Garrett Richards had gotten only one out during his first spring training start, loading the bases and walking in one run before the Red Sox stopped the inning after 23 pitches.

Then he went back out for a 1-2-3 second inning.

"It's building blocks man," he said after being rescued by the new rule this spring training that allows managers to end an inning after a pitcher has thrown 20 pitches, regardless of how many outs or runners on base there are.

"Obviously, you want to finish it and you want to you want to make all the outs that your outing requires," he said. "So, yeah, it was a little frustrating."

Richards told reporters from Fort Myers, Florida, that his pitches were moving well, but he just struggled to keep them in the strike zone. He allowed two runs, three hits and two walks in the first inning before it ended.

"By all means, not happy about it. Today's outing is not what you're going to see from me on a regular basis, I'll tell you that right now," he said. "I just needed to stay a little bit more in competitive mode versus mechanical mode. So once that switch kind of flipped, everything kind of felt great again."

Richards spent his first 10 seasons on the West Coast with the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres, interrupted by Tommy John surgery in 2018 that cost him most of '19, as well. He went 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and agreed to a $10 million, one-year deal with Boston in the offseason.

"What gets my attention is his stuff," manager Alex Cora said. "He'll be one of our guys. And he should be a good one."

He showed it in the second inning, when he retired the Braves in order.

"It was great to get back out there and finish a strong second inning, get some quick outs," he said. "It was nice to be able to offset that first inning and kind of get my work in, complete my outing, but also finish on a strong note."

Also Monday, shortstop Xander Bogaerts had the day off to recover from a sore shoulder. Cora said Bogaerts' throwing program in Aruba "wasn't perfect'' because of coronavirus lockdowns, and Bogaerts rushed to get ready.

"We shut him down for a little bit," Cora said. "He'll be OK in a few days. We've just got to be patient. We got plenty of days, right? We've got what, 30 more days? So as of now, we do feel that he should be ready for Opening Day."

The Red Sox committed four errors in the 5-2 loss to Atlanta.

Another injury that cropped up was to pitcher Zac Grotz, a non-roster invitee who winced in pain after throwing a pitch and left the game. Cora said he tested fine afterward and wasn't feeling any pain.

A few players and several members of the training staff came down with a non-coronavirus illness and needed some time off. After receiving an email saying that they were sick, Cora said he was relieved to be notified that their COVID tests were negative.

"You see all the negatives, and it was like, 'OK, so it's only a bad meal,'" he said. "So they're bouncing back. ... They're down for the day, but we'll survive today."

Cora also said outfielder Franchy Cordero, who was obtained in the trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals, was on his way to Fort Myers and would need a couple of days to clear protocols.

Japanese pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura was expected to arrive on Monday and had already passed his COVID test, Cora said.

"Everything went the negative way, in a positive way," he said.

For Chris Owings' first seven years in the majors, he could pop into the video room to take a look at his at-bats during a game.

Then last season, the utility infielder for the Colorado Rockies had to make due with a printout.

"You'd come back in the dugout and you'd say, 'Hey where was that pitch at?'" Owings said Monday. "It would be like it is on the MLB app, where it just shows where the pitch crossed the plate. You go from seeing every pitch where it crossed, where your swing was, to just being able to see where the pitch was on a piece of paper."

It was a jarring change for some hitters during a down year for offense during the pandemic-shortened season. But Major League Baseball has cleared the way for the return of in-game video on dugout iPads beginning on Opening Day, with catcher signals obscured by a computer program.

Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who opted out of last season because of COVID-19 concerns, called video "a huge part of the game."

"A lot's been said about video rooms and how some people incorrectly used them. But I think we've kind of handled that situation," he said. "Having the delays with the live feeds and things like that allow you to basically squash all of that stuff.

"Hitters and pitchers, honestly, use video during the game, and it gives us the best chance to be successful and it gives us the best chance to, basically, put the best product on the field. Things like that, that help us perform better, should be able to be used."

For decades, baseball players retreated to a clubhouse video room to check out their at-bats or take a closer look at a reliever entering a game. Then Houston was penalized in January 2020 for an electronic sign-stealing scheme during the Astros' run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season. The coronavirus pandemic also led baseball to limit clubhouse access.

The prohibition of in-game video access coincided with a .245 MLB batting average during the shortest regular season since 1878, the lowest since .237 in 1968 and down from .252 in 2019. The average number of home runs per game declined from the record set in 2019, and the difference between strikeouts and hits increased despite the short season.

"It definitely made it a little more difficult for hitters," Texas Rangers outfielder David Dahl said. "You can't go back and look at where was that pitch, how are they throwing me, what my timing looked like, little things like that that I checked out in the past."

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa, hired in October, likes how players will be in the dugout with the iPads rather than going back to the video room.

"If you're always going in the clubhouse to watch your at-bat and then you come out after three outs, you lose a sense of the game," said La Russa, who last managed in the big leagues in 2011 with the Cardinals. "I think the fact that they would have it in the dugout is a step in the right direction."

How much in-game video helps depends on the hitter. For some, it's a major part of routine. Other players don't find it as helpful.

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross said he wasn't into video during his playing career, but he understands why some guys rely on the tool.

"When you can see that on video, of where they're trying to attack you, rather than the feedback that you get without seeing it, maybe you're like, 'OK, maybe they're trying to attack me in and exploit a weakness in,' and you start kind of setting your eyes and your sights there," Ross said.

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan – Exclusive Autosport has announced Russian open-wheel star Artem Petrov as the team’s second Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires driver for this season.

Petrov will pilot the team’s No. 42 red and white Tatuus PM-18 for his second full year of competition on the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires.

Petrov won two races last season, taking victories at Road America and Mid-Ohio en route to fourth in the overall championship standings.

“I’m glad to announce that this season I’ll be doing my job with Exclusive Autosport,” said Petrov. “I’m really looking forward to meeting every person inside of the team and to start working with them. Hopefully, many good moments are coming soon!”

Artem, like most drivers, got his start in karting at the young age of seven in St. Petersburg, Russia. He won the Russian Karting Championship (KF-J category) and Russian Cup in 2014 and finished sixth in the FIA World Karting Championship in 2015 with some wins and podiums in the WSK series and the Vega Trophy.

In 2016, he made the move to cars competing in the Italian F4 championship, where he finished fifth overall in the championship in 2017, securing two wins, nine podiums, and multiple pole and fast lap awards.

In 2019, Artem came stateside to join the Road to Indy in Indy Pro 2000 with a limited program of three races to finish the season. This effort was highlighted by a seventh-place finish in his oval debut at World Wide Technology Raceway, and then a pair of top-fives at Portland and Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Having made an impact in his debut run, Petrov returned to the Indy Pro 2000 series in 2020, scoring his first win at Road America in July, following up with a second victory at Mid-Ohio late in the month.

Since coming to the Road to Indy, Petrov has complied a strong resume, featuring 19 top-10s, 13 top-fives, seven podiums, one pole and two wins.

“It’s very exciting to have Artem join the team for the 2021 Indy Pro 2000 season,” noted Michael Duncalfe, Exclusive Autosport Team Principal. “Artem has great work ethic and is a proven winner. The EA team strives for wins and championships, and I feel with Petrov and (Braden) Eves leading the charge this year, we have a very good chance at our first championship.

“I’m looking forward to getting this season started and seeing how we stack up when we unload at Barber for the season opener.”

ENNIS, Texas – Already very wet from recent winter storms, heavy rainfall Sunday and Monday forced ASCS Elite Non-Wing Series presented by Abilene Powder Coating and Big O Speedway officials to call off the Smiley’s Racing Products Texas Wingless Nationals.

The event was slated for March 4-6.

“I hate to cancel a show, especially on a Monday. If we had just received the rain, it wouldn’t have been a big deal this far out, but with the ground already so wet from all the recent snow melting, the amount of rain they got last night, and with it still raining, it’s just too much,” said ASCS Elite Non-Wing owner and founder Nathan Moore.

“This is not what we wanted. Regardless, I need to thank Jim and Bridgett Moon at Big O Speedway for sticking their necks out on this show, and appreciate their support for this series.”

All entry fees for the Texas Wingless Nationals will be refunded.

The ASCS Elite Non-Wing Series presented by Abilene Powder Coating will look to get its season off the ground on Saturday, March 27 at the Ennis, Texas oval.

CONCORD, N.C. – Tim Wagaman won the annual Icebreaker 410 sprint car race at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Speedway on Saturday, but it was the only race of the weekend and had little impact on the National Sprint Car Rankings.

Donny Schatz continues to lead the Eastern region with Carson Macedo on top in the Western region.

Schatz has two victories in seven starts with five top-five finishes. He leads Logan Schuchart, who has two wins in five starts, by 76 points.

The Western region opened its season Jan. 22-24 at Arizona Speedway and Macedo leads Buddy Kofoid by two points after three races.

The national rankings will begin once drivers have made 20 starts on the season.

The rankings:

Eastern Region

1. Donny Schatz – 350
2. Logan Schuchart – 274
3. Tyler Courtney – 274
4. Cory Eliason – 267
5. Aaron Reutzel – 261

Western Region

1. Carson Macedo – 148
2. Buddy Kofoid – 146
3. Cory Eliason – 146
4. Rico Abreu – 144
5. Dominic Scelzi – 142

410 Feature Winners

Buddy Kofoid – 2
Donny Schatz — 2
Logan Schuchart — 2
Tony Stewart – 1
Aaron Reutzel — 1
Carson Macedo — 1
Brad Sweet — 1
Tim Wagaman — 1

Here's a look at what's happening on the PGA Tour and LPGA this week, and how you can watch it:

PGA Tour

Arnold Palmer Invitational

Thursday-Sunday, Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Florida

Course specs: Par 72, 7,454 yards, designed by Arnold Palmer

Purse: $9.3 million

Defending champion: Tyrrell Hatton

Notables in the field: Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day, Viktor Hovland, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen, Brian Gay, Rory Sabbatini, K.H. Lee, Bob MacIntyre, Justin Rose, John Augenstein, Kamaiu Johnson

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 2:30-6 p.m. ET (CBS)

LPGA

Drive On Championship at Golden Ocala

Thursday-Sunday, Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club, Ocala, Florida

Course specs: Par 72, 6,852 yards, designed by Ron Garl; per course website, "riveting" 18-hole layout includes template holes from Augusta National, The Old Course at St. Andrews and Muirfield Village

Purse: $1.5 million

Defending champion: New event

Notables in the field: Nelly Korda, Jin Young Ko, Sei Young Kim, Danielle Kang, Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda, Jennifer Kupcho, Sophia Popov, Brittany Altomare

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 2:30-5:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Luke Shaw has escaped a ban despite the FA looking into the Manchester United defender's comments about referee Stuart Attwell following the draw with Chelsea, sources have told ESPN.

In a television interview after the 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Shaw suggested Attwell had decided against giving United a penalty because of the controversy it might cause.

- Solskjaer: Klopp, Lampard comments influencing referees
- VAR: The Premier League's biggest controversies
- Man United bottom of Premier League's 'Big Six' mini-league

United later insisted Shaw had misheard a conversation between Attwell and Harry Maguire after Attwell had been sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR Chris Kavanagh to have another look at the handball incident involving Callum Hudson-Odioi.

Shaw told Sky Sports: "The ref even said to H [Maguire], if it's a pen it's going to cause a lot of talk after. So I don't know what happened there."

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also furious that his side were not awarded a spot-kick.

Under Rule E33 (1), the FA can decide to charge a player or manager whose comments about an official "imply bias or attack their integrity" but the governing body decided against punishment for Shaw or Solskjaer.

A statement issued by the FA on Monday read: "The FA has reviewed all of the information available in relation to post-match media comments made by Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Luke Shaw on Sunday but does not consider them to be breaches of its rules and regulations and will be taking no further action."

The weekend in soccer was full of surprises, drama and action as per usual. AC Milan and Inter Milan both won their respective Serie A fixtures, keeping the pressure on Juventus (who didn't win this weekend) when it comes to the wide-open title race. In the Premier League, Man United and Chelsea played out a subdued scoreless draw while Man City notched their 20th consecutive win (all competitions) and Liverpool returned to the win column thanks to their homegrown kid, Curtis Jones.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more

Barcelona's big win was undermined by the police raid on their offices, Atletico went "old school" to regain some momentum atop La Liga, Gareth Bale finally delivered a match-turning performance since his return to Tottenham on loan, and Bayern Munich's big win was notable for the return of Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller to the lineup.

It's Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football from the past week.

Jump to: Milan still in title race | Zlatan's remarks | Chelsea, Man United stalemate | Barca can't catch break | Arsenal stun Leicester | Dortmund not finished | Jones lifts Liverpool | Juve underwhelm Man City win 20th straight | Bayern get Muller, Gnabry boost | "Old School" Atletico | Bale finally stars for Spurs | Leipzig close gap on Bayern | Lukaku, Inter win again | PSG face Ligue 1 fight

Milan and Pioli show personality, courage in keeping Serie A title race alive

Milan's trip to face Roma was depicted by some observers as a last-chance saloon for their title aspirations. Lose and they'd be seven points behind Inter. And while that assessment would perhaps have been a bit excessive -- Inter are as good at anyone at throwing away leads -- once you throw in the injuries (above all, Ismael Bennacer) and the negative trend (winless in four, no victories over top sides since December), there's little question the scudetto pendulum would swing well away from them.

Instead, they overwhelmed Roma -- who, lest we forget, were just behind them in the table and unbeaten at home -- with a vicious assault over the first half-hour that should have seen them two or three goals up had Zlatan Ibrahimovic not been more wasteful, Ante Rebic not been more unselfish and had Simon Kjaer been a little bit more accurate. They had to wait for a penalty at the end of the first half to break the ice, and then added a second after the break en route to a 2-1 win that was far more one-sided than the scoreline suggests.

Credit the players, obviously, but also credit Stefano Pioli. We in the media have this silly obsession with looking to the past in order to assess the present. And because Pioli had a history of starting very well at his previous clubs and then ending poorly (usually just before getting sacked, which is kind of par for the course: you tend to get fired after underperforming) there was an assumption that this was where the wheels would come off.

Except they didn't.

Pioli made some big calls. He dropped captain Alessio Romagnoli (who has been poor over the past few months) for Chelsea loanee Fikayo Tomori at the back, and he yanked Hakan Calhanoglu at half-time for the far more energetic Brahim Diaz. Most of all, he sent his team out with fire in their guts and precision in their minds, overwhelming Roma's midfield (Franck Kessie showed again why he's a one-man wrecking crew) and turning the screws on Paulo Fonseca.

Milan live to fight another day, and they showed that, perhaps, they're not as dependent on their veterans who are out of contract in June (Calhanoglu and Ibrahimovic) as some would have us believe.

As for Roma, their many injuries (Chris Smalling, Roger Ibanez at the back, Nicolo Zaniolo and Edin Dzeko up front) no doubt bite. It took Fonseca a while to adjust the system, dropping Lorenzo Pellegrini deeper to help in the middle of the park, and the fact they were still in it at the end isn't insignificant. But it serves as a reminder of just how far above their weight Roma have been punching this season.

Zlatan's tone-deaf remarks attract attention

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish Zlatan Ibrahimovic the person from Zlatan the character. I would hope it's the latter who showed up last Thursday and said that it was "a mistake" when athletes get involved in social and political issues, before calling out LeBron James by name as an example.

"[Speaking out about politics] is the first mistake people do when they become famous and they [achieve] a certain status," he said. "Stay out of it. Just do what you do because it doesn't look good."

James hit back, reminding Ibrahimovic that when he does speak out on non-sporting issues, he talks about stuff he knows and he has direct experience of: poverty, lack of education, racism and empowerment.

The "stay in your lane" argument has been around a long time. Personally, I have no problem with folks speaking about whatever they like, but I can see how some may feel different. But the key thing in James' riposte is that he talks about what he knows and what he is deeply involved in.

Maybe Zlatan misspoke. Maybe he spoke without thinking. Maybe he was talking along the lines of the old quote attributed to Michael Jordan whereby "Republicans buy sneakers too." Or maybe he'd like to articulate his thoughts a little bit more eloquently. Because, as it stands, folks are a bit confused.

Chelsea and Man United share spoils, but not much to cheer about

I didn't think Sunday's 0-0 draw between Chelsea and Manchester United was as poor a game (especially in the first half) as some made out, but it did rather photograph where these teams are. If Bruno Fernandes has an off day and Paul Pogba isn't playing, it's hard for United to create chances. Chelsea remain a work in progress, with Thomas Tuchel trying different combinations in midfield and attack, which, ironically, is rather what his predecessor was doing, too.

Had Stuart Attwell not overruled VAR and given that penalty when the ball struck Callum Hudson-Odoi's hand, it might well have opened up the game. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was adamant that it was a 'clear penalty." What he seems to be missing though is that, contrary to what the punditocracy keeps repeating, there is still a degree of interpretation and discretion available to the referee. The guidelines about "natural position" and "arms away from the body" are just that: guidelines. Referees are told to look at the dynamic of a situation and why a player's limbs move the way they do.

Was it "natural" for Hudson-Odoi (and, for that matter, Mason Greenwood) to raise his arm as he was about to collide with an opponent? Attwell thought it was. You may feel different. But that's exactly what referees are asked to judge. And I'm speculating here, the purpose of the on-field VAR review was to establish exactly what happened, since in real time it was by no means clear (other than the ball striking Greenwood, which happened after it hit Hudson-Odoi). So if he takes a look, judges the entire dynamic of the incident and comes to this conclusion, I have no problem with it.

There's still room for common sense in the game.

Barcelona can't catch a break

The good news was somewhat overshadowed by the bad. Less than 48 hours after a 2-0 win over Sevilla that featured a new-look setup -- three at the back, Ousmane Dembele at center-forward -- police raided Barcelona's offices and arrested former president Jose Maria Bartomeu, his right-hand man Jaume Masferrer and chief executive Oscar Grau in connection with the "Barcagate" scandal. Further details are unavailable at this time, but it's not lost on anyone that with elections less than a week away, it's another blow and the path on the long road back just got that little bit steeper for whoever triumphs on Sunday.

It's a shame, too, because Ronald Koeman's new formation worked well against Sevilla and Julen Lopetegui. Dembele (usually a winger) offered the kind of threat behind the defense that unlocked space for Lionel Messi, while the wing-backs, Jordi Alba and, especially, Sergino Dest, looked sharp. The fact that Sergio Busquets, who struggled earlier this season, looked far more comfortable is another bonus.

Is it a viable set up long-term? Possibly, although you need three central defenders to make it work, and other than Ronald Araujo (currently injured) and Samuel Umtiti (likely to be injured, based on his record), there aren't any others. It also leaves no room for Antoine Griezmann (unless Messi is absent), but given the club's current situation, it's a solid Plan B that can work in certain games.

Arsenal still beat Leicester even as Arteta chooses Europe over league

Mikel Arteta may not like to admit it, but actions speak louder than words. And for Sunday's visit to high-flying Leicester City, he made six changes from the side that played Thursday in the Europa League, with his bench featuring the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, and Hector Bellerin -- guys you'd expect to see starting. Arteta's job is to improve Arsenal, yes, but it's also to get them in the Champions League. And with the club sitting 11th with an 11-point gap as of Sunday morning, winning the Europa League is a more realistic route.

What's encouraging, though, is how they managed to come from behind and dominate Leicester for large stretches despite the clutch of second-stringers on the pitch, from Cedric Soares to Mohamed Elneny to (these days) Willian. In a season marked by inconsistency, they looked fully on-message and committed, deservedly winning 3-1.

As for Leicester, injuries are clearly catching up with them and the loss of Harvey Barnes to a knee injury is another, unneeded massive blow. Brendan Rodgers has done a phenomenal job in difficult circumstances and even -- should it happen -- a late-season collapse and missing out on the Champions League won't change that.

Why is Reinier still at Dortmund?

Borussia Dortmund dispatched Arminia Bielefeld, 3-0, without breaking too much of a sweat. Yes, the goals came in the second half, but the chances came throughout. The gap with the top four is down to three points and that matters.

Beyond that, Erling Haaland didn't score, but he got an assist and scared the bejesus out of defenders on more than one occasion. Mahmoud Dahoud broke the ice early in the second half and you wonder if, perhaps, he can be some sort of value-add in the middle of the park between now and the end of the season. Reinier, the young Brazilian on loan from Real Madrid, scored the third after coming on.

Speaking of Reinier, his loan at Dortmund remains a bit of a mystery. Given the amount of competition in attacking midfield -- Gio Reyna, Jadon Sancho, Julian Brandt, Jude Bellingham, Marco Reus, Kylian Hazard -- it seemed fairly obvious he wasn't going to get many minutes (indeed, he hasn't) so you wonder why Real Madrid chose to send him there after spending some $35 million to acquire him from Flamengo. Equally, you wonder why Dortmund took him on and why he didn't go elsewhere in January.

Curtis Jones is a beacon in Liverpool's star-crossed campaign

Unless they win the Champions League, Liverpool's season will likely be remembered mainly for the diabolical rash of injuries that hampered their title defence. It probably should also go in the history books as the year Curtis Jones, who only turned 20 last month, showed he belonged.

On Sunday night against Sheffield United, he may well have been the difference between another winless outing in the Premier League and the three points that keep the Reds on track for, at least, a top-four finish. Jones didn't just score the opener, offering personality, work-rate and quality -- we knew he had all those - but he also displayed tactical intelligence, often turning up on the left flank, which enabled Sadio Mane to push inside and Roberto Firmino to drop deeper.

It's the sort of tweak that Jurgen Klopp has been loathe to make in the recent, troubled weeks, but it's an added element to the side. Come next year though, you imagine Jones will be firmly entrenched in the middle of the park where he does his best work.

Juventus can't have it both ways in terms of style, results

Saturday's 1-1 draw with Verona means Juventus have won one of their last five games. The fact that prior to that, they had beaten Inter and Roma by playing a more conservative, deep-defending game -- "Allegri-style" as some put it -- prompted some pundits to wax about their new-found balance.

Sitting deep and waiting for Cristiano Ronaldo to do something isn't "balance" -- it's just a brand of football that rarely yields sustained results in the modern game. That's why Andrea Pirlo was appointed. To boldly go in a different direction... which, really, isn't even that bold, it's the football played by the vast majority of successful clubs in Europe.

The problem is that until they get there, they won't be very good. Partly because they don't have the players to do it in key areas of the park (midfield, though maybe the 20 minutes played by Nicolo Fagioli herald a brighter future with an actual specialist playmaker), partly because it's Pirlo's first season (and yes, he'll make mistakes), partly because maybe not everybody in the dressing room is on board with it. (Notice how when Giorgio Chiellini and Leo Bonucci play, they defend 20 yards deeper.)

And so, they play like a weird hybrid of the past and the present. They play with fear. Folks will focus on Alex Sandro playing in a three-man defence (and getting beaten for the equalizer), but more of a worry, to me, ought to be the first 45 minutes, which were simply woeful.

You can see what Pirlo is trying to do. Playing Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski behind Cristiano Ronaldo can work and it can be proactive, but when the rest of the side can't keep up their end of the bargain, it won't work. Sure, there were plenty of players unavailable for this game, but that doesn't excuse a performance like this.

Getting growth and results at the same time isn't impossible; it's just very, very hard. And it's especially difficult for Pirlo, particularly with this group of players. It gets a whole lot more difficult if the environment around the club freaks out over the lack of results and pines for the golden years of Allegri. That ship has sailed (and let's not forget how -- and why -- it ended.)

You said you were building and trying to grow. Give it a go.

Man City make it 20 wins... but is Guardiola happy?

Manchester City made it 20 wins in a row in all competitions, beating West Ham, 2-1 this weekend. That's a frankly ridiculous number, and if you consider that they beat Arsenal (twice), Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs during this run, it's a testament to where they are. They are 12 points clear at the top of the table and, barring a cataclysm, will win his third league title in the past four seasons.

So why has he been complaining about how his team could be "more clinical?" Because while they're winning, they're not the overwhelming force they were three years ago.

If Expected Goals are your thing, they're trending downwards (albeit slightly, though that's offset by the fact they are far stingier defensively), but it goes beyond that. They're simply scoring less. They're averaging two a game in the Premier League, which is substantially lower than last year (2.68), 2018-19 (2.50) and 2017-18 (2.78). In fact, unless they pick up the pace, this could be the lowest-scoring Guardiola team in history.

Against West Ham, we saw Sergio Aguero make his first start of the season and, with his contract expiring this summer and the fact that he showed plenty of rust, it will probably be one of his last. Is that enough to explain the drop in goals? Probably not. And that's why Guardiola keeps bringing it up.

Perfectionists, eh?

Bayern win big, but real impact is return of Gnabry and Muller

Forget the gaudy 4-1 against a self-destructing Lazio in the Champions League. Bayern hadn't really played particularly well since before the Club World Cup and for most of the 5-1 win over Cologne, we still didn't see anything approaching the real Bayern. That happens when your wingers are Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and the monument to inconsistency that is Leroy Sane. They took a 2-0 lead (in part thanks to the brilliance of Robert Lewandwoski) and then, early in the second half, allowed Cologne to reopen the game.

Enter Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry with nearly half an hour to go, and everything changes. They rolled to a 5-1 win which, in many ways, confirmed what we already know. Bayern have a core of outstanding players and when more than a few are missing, the level drops exponentially and they are left to individual solutions or waiting for the opposition to screw up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the real Bayern needs Muller (and Gnabry, especially if Kingsley Coman is out).

Atletico ride "old-school Cholismo" to get a big win

Unai Emery's Villarreal is exactly the sort of opponent you do not want to face, coming off two straight defeats and with Barcelona just three points back. So Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone went back to basics, switching to a back four, sitting deep and leaving Luis Suarez so isolated that he needed to pay roaming charges to communicate with his midfielders.

Their two goals in the 2-0 win followed the script: an opposition own goal from a close-range header off a set piece, and a moment of individual brilliance from Joao Felix (who then vented his anger into the night) exploiting an opposition mistake. The rest was staunch defending and the usual Jan Oblak miracle.

Simeone has mitigating circumstances in the form of injuries, so those of us who actually enjoyed "Cholismo 2.0" earlier this season can't get too sniffy about it. This was about keeping a clean sheet and making sure Real Madrid aren't going to catch them when they face off in the derby next Sunday. Mission accomplished.

Bale comes up big for Spurs. What does it mean?

It was fun to watch Gareth Bale steal the show in Tottenham's 4-0 trouncing of Burnley on Sunday. He opened the scoring, rolled back the years with a tremendous goal and uncorked a gorgeous, outside-of-the-boot sweeping assist reminiscent of the finest Juan Sebastian Veron. It was also important that Spurs get a win after securing just three of their last 18 available points in the league. The Champions League spots are six points away and it's critical that they stay in the running.

That said, it's not clear how much you can read into it. Spurs scored after just two minutes and then hit Burnley repeatedly in transition. We already knew they could do that. Bale is still Bale, with all that it entails: the injuries, the golf, the baggage, the wages, the contract with Real Madrid that runs through June 2022. If Jose Mourinho only started him twice before Sunday, presumably there's a reason. Did somebody just flick a switch? I hope so, because I enjoy watching Bale play. But it all feels very short-term.

Leipzig are anything but soft as Bundesliga title race remains on

It was all set up for Leipzig to crumble against Borussia Monchengladbach. Two goals down inside of 20 minutes despite showing plenty of attacking intent and some wasteful finishing... Pretty much the story of their season, no?

And then Julian Nagelsmann, listening to whatever muse inspires his raw genius, decided to unleash the Sorloth. As in Alexander Sorloth, the star-crossed striker who had scored just once all season. Sorloth's large frame immediately wreaked havoc. He set up Chirstopher Nkunku and then, after Yusuf Poulsen, equalized, notched the winner, deep in injury time.

Nagelsmann's decisions are sometimes idiosyncratic, but his belief in Sorloth was handsomely rewarded here. More than the result -- Gladbach are in free-fall, with four defeats in their last five -- what was impressive here was the personality and the way Leipzig kept coming en route to their 3-2 win even as it looked as if this was most definitely not their day.

The win leaves them two points back and, at a minimum, means Bayern need to stay on their toes the rest of the way.

Inter roll behind Lukaku, past Genoa to remain top of Serie A

Football gets a whole heck of a lot easier when you go a goal up inside of a minute, which is what Romelu Lukaku did for Inter on Sunday against Genoa, en route to a 3-0 win. From that point onwards, it wasn't overly difficult for Antonio Conte to best his opponents and he made sure Inter's intensity never flagged.

This isn't to take away from their performance, on the contrary, this is praise. We've seen teams, especially in Serie A, take a lead and then manage the game, conserving energy and looking to hit on the break. That's not what Conte wants right now. He wants them to use the extra rest to go for the jugular. And, against Genoa, he had total buy-in, including from the likes of Christian Eriksen. Yeah, Eriksen -- the guy who was supposedly too weak, too day-dreamy and too nice to put in a shift actually ended up covering more ground than anyone else on the pitch (including Nicolo Barella, the human dynamo). Food for thought.

PSG have a real title race in France. When's the last time you heard that?

Paris Saint-Germain crushed Dijon 4-0 on Saturday thanks to two goals from Kylian Mbappe and strikes from Danilo and Moise Kean (who, by the way, is up to 15 in all competitions) but Mauricio Pochettino has what appears to be a clear-cut race to deal with domestically, with four teams within four points of each other.

PSG are second, two behind Lille, one ahead of Lyon and two ahead of Monaco, who are on an absolute tear, taking 28 of a possible 30 points in their last ten games. What's more, the three other contenders are all out of Europe and there are head-to-heads against Lille and Lyon left to come for PSG. The Champions League is obviously the club's priority, but they simply can't take their eye off the ball on the home front.

Perhaps, after a fortnight or so when the topic of pitches has dominated the conversation, it was to be expected that an England player might eventually pass comment.

Until this point, all the debate about the surfaces in India had been carried out in the media. The England team - and the England team management - have made no negative comment. Indeed, they're reiterated the party line: the wickets have been challenging and they have been out-played on them by a fine India side.

But, after a media conference in which the question was asked, then asked again and then asked in fancy dress, someone finally broke ranks. Jack Leach had a view. And yes, he was suggesting better wickets were required.

The only issue - well, an issue for those hoping for a controversy to stoke more eye-catching headlines - was that Leach was talking about pitches in England. Echoing the comments of his captain, Joe Root, who called for "serious improvements" in the standard of county wickets after the third Test, Leach suggested that, if the county game was going to better prepare players for the spin challenge expected in Asia, it could start by preparing 'better' wickets.

"My thoughts are that the wickets in county cricket in general need to be good surfaces to start with," Leach said. "Then, if they can break up and bring spin into the game later on, I think that's a good thing for producing spinners.

"They can bowl in the first innings on good wickets. And then, in the second innings when things are starting to happen, they [learn to deal with] the pressure of being the guy who needs to try and bowl the opposition out. That's the ideal, I think.

"If the spinner is playing in a four-man attack with three seamers and a spinner, then I think the role of the spinner becomes more important. But if there's four or five seamers [in the side], or a couple of batters that also bowl seam, then I think your overs [as a spinner] can really go down; especially on some of the county wickets I've played on in the last couple of years."

Leach built his reputation, in part at least, by bowling on wickets at Taunton which were rarely described as 'good'. While they might provide pretty decent preparation for playing on surfaces such as those seen in Chennai and Ahmedabad in recent days - and they certainly helped Leach catch the selectors' eyes - they are not the sort of pitches either he or Root have in mind.

Instead, they mean the sort of surface on which a spinner might be used in the first innings to offer control and variation - Root had suggested the sort of surface where teams routinely score 400 or 500 - and the sort of surface on which they may play an increasing role in the second as the wicket wears. In short, both Leach and Root are calling for surfaces which are better for batting, limit the influence of seamers armed with a Dukes ball and better replicate the conditions traditionally seen at Test level around the world. All of which seems reasonable enough.

But quite how these comments are received around the county game remains to be seen. Certainly groundstaff, who might feel a little criticised here, could be forgiven for reacting with a rueful smile. As if their jobs, given the volume of cricket played in England each summer, is not already hard, asking them to prepare Test-quality batting surfaces in the early weeks of the county season is probably unreasonable. If England really want to improve their county surfaces, they will almost certainly have to improve their domestic schedule, and avoid playing the bulk of the season when seamers predominate.

In 2021, eight of the 14 rounds of County Championship cricket are scheduled to take place before the end of May (four take place before the end of April) with four more rounds (and the Bob Willis Trophy final) taking place in autumnal September. That leaves just two rounds - eight days of cricket, in other words - scheduled to take place in July or August when surfaces might be expected to provide most assistance to spin bowlers.

This was an issue hinted at by England's newly-appointed spin-bowling coach, Jeetan Patel. But while Patel was happy to allude to the problem, he is also a realist. Just as he found a way to flourish in county cricket, he is adamant young spinners can "upskill" to the point they "can still contribute in April and September."

"There's probably 20 or 30 options," Patel said when asked how the development of England's young spinners could be improved. "You could send spin groups away [on overseas camps], you could play [first-class cricket] in the middle of the year or the end of it.

"Ultimately, we want to be playing on the best wickets possible, whether that's one that does a little bit on day one, flattens out days two and three, and then spins on day four - that's the ultimate. That would be the ideal and if you spoke to any player or coach in this group here, that's what they would ask for because that is very close to Test cricket.

"We want to build Test cricketers, that's part of my job, and that's what I want to see: how is a spinner going to affect a game on days one, two and three but also be a match-winner on day four.

"But for me it's [important to] upskill those [county spinners] so they can still contribute in April and September. That's the thing we forget: there is an opportunity to contribute as a spinner, whether it's going at two an over, taking two wickets in the first innings or three in the third or fourth. There are opportunities for spinners in England. At county level, the pitches are either over-prepared or under-prepared. So within that is an opportunity for spinners to succeed.

"There's so many good seamers flying around, as well. And at the end of the day the counties want to win games. Let's not be too quick to say 'we have to play a spinner in every XI' because if we tour New Zealand, then there may not be an opportunity for a spinner to play in a Test match there. We also have to be prepared to pick teams that are going to win games."

Whatever wicket England encounter in Ahmedabad this week, it seems the answer to long-term improvement may lie much closer to home.