What do you want to know about Man City?
And find out more about BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything service here
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
8 minutes ago
- The Independent
Is Manchester United vs Arsenal on TV? Channel, kick-off time and how to watch Premier League fixture
Manchester United battle Arsenal in the big game of the opening weekend of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Title challengers Arsenal hope to finally get over the line under Mikel Arteta, with Viktor Gyokeres tipped to be the 'perfect match' after his £64m move from Sporting CP. While Ruben Amorim is in desperate need of results after a dismal debut campaign and an entirely new front three, in the shape of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, could accelerate the side's development. Martin Zubimendi adds class to the Gunners' midfield, too, with Noni Madueke offering another wide option to bring further depth. Here's everything you need to know about the big game at Old Trafford: When is Man United v Arsenal? Man United v Arsenal headlines the Sunday action in the Premier League on 17 August at Old Trafford, with kick-off set for 4:30pm BST. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, coverage on both channels starts at 4pm BST, following Chelsea v Crystal Palace. A live stream will be available via NOW TV and Sky Go for subscribers as well. Benjamin Sesko will make his Premier League debut, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha also likely to start in a new-look front three. It could push Bruno Fernandes into a deeper role. Joshua Zirkzee and Andre Onana should both shake off knocks to be available, though Noussair Mazraoui (hamstring) and Lisandro Martinez (knee) are both out. Viktor Gyokeres will lead the Gunners' line in his Premier League debut, though Kai Havertz has impressed in pre-season and provides another option for Mikel Arteta. Leandro Trossard should shake off a groin injury to be available, though Gabriel Jesus is a way off a return after a serious knee injury. Predicted line-ups Man United XI: Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli Odds Man United win 13/5 Draw 9/4 Arsenal win 2/1 The Independent vets betting sites for useability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms. Prediction This one could be lively with both sides desperate for the points. Arsenal's record is not impressive at Old Trafford, with two wins in 11, and the feel-good factor at Old Trafford could carry them to a point.
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
Bone broth and notebooks - meet England's latest bowling recruit
Sonny Baker is rarely short of the great James Anderson a Hundred team-mate for a month, England's newest pace bowler has had to rein it in."I've been fairly self-conscious," he tells BBC Sport."I know I ask a lot of questions, so I've been trying to ease him into that and not just spray him straight away."When the 22-year-old received a phone call from an unknown number on Friday morning – a number that it later became clear belonged to England coach Brendon McCullum who was about to give him his first international call-up – for once, Baker was truly tongue-tied."I said to him 'I promise I'm normally more talkative than this. I'm just a bit lost for words'," says Baker."Baz was like 'Yeah, I've heard…'." Baker, who grew up in Devon and switched his cricketing home from Somerset to Hampshire last year, loves talking and fast bowling is his favourite tactics, the mechanics of an action or looking after his body, the Hampshire quick is a self-confessed bowling times, it pushes the drinks bone broth every day in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the back stress fractures that dogged the early part of his career."You basically put bones in boiling water, the same as a slow cooker, and it just dissolves the minerals out of the bone," he says. "You get collagen in there as well."If you chuck root veg or whatever in there, a bit of black pepper, it tastes quite nice."I think it has made a big difference."Baker had his first stress fracture at 17, at which point he was considering a career as a followed in 2022 and 2023 but, whether down to the bone broth or not, Baker has been free of such issues since and is making up for lost time. After impressing in Australia with England Lions last winter, he was awarded an England development contract in February before he had played a match in the County Championship.A Division One debut came in April – a first five-wicket haul a week later. But it has been while playing for Manchester Originals in The Hundred that Baker has really caught the Warner was hopping when Baker opened with five consecutive dots while no-one, not even England bowler Jofra Archer, has bowled more balls quicker than 87mph than Baker – a statistic that makes the youngster grin."It's what I find fun about the game," Baker says. "The injuries I've had have almost given me clarity on that."Some days you're going to go for runs and it would be so much easier if I bowled 70mph nibblers."I could know where it's going, balls wouldn't get edged to four, I'd go for a lot less and suddenly I wouldn't feel so rubbish in myself."But you also wouldn't have those days where it starts reverse swinging and everyone's thinking 'give this kid the ball. Let's go' and come out of the bar to watch."It's the trade-off, isn't it? I know that it's likely to come with more injuries. I'm at peace with that."Others have not been as fortunate as Anderson when it comes to Baker's fulfilling his thirst for remains refreshingly enthusiastic and during The Hundred in 2022 chewed the ear of Pakistan quick Wahab also used his contacts to track down and phone up Brett Lee and Shaun Tait – two of the quickest bowlers Australia has ever produced."Earlier in my career I, not asked questions for the sake of asking them, but I didn't know what answers I was trying to get," he says."I would just ask things to try and collect all the information that I possibly could to think whereas as I've learned a bit more, I've probably got more specific with my questions." Baker is also a prolific note-maker, something he puts down to his the time of his first stress fracture he was targeting a place to study biology at the University of Oxford and now he records analysis on opposition batters in a little book, along with plans and hopes for the future."I've just found it keeps me involved in the analysis stuff and then really remember it," Baker says."It would be an absolute nightmare if you're not really sure whether you're meant to bowl wide or straight and then you pick the wrong one."You can't really justify that to yourself at the end of the game."The Hundred means there is already a page in Baker's notebook titled with the name of an Australian the 12 balls Baker bowled to Steve Smith when Welsh Fire hosted Manchester Originals last Monday, three were hit for four and another three resulted in a false shot."It has been surreal, writing notes on Steve Smith thinking 'am I actually going to be opening the bowling at him?'" Baker says. This is the company Baker now keeps, however and, having rehabbed in Sydney after his most recent back injury, he has spent the past two winters in will likely come this year with the young quick expected to be part of the Lions squad shadowing the Test team around the Ashes there anything can more unlikely names have been plucked by England to make a Test debut down under."I mean, that would be good fun, wouldn't it?" Baker says."I'll refer back to notes on any matters and Steve Smith is one of the red-ball GOATs [greatest of all-time] so I'd definitely be coming back to that analysis if I end up needing it."But let's just worry about the next few games first. Let's not get too far out of ourselves."We've got a Hundred to try and win and then South Africa series to try and win and then Ireland series try and win way before we think about any of all of that stuff."
BBC News
38 minutes ago
- BBC News
'I'm always under pressure' - how Man Utd plan to restore 'good days'
Ruben Amorim used the previous Premier League game at Old Trafford to deliver the most difficult post-season address at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson reflected on 'the most traumatic seven days in the history of the modern club' in Ferguson was looking back on a shocking week, when his side lost three successive games to effectively hand what seemed certain to be a first league title in 25 years to Leeds with a game to had a sizeable straw to clutch at given his side had won silverware in three successive campaigns. As it turned out, the long wait to be champions was extended by just 12 was no safe island that offered Amorim similar refuge on 25 May."I want to apologise for this season," he said. "Now, we have to make a choice or we stay stuck in the past. We either fight each other or we stick together and move forward."Today after this disaster season I want to tell you: 'The good days are coming'."Amorim has said he will be more cautious with his public statements over the coming months than he has been so far as United's head will be a shame if he sticks to this pledge because he speaks with refreshing openness and honesty, which is fabulous for journalists, and also engenders a hope for success from those who appreciate his direct the problem applying spin about a brighter future when addressing a dreadful present is that the future eventually becomes the present, which is where Amorim is now. How Amorim has adjusted to life at Man Utd There are few clubs more scrutinised in world football than Manchester United."I am always under pressure to perform," said Amorim, as he looked ahead to the Arsenal game. "It is impossible to be here and not feel the pressure every day."Amorim has been United manager for nine months. In that time, he was won 15 games and lost 16, including the most important one, to Tottenham in Bilbao in the Europa League has also been to Malaysia, where his team were booed off, Hong Kong and the United States. Tens of thousands of fans turned up to watch his side in each of these places. For every game of the double header in the Premier League Summer Series, an initially sparse crowd for match one turned into an attendance of about 50,000 for the second. That is the reality of life at United. The demands and the numbers of those doing the demanding - fans, sponsors, broadcasters - are now understands this and has made subtle tweaks to reduce the has put together a six-player leadership group - Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui, Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot - to run the dressing room so he doesn't have to.A conscious decision has been taken to reduce his media commitments - both internal and external - to allow him to spend more time 'on the grass'. Even the new media room at United's Carrington training ground has been strategically placed to minimise the distance from his office and the coaches' room close is by nature a jovial figure. A smile is never far from his face. This summer, that has transmitted itself to the training word from the pre-season training camp in Chicago has been one of positivity. Players are encouraged to take responsibility rather than adhere to the prescriptive discipline of Erik ten Hag's time. Amorim does not have the same stern demeanour as the Dutchman, either when speaking with his players or his is very much a modern man, engaging with fans and happy to take numerous selfies as he routinely stops to meet them at Old Trafford, sometimes two hours after a game has a code of conduct has been laid out covering a range of subjects, with timekeeping amongst them. Failure to adhere to group standards will not be was in Chicago where he made the startling admission he travelled to games last term fearing for what was going to for his current assessment on Friday, his response was measured: "Confident."I know in some moments we will struggle because it is a game against Arsenal [on Sunday]. But we are more prepared, I think."I feel we have more players who can help us to change the momentum of the game. We have more options. If things are not working well, we can change things. That gives me more confidence in every game." What impact will summer rebuild have? Amorim could be excused for thinking someone is having a cruel joke at his expense when he assesses an opening that starts with Arsenal at Old Trafford, includes a trip to Manchester City and home game with Chelsea in United's first five games, and then Liverpool at Anfield in match eight on 18 that point, it will almost be 12 months since the dismissal of Ten Hag and assessments will be being made about what has that is the led by chief executive Omar Berrada, went for an imaginative choice rather than the safe options - which included Marco Silva, Thomas Frank and Graham Potter - suggested by then sporting director Dan Ashworth as Ten Hag's came to prominence at Sporting by delivering outstanding results with a specific formation. Three central defenders, wing-backs and two inside forwards behind a number nine. The immediate collateral damage in shaping a United squad to fit that system was the discarding of five players - four of whom are senior internationals who prefer to play full extent of the additional impact Amorim has made by bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, at a combined cost in the region of £200m, to fill the attacking roles remains to be the intention is for skipper Fernandes to play deeper in one of the two midfield slots. How much meaningful time on the pitch is afforded to England duo Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo, whose contract stand-off remains unresolved, is open to the back, team selections in five unbeaten games in three countries across pre-season, suggest Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt are battling for a single slot as the middle defender, while Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez, when fit, are vying to be first choice on the left of the Ligt has proved adept at moving into midfield when United's keeper has the ball. This, Amorim reasons, clears the space for his side to get possession into the areas of the field where they can cause more damage. Fernandes' task, in Amorim's ideal world, is to get on the ball as often as possible, and then make the right all very technical. In theory, it also provides support in midfield, which tended to be completely overrun during Ten Hag's time because the Dutchman wanted to stretch the space in that area of the field, something Casemiro was not able to do, while none of those asked to partner him made a particular success of game intelligence, his ability to read situations and the Brazilian's calmness under pressure brought him back into favour under Amorim towards the end of last 33-year-old does not have limitless energy but he was preferred to Christian Eriksen, who was about to leave the club, and, more significantly, Manuel Ugarte, who cost £50.8m to sign from PSG less than 12 months ago, for the Europa League final against Tottenham in May, which United seems Amorim regards finding an upgrade in this area of the pitch to be more of a priority than replacing goalkeeper Andre Onana. That Amorim talks a good game is not in question. Now his team have to target is clear. Amorim has said European qualification is the aim. His players have said the same. More importantly, a financial outlook provided for the club by an external agency spoke about delivering a place in the Europa League at the end of this season as a stepping stone to a return to the Champions League in would be unfair to judge United's season on one game, or even eight looking at that fixture list. But, as Amorim has previously said, he used up a lot of goodwill from the stands last promised this season will be better. It has to be.
