Global Pulse

分类： sports

  • Scrumhalf Noah Hotham to join the All Blacks in South Africa

    Scrumhalf Noah Hotham to join the All Blacks in South Africa

    Ahead of this Saturday’s highly anticipated opening test match against world-champion South African Springboks in Pretoria, New Zealand’s All Blacks have been hit by a crippling wave of injuries that has forced the coaching staff to make last-minute squad adjustments, including a late call-up for uncapped scrumhalf Noah Hotham.

    Hotham, who was controversially left out of the All Blacks’ original 44-man touring squad when selectors chose his Crusaders backup Kyle Preston instead, will travel to South Africa to provide injury cover for two injured halves: Cortez Ratima and Cam Roigard. Ratima picked up a knee injury during the All Blacks’ warm-up match against the Bulls in Pretoria earlier this week, while Roigard has been sidelined with a calf injury since before the tour began and has yet to take the field in South Africa.

    The injury crisis does not end at scrumhalf: prop Ollie Norris has also been forced to withdraw from the entire tour after damaging knee cartilage. Norris will immediately fly back to New Zealand to receive treatment, and the All Blacks Rugby Union confirmed that a replacement for the front rower will be announced at a later date.

    This tour of South Africa, which features a four-test series between the top-ranked world champion Springboks and the second-ranked All Blacks, has already seen a staggering number of key players fall to injury before the first official test even kicks off. Prior to the latest wave of injuries, three other All Blacks had already been sent home: hooker George Bell (calf injury), center Billy Proctor (broken shoulder blade), and winger Caleb Clarke (shoulder tendon injury).

    Several other injured starters are still remaining with the touring squad but are uncertain to feature in Saturday’s opening test. These include flyhalf Damian McKenzie, who is carrying an ankle injury, and star winger Will Jordan, who has yet to play a single minute on tour due to a persistent back injury. Both Roigard and Ratima are also still with the squad as they undergo assessment, but their game readiness remains in doubt.

    The injury crisis has thrown the All Blacks’ preparations for one of the biggest rugby series of the year into disarray, leaving coaching staff scrambling to assemble a fit and competitive side just days out from the first battle with the world champions.

  • Duplantis masterclass for fourth Euro pole vault title

    Duplantis masterclass for fourth Euro pole vault title

    On a crisp Sunday evening at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium, Swedish pole vault superstar Armand “Mondo” Duplantis put on a masterclass of precision and dominance to secure his fourth consecutive European Athletics Championships gold medal, cementing his status as one of the greatest athletes in the sport’s history.

    The 2-time Olympic champion and three-time world gold medalist outperformed a 14-strong competitive field, finishing ahead of Greek standout Emmanouil Karalis to take the top spot, while setting a new championship record of 6.15 meters. This mark beats the previous 6.10m record Duplantis himself set at the 2022 European Championships in Rome.

    Karalis, who holds a personal best of 6.17m, claimed silver with a solid clearance of 6.00m, while France’s Baptiste Thiery rounded out the podium with a bronze medal finish after clearing 5.85m. Only three athletes in the entire field managed to clear the 6-meter barrier: Duplantis, Karalis, and Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen.

    The competition played out in a steady rise of tension as the bar climbed incrementally. The opening height of 5.55m proved no challenge for either Duplantis or Karalis, who both opted to pass at 5.70m, a height that eliminated four competitors immediately. At 5.85m, Duplantis, Karalis, and Thiery all made clean clearances, while five more athletes were knocked out of contention, with Guttormsen and Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baerze advancing only after surviving early failed attempts.

    When the bar rose to 5.95m, Guttormsen, Kanda Lita Baerze, and Thiery all failed to clear, leaving just Karalis and Duplantis in the fight for gold. Karalis made a clean clearance at 5.95m while Duplantis passed, moving the competition straight to 6.00m. Duplantis stumbled on his first attempt, and Karalis also failed to clear on his first jump. Duplantis responded with a clean clearance on his second try, putting immediate pressure on Karalis, who matched the performance to stay in the race.

    Both athletes passed on attempts at 6.05m, and Duplantis successfully cleared 6.10m on his first attempt. Karalis failed to clear 6.10m on his first jump, even as the iconic “Zorba’s Dance” blared over the stadium speakers to cheer him on. Karalis opted to pass on his remaining attempts at 6.10m to save his strength for 6.15m. Duplantis rose to the challenge, clearing the 6.15m bar on his first attempt to take the championship record.

    With the bar moved to 6.20m, Karalis made one final attempt to snatch gold, but his jump just grazed the bar, sending it crashing to the mat to end the competition. With temperatures dropping rapidly as the evening went on, Duplantis opted not to make an attempt at extending his own 16-year world record, instead packing up his poles and heading off the track with another gold medal added to his legendary collection.

    In post-victory comments, Duplantis expressed gratitude for the win, saying: “Another medal, I can’t complain. It’s really amazing. I’m just trying to win. I’m happy coming out with the win and that was enough for tonight. I really had a good time this week.”

  • Cameroon claim first Wafcon title with victory over Malawi

    Cameroon claim first Wafcon title with victory over Malawi

    After three heartbreaking final losses spanning 12 years, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses have finally claimed their maiden Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) crown, delivering a dominant 3-0 defeat to Cinderella story Malawi in the 2026 tournament final hosted in Rabat, Morocco. What makes this historic triumph even more extraordinary is that Cameroon almost did not even qualify for the expanded 16-team finals: they fell 3-1 on aggregate to Algeria in the second qualifying round, only advancing after Confederation of African Football (Caf) expanded the tournament field from 12 to 16 teams and awarded them a spot based on global ranking. They also missed the entire 2024 edition of the continental championship, making their underdog run to the top all the more remarkable.

    The first half of the final belonged entirely to Cameroon, who put the result beyond doubt before the halftime break. In the 20th minute, a misjudged attempt from Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo to clear a cross from Naomi Eto set up the opening goal: Grace Mendoua nodded the ball back across the face of goal, Sikelo tipped it onto the crossbar, and Marie Ngah Manga pounced from close range to put Cameroon ahead. Ten minutes later, Malawi failed to clear a Cameroon corner, and Eto turned sharply to fire a stunning first-time volley into the bottom corner of the net, doubling the Indomitable Lionesses’ advantage. In stoppage time at the end of the first half, Ngah Manga scored her second of the match: Eto beat the onrushing Sikelo to a through ball, pulled it back across an open goal, and Ngah Manga tapped home her fifth goal of the tournament to make it 3-0.

    Malawi, the lowest-ranked team at the 2026 Wafcon sitting 153rd in the global rankings and making their first ever appearance in the continental finals, had surged to the final on the back of the deadly attacking form of star siblings Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga. But Cameroon’s well-drilled defence marshalled midfield to cut off the supply lines to the Chawinga sisters, shutting down the attacking threat that had carried the underdogs through the knockout rounds. The Southern African side’s best chance came just after the hour mark, when Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina saved a low strike from Tabitha Chawinga, only for Temwa to fire the rebound wide of an open goal. Ngah Manga also missed a golden chance to claim a hat-trick and the tournament golden boot outright early in the second half, firing wide from six yards after rounding Sikelo. Late in the match, a Gabrielle Onguene tap-in was ruled out for offside, leaving the final scoreline at 3-0.

    Cameroon’s road to the final was already full of unlikely upsets under new coach Valentine Nguele, who only took charge of the side in June. The Indomitable Lionesses knocked out defending powerhouse Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals, then beat host nation Morocco on penalties in the semi-finals, with 22-year-old Benfica goalkeeper Bihina emerging as a tournament star: she pulled off nine saves against Nigeria, and saved an extra-time penalty plus three spot-kicks in the shootout against Morocco. She faced almost no serious threats in the final, as Cameroon controlled the match from the opening 20 minutes.

    FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined Caf President Patrice Motsepe to present the trophy to Cameroon, who become just the fourth nation to win the Wafcon title, following Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa. The champions also take home $2 million in prize money, marking a sweet ending after three previous final losses to Nigeria in 2004, 2014 and 2016. Ngah Manga, who ended the tournament level on five goals with Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda, spoke after the match about the years of work that led to the historic win: “We have been working so hard over all these years to get here. To finally be champions we are very proud.”

    Both finalists will join semi-finalists Algeria and Morocco as Africa’s four representatives at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with Malawi making their World Cup debut alongside the North African side. Speaking from the stadium in Rabat, BBC World Service reporter Maz Farookhi noted that Caf’s decision to expand the tournament has already paid dividends for women’s football across the continent. “This tournament was described to me before the final as ‘the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations of our lifetime’, and rightly so,” Farookhi said. “Aside from host nation Morocco, no-one would have predicted such a last four line-up or the two sides who would ultimately contest the final. Caf’s decision to expand the tournament to 16 nations has proved to be the right one, allowing teams away from the likes of Nigeria and South Africa to demonstrate their qualities and bridge the gap to the continent’s elite.”

    While Malawi’s fairytale run ended in a one-sided final, the debutants have already made history, and all four qualified African nations are set to head into the 2027 World Cup with momentum behind women’s football on the continent continuing to grow.

  • Records for Asher-Smith, Hunt as Britain win 4x100m mixed relay

    Records for Asher-Smith, Hunt as Britain win 4x100m mixed relay

    The 2024 European Athletics Championships wrapped up a historic weekend for British sprinting on Sunday, as Team Great Britain claimed gold in the mixed 4x100m relay while two of its star athletes etched their names deeper into the event’s record books. Anchored by rising sprint star Amy Hunt, the dominant British quartet — made up of first leg Jeremiah Azu, second leg Dina Asher-Smith, third leg Zharnel Hughes, and final leg Hunt — crossed the finish line in a new European record time of 39.97 seconds, finishing well ahead of silver medalists Germany and bronze medalists Spain to secure the top spot on the podium.

    For Hunt, the victory marked her fourth gold medal of this year’s championships, capping off an undisputed career-best week that already included titles in the individual 100m, 200m, and women’s 4x100m relay. Speaking to reporters after the win, the young sprinter expressed overwhelming joy at sharing the moment with her teammates, revealing that the group had only run their first full baton handoff practice an hour before the final. “It was like waiting in line for a roller-coaster — you’re staring down that big drop scared out of your mind, but the second you finish you just want to go again,” Hunt said. “It was so scary, but I loved getting this new opportunity. Ending the week trying something brand new? It was amazing.”

    The historic win was just as significant for Dina Asher-Smith, the 30-year-old British sprint veteran who ran the second leg of the race. The medal marks Asher-Smith’s eighth continental European gold medal, pushing her ahead of Croatian discus thrower Sandra Elkasevic and Norwegian middle-distance star Jakob Ingebrigtsen, both of whom hold seven European golds apiece. Beyond the gold count, the medal also makes Asher-Smith the most decorated athlete in European Athletics Championships history: her total 11 continental medals (eight golds, two silvers, one bronze) surpass the previous record of 10 medals held by Polish sprinter Irena Szewinska, which stood for more than 45 years.

    Like Hunt, Asher-Smith spoke of the mix of nerves and excitement that came with the new mixed relay event. “I had to run so fast out there — I’m on a team with three other incredibly fast people!” she said. “I was absolutely terrified when the gun went off; I just kept telling myself to relax. I was so happy to hand that baton off to Zharnel, I can’t even lie. It’s really good to get to try something new, and the more we compete in this event, the more we learn what makes us faster.”

    Sunday’s mixed relay gold caps off a truly dominant week of sprinting for Great Britain. Earlier in the championships, Rommel Glave and Azu took first and second place in the men’s 100m, Hughes claimed silver in the men’s 200m, and both the British men’s and women’s 4x100m relay squads also took home gold medals. Azu, the reigning world indoor 60m champion, said the week of wins proves Britain’s depth and strength in sprint events. “We are super strong in sprinting, and we wanted to showcase that for the British fans,” he said. He also paid tribute to his two teammates, calling Hunt’s breakout performance “incredible” and noting that Asher-Smith has long been an inspiration for him. “When I started athletics in 2017, Dina was all anyone talked about. I watched all of her race tapes over and over. It’s an honor and a privilege to be on the same team as her now — it still feels surreal that we’re teammates,” Azu said.

    Hughes echoed his teammates’ excitement, summing up the mood of the entire British squad with a simple, confident question: “It was incredible. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Are you not entertained?”

  • Barcelona reach deal with Man City to sign Rodri

    Barcelona reach deal with Man City to sign Rodri

    In a major summer transfer shake-up that has sent ripples through European football, Spanish champions Barcelona have finalized an agreement to bring 30-year-old Spanish World Cup-winning captain Rodri to Camp Nou from English Premier League powerhouse Manchester City, an anonymous source from the Catalan club confirmed to AFP on Sunday.

    Industry reports place the transfer fee for the decorated midfielder at roughly €75 million, equal to approximately $87 million. According to the insider, the move will be formalized imminently, with an official club statement expected in the coming days to confirm the transfer.

    Rodri, who claimed the prestigious Ballon d’Or award in 2024, has been one of the most sought-after midfielders in global football since establishing himself as a linchpin at Manchester City following his 2019 move to the Etihad Stadium. His stellar leadership was central to Spain’s second World Cup triumph in July this year, despite having battled recurring injury problems over the past two seasons that limited his playing time.

    The Spanish World Cup winner was initially linked with a move to arch-rivals Real Madrid following the tournament, but Barcelona quickly emerged as the leading suitor to land the former Atletico Madrid playmaker. The Catalan side’s urgent need for midfield reinforcement was accelerated by a long-term injury to key Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who is set to be sidelined for several months. After having two earlier bids for Rodri rejected by Manchester City, Barcelona’s persistence paid off with a breakthrough agreement reached on Sunday.

    During his five-year tenure at Manchester City, Rodri proved irreplaceable under manager Pep Guardiola, leading the club to 12 major honors. These include the 2023 UEFA Champions League title and four consecutive Premier League trophies, cementing his status as one of the most influential defensive midfielders of his generation.

    Rodri’s transfer marks the latest high-profile arrival at Camp Nou this summer, following the completed moves of Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Jesse Bisiwu to the club. Barcelona is also on the cusp of finalizing a permanent deal for Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo, who spent last season on loan at the club from Saudi side Al Hilal, with that announcement also expected in the near future.

  • Barcelona set to sign Rodri after agreeing to deal with Man City, AP source says

    Barcelona set to sign Rodri after agreeing to deal with Man City, AP source says

    Two of European football’s most iconic clubs have reached a preliminary agreement for the blockbuster transfer of star midfielder Rodri, the Spain national team captain that just lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy, from English Premier League champion Manchester City to Spanish giant FC Barcelona, an anonymous source close to the negotiations confirmed to the Associated Press on Sunday. The transfer is valued at 76.5 million euros, equivalent to roughly $88.5 million. The source requested anonymity because neither side has formally made the deal’s details public, and representatives for both Manchester City and Barcelona have so far declined to issue any official statement on the impending move. The 30-year-old midfield anchor has been a core piece of Manchester City’s squad since his 2019 move from fellow La Liga side Atletico Madrid, cementing his status as the best player in his position across global men’s football over the past five years. Rodri’s trophy haul during his six-and-a-half year spell at the Etihad Stadium includes multiple Premier League titles, an FA Cup win, and the 2023 UEFA Champions League crown – a match where he scored the only goal to defeat Inter Milan in the final. That run of success continued on the international stage: he was a key member of Spain’s 2024 European Championship winning squad, which earned him the 2024 Ballon d’Or award honoring the world’s best men’s player. Most recently, he led Spain to victory at the 2025 FIFA World Cup, taking home the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the best player after lifting the trophy. With only 12 months remaining on his existing contract at Manchester City, Rodri’s impending exit creates a significant gap in the club’s midfield depth. It marks the second high-profile midfield departure for City this summer, following Bernardo Silva’s transfer to Spanish champions Real Madrid. Rodri was absent from City’s matchday squad for Sunday’s Community Shield clash against Arsenal, which ended in a 3-0 defeat for the reigning Premier League side. He is currently continuing his recovery from minor back surgery, which he underwent shortly after the conclusion of the World Cup in line with his existing medical plan. More updates on the transfer are expected once the formal agreement is finalized and signed off by both clubs.

  • Barcelona agree £65m deal to sign Rodri from Man City

    Barcelona agree £65m deal to sign Rodri from Man City

    One of the most high-profile transfer moves of the European summer window has moved toward completion, as Spanish champions Barcelona have struck an agreement to sign 2024 Ballon d’Or winner and Spain national team captain Rodri from Premier League giants Manchester City for a transfer fee of approximately £65 million. The 30-year-old defensive midfielder, who lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy with Spain this summer as tournament captain and earned Player of the Tournament honors, is set to put pen to paper on a four-year contract with the Catalan club. The formal completion of the transfer is widely expected to be finalized in the coming days, capping a seven-year trophy-laden tenure for Rodri at the Etihad Stadium.

    Rodri arrived at Manchester City back in 2019 from Atletico Madrid for what was then a club-record transfer fee of £62.8 million. Across seven seasons, he made 298 appearances for the Sky Blues, cementing his status as one of the world’s finest holding midfielders and helping the club collect 12 major domestic and European honors. His trophy haul at City includes four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups, and the iconic 2022-23 Champions League crown that sealed the club’s historic treble. His recent two seasons have been disrupted by significant injury setbacks: he missed the bulk of the 2024-25 campaign with a serious knee injury, and battled recurring hamstring issues that interrupted parts of the 2025-26 season. Even so, Rodri returned to peak form for this summer’s World Cup, leading a young Spanish side to their second-ever world title and reaffirming his elite level ahead of the move to his home country’s top flight.

    With Rodri’s exit all but confirmed, all attention has turned to who Manchester City will bring in to replace the irreplaceable midfield anchor. The club’s long-rumored interest in Chelsea’s Argentine midfield star Enzo Fernandez has been the biggest talking point of the chase, even after the Blues’ stated Friday deadline for offers passed without a formal bid from City. Chelsea set a 17:00 BST deadline for interested parties to submit an offer for the 25-year-old, valuing their vice-captain at a steep £120 million. As of the deadline, Chelsea confirmed no formal bids had been received, and the London club currently expects to retain Fernandez for the coming season.

    Despite the missed deadline, Manchester City does not view the potential deal as dead, multiple sources close to the club have indicated. City’s hierarchy still believes Chelsea remains open to negotiating a sale if the right offer is tabled. A £120 million transfer for Fernandez would make the move the fourth-most expensive in football history, highlighting the scale of the potential deal. For City manager Enzo Maresca, Fernandez is a well-known talent: during Maresca’s tenure as Chelsea head coach, he gave the Argentine 79 appearances out of his 92 total games in charge at Stamford Bridge, even naming Fernandez stand-in captain when first-choice skipper Reece James was sidelined with injury. Though Fernandez is a natural defensive midfielder, Maresca regularly deployed him further up the pitch during Cole Palmer’s injury absence last season, a tactical shift that saw Fernandez net a career-high 15 goals. This positional versatility means he could slot into multiple roles in Maresca’s City system if a transfer goes through. City already added England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in this window, giving Maresca the flexibility to field both Anderson and Fernandez together in the same midfield if needed.

    If a deal for Fernandez ultimately falls through, Manchester City has no shortage of backup targets lined up to fill the Rodri-shaped hole. Long-running rumors have linked the club with 18-year-old Moroccan midfield talent Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille, with reports confirming City has held exploratory talks over a transfer that would cost an estimated £85 million. The young teenager is reportedly eager to make the move to the Premier League champions, after a breakout 12 months that saw him star in Lille’s shock Champions League win over Real Madrid in 2024 before turning in an impressive performance at this summer’s World Cup. Like Rodri, Bouaddi operates as a deep-lying playmaker, and his profile would perfectly complement Anderson, who is a more dynamic box-to-box midfielder. Even at 18, Bouaddi already boasts 30 senior Ligue 1 appearances under his belt, giving him a level of top-flight experience unusual for his age, a valuable asset as City also looks to replace the departed Bernardo Silva this summer.

    Another name under consideration is Bournemouth’s 22-year-old England international Alex Scott. City have explored a potential move for Scott this window, though the Cherries have already stood firm against approaches from other top Premier League sides. Scott has rejected new contract offers from Bournemouth amid the transfer speculation, but his current deal runs until 2028, and the south coast club has repeatedly made clear it has no intention to sell. Last month, Bournemouth rejected a £64 million bid from Chelsea for Scott, and has also knocked back approaches from Arsenal. The young midfielder’s high energy, ball-carrying ability, sharp distribution in the final third and strong duel-winning ability align closely with Maresca’s possession-focused tactical system, making him a very appealing target for City.

    Maresca is also a reported admirer of Liverpool’s Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. The World Cup winner is entering the final two years of his contract at Anfield, and has been a consistently solid performer for the Reds since his arrival, though he endured a dip in form during the 2025-26 campaign. As a proven Premier League title winner, Mac Allister would bring immediate top-flight experience and would be a ready-made option to slot directly into City’s midfield.

    For now, the landscape remains fluid: it is still unclear whether Manchester City can strike a deal for their top target Fernandez, or whether Chelsea will hold firm on their asking price and refusal to negotiate beyond their self-imposed deadline. What is certain is that the club is moving quickly to fill the gap left by a generational midfield talent as they prepare to defend their Premier League crown and compete for major honors once again.

  • ‘Probably my last year’ – Ronaldo hints at retirement

    ‘Probably my last year’ – Ronaldo hints at retirement

    At 41 years old, one of football’s most iconic figures, Cristiano Ronaldo, has indicated that the current campaign is poised to be the final chapter of his extraordinary 25-year professional playing career, as he prepares to shift his focus toward family life following his recent wedding. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who tied the knot with long-time partner Georgina Rodriguez this Tuesday, opened up about his post-football plans in a new interview with Vogue, revealing he has already mapped out a busy future filled with new activities to fill the void that retiring from the sport will leave.

  • Arsenal rout Man City in Community Shield masterclass

    Arsenal rout Man City in Community Shield masterclass

    The 2025 FA Community Shield, the traditional opening fixture of the English football season, ended in a statement 3-0 rout for reigning Premier League champions Arsenal over 2024 runner-up Manchester City at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Sunday. The commanding victory not only gave Arsenal their 18th Community Shield title, but also sent a clear signal that the north London club has no plans to loosen its grip on the top-flight crown after ending a two-decade title drought last season.

    Arsenal set the tone of the match inside the opening minute. Teenage midfield prospect Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has been linked with big-money moves to Chelsea and Manchester United in recent transfer windows, split City’s entire defensive line with a perfectly weighted through ball. Summer signing Riccardo Calafiori burst onto the pass, evaded slack marking to drill a composed 12-yard finish past City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, scoring the fastest Community Shield goal since 1968.

    The Gunners doubled their lead in the 27th minute. Another of Arsenal’s close-season recruits, Christos Tzolis—signed from Club Brugge for £34 million—found himself unmarked at the far post after a floated cross from captain Martin Odegaard. The winger nodded the ball back into the six-yard box, where Kai Havertz rose above City defender Ruben Dias to head home a clinical second goal. By half-time, Mikel Arteta’s side held a comfortable two-goal advantage, with their trademark high intensity overwhelming a disjointed City side.

    Three minutes after the interval, Arsenal put the result beyond doubt. Tzolis, who turned in a lively performance that yielded two assists, rolled a perfectly timed pass into Odegaard’s path. The Arsenal captain weaved through a static City defense, pulled off a clever dummy that left Donnarumma wrong-footed, and tapped home into an empty net to seal the resounding win.

    The fixture also served as a promising first public display for Arsenal’s other marquee summer addition: Bruno Guimaraes, who joined from Newcastle United for a £75 million ($101 million) transfer fee. The Brazilian midfielder slotted seamlessly into Arteta’s system, providing consistent defensive cover and creative distribution in the center of the park.

    For new Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca, the result was a sobering wake-up call just weeks ahead of his first full season in charge. Maresca was hand-picked to replace Pep Guardiola, who departed the club after a trophy-laden decade that included 20 major honors. His side struggled for cohesion all afternoon: £116 million summer signing Elliot Anderson, recently arrived from Nottingham Forest, failed to make any meaningful impact on the game, while talismanic striker Erling Haaland was largely anonymous, wasting two clear first-half chances to get City on the scoreboard.

    Guardiola’s final season at the Etihad ended with FA Cup and League Cup trophies, but City finished seven points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table last term, failing to defend the title they had won four consecutive times between 2020 and 2024. Maresca, who left Chelsea in January after a turbulent six-month reign, now faces a clear challenge to overhaul the gap between his side and the champions ahead of City’s opening league fixture against Bournemouth on August 23.

    Arsenal, by contrast, head into the new campaign with growing momentum. Arteta insisted after the match that his side remains as hungry for silverware as ever, with their painful penalty shootout loss to Paris Saint-Germain in May’s Champions League final providing extra motivation to push for more trophies this season.

    The Gunners will start the new Premier League campaign as defending champions for the first time since the 2004-05 season, and are already installed as pre-tournament favorites to claim back-to-back titles, a feat no English top-flight side has achieved since Arsenal’s run in the 1930s. They open their title defense at the Emirates Stadium against newly promoted Coventry City on August 21, and on the evidence of Sunday’s performance, they look well-placed to establish a prolonged period of dominance in the Premier League.

    Historically, the Community Shield has been a poor predictor of future league success: only City, in 2019, has gone on to win the Premier League title after lifting the Community Shield in the last 15 editions of the fixture. But few could deny that Arsenal’s dominant display in Cardiff suggests this could be the season where Arteta’s side adds more silverware to their 2024 title triumph.

  • Coventry agree deal for Forest striker Awoniyi

    Coventry agree deal for Forest striker Awoniyi

    Coventry City, the newly promoted side making their return to the top flight of English football after 25 years away, has confirmed an agreement of approximately £17 million to capture Taiwo Awoniyi from Nottingham Forest, multiple sources close to the transfer have confirmed. The deal is on track to be finalized in time for the club’s opening Premier League fixture of the 2026-27 season against Arsenal, scheduled to kick off at 20:00 BST this coming Friday.

    Ahead of the move, Awoniyi received a heartfelt sendoff from his former Forest teammates and coaching staff ahead of the second half of the club’s final pre-season friendly against French side Brest at the City Ground on Sunday, where the striker was honored with a full guard of honor to bid farewell to the fanbase that supported him during his three-year tenure at the club.

    Following Forest’s 2-0 win over the Ligue 1 opponent, Forest manager Oliver Glasner opened up about Awoniyi’s character and contribution to the club, praising the striker as one of the most likable players he has ever worked with. “He was probably one of the loveliest guys I’ve met, always friendly, always smiling. Everybody in the club likes him and I could see everybody in the stand likes him because this is what everybody appreciates. He always gives 100% for the team, he always gives 100% for the bench, and that’s why he deserves such a farewell, such a guard of honour. That’s why we decided we would give it to him and I wish him all the best at his next club, just not when they play us.”

    Awoniyi first joined the Liverpool academy back in 2015, but never earned a senior cap for the Merseyside club before moving around a series of loan spells and eventually secured a permanent move to German side Union Berlin. In 2022, he became Nottingham Forest’s then-record signing when the newly promoted Premier League side bought him for £17.2 million, as they built their squad to compete in the top flight.

    Over his time at Forest, the 29-year-old Nigeria international notched 23 goals across 103 appearances for the club. However, he dropped down the pecking order behind first-choice strikers Chris Wood and Igor Jesus in recent seasons, and was left out of the club’s Europa League squad for the 2025-26 campaign. Last season, he only started three matches, scoring four goals in 17 total appearances across all competitions. His time at Forest also included a major health scare in May 2025, when a collision with a goalpost during a match against Leicester caused an intestinal rupture that required doctors to place him in an induced coma for treatment.

    For Coventry, the addition of Awoniyi addresses a pressing shortage of fit strikers heading into their opening weekend fixture. First-team striker Haji Wright is currently sidelined with injury, leaving manager Frank Lampard with only Brandon Thomas-Asante and Ellis Simms as available attacking options ahead of the Arsenal clash. Awoniyi’s arrival is the latest in a series of high-profile summer signings for the promoted side, who have already brought in midfielder Gus Hamer from Sheffield United, goalkeeper Carl Rushworth following a successful loan spell from Brighton, winger Loum Tchaouna from Burnley, defender Aurele Amenda from Eintracht Frankfurt, and young Ghana international Caleb Yirenkyi from Danish side Nordsjaelland.