Leeds United lost their first game of the 2025/26 Premier League season at Elland Road, with Daniel Farke’s side suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s the first time they’ve lost at home since February 2nd in the FA Cup, against Championship side Millwall.

A first-half goal from French starlet Mathys Tel gave the Lilywhites the lead, although Noah Okafor equalised for his side just before half-time. However, a long-range effort from Mohammed Kudus just before the hour mark was enough to secure Spurs the three points.

The North Londoners’ victory came despite pressure from the home side. Leeds dominated the ball against Thomas Frank’s side, having 57% of the possession. They didn’t waste that, either, taking 16 shots on goal and creating three big chances. However, just four of those were on target, with Joe Rodon also hitting the post.

It was certainly disappointing that Farke’s side couldn’t capitalise on their possession and the number of shots they managed. They had chances throughout the game, including four in added time, but failed to find the equaliser they needed to keep their excellent record at Elland Road.

Despite the result, there were plenty of positives to take from the performance.

Leeds’ best players vs. Spurs

As Leeds journalist Beren Cross said, there were plenty of “silver linings” to take after the clash with Spurs. One of the players who stood out was the goalscorer, Okafor. He doubled his tally in that famous White shirt today, after scoring in the 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The goal from the former AC Milan attacker showed excellent instinct in the penalty area.

He pounced on a loose ball in the penalty box after Tottenham’s goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, tipped Brenden Aaronson’s effort into vacant space in the six-yard box.

Another player who once again shone for Farke’s side was Sean Longstaff. Another of the Whites’ summer signings, the former Newcastle United star was the chief creator in that midfield three for Leeds.

Indeed, his stats from the game show just how well he performed. Longstaff was always busy in the midfield, having 64 touches of the ball and creating an impressive five chances. He also won five ground duels and four tackles.

Despite the strong performances from the likes of Okafor and Longstaff, not every Leeds player performed well. There was one attacker in particular who struggled.

The Leeds player who struggled vs. Spurs

Naturally, with the result being the way it was, there were a few Leeds players who somewhat underperformed against the Lilywhites. Pascal Struijk, for example, didn’t have his best game, and both goals were deflected off him.

However, it was another tough day for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Leeds striker joined the club on a free transfer in the summer, and whilst he has scored already this term, also against Wolves, his performances have left a little to be desired at times.

That was the case against Spurs, too. He only managed to get 23 touches of the ball, playing 90 minutes. That was fewer even than Karl Darlow in the Leeds goal, who had 43.

The England international only won two from 11 duels and had just one shot on target.

Touches

23

Pass accuracy

85%

Passes completed

11/13

Ground duels won

0/6

Aerial duels won

2/5

Shots

2

Shots on target

1

One person who seemed to think Leeds’ number nine struggled at Elland Road was Graham Smyth. The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist gave him a 6/10 for his efforts, and whilst he did credit Calvert-Lewin for the ‘hard work’ he put in, but said that ‘the finishing was missing again’ from his game.

It is certainly a problem for Leeds that their number nine is struggling in front of goal. Given they created so many chances, there surely would have been a hope that he could have got on the end of one.

Farke might well decide to drop Calvert-Lewin for Leeds’ next game against Burnley. It was a tough outing against the Lilywhites, and with Joel Piroe and Lukas Nmecha also options up front, it does give the manager flexibility.

If he does make that decision, it would not necessarily be a surprise. The England international has certainly not been at his clinical best up front, and with other centre-forwards in the squad, Farke may well decide to rotate him out of the side.

Farke can solve James blow by unleashing Leeds star who's the new Raphinha

Leeds United doesn’t need to be plagued with worry about Daniel James being out with an injury.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 2, 2025

بدأ ليفربول العمل على خططه في سوق الانتقالات الشتوية، وأصبح يضع العديد من المدافعين في قائمة اهتماماته تحسباً لرحيل إبراهيما كوناتي.

ووفقاً لـ “CAUGHTOFFSIDE” فإن كونستانتينوس كوليراكس مدافع فولفسبورج يعد واحداً من أكثر المدافعين الشباب طلباً في أوروبا.

ويعد مدافع فولفسبورج صاحب الـ21 عاماً أحد أبرز نجوم الدوري الألماني هذا الموسم، وأصبح محل إعجاب العديد من الأندية.

وقد أثبت كوليراكس منذ انضمامه من باوك سالونيكا قدراته وحجز مكانه كلاعب أساسي، ويتميز بقدرته على قراءة الملعب وقوته في الكرات الهوائية وتوازنه بالقدم اليسرى.

اقرأ أيضاً.. راتب خرافي ينتظره.. الكشف عن وجهة محمد صلاح الجديدة بعد الرحيل عن ليفربول

ولعب المدافع الشاب مع فولفسبورج 11 مباراة هذا الموسم، ولا يعد ليفربول هو الفريق الوحيد المعجب به، بل هناك توتنهام أيضاً، ويراه آرني سلوت كبديل مبشر لكوناتي على المدى الطويل حيث يبقى مستقبل الفرنسي غير مؤكد.

وإلى جانب كوليراكس كما تردد في تقارير صحفية إنجليزية، فإن ليفربول يراقب عثمان ديوماندي، مدافع سبورتينج لشبونة، وقد يكون الريدز جاهزاً لتقديم عرضه للحصول على خدماته.

Sahibzada Farhan’s 63 finished Pakistan’s tour with an improved batting performance

Mohammad Isam24-Jul-2025

Pakistan ended their Bangladesh tour with a 74-run win in the third T20I in Dhaka. They bowled out the home side for 104 runs, after posting 178 for 7, a marked improvement from the last two games when their batting hardly stood up.Sahibzada Farhan, who took Fakhar Zaman’s place, top scored with 63 off 41, with 54 runs coming from boundaries. He provided Pakistan with a blistering start, after which Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz struck quick runs to take them to the highest total at the Shere Bangla National Stadium since 2021.Later it was newcomer Salman Mirza, the left-arm quick, who blew through Bangladesh’s top-order, as the home side slipped to 34 for 6. Bangladesh’s batting was in sharp contrast to that of Pakistan who finally got their groove upon being sent to bat first.Farhan blitzkrieg in MirpurFarhan got Pakistan off to a flyer that lasted beyond the powerplay. He clattered Mahedi Hasan for a six in the third ball of the match, before sweetly flicking Shoriful Islam in the next over. Farhan laid into Taskin Ahmed in the sixth over, that went for 15, including a beautiful straight six.Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub put on 82 for the first wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Mehidy Hasan wasn’t spared either. Farhan smacked him for two sixes in the seventh over, one straight and slogged over midwicket. He finished the over by reaching his fifty, the second of Farhan’s career. Saim Ayub got into the act a little later, but soon after striking his first six, he fell to Nasum Ahmed. It broke the 82-run opening stand.Haris can’t cash in on luckFarhan fell for 63 in the twelfth over, having struck five sixes and six fours in his 41-ball stay. There was hope that Farhan’s start would help the rest of the Pakistan’s batters. However, Mohammad Haris couldn’t quite capitalize despite getting three lives in his short time at the crease. Litton Das missed a difficult stumping chance in the tenth over, before Nasum dropped Haris at fine-leg. He also survived a lbw decision, before Taskin removed him with a catch at deep third. Haris finished with 5 off 14 balls.The Nawazes’ fine finishHasan Nawaz slammed three sixes in his 17-ball stay, one of them a slice over cover, but Mahedi’s tumbling catch from mid-off stopped him on 33. Hussain Talat then fell cheaply, before Mohammad Nawaz creamed two sixes and as many fours, in his 16-ball 27. Both his sixes came off Mohammad Saifuddin, one struck over deep square-leg, and the next one the cover boundary.Mirza cuts through top orderPakistan’s first wicket was slightly fortuitous, but all credit goes to Mirza. Tanzid swished at a wide delivery outside off-stump, but wicketkeeper Haris didn’t appeal. Mirza insisted he heard something, which convinced Pakistan captain Salman Agha. A healthy deviation was spotted upon review.Faheem Ashraf then struck twice in his next two overs, first removing Litton for 8, before Mehidy holed out to mid-on for 9. Mirza then bowled two superb deliveries in the fifth over to reduce Bangladesh to 25 for 5. Both times, he got the ball to cut through Jaker Ali and Mahedi and rattle their stumps.Saifuddin doesn’t get supportSalman bowled Shamim Hossain with one that spun into the left-hander, as Shamim tried to play back. Mohammad Naim holed out to a simple catch at mid-off.Saifuddin’s 34-ball 35 took Bangladesh past their lowest total of 70 and while Nos 9 to 11 all got boundaries, they didn’t hold on for long. Talat removed Nasum for 9. Hasan Nawaz took a fine catch running in from backward square leg to remove Taskin Ahmed, before Saifuddin struck couple of sixes off Ahmed Daniyal. Shoriful was the last man to go with Abbas Afridi taking a superb catch at long-on.

The Philadelphia Phillies fell short of expectations after bowing out of the 2024 MLB postseason in a stunning defeat to the New York Mets in the NLDS. ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the early playoff exit could result in a roster shakeup for the Phils.

In his MLB offseason preview, Passan noted that Philadelphia has placed All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm on the trade block as they look to make some adjustments ahead of the 2025 season.

Bohm, who made his first All-Star Game in 2024, struggled in the second half of the season and even more so in the postseason. During the first half of the year, he logged a .830 OPS with 11 home runs and 70 RBI in 94 games. In the second half, his OPS dwindled down to .681 and he hit just four homers in 49 games. In the playoffs, Bohm recorded just one hit in 13 at-bats, though he didn't strike out a single time.

The Phillies figure to be back in World Series contention in 2025, but they may feel that an upgrade from Bohm will give them a better chance at achieving their goals. Various teams figure to have interest in the 28-year-old, who has two more years of arbitration left before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2027. Spotrac estimates he'll earn around $8.1 million next season.

Bohm has spent his entire MLB career with the Phillies, having appeared in 599 games for the franchise since debuting in 2020.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred discussed a handful of topics with reporters on Wednesday at league headquarters, including the latest with the Oakland Athletics' proposed relocation to Las Vegas.

The A's played their final game at the Coliseum in the East Bay in September and plan to play the next three seasons in Sacramento as their proposed ballpark is built on the site of the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

However, shovels have yet to hit the ground to begin construction of the stadium that is supposed to be ready for Opening Day in 2028. Questions remain about the A's finding the funds to start constructing the $1.5 billion project.

Manfred affirmed Wednesday the A's planned move to Las Vegas remains as scheduled.

"I understand there seems to be some sense of doubt that persists out there, but [owner] John Fisher is completely committed to the process," Manfred said [via ]. "The building’s been demolished. The site’s available. They are on track for a 2028 opening. They’ve gone through the process of demonstrating that whether or not he takes local [investment] partners, he has the capacity to build the stadium. We’re full speed ahead."

A's executive Sandy Dean said in October that Fisher plans to invest $1 billion of his own money into construction of the stadium, which is expected to begin next spring.

The A's plan to present the proof that they have the necessary funds at an authority meeting on Dec. 5.

Leeds United have started the 2025/26 season better than people may have expected, given the hoodoo surrounding newly promoted sides in recent years.

Their first season back in the top flight, it was predicted that Leeds would go straight back down. ESPN’s Bill Connelly was one of those who predicted them to come 18th, despite explaining that they are “well-suited” to survive the drop.

There is still a lot of football to be played, with 31 games to go this season but Leeds find themselves on eight points, four clear of the drop. It has been a positive start to the campaign for Daniel Farke’s side.

One area they would surely want to improve is how clinical they are in front of goal.

Why Leeds are struggling in the final third

To win football matches, you need to be able to put the ball in the back of the net. That is something that Leeds were good at under Farke last season, bagging 95 times, more than any other Championship team.

It was always going to be tough to replicate in the top flight, but the West Yorkshire outfit have perhaps left a little to be desired in front of goal.

As per Understat, they have found the back of the net seven times this season, but have underachieved on their expected goals tally.

Farke’s side have notched up a total of 8.03 xG so far, and whilst it is not a huge difference, they will be hoping that doesn’t increase as the season goes on. Indeed, he will want more from his strikers, in particular Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Leeds’ summer signing has scored once for his new club. The 28-year-old bagged against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 3-1 win at Molineux, but has failed to bag in any of his other four appearances.

After their last game against Tottenham Hotspur, Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth said his “finishing was missing again.”

So, it might be the case that Farke decides to shake things up ahead of their next game against Burnley on Saturday.

Leeds' Calvert-Lewin alternative

Of course, former Everton number nine Calvert-Lewin was not the only centre-forward who moved to Elland Road this summer. They also added Lukas Nmecha to their squad on a free, with the two strikers joining existing forward Joel Piroe in the ranks.

However, Farke might choose to shuffle the pack around and start Noah Okafor up front. The “versatile” forward, as football scout Jacek Kulig called him, has played as a left-winger to great success this term, but is a more than capable striker.

Despite being just six games into his Leeds career, the Switzerland international has already bagged twice, at an average of a goal every 154 Premier League minutes.

Just like Calvert-Lewin, he netted at Molineux and also got Leeds’ goal in their 2-1 home loss to Spurs last time out.

Playing as a number nine would not be a strange concept to the former AC Milan star. Okafor has played that role a great deal in his career, with Transfermarkt showcasing that he’s featured as a centre-forward on 79 different occasions, scoring 26 goals and assisting 16.

It is interesting to compare Okafor and Calvert-Lewin’s key underlying numbers from this season. The Swiss star comes out on top in several metrics, including the average number of goals per shot on target.

The Leeds number 19 averages one per 90 minutes, with the former Everton striker just 0.14, showing far better efficiency in Okafor’s favour.

Goals

0.59

0.25

Goals per shot on target

1

0.14

Expected goals

0.35xG

0.35xG

Goals minus expected goals

0.24

-0.10

Goal-creating actions

0.3

0.25

There is a strong case to be made for Okafor starting at Leeds’ number nine during their next game. He’s got a good goal record and strong underlying numbers from the left wing this season, so Farke might well decide to test him out up front.

It would be a bold call, but one that could really pay dividends for the Whites as they look to become more efficient in front of goal.

Not just Meslier: Leeds star who was "so important" is now on borrowed time

This Leeds United ace could now find he’s on borrowed time under Daniel Farke.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 12, 2025

Nathan Lyon says he was disappointed with being left out of Australia’s final Test of the recent Caribbean tour, but he understood why the selectors made the decision, and that in hindsight, it was the right call.Lyon had not been left out of Australia’s Test XI for any reason other than injury since 2013, but the selectors made the bold decision to leave him out for the third pink-ball Test at Sabina Park. They picked four fast bowlers instead, because the conditions were set to be so extreme.Lyon spoke for the first time since missing the Test on Tuesday in Melbourne, during an appearance with a corporate partner of his BBL club Melbourne Renegades. He did not hide his disappointment, revealing that much of it was driven by missing out on playing in close friend Mitchell Starc’s 100th Test.”There’s no point hiding behind it, I was disappointed with the decision, but I totally understood it,” he said. “Disappointed on a number of levels that: One, I believe I can play a role in any conditions, and I still honestly believe that. And then honestly, the other one was not to walk out on the field with Starcy. I’ve played 90-odd Test matches with Starcy, so to be able to walk out there with him in his 100th would have been amazing. But I was still there, running the drinks, and still part of it.Related

• The world where Lyon doesn't play at the Gabba

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• Nathan Lyon: 'In my eyes, Jack Leach is still England's best spinner'

• Australia's Ashes questions: Open season, two allrounders, four quicks?

• Konstas will play for Australia again, but will he play the Ashes this year?

“I want to play every game for Australia, and I’ve just got that belief that I can play a role in any conditions, as every cricketer should have that belief.”But at the end of the day, we can sit here and say hats off to them, they made the right call. And if I’m going to miss a game, Scott Boland is probably the guy you want to see go out there and perform. And for him to go out there and bowl like he did, like we always know he does, to take a hat-trick, was pretty special. And to witness the guys bowl them out for 27 that was pretty amazing.”The decision to leave Lyon out – and the dominance of Australia’s quicks as a quartet – has naturally led to discussion about whether it could happen again in the Ashes this summer, if similarly extreme conditions presented themselves.Part of the reasoning for Lyon’s omission was that he did not bowl a single over in the 2022 Ashes pink-ball Test in Hobart. He also bowled just one over in last year’s pink-ball Test in Adelaide against India.He did not play a part in Starc’s 100th Test•ICC via Getty Images

But Lyon was adamant he would be a lock for all five Ashes Tests, particularly given his record at the first three Test venues: Perth’s Optus Stadium, the Gabba and Adelaide Oval.”I’m definitely not thinking about my place in the team,” Lyon said. “I know my role in the side, and the conditions really was the reason why I missed that Test match. But I’m fully focused on making sure that fitness levels are high, skill levels are high, leading into the first three Shield games and then into the Perth Test match. I love bowling in Perth. Love bowling all around Australia if I’m being honest with you, so no, I’ve got no doubts there.”There are doubts, however, about who will be Australia’s opener for the Perth Test alongside Usman Khawaja, after Sam Konstas endured a nightmare tour of the Caribbean. But Lyon, who has been a big supporter of Konstas in his brief time around the Australian team – including inviting him to a private training camp in Brisbane prior to the WTC final – implored the critics not to be too hard on the 19-year-old.”I think it’s been a massive learning curve for Sam,” Lyon said. “I don’t think we need to be so hard on him. I think he’s obviously young, and he’s still learning his game. And I think we’ve all, as Test cricketers, been through those periods throughout our career. It’s about, especially our senior players, making sure that we’re getting around him and making sure that he knows he’s got full support.”I’m not a selector but I’d be surprised if he didn’t go on the [Australia A] tour to India. So, I think he’s going to have some cricket there, but then he’s obviously got Shield cricket as well. And like everyone, we want to go out there and perform for our states and make sure that we’re putting our hands up for national selection. No one’s got a given right to be picked for Australia. And so, it’s about us putting our arms around him, making sure that he goes out there and backs his skill and finds a method that he wants to bat with.”Lyon expects to feature in all the Ashes Tests•AFP/Getty Images

Lyon also expected Marnus Labuschagne to bounce back from his axing during the Caribbean tour.”Marn’s upbeat, and so he should be,” Lyon said. “His Test record speaks volumes. He absolutely put a couple of coaches into the ground over there with the amount of training that he was doing. But that’s Marn. That’s the way he prepares. And he’s still a class player, and he will be for a long period of time. So I’m still expecting bigger and better things from Marnus.”Lyon will now do a two-month pre-season with New South Wales ahead of the summer and expects to play at least three of the four Sheffield Shield games before the first Test, although his workloads will be managed by Cricket Australia in conjunction with NSW.He is also hopeful of finally making his BBL debut for Renegades in his third year on the list as Renegades have four games, plus finals if they get there, after the Ashes series is completed. One of those games is at Adelaide Oval against Adelaide Strikers, where he started his professional and BBL career. He said he is looking forward to bowling to close friends Travis Head and Alex Carey.”We’ve already spoken about that, but that’s all in good fun,” Lyon said. “I’ve obviously got a massive summer ahead of that. But if we get the opportunity to play each other in the Big Bash I’ll have to put all my notes in the back of the memory.”

One Chelsea star has been critiqued for his performance in their game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Robert Sanchez having more touches than him at Stamford Bridge.

In what was Chelsea’s final Premier League game ahead of the November international break, the Blues played host to a Wolves side who, after 10 games, were still without a win in the top flight.

Enzo Maresca’s side struggled to do much with the chances they generated in the first half against Wolves, frustrating the home support at Stamford Bridge. Soon after the half-time break, however, the Blues broke the deadlock.

Malo Gusto opened the scoring with what was his first-ever senior goal just minutes into the second half. This lead was doubled just after the hour mark when Joao Pedro smashed a deflected Estevao cross beyond Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The game was put beyond any doubt when, with less than 20 minutes to go, Pedro Neto scored against his former club. The win moved Chelsea to second in the table. However, one Blues player was slammed for his performance against the relegation-threatened side.

Delap failed to make mark against Wolves

Signed in the summer from Ipswich Town, Liam Delap has endured a tough start to life at Chelsea. An injury saw him sidelined for weeks to open the 2025/26 campaign, missing almost two months. Upon his return, against Wolves in the Carabao Cup, Delap was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards after coming off the bench.

Delap, who reportedly signed a contract worth £100,000 per week, made his first start for Chelsea since returning from injury against the Old Gold, but failed to make an impact. Simon Johnson, who works for The Athletic, was critical of what the striker produced, noting that he did not appear at match fitness and said he was “struggling”.

As per SofaScore, within 64 minutes of football, Delap had just one shot on target. He was dispossessed on three occasions and by having just 15 touches in the game, had less time on the ball than Sanchez.

Delap is still a young player, one coming back from a relatively long set-back no less. His performance against Wolves, though, can simply not be the level that he consistently operates at going forward.

Chelsea weighing up move for England international

Harry Kane has praised Luis Diaz and his wonderstrike in Bayern Munich's 2-2 draw with Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon. Diaz scored a goal of the season contender in the first half of the stalemate in the capital while Kane was on hand to rescue a late result to maintain Bayern's unbeaten start to the campaign. The striker also held his hands up and admitted his mistake in Union's second goal.

• AFP
  

  Diaz and Kane both net in stalemate

  Centre-back Danilho Doekhi put Union Berlin ahead midway through the second half against Bayern Munich on Saturday afternoon. However, Bayern were level shortly before the break as Diaz scored a stunning individual goal as the pair went in at the break all-square.

  Doekhi scored his, and Union Berlin's second in the 83rd minute, and they must have felt that was enough to secure a huge win in their bid to beat the drop. FC Hollywood levelled matters late on for the second time in the 93rd minute as Kane headed in his 13th league goal of the campaign.

  After the stalemate, Kane praised Diaz's strike, where he fired past Frederik Ronnow from an incredibly tight angle, as Bayern extended their lead at the top of the table to six points.

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• 'I reckon that's probably his best'

  On the Diaz goal, Kane told ESPN after the stalemate: "Incredible to be honest. The way he kept the ball in and got past his defender and then score was, just a special goal, a really, really special goal. He's been pulling stuff out like that all season but I reckon that's probably his best."

  Kane, meanwhile, admitted that he was at fault for Doekhi's second strike that almost cost Bayern the game. And the 32-year-old held his hands up and owned up to his mistake before he made amends deep into injury time, adding: "Obviously it was my mistake for the second goal. So I was itching to get the chance at the end there and put it away and thankfully Tom (Bischoff) put a great ball in and I snuck it past the keeper.

  "I've been playing football long enough to know, this is part of it, mistakes are going to happen. It's just nice to be able to help teams out."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Kane aimed dig at Union Berlin

  Post-match, Kane also aimed a dig at Union Berlin for their tactics in the stalemate. The capital side have proven tough to visit this season losing just the once at home. And while Kane admitted that Bayern were in for a tough game, the England captain took aim at the Iron Ones for the way they set up on home turf.

  On the match itself, the forward said: "It was a tough game. We expected a battle and a lot of long balls. Many decisions and small fouls went against us today. It wasn't our best game, but we stayed focused and managed to equalise. That's football, there are games like today where things go against you. We'll take the point."

  The result, though, ended Bayern's winning start to the campaign. Vincent Kompany had overseen nine successive league wins heading into Saturday's game at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei as they failed to fully capitalise upon both RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund dropping points.

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• What comes next?

  Even so, Bayern go into the international break top of the Bundesliga, and six points clear of RB Leipzig, who fell to a 3-1 loss at Hoffenheim on Saturday. Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, were forced to share the spoils with Hamburg after they conceded a 97th minute equaliser at Volksparkstadion.

  Bayern return to domestic duties later this month with the welcome of Freiburg before they take on Arsenal in a huge Champions League clash later this month. Both Bayern and Arsenal boast a 100% start to the Champions League campaign, while the pair were also held to 2-2 away draws in their respective leagues at the weekend.

Manchester City picked up another three points in the Champions League with a 4-1 home win over German side Borussia Dortmund.

Pep Guardiola’s side scored twice in either half to propel themselves up to fourth in the table and maintain their unbeaten record.

City got into their groove pretty quickly at the Etihad Stadium. It took just 22 minutes for them to take the lead, with Phil Foden firing home from outside the penalty area into the bottom left corner.

Just seven minutes later, City had their second, and to nobody’s surprise, it was Erling Haaland who bagged the goal. Criminally, the Norwegian centre-forward was given acres of space in the box by his old side, slamming home his effort after Jeremy Doku pulled the ball back across the box.

Foden had his second goal just before the hour mark, once again tucking his effort into the bottom left corner. Dortmund pulled one back in the 72nd minute, but Rayan Cherki’s stoppage-time goal off the bench sealed the win for the Cityzens.

It was a strong showing from City, with Haaland and Foden two of the standouts for Guardiola’s side.

How Haaland and Foden downed Dortmund

Is there anyone who can stop Haaland? Well, his former side couldn’t, as he scored his 18th goal of the season in just 14 games. The striker, who captained City on the night, has bagged five times in the Champions League already this term.

His performance clearly impressed Simon Bajkowski, chief City journalist for the Manchester Evening News. He gave the Citizens number 9 a post-match rating of 8/10, and said his night’s work was “brilliant again.”

As for Foden, his two goals, which were carbon copies of each other, perfectly encapsulated what makes him so good.

Operating in the right half-space, the England international showed great technical ability to carve out both chances, which he took with great poise.

His stats from the game are a great reflection of how well he played. City’s number 47 was constantly involved, having 71 touches and creating three chances. He also worked hard off the ball, making five recoveries.

The City duo were standouts for Guardiola’s side on Wednesday, but one of their teammates also shone.

Man City star is as important as Foden & Haaland

Guardiola will surely be pleased to see such a big win against an opponent who could have proved to be a tough test. The performances from Haaland, Foden and Cherki off the bench are encouraging signs for the Citizens.

It was not just those three who impressed, though. Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders put in a strong showing at the Etihad Stadium. He set up both of Foden’s goals, pulling the strings from an advanced midfield position.

The Dutchman also has some impressive numbers from the game. Like Foden, Reijnders created three chances and looked after the ball well in midfield with a pass accuracy of 88%. He also won two out of three ground duels and made things tough for the visitors when they had the ball in the centre of the park.

Reijnders vs. Dortmund

Stat

Number

Touches

41

Pass accuracy

88%

Passes completed

28/32

Opposition half passes completed

18/22

Ground duels won

2/3

Chances created

3

Assists

2

Stats from Sofascore

It was a superb performance from Reijnders, which stood out to Citizens fan page over on X, City Chief. They described it as a “masterclass” in the midfield, and said it was “easily his best performance in a City shirt so far.”

After a night’s work as good as that from the 27-year-old, it is easy to see why he can be as important as Haaland and Foden. He brings plenty of control and helps City sustain attacks.

On top of that, the Netherlands international has a good relationship with another great technical player, Foden. According to Squawka, it is the first time the England international has bagged twice in the Champions League match, and the first time Reijnders has assisted two in a game in the same competition.

That is surely no coincidence. That relationship, plus the creative influence and technical quality, Reijnders adds to the City side, makes him one of their most important players, as he showed against Dortmund.

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Posts ByBen Gray Oct 30, 2025