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MLB announced on Tuesday that Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras will be suspended for six games, and he will be fined an undisclosed amount for his actions against an umpire on Monday.

Contreras has elected to appeal the suspension and will play until the appeal is resolved.

The incident between Contreras and plate umpire Derek Thomas occurred in the seventh inning of Monday night's 7-6 St. Louis win over the Pirates. The first baseman didn't agree with a called third strike during an at-bat, prompting him to look at Thomas. The umpire then ejected Contreras from the game, which sparked a heated reaction from the Cardinals player. As he was pushed back by the Cardinals staff toward the dugout, Contreras tossed his bat toward the field as he continued to yell at Thomas, and the lumber hit one of his own coaches.

The scene didn't end there. Once Contreras returned to the dugout, an entire bucket of Hi-Chew was thrown onto the field, but i's unclear whether Contreras tossed the bucket of candy or not.

As of now, Contreras will compete in Tuesday night's game vs. the Pirates as he's appealing his suspension. Hopefully he can keep his temper under control during this game.

Allen, Ferguson, Milne, Phillips, O’Rourke and Sears were all unavailable due to injury

Deivarayan Muthu19-Oct-2025Kane Williamson will return to action for New Zealand in the three-match ODI series against England, which kicks off at Bay Oval, his home ground, on October 26. Williamson, 35, is missing from the ongoing T20I series as he is recovering from an unspecified, ‘minor medical issue’ in the past month.Williamson is among a group of players who have a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC). He had earlier made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia and missed the Zimbabwe tour to play county cricket and the Hundred as part of his deal with Middlesex. More recently, Williamson was appointed Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) strategic advisor in the IPL.Allrounder Nathan Smith also returned to the New Zealand squad after undergoing rehab for an abdominal injury sustained during the first Test against Zimbabwe in August in Bulawayo. Smith, 27, has not played any competitive cricket since.Related

Williamson joins LSG as strategic advisor

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter welcomed Williamson and Smith back into the set-up. For Williamson, this will be his first appearance for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final in Dubai in March earlier this year. Smith also played in that final, though as a last-minute replacement for Matt Henry, who was injured at the time.”Kane and Nathan have had to work hard to overcome their respective injuries and illness,” Walter said in a statement. “We all know what Kane means to the Blackcaps – to have his skill, experience and leadership back in the group is fantastic.”Nathan’s still relatively new to his international career, but he’s impressed with his all-round skills and ability in the field.”Having undergone rehab, Smith has declared himself fit and ready for the New Zealand summer.”Yeah, always exciting when you get the opportunity to play for New Zealand in any series,” Smith said. “The last period from that [Bulawayo] Test to now has looked like a bit of rest initially. And then after a couple of weeks, you can sort of start to get moving again and strengthen the ab back-ups. Since the start of September, I’ve been ripping into some rehab and building the bowling loads back up. It’s just been a really good period to get some strength in and build some training back up for a busy season.”Mitchell Santner also returned to take charge of the ODI team after leading them to the Champions Trophy final. Having recovered from an abdominal injury, he is currently in action in the T20I series against England.However, Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring) were all unavailable due to injury.Nathan Smith has recovered from an abdominal injury•AFP/Getty ImagesTom Latham will take the wicketkeeping gloves and will also make his first appearance for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final. Latham had been sidelined from the two-match Test series in Zimbabwe with a shoulder injury. He hasn’t played any competitive cricket since his century for Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast in July.Along with Smith, Canterbury seam-bowling allrounder Zak Foulkes has also been picked in the squad. Foulkes has played just two internationals so far and in September, he hit back-to-back fifties for New Zealand A in Benoni in the unofficial ODI series. Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra are the other allrounders in the side.Henry, who is the highest wicket-taker among seamers in ODIs in 2025, with 24 strikes in nine innings at an average of 15.50, will lead the attack.This will be Walter’s first stint with the New Zealand ODI side as their head coach. “The ODI side has been very successful for a long period of time, as the current ICC ranking of number two suggests,” Walter said. “We have an experienced core of players and as a team, are very clear on how we want to play. This is very much the start of our journey to the ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2027 and I know the group are excited to get going in this series against a quality England side.”New Zealand’s ODI group will assemble in Tauranga on Friday ahead of Sunday’s opening game. The second ODI will be played in Hamilton on October 29, while England’s tour will conclude with the third ODI in Wellington on November 1.The ODI series will overlap with the men’s Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s premier domestic one-day tournament, which will start on October 25 across various venues. The Ford Trophy will kick off New Zealand’s domestic summer for a second year in a row. The Ford Trophy will start on October 25, followed by the women’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HBJ) taking off on November 15.New Zealand ODI squadMitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young

Manchester United’s midfield depth is becoming a bit of an issue under Ruben Amorim. Whilst he has found his first choice pivot in Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, the Portuguese manager does not seem to trust his squad depth in those deeper areas.

His stubbornness at not playing Kobbie Mainoo is bizarre, given how talented the young Carrington graduate is. It now seems that the England international will leave his boyhood club on loan this winter, with Napoli one potential destination.

As for Manuel Ugarte, he has only played 301 Premier League minutes and seems off the pace for the Premier League, having been described as “not good enough” by Gary Neville, following the Manchester derby defeat.

With that in mind, it might not come as a surprise that United are targeting a new midfielder.

Man Utd’s latest midfield target

Midfield is clearly an area United are looking to improve this winter. They have already been linked with Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace in the last few days, although they will face lots of competition for the Englishman.

Another player the Red Devils could target is Stuttgart star Angelo Stiller.

According to reports in Spain, United are one of the sides ‘interested in acquiring his services’, with the German international one of the top names on their midfield shopping list.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, despite having seemingly made an ‘approach’, they will not be alone in the hunt for Stiller’s signature.

United’s competition comes in the form of Real Madrid, with Los Blancos looking to add to their own midfield depth after losing Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the last few seasons.

As for a price, Stiller – who is said to be keen on moving to the Spanish capital – could cost upwards of £53m to tempt Stuttgart into a sale.

How Stiller compares to Adam Wharton

Five-cap Germany international Stiller has shone in the middle of the park for Stuttgart over the last few seasons. Described as a “complete” midfielder by football analyst Ben Mattinson, he oozes class on the ball, controlling play from deeper areas.

This season has been no different for the midfielder, who was born in Munich and has played for Bayern Munich at senior level. Stiller has played 17 times so far this term, chipping in with one goal and assisting five.

Indeed, those assists from deeper areas are a key theme of Stiller’s game. He has 22 assists in 98 games for Stuttgart. This pass against FC Augsburg is an example of how creative he can be, looking to pull the strings from the edge of the final third.

Of course, the German is not the only midfielder United are looking to sign. Wharton is also a name high up on their shopping list, as he is for many clubs.

The Palace midfielder has shone for the Eagles again this season, playing 15 games across all competitions.

His former manager at Blackburn Rovers, Jon Dahl Tomasson, said, “on the ball, he’s Champions League level.”

Indeed, like Stiller, Wharton is a true controller, able to dictate games from deeper areas. Look at the influence he had in midfield against Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final last season.

It might well be the case that United only end up signing one of Stiller or Wharton, given how alike their profiles are. Whilst the former Blackburn star has Premier League experience, it might be the case that Stiller is actually a better signing.

The stats go a long way in supporting this theory, too. So far this season, the German averages more progressive passes, with 7.56 to Wharton’s 5.06 per 90 minutes, and more ball recoveries, with 5.47 compared to 4.68 each game.

Progressive passes

7.56

5.06

Passes into final third

7.44

3.77

Passes into penalty area

2.33

1.04

Progressive carries

2.21

1.17

Ball recoveries

5.47

4.68

It is easy to see why bringing Stiller in over Wharton could be a better move for United. Not only does he rank ahead of him in several key metrics, but the former Bayern star is also someone who has more of an impact in the final third and racks up far more assists.

As Mattinson said in a separate post, the 24-year-old is “the perfect player for Amorim’s style of play.” He could certainly be that controller in United’s pivot, with the skills he has in possession, whilst also contributing in attack.

A fee of £53m is not too expensive in the current transfer market. Stiller could be the ideal candidate to add depth to United’s midfield that Amorim trusts.

Casemiro 2.0: Man Utd make £79m bid for "one of the best DMs on the planet"

Man Utd’s midfield could be improved grealty with this signing

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 20, 2025

A legal settlement has been reached related to the disruptions at the 2024 Copa América final, with organizers and venue operators agreeing to pay $14 million to fans affected by access and safety issues at Hard Rock Stadium. The class action was filed after security problems prevented some ticket holders from entering the venue and created unsafe conditions for others inside.

Getty Images SportSettlement provides compensation for fans

A settlement has reportedly been reached in the class action lawsuit filed by fans following the 2024 Copa América final between Argentina and Colombia at Hard Rock Stadium. The lawsuit cited access and safety issues that left some ticket holders unable to enter the venue and prompted others to leave early. ESPN reported that affected fans are expected to make up the majority of claimants.

CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, Best Security, and South Florida Stadium LLC – the owner and operator of Hard Rock Stadium – were named as defendants. Under the terms of the agreement, the defendants will collectively contribute more than $14 million to a compensation fund for eligible fans, with the final payout dependent on the number of claims submitted.

AdvertisementChaotic scenes at Hard Rock Stadium

The July 14, 2024, final was delayed for roughly 82 minutes after large numbers of ticketless individuals attempted to enter Hard Rock Stadium, prompting a security lockdown and the later reopening of gates to reduce crowding outside the venue. Authorities reported multiple arrests and ejections, and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to numerous medical incidents at the stadium.

As a result of the disruptions, many paying ticket holders were unable to enter or chose to leave early, and those individuals are expected to make up the majority of claims under the settlement.

Getty Images SportLiability, damages and more

Under the settlement terms reviewed by reporters, eligible claimants will fall into two main categories. Fans who were denied entry may seek up to $2,000 each to cover ticket costs, with an additional allowance of up to $300 for travel expenses if the ticket value was below the cap.

A secondary category covers patrons who were denied full access to stadium facilities or services, such as concessions and merchandise, with awards capped at $100 per person. The final total paid out will depend on the volume of claims submitted against the roughly $14 million fund.

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Looking ahead

The settlement outlines how fans affected by the access and safety issues at the 2024 Copa América final can seek compensation. Hard Rock Stadium is also scheduled to host matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup next year.

Aaron Boone is in the process of rapidly backtracking his latest update of Aaron Judge's injury.

On Tuesday, the New York Yankees manager went on WFAN and said superstar Aaron Judge's throwing could be compromised for the rest of the season due to a right elbow injury.

"I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year, but that’s OK, too," Boone said. "We’ve got to feel like he can go out there and be able to protect himself and represent himself."

Judge seemed puzzled by those comments later in the day. The two-time AL MVP said, "I don't know why he said that. He hasn't seen me throw for the past two weeks, so I'm pretty confident I'll get back to [100 percent]."

For his part, Boone then admitted he may have gone overboard with his comments on WFAN saying, "Maybe I overstated that."

So it's unclear whether we'll see Judge throwing normally this season or not.

Aaron Judge Elbow Injury Timeline

Judge was placed on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain on July 27 after initially injuring it on July 22. Luckily for the Yankees, there was no damage to the 33-year-old slugger's ulnar collateral ligament, so he avoided Tommy John surgery.

On August 5, Judge returned to New York's lineup and has been working solely as the team's designated hitter since. He has not looked like his usual self since coming off the IL. While he does have an OPS of .854 in those 11 games, he's only hitting .229 with two home runs and six RBIs.

The injury put a damper on what has been another incredible season for Judge. He currently leads all of MLB in batting average (.333), on-base percentage (.447), slugging percentage (.687), OPS (1.134), WAR (6.9), fWAR (7.4), and wRC+ (200). He's a shoo-in to win his third MVP.

Judge seems confident he'll be able to return to the field this season and now it sounds like someone clued his manager in to that fact.

He rescues visitors from 87 for 4 in their second innings before rain ensures a draw at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025Brooke Guest’s unbeaten half-century steered Derbyshire to safety against Middlesex and kept their promotion hopes alive ahead of next week’s vital Rothesay County Championship meeting with Glamorgan.Guest finished on 65 at Lord’s, having added 66 with Martin Andersson (31 not out) after third-placed Derbyshire had slumped to 87 for 4 in their second innings, an advantage of just 72 over their hosts.An afternoon downpour brought the contest to a premature close and left Derbyshire 27 points adrift of second-placed Glamorgan, who they host in the penultimate round of Division Two fixtures.Middlesex, a further three points behind Derbyshire, still retain a slim chance of promotion following the draw, which was also enough to confirm Leicestershire’s elevation to the top flight after 22 years.The home side’s hopes of forcing a victory were boosted after the opening four overs of the day, in which they captured two wickets to leave Derbyshire three down with a slender lead of 31.Luis Reece added just five to his overnight 17 before he was given out lbw to a Ryan Higgins delivery that zoomed some way back down the slope and Wayne Madsen soon followed in similar fashion to Toby Roland-Jones.Guest rode his luck at the start of his innings, with two inside edges off Higgins (2 for 49) that zipped just past the stumps and rolled to the rope, as well as surviving a persuasive lbw appeal by Olly Stone to a ball that kept low.The England pace bowler, in the first of a two-match loan from Nottinghamshire, was unlucky not to gain greater reward for an impressive pre-lunch spell, although he did remove Harry Came with a beauty that cannoned in to send middle stump flying.Having given away just six runs in his first eight overs, Stone conceded the same from one short-pitched delivery after the interval as Andersson pulled him into the Mound Stand to stretch Derbyshire’s lead to three figures.A brief rain stoppage with Guest on 47 could not derail the Derbyshire wicketkeeper, who punched Stone through the covers for four to complete a fifth half-century of the campaign soon after play resumed.Although Guest got away with a mistimed pull off Higgins that looped up and fell to safety, his work was already done and the dark clouds menacing the ground duly unloaded an hour into the afternoon session to confirm a stalemate.

A week is a very long time in football, and West Ham United are the perfect example of that.

Heading into gameweek ten of the Premier League, there was little hope that the Hammers would be able to avoid relegation this year.

However, a thumping 3-1 win over Newcastle United, followed by a 3-2 win over Burnley seven days later, has rejuvenated Nuno Espírito Santo’s side and given the supporters a belief that something positive could still come out of this season.

With that said, it’ll still be a tough fight for the East Londoners, but fortunately, Nuno might have already found his new Morgan Gibbs-White, and no, it’s not Lucas Paqueta.

The West Ham players vital to Nuno's fight for survival

While it won’t be plain sailing to keep West Ham in the Premier League this season, Nuno does have a handful of players in his squad who should be good enough to help him to it.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

For example, while he made just his second start for the side on Saturday, Freddie Potts has already proven that he has what it takes to be a leader in the middle of the park.

Blessed with “supreme confidence and ability to create time and space on the ball,” per one analyst, the academy graduate is also just as happy and capable of getting stuck in with the less glamorous side of the game.

Moreover, with him playing deeper and mopping up opposition attacks, Paqueta should be able to focus more on happenings at the sharp end of the pitch.

The Brazilian international has been inconsistent for some time now, but his quality is undeniable, and with a goal to go with two stellar performances in the last week, it looks like the manager knows how to get the best out of him.

Someone who’ll be hugely important to the manager’s fight for survival and a player the fans never have to worry about putting in a shift is Jarrod Bowen.

The England international is Mr West Ham, and with a sensational tally of 24 goal involvements last season and five already this year, the 28-year-old is arguably the most important player of all.

Finally, the pairing of Crysencio Summerville and El Hadji Malick Diouf gives the Hammers some real pace, power, and quality on the left, while ensuring that opposition teams cannot focus their attention solely on Bowen.

With all that said, there is another player, a summer signing, who could prove vital for West Ham this season, someone who could be Nuno’s new Gibbs-White.

Nuno's new Gibbs-White

When examining the West Ham squad, the player who appears most likely to become Nuno’s new Gibbs-White is Mateus Fernandes.

The former Southampton gem joined the club in the summer for around £40m, and while he’s had a slow start to life in the capital, he is now starting to show his immense quality.

For example, against the Clarets on Saturday, he was utterly sensational, plying three key passes, maintaining a passing accuracy of 98%, taking 74 touches, winning 100% of his tackles, making two interceptions and blocking a shot.

Minutes

97′

Expected Assists

0.28

Key Passes

3

Accurate Passes

52/53 (98%)

Long Balls

1/1

Touches

74

Tackles

3/3

Interceptions

2

Clearances

2

Blocked Shots

1

Recoveries

3

It was the sort of performance that shows, like Gibbs-White, the Portuguese star is not only capable of doing the dirty work in the middle of the park, but is also more than able to play a quick one-two with his teammates or play a defence-splitting pass at a moment’s notice.

However, his ability with the ball at his feet shouldn’t be a surprise, as during his time in Portugal, respected analyst Ben Mattinson highlighted the fact that he could play “those KDB-type passes” with relative ease.

Moreover, it was only in the summer, after his first season in England, that former Southampton captain Jo Tessem described the 21-year-old as someone who “is becoming an ultimate Premier League midfielder,” and, on a weekly basis “plays his heart out.”

It’s this combination of undeniable technical ability and tenacity that could help him become the manager’s new Gibbs-White.

After all, the Forest star is someone who leads his side through his raw skill and force of personality.

Ultimately, it’s going to be a long season for West Ham this year, but with the players at his disposal and a new Gibbs-White figure in Fernandes, Nuno should be able to avoid relegation.

AC Milan join Fullkrug race as agent makes damning West Ham admission

The forward has struggled at the London Stadium.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 10, 2025

Shan Masood was gushing in his praise of South Africa’s quicks, but extreme pace is currently off the cards for his side

Danyal Rasool06-Jan-2025If someone told you Pakistan had lost 20 successive Test matches in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, you’d be forgiven for thinking they were talking about rugby. But after Pakistan slipped to another Test defeat in the watery evening sunshine of Cape Town, they ensured that ignominious statistic had reached a nice round number.There isn’t a single explanation for a run that stretches back to 2013, but it is possible to be more specific when it comes to this particular Test at Newlands, and Shan Masood certainly was. He paid rich tribute to South Africa’s pace bowlers, acknowledging he was impressed they kept their speeds up, despite bowling 176.3 consecutive overs to dismiss Pakistan twice. Pakistan, meanwhile, had no bowler that truly came close to the pace of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Kwena Maphaka.”SA bowled really well in both innings,” Masood said. “Their pace was up. That has been a key difference in this series. If you look at our first innings, 132-135 [kph] not carrying to the slips compared to 138-144 when Maphaka was bowling. Those are the balls that beat the batter or hit you on the pads. That is a difference and it is something we want to do in Test cricket as well.”Related

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Shan Masood defends spin-it-to-win-it strategy: 'We will do what we need to take 20 wickets'

Pakistan need to know what they want from Test cricket

South Africa seal ten-wicket win despite Pakistan's great resistance

SA's seventh successive Test win, and an unlikely fifty for Rabada

Six years ago in Cape Town, another Pakistan captain sat in the Newlands press box, and was coruscating about his bowlers’ lack of pace. South Africa had just knocked off a routine fourth innings run chase, and Sarfaraz Ahmed compared his own bowlers unfavourably to South Africa’s.”If you talk about our bowling and their bowling, I think there’s a big difference in the two,” Sarfaraz had said. “The way our bowlers are bowling is not up to the mark in this Test match. If you see our bowlers, they’re bowling 128-129, and the average speed is 130, while their bowlers are bowling at 145. If you are going to bowl with that lack of pace here you won’t get wickets.”I don’t know what’s going on there. Previously it happened, too, when I came here in 2013, the same problem occurred. At the time we had [Mohammad] Irfan, Umar Gul and Tanvir Ahmed. Their pace was down too. I don’t know what’s happening here in Cape Town.”But while those comments may have been intended as a public rebuke to Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Afridi, the variance in pace didn’t come as a surprise to Masood. Pakistan opted against playing their only express seamer – Naseem Shah – in Cape Town under circumstances that are, at best, murky, vaguely citing a back issue and chest congestion. It left Pakistan with a bowling attack of four men who could only really be described as medium fast: Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mir Hamza and Aamer Jamal’s average pace was between 125kph and 132kph, with not a single ball bowled over 140kph.On the second day during the tea break, however, Naseem was on a practice pitch a few strips across from the playing surface, bowling at full pelt – significantly quicker than any of the starting squad, unencumbered by the sorts of fitness issues that ostensibly kept him out. Similarly, Afridi, the other bowler with Test pedigree who could have brought higher pace, was given leave to play the Bangladesh Premier League, despite the PCB insisting national duty took first priority.It remains unclear whether he was dropped or made himself unavailable, but the result remains the same: South Africa had bowlers who ensured their pace remained high, while Pakistan fielded a quartet who physically could not.”The clear difference was the fast bowling where they bowled a lot of overs at decent pace,” Masood said. “We have to look at a lot of other things in our set-up. How to keep the quicks fresh, how to get an extra batter in the squad. Like Aamer Jamal, if we can find another bowler who’s a good bowler and batter. Like South Africa have Marco Jansen. He’s good with the bat and very good with the ball. If we can find a few cricketers like that, it’d be good for our Test make-up as well where we can play that extra spinner.”They were pretty decent with reverse swing, too. Even today, when Maphaka came on before the second new ball, his pace was up. Jansen’s a superb cricketer, Rabada’s one of the greatest bowlers to play the game. On the fast bowling front, in the first Test, they had [Dane] Paterson: a wily customer, clever, skilled and experienced. I thought their fast-bowling department was really good.”It is an unusual position for Pakistan to find themselves in. Having waxed lyrical about the strength and depth of its their pace attack over the years, Pakistan must now contend with the suddenly denuded nature of their Test pace cabinet. While just two months ago, they fielded an electric high pace attack comprising Afridi, Naseem, Mohammad Hasnain and Haris Rauf, they find themselves in a situation where their desire to play Test cricket hovers between varying degrees of reluctance. Rauf pushed that recalcitrance to the extreme when he refused to tour Australia for a three-Test series last year, and briefly lost his central contract, while Hasnain has not played first-class cricket since a county stint in 2022.It makes it tricky to work out what a lost series in South Africa means. Pakistan appear to have shifted away from using pace at home, famously defeating England 2-1 in October with a spin-heavy strategy. When West Indies visit later this month for two Tests, a similar strategy will be followed, with high-pace likely non-existent. It may mean Pakistan have reconciled themselves to opting out of matching countries like South Africa for pace when they show up here, or in Australia.This tour of South Africa could end up being a harbinger of that. It remains to be seen whether such a deal – which with their history and culture may be viewed as almost Faustian – is one their supporters will simply have to resign themselves to.

Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke doesn't expect Arsenal to win the Premier League this season. The Gunners hold a four-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table following their 2-2 draw with Sunderland prior to the international break, while Mikel Arteta's men currently sit eight points clear of defending champions Liverpool after the opening 11 games of the season.

Getty Images SportArsenal emerge as early season favourites

The Gunners missed a great chance to open up a sizeable lead at the top of the table as they conceded a late Brian Brobbey equaliser at the Stadium of Light last time out. Manchester City then eased past defending champions Liverpool in the final game before the international break as goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku wrapped up a 3-0 win over Arne Slot's side.

Even so, Arsenal are the favourites to go the distance for the first time in over 20 years, having finished runners-up in each of the last three seasons. Having invested heavily in the squad over the summer to bring in the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze, the pressure is on head coach Mikel Arteta to deliver a first major piece of silverware since their 2020 FA Cup triumph.

Arsenal's impressive backline has provided the foundation for their title charge, the Gunners having conceded just five goals in the opening 11 games. However, former Manchester United striker Yorke doesn't think the north London side have what it takes to get over the line.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Arsenal will do what Arsenal do again'

Speaking to , Yorke, who won the Premier League title three times with United, said: "I just think Arsenal will do what Arsenal do again. I have a funny feeling that somehow they won’t get it over the line.

"It depends on the competitions they are in too. I’m sure Mikel Arteta is going to prioritise everything. He’s trying to win it all but you’ve got to win your domestic league."

And with defending champions Liverpool struggling, Yorke believes City will pip Arsenal to the title once more this season, adding: "It could get pretty chaotic. I think Man City just have that know-how."

Liverpool's title triumph last season ended City's domestic dominance. The Cityzens had won four Premier League titles on the spin before the Reds' success in Slot's first season at the Anfield helm.

Getty Images SportCity boss has talked up Arsenal's title chances

City head coach Pep Guardiola had previously talked up Arsenal's title chances, saying prior to the Gunners' 2-2 draw with Sunderland: "If they continue this way – they play games, they don’t concede goals, not even clear chances, and they win and win – oh my God, it will be almost impossible [to catch Arsenal], but always you expect you will be better and they can drop points. All we can do is win our games and be there close.

"They have to come here, and there are many things in the season that we will experience. It’s exceptional what they have been doing for two or three seasons. It looks like every time it’s closer. But we are in early November, and early November nobody wins the title. You can lose it, but nobody wins the title."

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Arsenal's make-or-break run of fixtures

Arsenal have a tough run of games following the international break as they look to return to winning ways this weekend. The Gunners host rivals Tottenham on Sunday afternoon and follow up the north London Derby with a home game against German giants Bayern Munich as both sides look to maintain perfect starts to their respective Champions League campaigns.

Arteta's side then make the short trip across the capital to take on Chelsea before the end of the month in what could prove a make-or-break week for Arsenal in their bid to secure domestic and continental silverware.

City, meanwhile, travel to Newcastle on Saturday evening as they look to close the gap at the top of the table to a single point. The Manchester giants then face German side Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium and round off November with the welcome of relegation-threatened Leeds.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has urged Benjamin Sesko to “embrace” the challenge of proving his doubters wrong after receiving criticism following his slow start to the season. The Slovenia international has found it difficult following his £74 million (€84m/$97m) move from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig but his manager has now challenged him to change the script.

Sesko has struggled to match Mbeumo and Cunha's instant impacts

Excitement was sky high over the summer as United invested over £200m on a new forward line consisting of Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. However, while Mbeumo and Cunha have hit the ground running for the Red Devils, it has been a different story for Sesko, who has scored just two goals in 11 appearances in all competitions.

Such has been Sesko’s difficulties adapting to English football that United legend Gary Neville has questioned whether the forward represents a good investment by the 20-time champions.

AdvertisementAFPSlovenia striker criticised by United legend

Speaking to on the back of United’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last Saturday, Neville said: "I’m no further forward with him, the jury’s still out. He’s miles off it compared to the other forwards United brought in, like Cunha and Mbeumo. He looks awkward, his touch was off a few times when balls went over the top. For £80m [sic], yes he’s young and still settling but you want to see something more.”

However, while United head coach Amorim accepts Sesko has struggled upon his arrival from German football, the Portuguese has advised his charge not to take criticism from club legends too personally.

Amorim urges Sesko not to take criticism too personally

Offering an insight into how hard Sesko is working behind the scenes in order to change the narrative surrounding his big-money move, Amorim said: "I'm relaxed, [but] he's not relaxed. I understand how things are in football and he's going to struggle. That is normal. He has no experience here.

"The first impact [is] when everyone says that you are so good, you are the next big thing and you hear that about Sesko. Then you come to one club that is the hardest club. If you don't perform every week, you are going to hear a lot of things from club legends, from pundits, from the media – and sometimes they are right.

"Of course, nobody likes to hear but he struggled a little bit, and that is a fact. So, let's embrace that. It is hard to hear but it's not personal. It's an opinion that is going to change in three weeks. Everything that is true today, in three weeks, could be a lie.

"Ben is a young kid, a control freak. He wants to control everything – and he's not going to control everything.

"He has more potential than I was thinking [but] we need to understand how he likes to play and also to put in our ideas. I'm quite relaxed with that. He is going to be our striker for the long term but he's going to have these struggles and these bumps during the ride. That is a normal thing in football."

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Getty Images SportRed Devils looking to extend unbeaten run in trip to Spurs

Sesko will be hoping to ease the pressure on his shoulders when United travel to Tottenham in the league on Saturday. It is the first meeting between the two sides since the Europa League final in May, when Spurs ended their 17-year trophy drought with a 1-0 victory over Amorim’s men.

United, however, head to north London in great spirits following a four-game unbeaten run in the league. The Old Trafford club – who are currently eighth in the table and just a point behind sixth-placed Tottenham – secured three consecutive victories over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton before last weekend’s draw with Forest.

Previewing his side’s trip to Spurs, Amorim said: "I think we are improving as a squad. We are winning games because we train better, we understand better the game. We have more options. So it's more, the consistency from the results is more a squad thing than a starting XI."