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Mighty innings containing ten sixes continues impressive run of form for 23-year-old

Andrew Miller13-May-2023

Harry Tector smashed 140 off 113 balls•Andrew Miller/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Andrew Balbirnie, Ireland’s captain, said that Harry Tector has all the attributes to become “one of the greats of Irish cricket”, after lighting up a damp afternoon in Chelmsford with a career-best 140 from 113 balls against Bangladesh.Tector’s innings was not quite enough to set his team up for victory, with Najmul Hossain Shanto’s century setting the stage for Bangladesh’s thrilling three-wicket win in the final over of the match.Nevertheless, after arriving at the crease with Ireland on a dicey 16 for 2 in the seventh over of the match, into the teeth of Hasan Mahmud’s superb new-ball spell, Tector turned on the power to startling effect, crashing an Ireland-record ten sixes including three in an over off Taijul Islam to bring up his half-century from 52 balls.Thereafter he climbed through the gears, in particular during a sixth-wicket stand of 115 from 68 balls with George Dockrell (74 not out from 47). In a match reduced to 45-overs-a-side by persistent morning drizzle, it took all of Mushfiqur Rahim’s poise at the death to guide Bangladesh to a taxing target of 320 – only two runs shy of their highest successful chase in ODIs.At the age of 23, it was Tector’s fourth ODI hundred in his past nine innings, dating back to New Zealand’s tour of Ireland in July 2022, while last month – on Test debut against Bangladesh in Mirpur, he also produced a brace of half-centuries, including a second-innings 56 after his team had slumped to 13 for 4.Related

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Najmul Hossain Shanto century, Mushfiqur Rahim finishing see Bangladesh to victory

“His performances in the last 12 to 18 months have been so good for us, and particularly in 50-over cricket,” Balbirnie said. “I think that was as good a knock as I’ve seen in Irish colours for a 50-over game. He’s just got all the attributes to go on and be one of the greats of Irish cricket and I hope that we can help him on his way, and he continues to put in scores for us. The more runs he gets for us, the better place we’re going to be.”Tector’s efforts came within a whisker of securing the win, which was completed under the full beam of Chelmsford’s floodlights as Mushfiqur ramped a free hit for four off Mark Adair, moments after surviving being caught at backward square leg off due to a no-ball being called on height.The result was greeted with glee by another passionate gathering of Bangladesh fans, a handful of whom rushed out to the middle to congratulate Mushfiqur amid chaotic scenes. And despite the loss, Balbirnie admitted his disappointment was tempered by the knowledge that they had already missed out on their slender hopes of automatic qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup, due to the wash-out in the opening match that had guaranteed South Africa’s eighth-place finish in the Super League table.”Bangladesh entertained the crowd who braced the elements, as it was very cold out there, but I think if we were still able to qualify and we had a result like that, it would really hurt us,” Balbirnie said. “I thought we played pretty good cricket, which is a good sign going into the qualifiers [in Zimbabwe] later on in the summer. It’s just a shame we couldn’t really get over the line.”Nevertheless, having played in front of similarly passionate fans on Ireland’s recent tour of Bangladesh, Balbirnie took plenty of heart from the fact that the contest had once again drawn such an enthusiastic following despite it being staged in a neutral venue for logistical reasons.”It was amazing, and when that last boundary went, I just wanted some headphones because it was so loud,” he said. “There were people running on the pitch, but I think it’s just really great for the game. It’s enjoyable for all the players to play in front of passionate fans and that brings out the best in our players.Balbirnie looks downcast in the moment of Bangladesh’s victory after a thrilling finish•Andrew Miller/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“As I said before, as Irish cricketers, we want to play as much as we can in front of our own fans because we’re trying to grow the sport in our country, and that’s the only way we can do it. But at the moment, it is what it is, and for us to be playing at a neutral ground and get a crowd like we did today, that’s kind of what it’s about.”We got a taste for it in Bangladesh. They beat us very comfortably there, but it was nice to show ourselves that if we play good cricket, we can beat a team like this. At the end of the day, we haven’t won the game but it’s been a good day out, and I’m pretty proud of the group.”Although there’s another ODI to come on Sunday, Balbirnie admitted that Ireland’s focus was already beginning to shift further down the line, with the 50-over World Cup qualifier looming in June and July, as well as the T20 version in Abu Dhabi in September.”I don’t want to look too far ahead but, naturally that 50-over qualifier and T20 qualifier post-Zim are the two most important schedules in our calendar at the moment,” he said. “But we want to enjoy ourselves. We want to enjoy the challenges that are coming over the next few weeks and hopefully we can embrace them and play a certain way that people want to watch us.And more immediately still, he added, there’s the “small matter” of a Test match against England, which gets underway at Lord’s on June 1.”It’s very exciting for a number of us who haven’t played at Lord’s,” Balbirnie said. “But it’s a special event in the English cricket calendar, never mind our own calendar. So we’re very fortunate and privileged to be able to play there.”We know the type of cricket England are playing is amazing to watch, so it’ll be nice to come up against it and try to find our own way of competing against it. Hopefully we can play good cricket and try to match them as best we can.”

The 49ers Group are in advanced talks over a possible takeover bid of Rangers Football Club, according to a new report.

Rangers limping to disappointing domestic season

The Gers are back in action on Saturday afternoon, as they welcome St. Mirren to Ibrox, in a game that Philippe Clement knows he cannot afford to lose. Despite a 3-1 win over Hearts last weekend, Clement remains under significant pressure, as the shock 1-0 defeat to Queen’s Park remains fresh in everyone’s mind and is still a major talking point around the football club.

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The Belgian is said to be battling to keep hold of his job in the long term, but despite the defeat to Queen’s Park, he remains in charge for now. Journalist Andy Newport says Clement is “clinging on to his job” and believes supporters have already made their minds up about the manager.

Looking ahead to Rangers’ next match, there has been some positive injury news, as Dr. Rajpal Brar told Ibrox News that while Danilo is unlikely to start against St. Mirren, the news on his shoulder is positive and he could feature.

Rangers’ next five Scottish Premiership fixtures
St. Mirren	H
Kilmarnock	A
Motherwell	H
Celtic	A
Dundee	A

“Considering he will have missed roughly a month or so, his ramp should take a few matches. The positive news is that this was an upper body, shoulder injury, so he could at least get back to conditioning quicker in the gym compared to a lower-body injury. The process will be tolerating first team training and then bounce minutes. Even if fit, he’s highly unlikely to start the next game.”

Rangers takeover latest as 49ers plot summer spending spree

It looks as though the 2024/25 season could be a huge disappointment for the Gers, but there could be some news that helps them close the gap to rivals Celtic. According to The Daily Record, the San Francisco 49ers Group are in advanced talks over investing in Rangers ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report states that top-level discussions began at the turn of the year as the 49ers look to invest in a multi-million deal. These talks have now advanced and if an agreement can be reached, Rangers would benefit from “a major cash injection which would then fund a spending splurge” come the summer.

They would also be granted access to “cutting edge, data driven technology for player recruitment” and “money spinning sponsorships and new commercial tie ups”. One person behind this investment is Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe, who has already shown such benefits at Elland Road by securing a huge sponsorship deal with Red Bull.

This is very much exciting news for Rangers and their supporters, as a new investment in the next couple of months means that they would head into the summer with a new cash flow, and that could allow them to compete with Celtic and pay larger amounts of money to secure players that they may have not been able to reach before.

It is unclear if Clement is going to be in charge during the summer, but if there is a change in the dugout, this investment could help bring in a new calibre of manager.

As they aim to restore some pride to their season, Southampton are now reportedly closing in on a move to sign a much-needed defensive reinforcement for Ivan Juric.

Southampton transfer news

Sat bottom of the league and on course for almost certain Premier League relegation, Southampton at least provided fans with a positive to celebrate with victory over Ipswich Town this weekend. Still eight points adrift of safety nonetheless, those at St Mary’s still have it all to do before the January transfer window slams shut if they want to build on victory over the Tractor Boys.

On that front, the Saints have certainly been busy – welcoming Joachim Kayi-Sanda, Wellington, Rento Takaoka and Albert Gronbaek who will all be looking to make immediate impacts in their own right in the coming months.

Gronbaek, in particular, could be one to watch. The 23-year-old midfielder arrived from Stade Rennais and made his first start as his new side put an end to their miserable run of defeats and overcame their relegation rivals in shock fashion.

Meanwhile, even after welcoming as many as four fresh faces, those at St Mary’s have been tipped to welcome one more. According to Sky Sports’ Gianluca Di Marzio, Southampton are now set to sign Abakar Sylla from French club Strasbourg.

The Sky Sports reporters dropped a live update, saying as relayed by GiveMeSport: “Sylla is a defender at Strasbourg. He is going to Southampton and the two clubs are trying to close this deal, including an option to buy.”

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Still just 22 years old, the central defender could be handed the instant responsibilty of stepping into Juric’s side and helping a backline which has leaked as many as 54 goals – the most in the Premier League this season.

"Monster" Sylla could ease Southampton's woes

There’s no denying that he’ll have some job on his hands, but Sylla has certainly earned enough fans to suggest he’s more than capable of making his mark at St Mary’s in the coming months, should his deal reach a conclusion in the coming hours. Dubbed a “monster in the making” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the defender remains one to watch.

Swapping the Champions League and Ligue 1 for the Premier League, if Sylla makes a similar impact to Gronbaek then Southampton’s attempt to restore pride could yet turn into a gradual comeback in their impossible race to survive.

As the window comes to a close, the Saints have at least handed Juric the fresh faces he so desperately needed to finally kickstart his tenure.

Tottenham Hotspur are “potentially leading the race” for a striker “capable of scoring 40 goals a season”, with chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange trying to get one outfield signing through the door before February 3rd.

Tottenham targeting late January deal to sign new striker for Postecoglou

Dominic Solanke is expected to be out for well over a month after injuring his knee in training, and amid Spurs’ injury crisis, this spells real trouble for Postecoglou who has previous few alternatives to the 27-year-old.

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Spurs could still get a centre-back over the line.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 31, 2025

Spurs tried to sign Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG earlier this month, but were eventually thwarted in their attempts by Juventus, who ended up winning the race for his signature and bagged the versatile attacker on a straight temporary deal.

Now, Levy and Lange’s attention has switched to Bayern Munich starlet Mathys Tel, and they appear to be making serious headway in pursuit of the versatile young striker.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures	Date
Brentford (away)	February 2nd
Man United (home)	February 16th
Ipswich Town (home)	February 22nd
Man City (home)	February 26th
Bournemouth (home)	March 9th

Reliable media sources are claiming that Tottenham have already agreed a fee to sign Tel permanently for around £50 million, but the 19-year-old is apparently taking his time to make a decision over whether he’ll join the Lilywhites.

Sky Sports have their own update on the situation from this lunchtime, and they share exactly why Tel is in mixed minds over making the move to north London.

Tottenham leading Mathys Tel race, but player might desire loan move

As per the broadcast giant, via X, Tel might just want to leave Bayern on loan, rather than indefinitely – even if Spurs are possibly in pole position for his services after being the only club to submit a concrete bid.

“We understand that Tottenham are the only team to come in with a bid to buy the player,” claimed a Sky reporter.

“It’s a £50 million bid which the club, Bayern Munich, have certainly entertained that idea, but it’s the player who hasn’t decided.

“If he does want to move away, will he want to make it a permanent move? Potentially not, we hear. He might just want to go on loan, because he sees himself as having a future in the long-term at Bayern Munich. So, Tottenham potentially leading the race for him, but still a long way to go.”

If Postecoglou cannot land the highly-rated Frenchman – who former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsman said is capable of “scoring 40 goals a season” – it will be a major blow, and would force the club’s recruitment team back to square one yet again after missing out on Kolo Muani.

Celtic are ready to make a move for an “exciting” forward in what remains of this transfer window as they prepare to sell Kyogo Furuhashi, according to a new report.

Celtic transfer news

The Hoops secured their place in the knockout phase of the Champions League on Wednesday night for the first time since 2013, after beating Young Boys 1-0 at Parkhead. Celtic can now look forward to an exciting two-legged game against a top European side in February, as well as continuing their pursuit of another Scottish Premiership title.

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Despite the fact they are in the next round of the Champions League and sit pretty at the top of the table, Celtic look set to lose one of their key players, Kyogo Furuhashi. French side Rennes are closing in on the Japan international’s signature, with it reportedly being a deal worth £10 million. The 30-year-old has been a key player for the Hoops, and captain Callum McGregor was hopeful the club can keep hold of him.

McGregor said: “I understand there is a lot of speculation. But he’s a Celtic player at the minute, and obviously we want to keep him for as long as we can.

“He’s a top player. Again, you see his quality tonight, his movement, and the way he sets the tone for the team. All our good players, we want to keep them for as long as we can. Generally, when there’s speculation, then people have done well.

“We want that as well. It gets people talking about Celtic and the players that we’ve got. I’m sure the club will do everything they can to keep him because he’s a top player and a top person as well.”

Celtic to make a move for £8m forward as Kyogo replacement

Despite reports of Jota coming the other way from Rennes, according to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are ready to rekindle their interest in Brondby striker Mathias Kvistgaarden as they search for a replacement for Kyogo.

Brendan Rodgers was keen on signing Kvistgaarden during the last January transfer window as well as during the summer, but a deal never materialised. This report states that interest hasn’t disappeared, and Celtic are ready to make a new offer to Brondby for the striker, who is valued at £8 million.

Kvistgaarden, who has been dubbed “exciting” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, has told Brondby that he plans to leave the club either in this transfer window or the summer and is keen on a move to Scotland, meaning the Danish side may be forced to sell if they receive a suitable offer.

Apps

110

Goals

38

Assists

17

This is good news for the Hoops, as Kyogo’s potential departure would see them heavily depend on Adam Idah as their senior centre-forward. With Champions League knockout football on the way, Rodgers will be keen to add more firepower to his side, and given Kvistgaarden has scored 10 goals in 15 league games this season, he could be the perfect new arrival. The 22-year-old, who has 17 Denmark under-21 caps to his name, can also play on either side of the centre-forward, meaning he provides more options for Rodgers in attack.

Following the sale of Jaden Philogene to Ipswich Town, Aston Villa are now set to lose another player following reports that one European club have reached an agreement to secure his signature this month.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans have been one of the busiest clubs in the Premier League, welcoming Donyell Malen after selling Philogene and reportedly working on deals to sign the likes of Loic Bade and Andres Garcia. The latter has now officially arrived and was announced as a new Villa player on Tuesday morning.

Currently sat four points adrift of the top four, they’re reinforcements that Aston Villa could look back on as key too, as Unai Emery seeks an improved second-half to what has been a campaign full of inconsistency so far. The Spaniard will be well aware of the quality in his side and just how important it is to cause another shock in the race to finish inside the top four, which their recent comeback draw against Arsenal certainly aided.

A better deal than Malen: Aston Villa close in on signing an "elite talent"

Aston Villa are closing in on signing a defender…

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 21, 2025

Away from the action and potential incomings, however, those in the Midlands look set to bid farewell to another player after Philogene this month. According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa are now set to lose Diego Carlos after Fenerbahce struck a deal worth €10m (£8.4m) this month.

Already on his way to Turkey to complete his departure, the £100,000-a-week defender leaves Aston Villa after just under two years in a spell full of injury disruption to perhaps form a case of what might have been after his £26m transfer, meaning Villa are making a loss.

"Solid" Carlos needed departure

Amid Aston Villa’s pursuit of Bade, Carlos always looked destined for the exit door and the chance to work under Jose Mourinho is certainly not one that he should turn down. In truth, an ACL injury on his very first Villa Park start set the tone of what was to come for Carlos, who was forced to watch on as Emery arrived and evolved Steven Gerrard’s side beyond the Brazilian.

That doesn’t mean that he didn’t have moments to savour, however, and can look back on praise from the likes of Mat Kendrick as a positive to take away from the Premier League. Reach’s Head of Sport described the defender’s work as “solid” in 2023 and stated that he looked “very physically imposing”.

Selling before they buy this month, Aston Villa should see their new strategy as a much-improved step forward. The last thing that those in the Midlands will want to face are any profit and sustainability charges in the near future, having already been forced to act precariously last summer to avoid any trouble. And showing the likes of Philogene and Carlos the door could ensure that they steer clear far more comfortably this time.

MatériaMais Notícias

Maycon foi o grande herói do Corinthians na vitória por 2 a 0 contra o Boca Juniors, na Neo Química Arena, pela terceira rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores. O volante marcou os dois gols da partida e se destacou também nos quesitos defensivos.

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> GALERIA -Maycon brilha em vitória do Timão contra o Boca; veja notas

O camisa 5 destacou o espírito de entrega do Timão durante os 90 minutos, e ressaltou a importância da energia da torcida na Neo Química Arena.

– Hoje a gente se entregou muito, o grupo mereceu essa vitória. Torcida lotou, fizemos um jogo com espírito do Corinthians. Todos os jogos tem que ser dessa maneira. Arena lotada, empurrando a gente, se entregando por completo para conquistar todos os objetivos – disse o volante

> TABELA – Confira e simule os jogos do Corinthians na Libertadores

Desde o início da guerra entre Rússia e Ucrânia, o camisa 5 buscourefugio no Brasil por conta da invasão das tropas russas no país ucraniano, e aceitou retornar ao clube que o revelou ao futebol. Ele agradeceu ao alvinegro paulista por abraçá-lo nesse momento difícil, e disse que o elenco, assim como a torcida, sentiu a derrota no Dérbi para o Palmeiras.

– Agradecer a Deus, ao Corinthians por ter aberto as portas novamente, ao grupo. Historicamente, Corinthians tem um grupo maravilhoso, e esse não é diferente. A gente vem de uma derrota dura, pesada. Odiamos perder para o Palmeiras. Sentimento que a torcida tem, nós temos lá dentro.

> GUIA – Tudo sobre o Corinthians no Campeonato Brasileiro

O próximo confronto do Corinthians na Libertadores é na semana que vem, quarta-feira (4) contra o Deportivo Cali, na Colômbia, às 21h. Antes disso, o Timão recebe o Fortaleza pela quarta rodada do Brasileirão, domingo (1), às 16h.

The narrative coming into this one was all about Alexander Isak. Perennially linked with Arsenal over recent transfer windows, the home fans inside the Emirates Stadium could only watch on longingly.

What if we had Isak in our ranks, they must have been thinking. Quite. The immense Swede was the difference between the two sides on Tuesday evening.

Since the draw was made for the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, Newcastle have been everything Mikel Arteta wants his side to be; solid and emphatic in attack.

Sadly, an injury to Bukayo Saka has curtailed any hopes the Gunners had of improving in the final third.

While they created chances in midweek, with Kai Havertz notably heading wide a glorious free header from just a matter of yards out in the second half, they could not take them and were left to bemoan an awful night against the Toon.

It was that man Isak who popped up with the goods and with Anthony Gordon alongside him, Eddie Howe’s men hold a 2-0 advantage heading into the second leg.

Given how tough it can be to play at St James’ Park, it’s likely Arsenal are dusted in this competition for another year.

What went wrong for Arsenal against Newcastle

In recent weeks it has been a lack of creativity to bemoan for Arteta’s men. Couple that with injuries and some dodgy officiating and they haven’t really had the rub of the green.

Well, they had no bad refereeing to blame this time around. Creativity wasn’t an issue either; they generated 3.76 expected goals to Newcastle’s 1.53 xG. Instead, it was a succession of chances missed, notably that second-half opportunity for Havertz.

How he didn’t find the net is beyond many fans watching on. The ball was swung and in with the goal at his mercy, the ball dropped off the German’s shoulder which ensured he didn’t meet the ball with his head properly.

Another glorious opportunity was spurned by Gabriel Martinelli, who on a bad night for Arsenal, to his credit put in a lively display. That said, he really should have scored in the opening 45 minutes.

The home side were able to play through the Newcastle press which led to a golden opportunity for the Brazilian forward.

He raced clear of the defence and with only goalkeeper Martin Dubravka to beat, went to the right of the goal but struck a placed effort off the post.

In the big moments, it was Howe’s side who reigned supreme and they largely had Isak to thank for that. What this Arsenal team would look like with him in is a salivating one.

Instead, they are left to plug away with the likes of Havertz and a certain Leandro Trossard who continues to underperform.

Chalkboard

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

Leandro Trossard's performance in numbers

Last season the Belgian was a vital player during Arsenal’s Premier League and Champions League challenges.

Scoring 16 goals across all competitions, it meant that only the mercurial Saka (20) found the net more regularly in 2023/24.

Unfortunately this season he has not even been close to the same levels of performance with Trossard having beaten the ‘keeper on just four occasions in 28 matches. That simply isn’t good enough.

In truth, he has struggled to get going all campaign and there can be some excuses. It was the former Brighton man who Arteta initially turned to to fill the Odegaard void in the middle of the pitch when he was injured and on Tuesday, he played in an unfavoured role on the right wing.

Despite creating three key passes, the most of any Arsenal player barring Declan Rice, that didn’t tell the full story of a laboured performance that was given a 5/10 post-match player rating by Football.London’s Tom Canton. He wrote that Trossard ‘failed to make a meaningful impact on proceedings’.

Minutes played

59

Touches

41

Accurate passes

20/27 (74%)

Key passes

3

Accurate crosses

0/2

Duels won

3/4

Possession lost

11x

Shots on target

0

Shots blocked

2

Dribbles

0

Dragged off after just 59 minutes on the clock, he trudged to the bench having had only 41 touches of the ball, ultimately three fewer than goalkeeper David Raya. It also meant that he dismally gave away the ball every four touches, having lost possession 11 times.

The 30-year-old didn’t have a single shot on target, didn’t attempt any dribbles and was inaccurate with both of his crosses.

Putting it simply, the Belgium international isn’t good enough to start games and has to be replaced this January. He’s not fit to lace Isak’s boots, a player who Arsenal must throw the book at to bring to the Emirates in the summer.

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The exceptional talent would be an unreal signing for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 31, 2024

Chennai Super Kings have been dealt an injury concern after allrounder Moeen Ali hurt his ankle during a training session. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the franchise is waiting for scan results after he picked up the injury on Saturday.As a consequence, it is likely that Moeen is in danger of missing Super Kings’ next few matches. The defending champions are scheduled to play two games this week: on Monday against Punjab Kings, and on May 1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Moeen last played on April 17 against Gujarat Titans, a close match that Super Kings lost by three wickets.Related

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Two days before getting injured, Moeen was dropped for the match against Mumbai Indians, which his team won, and where New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner replaced him.As opposed to his stellar form in the 2021 season, Moeen has struggled in this IPL. He arrived late this year, and thus missed the tournament opener owing to a delay in getting a visa to travel to India from the UK. In the five matches he has played, Moeen has scored 87 runs at an average of 17.40, including a 48 against Sunrisers. Even with the ball, he has gone wicketless so far: in eight overs, he has conceded 68 runs.Super Kings have been saddled with injuries this season with fast bowlers Deepak Chahar and Adam Milne both ruled out. At the halfway stage, Super Kings, who this season appointed Ravindra Jadeja as the successor to MS Dhoni as captain, have recorded just two wins in seven matches, and currently occupy the ninth position in the points table.

The 24-year-old has regressed since being crowned the best player in English football, and will now have to prove his worth all over again

"To be recognised this way by your fellow professionals means everything and I would like to thank everyone who voted for me," an emotional Phil Foden said after being crowned the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) men's player's player of the year for 2023-24. "I also want to pay special thanks to Pep [Guardiola], the [Manchester] City coaches and all my team-mates as they help me to try and get better every single day. Last season was another very special one for everyone at the club, but now all our focus is concentrated on trying to achieve more success this term."

Foden was a deserving winner after recording 27 goal contributions during City's run to a record-breaking fourth-successive Premier League title. Guardiola relied on Foden, not Erling Haaland or Kevin De Bruyne, to make the difference in the biggest matches, and never missed a chance to highlight the fleet-footed attacking midfielder's importance.

"He was always a talented player, but now he is more mature and understands more the game, especially defensively. He’s unbelievable," the City boss said after Foden's two-goal masterclass in a 3-1 derby win over Manchester United last March. "Winning games is when you become a world-class player."

However, just over a year on from that dazzling performance, Foden finds himself at the opposite end of the spectrum. The 24-year-old is no longer "getting better every day"; in fact, he actually appears to be going backwards, having lost his talismanic status under Guardiola amid City's worst campaign in almost a decade.

Foden's poor form has not cost him his place in the England squad , but that could soon change. Thomas Tuchel can't afford to carry any passengers in his bid to end the Three Lions' 60 years of hurt at next year's World Cup, and that's exactly what Foden has become at City, who may already be contemplating how he fits into their long-term rebuild…

GettyHero to zero

Foden's exploits last season were made all the more impressive by the fact that 48 of his 53 appearances for City came as a starter. He also racked up 11 goal involvements across the Champions League and FA Cup, and registered a goal and an assist in City's 4-0 Club World Cup final over Brazilian giants Fluminense.

It was a herculean effort from Foden that understandably left him running on empty. He was ever-present for England at last summer's European Championship in Germany, too, so Foden's slow start to the current season was, on some level, to be expected.

Guardiola waited until the start of October to draft Foden back into his Premier League line up after seeing the playmaker battle through illness, and he produced a solid if unspectacular display in a 3-2 win over Fulham. Foden also scored in each of his first three starts in the Champions League, but that was as close as he got to building up any sort of rhythm in the first half of the campaign.

Foden didn't open his Premier League goal account until his 12th outing, on December 21, in City's 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, which marked their ninth loss in 12 games across all competitions since November 2. The reigning champions were in crisis, and Guardiola was clear in his mind about the main reasons for their incredible fall from grace.

"We are playing this season without the best player of the Ballon d'Or, Rodri, and without the best player in England last season, Foden," It was no surprise to hear Guardiola blame City's struggles on Rodri's ACL injury, but his suggestion that Foden was no longer having any kind of meaningful impact on games unexpected and uncharacteristically brutal.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBecoming a bench-warmer

Guardiola's strong words did appear to have the desired effect, though, as Foden reminded everyone of his class around the turn of the year. The England international scored six goals in as many Premier League games in January, including a vital effort in a 3-1 win over top-four rivals Chelsea, with Guardiola pleased to see the City academy graduate "happy again".

But Foden couldn't sustain it. He has failed to score in his last 11 appearances for City, with his performances ranging from mediocre to downright poor, and he is suddenly in real danger of becoming a regular bench-warmer. Indeed, Foden had to make do with brief cameos in the 1-0 win at Tottenham on February 26 and Saturday's 2-2 draw with Brighton.

"Listen, all the managers around the world, when they select 11 players, they have to believe that they are going to win," Guardiola replied when quizzed on his decision to name Foden among the substitutes for the Seagulls' visit to the Etihad Stadium. "I never found a manager who selects a team thinking it's going to lose. If we win I am right – if we don't, it could be better."

Guardiola has long been known for his tinkering, but more often than not, he fields his most trusted players in the most important matches. The home game against European hopefuls Brighton fell into that bracket, and Foden was once again overlooked in favour of Omar Marmoush – the £59 million ($77m) winter signing who has quickly emerged as Haaland's new right-hand man.

Getty/GOALNew-look City

Foden started unlocking his full potential after being shifted into the No.10 spot at City, but that evolution is now counting against him. Marmoush has looked far more effective in behind Haaland since his arrival at the Etihad, scoring four goals in his first seven Premier League appearances, and Foden is going to have to seriously up his game to usurp the Egyptian.

It's difficult to see Foden getting a look-in on the flanks, either, given the presence of Savinho and Jeremy Doku, plus the fact that Marmoush is also versatile enough to operate on both wings. If he doesn't snap back into life, Foden could end up an outcast at City like his England team-mate Jack Grealish, who has fallen so far down the pecking order that a summer exit feels inevitable.

Veteran trio Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan are still competing for minutes in midfield, too, while Nico Gonzalez, or 'mini-Rodri' as some fans have already dubbed him, has impressed in a holding role since his £50m ($65m) arrival from Porto on the final day of the winter window.

Guardiola is still working out how to shape his new-look side, but all the signs point to him embracing a more direct, unpredictable style of play in a bid to transform City back into Europe's most fearsome team, and it's not at all clear how Foden will figure into his plans at this stage.

AFPEuros 'frustration'

Foden's struggles can be traced back to the Euros, where he dramatically underperformed as England stumbled all the way through the final, before being taught a footballing lesson against deserved winners Spain. Foden failed to notch a single goal or assist at the tournament, rarely showed any of his usual quality on the ball, and didn't do enough to help the team without it.

However, Sir Gareth Southgate was at least partly at fault for Foden's failure. Instead of deploying Foden in the central role he'd caused so much damage in for City last term, the England boss stationed him on the left in a safety-first 4-2-3-1 system in the first four games of the tournament.

Jude Bellingham took Foden's preferred No.10 slot, and they spent most of the time getting in each other's way as England toiled for any kind of fluidity going forward. Understandably, Foden still harbours some bitterness towards Southgate for how things played out, as he told the in January: "I feel frustrated I didn’t get out what I wanted to get out of it. The position I was put in on the left was very difficult to influence the game. Coming off last season being the best player in the Premier League and playing centre midfield, I do feel the position was quite difficult to get used to. I’m one who can play multiple positions and had to try to deal with it the best I could. I don’t feel like England ever got going or performed to our potential."

Foden was certainly a victim of Southgate's pragmatism, but that doesn't excuse him for shrinking in the face of adversity. A player of Foden's calibre should have been able to rise above the limitations of the tactical blueprint and take games by the scruff of the neck when his country needed him most.