Fan favourite Antony declared he is "at home" and playing with "heart" after his man-of-the-match display secured a vital 3-0 La Liga win for Real Betis against Mallorca. The former Manchester United star scored twice and provided an assist in a dominant first half, admitting it was a "shame" he missed a hat-trick, as Betis kept pressure on the top four.

• Antony reflects on match-winning brace

  The Brazilian winger was unstoppable in the first half, scoring two goals and providing an assist to secure the win before the interval. Speaking to Estadio Deportivo after the match, Antony expressed his delight with the result, which keeps Betis firmly in the hunt for a Champions League qualification spot.

  Antony was the architect of the victory at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, single-handedly dismantling the Mallorca defence in a blistering first-half spell. He opened the scoring in the 10th minute before doubling his tally and Betis's lead in the 34th minute. He was not finished, turning provider just three minutes later to set up Abde Ezzalzouli for the third goal, effectively ending the contest after just 37 minutes.

  The performance was a showcase of the talent that prompted Manchester United to spend €95 million (£82m/$111m) on him in 2022. Betis dominated the encounter, registering nine shots on target to Mallorca's one, with Antony as the clear focal point of their attack.

  "Very happy with the result, it's very important," Antony said post-match. "We knew how important today's match was because losing the three points at home against Atlético was very tough. Now, winning at home is very important for our confidence. We're moving on. I'm very happy with the two goals and the assist. It's a shame I didn't get the third, but that's part of the game."

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  'The goalkeeper did very well' – Winger details missed hat-trick

  The 25-year-old came agonisingly close to securing the match ball, finding himself with a clear opportunity to score his third goal. However, Mallorca goalkeeper Lucas Bergstrom produced an excellent save to deny him.

  "Yes, I had plenty of space and I controlled it, but the goalkeeper did very well too," Antony acknowledged, reflecting on the missed chance. "I think he touched it with his fingertips, but the most important thing is the three points and to keep this up with confidence."

  His ability to praise the opposition's save while immediately shifting focus back to the team's victory highlights a maturity and team-first mentality that Betis fans have quickly come to appreciate.

• 'I am at home' – Antony opens up on Betis happiness

  The winger's comments will be music to the ears of the Betis faithful, as he spoke glowingly about his connection to the club. Antony has endured a difficult period since his high-profile move to Old Trafford, failing to consistently deliver.

  This is his second spell with the Spanish club, having first joined temporarily in January 2025. After returning to Manchester United, he joined Betis back at the start of the 2025-26 season permanently, as now his contract expires in 2030, and the move appears to have rejuvenated him.

  "Very happy, everyone knows the desire I had in my heart," Antony stated passionately. "I am very happy here, I am at home, I am playing a lot for all the fans and all of you."

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• 'It's not luck, it's work' – Brazilian credits training for goalscoring form

  The three points were vital for Manuel Pellegrini's side, allowing them to reclaim fifth place in the La Liga table. Betis now sit on 19 points from 11 matches, just three points behind fourth-placed Atlético de Madrid (22 points) and four behind Villarreal in third (23 points).

  The win provides the perfect response to their previous home loss against Atlético, a direct rival for European qualification.

  "It was very tough losing to Atlético at home, and that's why it was so important to win today and be up there," Antony explained. "We have many games ahead of us; we have to be patient, take it one game at a time, and keep moving up."

  Antony's brace on Sunday brings his tally to four goals in his last three league matches, a red-hot streak of form that is silencing critics who have previously questioned his end product. The winger was quick to point out that his newfound clinical edge is no accident.

  "I say it's dangerous because I train a lot," he said. "I practice finishing every day and it's not luck, it's training, it's work. I feel very happy to score two goals."

  This dedication to his craft, combined with the clear emotional lift he has received from his environment at Betis, is paying dividends on the pitch.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Chapecoense irá receber o Tombense na Arena Condá, nesta segunda-feira (30), às 20h (de Brasília), partida válida pela 34ª rodada da série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. A disputa entre as equipes é mega importante para a permanência no torneio, tendo em conta que os dois times estão na zona de rebaixamento.

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A Chapecoense é o 17º colocado na série B, o primeiro da zona do rebaixamento. Porém, com a derrota da Ponte Preta para o Novorizontino, a Chape pode sair do Z4 nesta rodada e chegar a 36 pontos.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Em 18º, o Tombense vive uma situação mais complicada em relação ao seu adversário de segunda-feira. O clube mineiro está com 31 pontos, e mesmo com a vitória, ainda ficará a dois pontos da Ponte Preta, o primeiro time fora da zona de rebaixamento.

FICHA TÉCNICA:
CHAPECOENSE X TOMBENSE
CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO SÉRIE B – 34ª RODADA

Local: Arena Condá, em Chapecó (SC)
Data e horário: 30 de outubro de 2023 (segunda-feira), às 20h (horário de Brasília)
Arbitragem: Denis da Silva Ribeiro Serafim
Assistentes: Ruan Luiz de Barros Silva e Rondinelle dos Santos Tavares
VAR: Gilberto Rodrigues Castro Junior
Onde assistir: Premiere (pay-per-view) e SporTV.

CHAPECOENSE:

Airton; Douglas Borel, Bruno Leonardo, Lucas Freitas e Mancha; Kaio, Victor Ferraz, Bruno Vinicius e Bruno Nazário; Henrique Dourado e Felipe Ferreira. Técnico: Claudinei Oliveira.

Desfalques: Gustavo Cazonatti, Giovanni Pavani e Marcinho.

TOMBENSE:

Felipe Garcia; Pedro Costa, Roger Carvalho, Ednei e Guilherme; João Pedro, Matheus França e Bruno Matias; Kleiton, Keké e Fernandão. Técnico: Moacir Júnior.

Desfalques: Zé Ricardo.

Lance!

CWI president admits the players and fans will have several “sleepless nights” following the 3-0 defeat to Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2025

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has extended invitations to three former players – Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards – to take part in an emergency meeting following West Indies’ 3-0 series loss at home to Australia. The West Indies greats will join Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes and Ian Bradshaw on the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee to review the team’s “deeply disappointing” performances over the past few weeks.West Indies folded quickly in the first two Tests too, but they saved the biggest ignominy for the very last, folding for 27 in 14.3 overs in Kingston. The total was just one run better than New Zealand’s Test-record low of 26 in 1955 but it was 20 runs short of West Indies’ previous worst total of 47. It was the first time in Test history a team recorded seven ducks in an innings and the six runs made collectively by West Indies’ top-six batters was the lowest in any innings in Test history.Related

After 27 all out, West Indies come face to face with deepening Test crisis

Ten days in the Caribbean: WI batters hit new lows, questions remain around Australia's top three

'Heartbreaking' and 'embarrassing' – Chase laments West Indies batting woes

Starc six-for, Boland hat-trick consign West Indies to 27 all-out and 0-3 defeat

Stats – WI post second-lowest Test total; Starc takes five in 15 balls

Dr Kishore Shallow, the president of CWI, said that the entire West Indies cricket community will have several “sleepless nights” following the losses, but called for patience as they look to “rebuild and start investing in the next generation”.”Like every West Indian cricket fan, I felt the pain of our recent Test defeat to Australia,” he said. “There will be some sleepless nights ahead for many of us, including the players, who I know feel this loss just as heavily. But while disappointment is natural, we must not allow this moment to define our journey. We are in a rebuilding phase, steadily investing in the next generation, and reigniting the spirit that has long made West Indies cricket a force in the world.”Progress is rarely straightforward. It takes time, perseverance, and belief, especially in our most difficult moments. The road ahead will test us, but I have faith in the talent and commitment of our players when they apply themselves. We have already seen encouraging signs, particularly with the ball. Our batters are keen, but now must be even more deliberate as they work to improve.”Shallow said the involvement of Lara, Richards and Lloyd wasn’t purely “ceremonial”, and that they would be actively involved in West Indies’ “next phase of cricket development”.”These are men who helped define our golden eras, and their perspectives will be invaluable. We intend for this gathering to result in tangible, actionable recommendations.”Consistent with my message over the last weeks, this is a moment that calls for collaboration, not division. We need everyone on board: fans, players, coaches, legends, and administrators, if we are to truly move forward. There is much work to be done. But we must do it with purpose, and we must do it together.”West Indies will next take on Australia in a five-match T20I series starting July 21, before hosting Pakistan for a white-ball series in August.

Favourites prove too strong despite spinners giving Warwickshire hope

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Jul-2025Grace Harris’s sparkling 63 not out from 33 balls led Surrey to a five-wicket win over the Bears as they became the inaugural Vitality Blast Women’s champions in front of their home fans at the Kia Oval.The Australian all-rounder grabbed hold of a final which needed a heroine, striking two sixes and seven fours to steer the home side to victory. Fittingly, Southwark-born Kira Chathli, who watched her heroes here as a child, made the winning hit with 20 balls to spare. Amu Surenkumar and Em Arlott took two wickets apiece.Earlier, The Bears struggled to build partnerships with player of the match from the semi-final Issy Wong top scoring with 31 and Laura Harris Sister of Grace a typically ferocious 25 from 11. Phoebe Franklin was the pick of the Surrey attack with 2-16, while two superb runouts helped to further restrict the Bears.Meg Austin caressed the first ball of the innings for four only for Alexa Stonehouse to bowl her with an in-swinger.Davina Perrin’s miserable day with the bat was completed when Capsey castled her for nought and it was hero of the eliminator Issy Wong who gave the powerplay momentum with four boundaries and a five from an overthrow.Stonehouse ended her fun with another ball that hit the stumps and Sterre Kalis was run out by a magnificent throw from the deep by Ryana MacDonald-Gay.Natasha Wraith played nicely for 23 but she and Surenkumar fell in the space of four balls, the latter to a lightning quick stumping by Kira Chathli off Franklin.Laura Harris, was dropped early on and went on the offensive, twice clearing the ropes. Three other boundaries took the Australian to 25, but going for another big hit off Dani Gregory she found the hands of Franklin in the deep.Franklin removed the dangerous Emily Arlott too, but Millie Taylor (20 not out) marshalled the tail, leaving Surrey 154 for the title.Surrey’s chase suffered an early setback when Danni Wyatt-Hodge, prolific in the competition, lost the chance to be leading run-scorer as she holed out in the deep.Skipper Bryony Smith swept and pulled strongly, but fell to the last ball of the powerplay from Surenkumar and when Wraith whipped off the bails to stump Capsey off Hannah Baker, Surrey were floundering at 42-3.Three Sophia Dunkley boundaries from Millie Taylor’s opening over raised hopes for the side playing on their home ground and the England international hit Baker back over her head for six in the next.That was as good as it got for Dunkley who overbalanced trying to hit Surenkumar over the top, Wraith’s fast hands doing the rest.Grace Harris though took up the baton to play the match-defining innings, driving fours cleanly through cover and mid-off.Emily Arlott was dispatched to the sightscreen for six and swept for four, but Paige Scholfield perished in the deep trying to imitate the shot to give the bears renewed hope.Harris though remained to reach 50 at a strike rate of 200, before clubbing Taylor into the seats at midwicket as Surrey scampered home.

Australia suffered a dramatic collapse of 7 for 68 under the new Sabina Park floodlights as West Indies’ quicks enjoyed the conditions with Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and Justin Greaves sharing all ten before Mitchell Starc struck back with an early inroad in his 100th Test.Starc, who had earlier collected a duck, went close on numerous occasions before removing debutant Kevlon Anderson, who inside-edged onto the stumps attempting a drive. West Indies had been forced into a makeshift opening pair of Anderson and Brandon King after Mikyle Louis, who had been recalled in place of the struggling Kraigg Brathwaite the match after he reached 100 Tests, and John Campbell picked up injuries in the field.Losing just one wicket in 45 minutes against this Australia attack with a pink ball under lights could be considered a success with King and Roston Chase doing well to see out the day. As has been the case in the first two Tests, the value of Australia’s total will only really be clear once West Indies’ innings develops.Related

• Pink-ball theatre: Unplayable deliveries, unbelievable catches and T20 batting in Test cricket

Australia were handily placed on 129 for 2 shortly before the dinner break with Cameron Green and Steven Smith well set, but Green fell to a wonderful delivery from Seales shortly before the break and then things started to happen quickly in the final session. Shamar Joseph removed Smith and Beau Webster while Travis Head fell to a stunning catch by substitute Anderson Phillip.Seales, Shamar Joseph and Greaves carried West Indies’ bowling after Alzarri Joseph was forced to leave the field due to back problems and was sent for scans. Meanwhile, Louis injured his knee when it was jarred in the outfield and Campbell took a blow in the chest at short leg.Substitute Anderson Phillip pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss Travis Head•Associated Press

The day had significant intrigue before a ball was bowled when it was confirmed that Australia had omitted Nathan Lyon for the first time where he was available for a Test since 2013 as they went with an all-pace attack. West Indies, meanwhile, thought conditions warranted recalling their specialist spinner Jomel Warrican. There was purchase for both West Indies’ spinners but considerable assistance for quicks throughout on a well-grassed surface, with life very difficult as day turned to night.The tempo of the early exchanges belied what would come later. Sam Konstas, who was dropped on 1, and Usman Khawaja battled through the first hour for 21 runs and went on to compile the longest opening stand of the series. By lunch, Australia were 50 for 1, having struck just four boundaries, although a sluggish outfield was partly to blame for that.Konstas was given a life when debutant Anderson spilled a chance at third slip in the fifth over and was skittish in his running early on, twice being at risk of being dismissed had there been direct hits. Having done some hard work against the new ball, he was trapped lbw by Greaves to leave him one innings in the series to make a mark.West Indies thought they had Green before the interval when Seales won an appeal lbw, but Green reviewed with a second to spare and the ball was sliding past leg stump. Aside from that moment, Green built on the positive work of the second innings in Grenada and, after tea, unfurled a couple of crisp drives.Khawaja had absorbed a lot of pressure and good deliveries before falling to a stunning catch by Shai Hope as he edged Shamar Joseph from around the wicket.Australia left out a fit Nathan Lyon for the first time since 2013•Associated Press

Smith was quickly out of the blocks, pulling his first boundary powerfully through midwicket, and took three more in a row off Greaves before being given a life on 24 when Warrican couldn’t cling on to a stinging return catch. With Alzarri Joseph off the field, Chase had to juggle his pace bowlers and resorted to twin spin of himself and Warrican for a period in the middle session.Shortly before dinner, Seales, who has been outstanding through the series, produced a wonderful delivery which straightened to Green to clip the top of the bails – replays showed that if the ball hadn’t deviated, it would have hit the middle of the bat.When Smith and Head resumed under the glare of the floodlights, it was clear that batting would be tough and that the batters weren’t going to hang around. Smith was beaten by the first ball of the session and then edged wide of the slips before being distracted by the clock at the Courtney Walsh End, which needed covering with a black cloth.Smith slashed an edge over the cordon against Shamar Joseph before a repeat was well caught by King at first slip. There was no repair act from Webster this time as he edged behind.Head hadn’t hit top gear as he initially tried to repel the bowling, but then attempted to launch Greaves over the off side and was spectacularly held by Phillips, running to his right of mid-off and flying horizontally to hold the catch.Bat-throwing time had clearly been declared. Alex Carey had already lofted a six over mid-off against Greaves and then edged behind. Pat Cummins launched three sixes as he flung the bat at nearly everything before picking out long-on. Shamar Joseph took his series tally to 17 wickets when he removed Josh Hazlewood.

It's true that New York Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz hasn't been his best self for much of 2024—his mortal 3.59 ERA can attest to that.

However, you can't say that Diaz doesn't know how to enter a ballgame.

Since the Mets' 2022 breakthrough—when they went 101–61 and made their first postseason in six years—Diaz's entrance has become synonymous with New York's renaissance. He strides onto the field to "Narcos" by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet, Citi Field transforms into a pulsing club, and the other team usually loses.

As SNY indicated in a Friday morning tweet, the scene is even more mesmerizing from the air.

Citi Field, like its predecessor in Shea Stadium, is a stone's throw from LaGuardia Airport.

The Mets, for their part, are a stone's throw from a playoff appearance; they lead the Atlanta Braves by two games in the race for the National League's final wild-card playoff spot entering Friday.

There's a new favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year award at FanDuel Sportsbook. 

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill has passed Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes in the latest odds, moving to -120. Skenes is still -105 to win the award, but it's clear that Merrill, who has been gaining momentum for weeks, is now the favorite.

This odds movement was something that was predicted by our own Reed Wallach, who pointed out the possibility of the Pirates shutting down Skenes later this season once the playoffs are completely out of reach.

After Skenes was viewed as a virtual lock to win the award earlier this month, Merrill has continued to make a case, hitting .289 with 17 homers and 69 runs batted in for a Padres team that has the top wild card spot in the National League.

Skenes (7-2, 2.30 ERA) has cooled off a bit since the All-Star break, posting a 3.13 ERA across five starts. While he's still pitching extremely well, Skenes isn't the runaway favorite due to his lack of game time in the MLB (16 games).

With Merrill at 122 games and counting, this market could shift further in his favor if Skenes is shut down the for the season at some point in the next month.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has told one of his key players to “step up” ahead of the Premier League encounter against West Ham United at Elland Road this Friday.

Leeds gearing up for potential early six-pointer against West Ham

Although we are still in the very early stages of the season, Leeds’ home match against West Ham this Friday could have big ramifications at the end of the campaign, given that both sides are looking like they could be involved in a relegation battle.

The Hammers have already dismissed Graham Potter, who was replaced by Nuno at the end of September, but the former Nottingham Forest boss has been unable to make an immediate impact, with Jamie Carragher not impressed by recent performances.

Farke’s side, on the other hand, were always going to find it tough to avoid the drop as a newly-promoted team, but still remain three points clear of the relegation zone, having picked up wins against Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The manager made a number of new additions to his squad in the summer, in order to boost their survival chances, and Anton Stach has started all eight of the Whites’ Premier League fixtures up to this point.

However, the Leeds boss has now warned Stach he needs to improve, despite playing through injury, given that his performances have gone downhill in recent weeks.

Farke said: “They weren’t poor performances but not on the top level as before. It’ll be good for him to get rid of these problems with his finger and ribs.

“Hopefully then he’ll keep going with delivering top performances. This week having a bit of time to recover was good for him, hopefully he can step up.”

Leeds linked with "one of the best coaches ever" to replace Daniel Farke

The German could soon be under huge pressure.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 22, 2025 Stach must improve against West Ham on Friday night

The German has shown his class at times this season, most notably putting in a fantastic performance in the 3-1 victory against a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers side last month, chipping in with a stunning free-kick goal and an assist.

However, as pointed out by the Leeds manager, recent performances have not been at the same level, with the 26-year-old struggling to make an impact against Burnley last time out, losing three of the five duels he contested before being replaced by Joel Piroe.

It has recently become clear that Farke is looking to sign a new midfielder in the January transfer window, with talks being opened over a deal for Maccabi Tel Aviv star Issouf Sissokho, while there have been widespread links to Inter Milan’s Piotr Zielinski.

As such, in order to keep his place in the side, Stach will need to rediscover his best form soon, hopefully starting Friday against West Ham at Elland Road.

Former Bayern Munich defender Markus Babbel believes that Harry Kane is currently the most complete forward in world football, ranking him above Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. Babbel claimed that he wouldn't have wanted to face the Englishman – who has scored a staggering 22 goals in 15 games this season – as a defender, while also hailing his all-round displays.

Kane aging like fine wine at Bayern Munich

It wouldn't be wrong to say that Kane is perhaps playing the best football of his life at the moment, at the ripe old age of 32. The former Tottenham Hotspur frontman has been absolutely on fire this season, scoring 22 goals in 15 games. But it's not just the staggering rate at which he is scoring that has grabbed all the spotlight.

Kane has long been recognised as one of football’s most intelligent forwards, renowned for his vision, awareness, and ability to bridge midfield and attack. This season, his evolution has taken another step. Often deployed as an attacking midfielder in a free-roaming No. 10 role behind Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson in recent weeks, Kane has thrived with the added creative responsibility. Even when leading the line as a traditional striker, he frequently drops deep into midfield to dictate play, using his exquisite passing range to pick out the diagonal runs of Luis Diaz and Michael Olise, effortlessly switching the point of attack from deep areas.

Beyond his offensive influence, Kane has also become increasingly authoritative in the defensive third. His work rate and positional intelligence allow him to track back effectively, using his physicality to win back possession and bolster the team’s defensive structure; it's a testament to his complete understanding of the game and his growing adaptability.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBabbel would have Kane as a team-mate over Haaland and Mbappe

In a column for , Babbel waxed lyrical about Kane. "Which of this trio – Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe – would I not have wanted to defend against as a defender? Clear answer: Kane!" he wrote.

"He's the hardest to pin down. He's neither exceptionally fast nor does he have an extraordinary physique, and he doesn't stand out in the air either. But he has incredible game intelligence, which allows him to evade his opponents.

"It would have been easier in the past. Back then, center-backs were man-markers or even sweepers. They were allowed, and even encouraged, to track their opponents everywhere. These days, hardly any player knows how man-marking works anymore, and since the switch to 'modern zonal marking,' nobody really knows how or when to cover him."

Babbel ranked Haaland behind Kane, explaining: "For me, Haaland comes after Kane. When he uses his dynamism and gets his body in the way, I don't know where I'd be flying." Mbappe, on the other hand, is not as difficult to defend against – "if you have pace and position yourself well."

Towards the end, he was clear about whom he'd choose as his team-mate. "If I could choose one teammate from the three, I'd also choose Kane. With his defensive attitude, he's taken the whole thing to another level."

Kane, Haaland and Mbappe in untouchable form

Kane, Haaland and Mbappe trio have been terrorising defences both domestically and in the Champions League this season with their respective sides. Kane has been on a tear, becoming the fastest player in history to reach a century of goals for a club in one of Europe's top five leagues. 

Haaland, meanwhile, has scored 13 of the 18 league goals scored by Manchester City in their opening 10 games – the Norwegian accounts for 72.22 per cent of his team's goals domestically. He is on track to break his own record for the most goals in a Premier League season he set in his debut campaign in the 2022-23 season. His total tally across competitions stands at 17 goals in 13 games.

Mbappe, too, has put behind the collective disappointment of his debut season at Real Madrid, leading the La Liga charts with 13 goals in 11 games and 18 in 14 across all competitions. He is tied with Haaland in the race for the European Golden Shoe 2025-26, which the Frenchman hopes to win once again next summer.

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GettyBayern and Kane await PSG challenge

All the attention will now turn towards Tuesday's titanic clash between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Les Parisiens are the reigning champions of Europe's premier club competition and they pose a serious threat to Bayern's 15-game winning streak.

Manchester City suffered their first defeat in October last time out as the unusually wasteful Citizens came unstuck 1-0 away at Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola’s visitors would register 15 shots at the home side’s goal, but even the Erling Haaland-led visitors are prone to a frustrating afternoon here and there, as a fierce Matty Cash strike in the first half ended up being the match-winner on the day.

Heading into this contest, City had powered home seven strikes across the rest of the month, with a staggering six of those efforts that found the back of the net coming directly from the lethal Norwegian.

It really does highlight how dependent Guardiola’s men are on their clinical Scandinavian to bail them out of trouble, as one of his goal-shy attacking teammates in Savinho continued his poor season to date in the West Midlands.

Why Savinho is in danger of being dropped

Only Phil Foden, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Mateus Nunes have chipped in with Premier League goals this season for City, if you take Haaland out of the equation.

Savinho was very close to adding his name to that exclusive list against Unai Emery’s hosts, but the number 26’s two efforts in quick succession in the second half would fail to beat Emiliano Martinez, as Pau Torres also came to the rescue to deny the frustrated Brazilian with an important clearance.

It wasn’t just the 21-year-old’s lack of a clinical edge that would have frustrated Guardiola post-match, however, as the out-of-form winger also failed to register a single accurate cross, on top of only completing one dribble as he routinely struggled to catch Villa out.

City-based social media account City Talk would even state that Savinho offered “nothing” at Villa Park, and it’s a tale of his disappointing season so far, too, with just one meagre assist notched up from six Premier League outings.

Thankfully, Guardiola also has Jeremy Doku, who he can fall back on down the left flank, with the Belgian boasting a far superior tally of three Premier League assists this season so far.

But, he could think outside of the box shortly when searching for talents who can surpass Savinho, with this homegrown talent certainly one to keep an eye out for.

The "unbelievable" 17-year-old who can surpass Savinho

The ultra-successful Spaniard is also a manager who isn’t afraid to test out starlets if he deems they’re first-team ready, as seen in him handing Bury-born Rico Lewis 102 senior appearances to date, after first making a name for himself at the Etihad in the U18 and U21 ranks.

Reigan Heskey will hope he’s the next up-and-coming sensation that is gifted some opportunities in the senior picture, with the 17-year-old winger already being dubbed an “unbelievable” talent for the future by one of his coaches at City in Ben Wilkinson.

He could even be the perfect solution to City’s Savinho troubles, with the Liverpool-born attacker standing out as an extremely direct option down the South American’s left channel, when looking at his flashy highlight reel above.

Indeed, across 57 appearances in various youth set-ups in Manchester, Heskey has established himself as a tricky forward option who, most importantly, has the goals and assists in his locker to back up all his tricks and flicks, with a lethal 31 goals collected.

It is for that reason that he has been likened to another Manchester-born star in the form of ex-Manchester United hero Marcus Rashford, with analyst Ben Mattinson praising his “Rashford-like ability as an inside forward to stretch the defence”.

U18s

31

20 + 8

U21s

14

6 + 1

Youth League

12

5 + 0

Men’s team

1

0

The next major step Heskey will have to make is breaking into the first-team picture, with Guardiola actually handing him first first-ever senior opportunity just this season in the EFL Cup versus Huddersfield Town, with the young Englishman also coincidentally replacing the aforementioned Savinho for the final seven minutes.

Of course, Guardiola won’t just discard the 13-time Brazil international completely, considering he does have four goals and 15 assists next to his name in City Sky blue, away from his poor opening to this season.

But, he will surely be tempted to throw Heskey into the men’s side more regularly now to give the out-of-sorts attacker more competition, with the potential also very much there for the 17-year-old to surpass Savinho down the line, if his blistering academy numbers can be translated to the senior game.

Man City now open talks to sign "sensational" £168k-a-week Bayern Munich star

City have made a move for one of Bayern Munich’s key players, with the German club now “really worried” about his future.

ByDominic Lund Oct 28, 2025