The Angels are taking a chance on a former All-Star starter and AL Cy Young candidate.

Former Blue Jays standout Alek Manoah has agreed to a one-year deal with the Halos, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. It’s a major league for Manoah, who has been working his way through the minors over the last two years. The contract is worth $1.95 million.

Manoah, 27, played for Toronto from 2021 to ‘24, rising to prominence and even earning Cy Young votes in 2022. He had a 2.24 ERA across 31 starts that season, but struggled in ‘23 and dealt with injuries in ‘24.

He was sent to the minors to get right, but couldn’t figure things out. He was eventually waived in September of 2025. The Braves picked him up and sent him to the minors, but he was released by Atlanta shortly after.

Now, he’ll get an opportunity to return to the big leagues with the Angels, who are looking to improve their pitching after logging the third-worst ERA in MLB last season. Manoah will have an opportunity to log consistent starts as he aims to revive his career. He’ll join a rotation that projects to include Grayson Rodriguez, Jose Soriano, Reid Detmers and Yusei Kikuchi.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has a right to be frustrated by the lack of quality that his team have produced in the final third in the Premier League this season.

The Whites were beaten 2-0 by Burnley on Saturday at Turf Moor in a game that they created four ‘big chances’ and conceded two goals from four shots against them.

They were not clinical enough in front of goal at one end, with the chances that they created to score past Martin Dubravka, and they conceded two sloppy goals, albeit the second one was a brilliant strike.

Unfortunately, missing quality chances has been a theme for Leeds in the Premier League this season, since they won the Championship title with 100 points last term.

25/26 Premier League
Rank	Big chances created	Big chances missed
1	Crystal Palace – 33	Crystal Palace – 22
2	Man City – 27	Man City – 17
3	Liverpool – 24	Liverpool – 17
4	Chelsea – 23	Leeds – 14
5	Arsenal – 22	Man Utd – 14
6	Man Utd – 22	Arsenal – 13
7	Brighton – 18	Newcastle – 11
8	Leeds – 17	Nottingham Forest – 11
9	Newcastle – 15	Chelsea – 10
10	Everton – 15	Everton – 10
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Whites have created more than enough chances, the eighth-most in the league in fact, but they have only scored three of the 17 ‘big chances’ they have had.

With their evident struggles at the top end of the pitch, Farke may wonder what his team would look like if they had kept hold of a player like Georginio Rutter.

Why Leeds need Georginio Rutter in their team

The lack of depth and quality in their squad was on full display on Saturday when Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison lined up on the wings for the West Yorkshire outfit against Burnley.

Per Sofascore, Aaronson and Harrison have scored two goals in their last 85 Premier League matches combined, which shows that they are unlikely to provide much in the way of quality in the final third to win points for the team.

Leeds sold Rutter to Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2024 for £40m, due to a release clause in his contract, after they lost the play-off final to Southampton.

24/25 Premier League	Georginio Rutter
Appearances	28
xG	4.64
Goals	5
Big chances missed	5
Big chances created	6
xA	1.67
Assists	3
Dribbles completed	28
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the France U21 international enjoyed a decent first season with the Seagulls in the top-flight, with eight direct goal contributions in 28 matches.

His return of five goals in 28 games is, obviously, far more impressive than Aaronson and Harrison’s combined hauls at Premier League level, which is why Leeds could do with a player of his quality right now.

Rutter, as shown in the clip above, has proven that he can provide moments of quality in the top-flight, and Farke does not have enough players of that ilk in his current squad.

Chalkboard

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

That being said, there is one player who was signed during the summer transfer window who looks like he could be an even bigger talent than Rutter for the Whites.

The 49ers splashed the cash to sign Switzerland international Noah Okafor from Italian giants AC Milan for a fee of £18m, and he has made an impressive start to life at Elland Road.

Why Noah Okafor is an even bigger talent than Georginio Rutter

Okafor missed the trip to Turf Moor with a minor injury, which is why Harrison started out wide, and his absence was keenly felt, as the team missed all four of their ‘big chances’.

Whilst it is still true that Leeds lack quality, as evidenced by how many chances they have missed this season, and that they could do with a player like Rutter, the Swiss star is one signing that they have hit gold with.

The former Napoli attacker is possibly the only attacking player, as in a winger or a striker, who has shown genuine quality in front of goal in the Premier League this season, scoring two goals in five matches.

Okafor has a stunning conversion rate of 33% across his five appearances in the Premier League so far, and the clip above showcases why, as he has the pace, composure, and quality to take chances when they come his way.

AllLeedsTV presenter Oscar Marrio called the Swiss star a “class difference maker” who “raises everyone else’s game around him” because he is the club’s “most important player”, which is backed up by his statistics.

Premier League	Rutter (24/25)	Okafor (25/26)
Appearances	28	5
xG	4.64	1.16
Goals	5	2
Minutes per goal	335	154
Conversion rate	10%	33%
xA per 90	0.08	0.09
Dribbles completed per game	1.0	2.2
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Okafor’s current form is even more impressive than what Rutter showed for Brighton in the 2024/25 campaign, as he is scoring goals and creating chances with greater regularity, whilst also offering far more to the team as a dribbler.

As Marrio said, the £18m summer signing is a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch. His ability as a scorer, a creator, and a dribbler, means that he provides a constant threat down the left flank for Leeds.

He may have cost £22m less than what Brighton paid for Rutter in 2024, but Okafor looks to be an even bigger talent than Rutter, with the quality that he has been able to offer in the Premier League so far this season.

At the age of 25, the summer signing also has time left ahead of him to develop further at Elland Road and potentially be worth even more than Rutter was sold for in the future if he can keep up his current performance levels.

Not just Harrison & Aaronson: Leeds star is now on borrowed time under Farke

This Leeds United flop is on borrowed time at Elland Road alongside Jack Harrison.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 20, 2025

With how poor the likes of Harrison and Aaronson have been in the final third, Farke will be hoping that the Switzerland international returns from injury as quickly as possible to be the main man for the team at the top end of the pitch in the coming weeks and months.

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo has been dealt another injury blow ahead of their crunch clash with newly-promoted Leeds United on Friday, and one which will force the tactician to play around with his starting eleven yet again.

Nuno slammed after controversial West Ham line-up against Brentford

Nuno faced the wrath of critics after he named what was a bizarre starting eleven to play Brentford on Monday.

The Hammers, who fell to their fourth home league defeat of the season — an all-time club record at this stage of the campaign — deployed Olly Scarles and Kyle Walker-Peters on their opposite sides, with Tomas Soucek and Andy Irving chosen in midfield ahead of the more dynamic Soungoutou Magassa and Freddie Potts.

After Niclas Fullkrug’s thigh injury was confirmed by Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann, plenty of debate surrounded who would play the striker role against Brentford.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Despite an expectation that Nuno could hand Callum Marshall his first ever Premier League start against Brentford, or play Jarrod Bowen in that role as the England international has done before, West Ham’s boss instead opted for Lucas Paqueta as a makeshift number nine.

The Brazil international was sloppy in possession and often left isolated, with the experiment ultimately failing to pay off.

West Ham legend Tony Cottee was among the critics to blast Nuno’s “awful” team selection after their uninspired 2-0 defeat, but the former Nottingham Forest boss moved to defend his choices.

Now, as per Nuno himself, he’ll have to tinker with the team once more, with defender Konstantinos Mavropanos now joining Fullkrug and George Earthy on the treatment table.

West Ham dealt Mavropanos injury blow with Igor Julio in line for recall

Speaking to reporters before West Ham’s trip to Leeds, Nuno confirmed that Mavropanos will miss their imminent clash.

The Greek international was forced off against Brentford and unable to finish the 90 after coming on as a substitute, and Mavropanos will be absent from West Ham’s matchday squad for the trip to Elland Road as a result.

The 27-year-old’s unavailability means that summer signing Igor Julio, who was left out of the squad entirely to play Brentford, is surely in line for a recall.

According to reports, Julio has been impressing in West Ham training as he fights for a place in Nuno’s starting eleven, and the Hammers hardly have anything to lose by giving him a shot.

Both Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo really struggled to contain Brentford on a night to forget for the pair, with West Ham also conceding more league goals than any other side in the top flight so far.

Described as a strong one-v-one defender with “excellent” technique by members of the press, the Brazilian has also been called an “animal” by former Seagulls coach Inigo Calderón.

Julio hasn’t been given a chance to stake his claim in the squad this term, playing just one league minute so far, but the time could be now as Nuno looks for inspiration from somewhere.

تحدث مدرب ليفربول آرني سلوت، عن مشاركة محمد صلاح في مباراة الفريق أمام برايتون بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، مساء السبت، بعد أزمة التصريحات التي وقعت قبل أسبوع.

وبعد استبعاده من القائمة أمام إنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا، تواجد محمد صلاح في قائمة ليفربول أمام برايتون، وشارك كبديل وصنع هدفًا في الفوز 2-0.

ويأتي ذلك بعد تصريحات محمد صلاح التي أفاد خلالها أن يشعر بتخلي ليفربول عنه إلى جانب حديثه عن انقطاع علاقته بالمدرب سلوت، إثر جلوسه بديلاً لثلاث مباريات متتالية في الدوري الإنجليزي.

وقال سلوت في تصريحاته لـ”بي بي سي”: “لقد بذلنا جهدًا كبيرًا، كان علينا أن نبذل جهدًا لتحقيق هذا الفوز، لأننا واجهنا فريقًا قويًا جدًا واصل القتال حتى النهاية، ولأول مرة منذ أسابيع، أشعر أننا كنا محظوظين بعض الشيء اليوم، حافظنا على نظافة شباكنا، وفي مباريات أخرى استقبلنا ثلاثة أهداف دون أن يحظى الفريق المنافس بفرص كثيرة”.

وأضاف: “في الشوط الثاني، في اللحظات التي سنحت لهم، عندما كنا متماسكين داخل وحول منطقة جزائنا، أتيحت لنا فرص في الهجمات المرتدة، لكنني أعجبت بطريقة لعبنا، ربما استحققنا هذا الحظ، نظرًا للعقلية التي أظهرناها والإصابات وغيرها من الأمور”.

اقرأ أيضًا | تقييم محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وبرايتون بالدوري الإنجليزي

وعن هوجو إيكتيكي، أردف: “أعتقد أنه كان رائعًا في بعض اللحظات اليوم، الأهداف التي سجلها كانت جميلة، وكانت هناك لحظات أخرى قلت فيها يا له من لاعب!، هذا بالطبع هو سبب رغبتنا في ضمه، إلى جانب الأهداف، من الجيد أن نراه هو والآخرين الذين انضموا إلينا في الصيف يحرزون تقدمًا”.

وعن فلوريان فيرتز، استطرد: “طريقة تعامله مع الكرة، مدى ثقته بنفسه في ذلك، أعتقد أنه من بين اللاعبين الذين ألاحظ تحسناً مستمراً في أدائهم، فهو يزداد قوةً ونشاطاً، كل الجهد الذي بذله اللاعبون خلال الأشهر الماضية يؤتي ثماره”.

وأردف سلوت: “بعد كل هذه المباريات، نأمل أن نحظى بأسبوع راحةٍ نستعيد فيه بعضاً من لياقتنا، وسيكون هناك وقتٌ للتدريب”.

وعن محمد صلاح، أفاد: “أعتقد أنه كان مصدر خطورة، في أول لمسة له للكرة، كاد أن يصنع هدفًا لماك أليستر، كان له دور محوري، من دواعي سروري رؤيته، لكن هذا لم يكن مفاجئًا”.

وأكد: “كان قرار ضمه إلى التشكيلة سهلًا، لقد قلت مرارًا وتكرارًا إن ما دار بيننا سيبقى بيننا، كنا بحاجة إليه، وقد ساهم في تسجيل الهدف الثاني، وهو أمرٌ جيد بالنسبة لنا، لقد كنا في موقف صعب للغاية هذا الموسم في الكرات الثابتة”.

وأتم: “سيشارك في كأس الأمم الأفريقية، وهذا يعني غياب لاعب آخر عن الفريق، هذا ما كنا نعرفه قبل بداية الموسم، نأمل أن يعود لاعب أو اثنان من الإصابة”.

The National League playoff race is far from decided, as several teams are still battling for the final wild-card spot, and while the Cubs, Padres, and Dodgers have already clinched, they’re still jockeying for position.

As of Thursday afternoon, only five teams have been mathematically eliminated, while five have secured playoff spots. The final weekend of the season could get wild.

The top of the NL has felt settled for months, with the Phillies and Brewers leading the way and the Dodgers limping behind, but still owning the sport’s best roster. All eight teams still in contention are capable of winning the World Series, but each has at least one serious weakness that could end its run prematurely. It’s worth noting, the NL race has changed considerably since the trade deadline, with some teams charging while others have fallen off.

What follows is a look at every National League contender’s biggest weakness—and how it could sink them once the playoffs get underway.

Milwaukee Brewers: Injuries

Suddenly, baseball’s best team looks mighty vulnerable. Milwaukee breezed through this season as an unlikely juggernaut. After a blistering August in which they went 21–9, the Brewers have fallen off significantly in September, going 11–10. The injury bug has struck.

Starting pitchers Brandon Woodruff and José Quintana are both on the IL, taking out two of the team’s top starting pitchers. Closer Trevor Megill is also out with an elbow injury, though he may be close to returning. Meanwhile, deadline acquisition Shelby Miller is out for the year, and reliever DL Hall remains out.

Milwaukee has used a complete team approach to winning this season, getting contributions from up and down the roster. The team’s pitching is beginning to look a bit thin entering the season’s final weekend, but if a few guys can get healthy, those fears would be allayed.

Philadelphia Phillies: Rotation Depth

Like the Brewers, the Phillies have been excellent for most of the season. Then things began to get shaky. Staff ace Zack Wheeler is out for the season due to thoracic outlet syndrome and Aaron Nola is struggling since returning from a sprained ankle and a stress fracture in his ribs.

Philadelphia’s rotation doesn’t look as daunting as it once did.

The typically reliable Nola is 4–10 with a 6.46 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and has pitched only 86 1/3 innings over 16 starts this season. If that wasn’t enough, Ranger Suárez has surrendered nine runs in his last 10 innings pitched. The upside is that Walker Buehler has only allowed one run on seven hits in 8 2/3 innings over two starts with the team, but given how poorly he pitched for the Red Sox this season, can he really be counted on?

The Phillies are one of the most well-constructed teams heading into the postseason. If their rotation can get it together, they should be among the favorites to win the World Series. If it doesn’t, it could mean an early exit.

Los Angeles Dodgers: A Leaky Bullpen

The Dodgers have struggled out of the bullpen all season. While the starting rotation is finally healthy and mostly dominating, the team’s relievers continue to disappoint.

Since the trade deadline, L.A.’s bullpen has a collective ERA of 4.61. Tanner Scott, whose four-year, $72 million contract may have done more to push MLB toward a salary cap than any deal in the sport’s history, has been horrendous since signing. On the season, Scott is 1–4 with a 4.82 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and 22 saves, while leading MLB in blown saves (10). Since returning from an elbow injury on Aug. 24, the lefty is 0–2, with an 7.84 ERA and three blown saves in six chances.

The rest of the team’s bullpen has been nearly as disappointing. As a group, Dodgers relievers have blown 27 saves. Plus, Kirby Yates, Brock Stewart and Michael Kopech are all on the IL at the moment. L.A.’s bullpen was pivotal in the team’s run to the World Series in 2025 and looks like a major weakness this year.

Chicago Cubs: A Power Outage

The Cubs will have clinched a spot in the postseason, but look nothing like the team that got them there. Chicago had one of MLB’s best offenses for most of the 2025 season, but there has been a significant power outage in the lineup for a few months now.

On July 31, the Cubs’ offense led MLB in fWAR (23.8), was second in wRC+ (115), second in slugging (.444) and third in home runs (158). That has swung dramatically in the other direction. Since the deadline, Chicago’s offense is 16th in fWAR (5.8), 19th in wRC+ (95), 23rd in slugging (.386) and 21st in home runs (53).

While Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ have been solid since the end of July, Pete Crow-Armstrong has collapsed, posting a wRC+ of 30 since then, down from 137 before the deadline. Meanwhile, Carson Kelly (68 wRC+) and Seiya Suzuki (89) have similarly come back down to earth the past two months. Kyle Tucker missing a huge chunk of that time has certainly impacted the lineup, but the issues have been widespread.

San Diego Padres: Starting Pitching

The Padres entered the season with what looked like an excellent foursome at the front of their rotation. Michael King, Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish and the newly-acquired Nick Pivetta looked formidable. After a ridiculous string of bad luck, only Pivetta has met and exceeded expectations.

Darvish and King have missed most of the season and have pitched a combined 137 2/3 innings in 2025. While both are now back, they remain wild cards heading into the postseason. Meanwhile, Cease has been a mess.

The 29-year-old finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting during the 2024 season, but has looked like a different pkate this year. In 32 starts, he’s 8–12 with a 4.55 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP and 215 strikeouts against 71 walks in 168 innings. Cease has elite stuff, but has struggled to locate it consistently all year, leading to high pitch counts and shorter outings.

San Diego has one of baseball’s best bullpens, but without reliable starting pitching, the team’s postseason run might be over before it begins.

New York Mets: Rotation Collapse

For the first half of the season, the Mets had one of baseball’s most effective starting rotations. On July 31, New York’s starting pitchers had a combined ERA of 3.44, which ranked fifth in MLB. Since the trade deadline, the rotation’s ERA is 5.73, which ranks 27th in baseball.

So what happened?

For much of the season, David Peterson, Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes and Tylor Megill were a solid group atop the team’s rotation. Since the deadline, everything has flipped. Peterson is 2–2 with a 7.74 ERA, Holmes is similarly 2–2 with a 4.25 ERA, and rookie Jonah Tong has limped to a 2–3 record with a 7.71 ERA. Sean Manaea returned to the rotation only to be banished to the bullpen, then returned to the rotation while nursing a 7.34 ERA. Meanwhile, Megill is out for the year thanks to Tommy John surgery. Rookie Nolan McLean has been the only bright spot, sporting a 5–1 record with a sparkling 2.06 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.

Perhaps the most puzzling of all has been Senga. At the All-Star break, he was 7–3 with a 1.39 ERA. Since then, he’s 0–3 with a 6.56 ERA and was sent down to Triple A to work on his control. His struggles persisted. It doesn’t appear he’ll be returning to the rotation for the postseason.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Offensive Depth

The Diamondbacks have to be kicking themselves for selling as hard as they did in late July. Arizona enters the season’s final weekend in the thick of the wild-card hunt, and that’s after shipping several key players out at the deadline. Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor, and Merrill Kelly were sent packing, and all could be a big help right now.

The Diamondbacks are 29–20 since the deadline, the sixth-best record in baseball. They have done that largely on the backs of phenomenal seasons from Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll. Unfortunately, they have a few regulars who are performing well below average. Alek Thomas has posted a wRC+ of 80 since the deadline, while Adrian Del Castillo (97), Jake McCarthy (78), James McCann (78), Ildemaro Vargas (70) and Tyler Locklear (52) have all been pretty bad as well.

With Lourdes Gurriel Jr. out for the year after tearing his right ACL, the team’s lineup is thin behind Carroll, Perdomo and Ketel Marte. Even factoring in a nice season from Gabriel Moreno, it’s likely not enough to sustain a playoff run without the thump from Suárez and Naylor.

Cincinnati Reds: Non-Existent Offense

Yes, this is broad, but there’s no other way to put it. The Reds have struggled mightily on offense since the trade deadline. The lineup ranks 26th in wRC+ (87), 25th in wxOBA (.307), and fWAR (3.0). At least they’re relatively consistent?

Only three players on the roster who have played more than 20 games have a wRC+ over 100. Deadline acquisition Miguel Andújar (162), Will Benson (136), Tyler Stephenson (123) and Spencer Steer (123) are leading the way, but the drop-off is precipitous after them.

Elly De La Cruz, in particular, has been dreadful. Since the deadline, he’s slashing .232/.290/.359 with a wRC+ of 74. He has a remarkable 63 strikeouts in those 49 games, and 177 on the season. Shockingly, the reigning MLB stolen base leader has only seven steals in that time and has been caught twice. The team’s most dynamic weapon has largely been bottled up, which is bad news as the postseason approaches.

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The Angels are interested in future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols for their open managerial role, but they may have some competition.

The Orioles are also interested, according to a report from ESPN's Alden González. Baltimore has yet to formally interview Pujols, but would like to speak with him soon. In addition to Pujols, Tony Mansolino, who commanded the club's interim role after Brandon Hyde was fired in May, is also a candidate.

Pujols does have a couple connections to Baltimore. The Orioles' president of baseball operations, Mike Elias, was a scout for the Cardinals in the late 2000s when Pujols played for the team. In addition, Pujols remains close with former Cardinals teammate Matt Holiday, whose son Jackson is a rising star in Baltimore's infield.

To date, the Angels are the only team that has formally interviewed Pujols. They remain the favorite to bring the 45-year-old in as their manager.

Manchester City have hit some extraordinary heights under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage. The Spanish coach will go down as one of the greatest managers in the history of the game, and his Citizen side have written themselves into the English and European history books.

Last season, City fell off a proverbial cliff, their four-in-a-row domination of the Premier League coming to an end. They rallied, but it was a campaign to forget about, and many felt that it marked the end of Pep’s illustrious tenure.

But he’s not done yet, rebounding emphatically after signing a two-year contract extension last November. And Guardiola isn’t the only one who is resurgent at the Etihad, with this optimistic new season coinciding with the tentative resurgence of Phil Foden.

Why Foden is improving for Man City

There’s no denying it: Foden fell by the wayside last season. But he’s picked himself back up. The Three Lions superstar still has gears to shift through before he recalls his finest form, but this is an essential comeback, should City hope to reclaim their Premier League title and ensure the peerless Erling Haaland has a strong complementary force in the final third.

He hasn’t found prolific form yet this season, but the 25-year-old is undoubtedly producing more polished and cultured results, having been placed deeper to influence and dictate play.

He has been more convincing in the duel and is seeing more of the ball on average. There is also a clear tactical maturity, Pep’s teachings seeping into Foden’s brain. He might not be the headline stealer at this stage, but Foden is unquestionably operating at a higher level, and City’s wider system are feeling the benefits.

Matches (starts)

28 (20)

9 (8)

Goals

7

1

Assists

2

1

Touches*

43.5

59.4

Accurate passes*

27.0 (89%)

39.7 (89%)

Chances created*

1.5

2.3

Dribbles*

0.5

0.7

Ball recoveries*

2.2

4.1

Tackles + interceptions*

0.8

1.3

Duels (won)*

2.3 (45%)

3.1 (54%)

Foden is one of the best in the Premier League, and he is on his way to reminding everyone of that fact. However, he’s not the only member of City’s squad doing such a thing right now, with his younger countryman emerging as the latest starboy fashioned under Guardiola’s wing.

Man City's homegrown talent is now one of PL's best

Manchester City’s academy is a thing to behold. Truly, the dominant Premier League force have welcomed some of the country’s most exciting talents to the scene, and the likes of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers are among those plying their trade elsewhere, such is the bloated nature of the club’s youth scene.

But City learn from their mistakes, and when Chelsea came calling for Nico O’Reilly in January, they were flat-out rebuffed in their advances, despite The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirming the interest was very much genuine.

This time last year, the 20-year-old was on the fringes of Guardiola’s outfit. Now, he is emerging as the first-choice left-back for club and country.

He impressed for the Three Lions after making his debut last week, playing 90 minutes against Serbia and then Albania, keeping clean sheets on both counts. As per Sofascore, he lost only one duel across those two clashes, recovering eight balls and completing 92% and 93% of his passes.

Already, he has nailed down a prominent position in City’s first team. Naturally a centre-midfielder, the boss has repeated hisown spectacular trick and redefined his technically sound up-and-comer into a dynamic, inverted full-back. O’Reilly has started seven of the last eight Premier League matches, defending resiliently and getting forward and arcing inward to create overloads and help service Haaland.

Continuing to look at it from a wider scope, the 6 foot 4 star ranks among the top 16% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for passes attempted, the top 9% for progressive carries and touches in the attacking box, and the top 6% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

He’s only going to get better, and given the high regard he is held in by Guardiola and for the Three Lions under Thomas Tuchel, there’s little question that City have found their latest superstar in the making.

It is important, typically, not to overburden up-and-coming prospects. But O’Reilly is different, so cultured and convincing across the various phases of play.

One Man City content creator was left speechless after the club’s recent win over Liverpool, hailing O’Reilly as “our best academy graduate since Phil Foden”.

That might just be the case. Even Roy Keane agrees. The Manchester United legend remarked that the versatile defender “could surprise everybody” by securing a starting berth at the 2026 World Cup next year. Clearly, this is a player becoming one of the best in the Premier League, if not the world.

Perfect for Haaland: Man City can sign Foden 2.0 in "Ballon d'Or level" star

Another Phil Foden-esque talent could elevate Man City’s final third quality even more

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 20, 2025

Looking to keep the holiday weekend rolling with some MLB best bets? 

There are 15 games to dive into on Friday, July 5, and I’ve circled a few of them for my best bets. 

I’m eyeing a pair of young pitchers to lead their teams to wins as short favorites, as well as a strikeout prop for a veteran lefty who hasn’t exactly pitched well in 2024.

Let’s break all of these picks down!

MLB Best Bets TodayPittsburgh Pirates Moneyline (-130) vs. New York MetsCincinnati Reds Moneyline (-115) vs. Detroit TigersPatrick Corbin OVER 3.5 Strikeouts (-110)

Pittsburgh Pirates Moneyline (-130) vs. New York Mets

Paul Skenes is on the mound for the 10th time in the 2024 season on Friday, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are slight favorites in a matinee matchup with the New York Mets. 

I'm rolling with the Pirates rookie to earn another win on Friday, as he’s 4-0 and the Pirates are 6-3 straight up in his nine starts this season.

Luis Severino gets the ball for the New York Mets, and he's been solid in 2024 — posting a 3.42 ERA — but the Mets are just 8-8 in his 16 outings.

Skenes has been red hot, allowing one or fewer runs in four straight starts. Plus, the Mets have dropped a couple games in a row, potentially a sign that they’re coming back to earth after a great close to June. 

Trust Skenes to get the job done at home. 

Cincinnati Reds Moneyline (-115) vs. Detroit Tigers

This is a rare spot where I’m fading the better starting pitcher, and that’s because Detroit has not been able to back him up this season. 

Detroit Tigers starter Reese Olson (3.32 ERA, 2.90 FIP) has been the better starter in this matchup with Carson Spiers and the Cincinnati Reds, although Spiers is 2-1 as a starter this season and has won back-to-back starts. 

The Tigers are just 3-13 (!!) when Olson is on the mound this season, a shocking record considering how low his ERA is in 2024. 

I'll take a shot on Cincy — especially at home — on Friday.

Patrick Corbin OVER 3.5 Strikeouts (-110)

Is Patrick Corbin undervalued against the St. Louis Cardinals?

The Washington Nationals starter has picked up four or more strikeouts in five of his last six starts, including five or more K’s in three straight outings.

He has a favorable matchup in this game, as St. Louis is 18th in the league in strikeouts per game (8.51) this season and ranks 29th in batting average against lefties (.217). 

Corbin has been knocked around in the last few seasons, but he has cleared this prop in 10 of his 17 outings in 2024. Don’t sleep on him against an offense that stinks against lefties.

It was a quiet Monday, but Major League Baseball is back in full swing on Tuesday with a full, 15-game card for us to dive into.

July is underway, and teams will look to build on impressive months of June starting right away. The likes of the Mets and Astros have erased slow starts and are in position to make the postseason again. Will it continue on Tuesday?

Here's three of our best bets for Tuesday's MLB card.

Best MLB Bets for Tuesday, July 2nd

• Mets (-140) vs. Nationals
• Astros (-105) vs. Blue Jays
• Tigers vs. Twins (-110)

Mets vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

The Mets are the far better team when hitting left handed pitching, which is impactful when both teams are starting southpaws. 

New York is fourth in OPS against lefties while the Nationals are 28th.

New York has gotten back into the Wild Card picture with its big push in June, and following an extra innings win where both bullpens are likely taxed, I'll trust Sean Manaea and the Mets bullpen to navigate a struggling Nationals lineup.

Astros vs. Blue Jays Prediction and Pick

I’ll ride with the streaking Astros, who took the first game of this early week series and are in line to win yet again on Tuesday. 

Jose Berrios remains untrustworthy as his xERA is far higher than his actual ERA (4.50 vs. 3.38), signaling that he can face a downturn in the second half of the season. 

I’ll take the better team as slight underdogs who just hit .281 as a unit in the month of June.

Tigers vs. Twins Prediction and Pick

The Tigers receive the benefit of the doubt with AL Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal on the mound, but this offense isn’t up to the task. 

Detroit is hitting .228 as a unit this season and ranks 28th in OPS over the balance of the season. 

Meanwhile, Minnesota may be up to the task to knock around Skubal, posting the second highest OPS against southpaws.