City have had a flying start to the new season, securing dominant victories against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Coventry. United have had a sluggish start, with just four points in three games.
Squad was a model of stability under Guardiola but many of the group the new coach oversees are recent recruitsManchester City have experienced a level of player turnover unthinkable in the Pep Guardiola era. Where Arne Slot benefited in his first Liverpool season by retaining the squad Jürgen Klopp bequeathed, Enzo Maresca must oversee the evolution of City while winning every week. Relying on relatively new players has not cost them Premier League points yet, but there could be reasons for concern before their derby at Old Trafford on Sunday.Most people assumed City would demolish Coventry. Fantasy Premier League players set a record last weekend for the number who used their one-off option of triple-captaining a player to multiply his points by three. More than 91% used this bonus on Erling Haaland, expecting goals galore. He scored, but that was the only goal of the game. The match was closer than anyone anticipated. Continue reading...
Bradley Wright-Phillips believes Lionel Messi is set to sweep the Golden Boot and MVP awards again, potentially completing a historic three-peat in the process. Lionel Messi continues to be the driving force behind Inter Miami’s season, and according to New York Red Bull legend Bradley Wright-Phillips, the Argentine is well on track to complete a historic three-peat as MLS MVP. The New York Red Bulls’ all-time leading scorer made his case in an interview with Deporte Total USA, leaving little doubt about where he stands. “I’ve made the mistake of writing off Messi and saying, you know, maybe someone else will win it. Impossible. He wins the Golden Boot easily. If he wants on a day, he can just score three or four goals. It’s very hard to compete with that,” he said, before adding on the MVP race: “The man’s just too good. He’s one of my favourite players ever. Yeah, he’s going to win it all“. Should Messi claim MVP for a third straight year, he would become the first player in league history to complete such a run, adding to an already crowded trophy case that includes back-to-back honors in 2024 and 2025, at a time when he sits tied atop the Golden Boot standings with Petar Musa on 18 goals apiece, in the race for a third scoring title. A strong finish from Inter Miami as a team could only help Messi’s case further. The Herons currently sit third in the Supporters’ Shield race with 44 points, nine behind leaders Nashville SC, while also remaining firmly in the mix to defend their MLS Cup title as the postseason approaches. Bradley Wright-Phillips sobre Lionel Messi:"Messi va a ganar el premio al MVP, es demasiado bueno. Es el goat, uno de los mejores de la historia y mi favorito"También lo apunta como campeón de goleo.#InterMiamiCF #Messi pic.twitter.com/3TUQgrtTb3— José Armando (@Jarm21) September 11, 2026 Wright-Phillips sees Evander as a strong MVP candidate too Wright-Phillips did make room for one alternative name in the MVP conversation, even if he ultimately settled on Messi. “Earlier in the season, I was rooting for Evander because I think he’s a very special player. I think Leo Messi being in the league has, you know, hindered his shot,” he said of the FC Cincinnati playmaker. He went on to suggest that, in a different landscape, the race might have gone the other way. “If Messi’s not here, Evander probably wins two in a row, but Messi wins MVP too,” Wright-Phillips said, underscoring just how difficult it has become for anyone else to break through while Messi remains in the league. Even with that acknowledgement, Wright-Phillips made clear his prediction wasn’t close. Evander’s case may be real, but as long as Messi keeps producing at this level, the rest of the league’s biggest individual honors appear destined to run through Inter Miami’s captain once again.
Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Matchday 4, 11/09/26Adrien Thomasson’s second-half goal is enough for Rennes to secure a third straight win to go top of Ligue 1. Meanwhile, Bruno Genesio’s Marseille woes de...
In a strange sort of way, David Gray and Stephen Robinson have actually done pretty well to make it to the middle of September before having to face up to uncomfortable questions about their future.
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