9 yards per carry) to go with a pair of touchdowns.
Elsewhere on the injury front, Shanahan said cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (knee) is expected to return to practice Wednesday after not playing against Buffalo. Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and guard Aaron Banks are still in the concussion protocol while defensive end Nick Bosa (left oblique) and offensive tackle Trent Williams (left ankle) will be evaluated day to day for the third consecutive week.
Shanahan also announced that safety Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) will open his practice window this week as he continues to work his way back from IR.
Meanwhile, defensive tackle Kevin Givens will be placed on IR after suffering a torn pectoral against the Bills.
Nets forward Johnson (ankle) sitting out vs. Bulls
CHICAGO -- The depleted Brooklyn Nets played without key forward Cam Johnson on Monday night against the Chicago Bulls.
Johnson was sidelined by a sprained left ankle. He scored 26 points in Brooklyn's 100-92 loss to Orlando on Sunday.
The 6-foot-8 Johnson is off to a strong start this season, averaging a career-high 18.1 points in 21 games.
"I'm not extremely concerned. ... Right now, he's a day to day," Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. "He wanted to try to see how he was feeling, and he's out like you said. We'll see how he feels tomorrow and then we'll go from there."
The Nets have been hit hard by injuries. Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain), Ben Simmons (lower back and left knee), Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle), Ziaire Williams (left knee) and Noah Clowney (left ankle) were sidelined against Chicago.
"We're in a situation where we have, like, new lineups almost every game, right?" Fernandez said. "Those type of injuries, especially the ones that you cannot control, the sprained ankles or the knees, somebody flying into your knee, they just force us to have the next-man mentality."
Brooklyn did get one player back against Chicago. Day'Ron Sharpe made his season debut after being sidelined by a hamstring strain.
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