Sports
Brilliant in blue, Man City’s Semenyo proving the right man in the right place
NEWCASTLE, England — For most of the second half, the song drifting down from the top of the Leazes Stand at St. James’ Park was “Gold” by Spandau Ballet. It’s the tune Manchester City fans have adopted to honor their newest signing, Antoine Semenyo, and there were plenty of reasons to give it a good airing on a cold Tuesday night in Newcastle.
The winger, signed from Bournemouth for £64 million five days ago, followed his debut goal against Exeter City on Saturday with another in the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg. It was a tap-in from six inches, and he will no doubt score better ones over the course of his 5½-year contract in Manchester. He might not score a more important one.
For a long time it looked like City, struggling with injuries to key defenders, were happy to get out of there with a draw, in the hopes of booking their place in the final when Newcastle visit the Etihad Stadium in three weeks’ time for the second leg. But after Semenyo’s goal and a second from substitute Rayan Cherki in the 98th minute earned an impressive 2-0 win, those supporters singing in Newcastle will be already tentatively booking trips to Wembley.
“We know Bournemouth did an incredible job with him, and every time the ball arrives to him, he always is there,” said Guardiola. The right man in the right place, in more ways than one.
Semenyo was the central figure all night and was inadvertently caught in the middle of both managers’ irritations after the final whistle. Guardiola fumed at the decision to rule out a second goal for Semenyo after a VAR delay of nearly six minutes. “I’m pretty sure [referees’ chief] Howard Webb is going to come in tomorrow to give an explanation of that,” said the City boss, visibly annoyed.
Newcastle coach Eddie Howe, meanwhile, was asked afterward whether it was fair that Semenyo was allowed to play despite featuring for Bournemouth earlier in the competition. Only a rule change this season allowed it to happen. “The rules are the rules,” Howe said with a rueful look on his face. “I can’t focus on that too much.”
As good as City’s performance was, Guardiola admitted the night had been decided by “fine margins” and it was Semenyo who got the all-important first goal. When his song finally died down in stoppage time, the City fans switched almost seamlessly to chants of “Is there a fire drill?” It was in response to the streams of Newcastle supporters heading to the exits despite their team still pushing for what — at that point — would still have been an important goal.
Perhaps they thought it would never come because of the preceding 90-plus minutes. That had everything to do with center backs Abdukodir Khusanov and Max Alleyne. The pair — one 20 years old and the other 21 — were only playing because of injuries to Josko Gvardiol, Rúben Dias and John Stones. Alleyne was playing on loan at Watford against Birmingham as recently as New Year’s Day.
They walked out for kickoff at St. James’ Park faced with a banner displayed by the home fans that read: “Get into ’em.” If anything, though, it was the other way around.
There were some nervous moments early on. Khusanov miscontrolled a high ball and was almost robbed by Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon. A pass from City goalkeeper James Trafford rolled under Alleyne’s foot in his own penalty area. But as the game went on, their confidence grew. By halftime, Alleyne was driving into midfield and fizzing passes into Erling Haaland‘s feet.
– O’Hanlon: Predicting the Premier League table: How will all 20 teams finish the season?
– Hamilton: Why Man City moved fast to sign Antoine Semenyo
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Their first job was to stop Newcastle scoring, and they did it perfectly. Howe’s side — roared forward by all four corners of the stadium at every opportunity — managed only three shots on target. They don’t often fail to score at home, having done so only once since November 2024.
Yoanne Wissa forced Trafford into a good save with a header in the second half, but that was about it. Striker Nick Woltemade came on for the last 20 minutes and couldn’t do any better.
“It was a good test,” said Guardiola. “With Wissa on transitions and Woltemade with the ball. They were extraordinary defensively. I cannot be more grateful to Watford, because [Alleyne] made a step up as a football player. “
It bodes well for City that Semenyo, Khusanov and Alleyne can step up in an important moment with vital games to come in the next seven days. On Saturday, it’s a Manchester derby at Old Trafford. On Tuesday, it’s a trip to the Arctic Circle to face Bodo/Glimt with a place in the top eight of the Champions League up for grabs.
Guardiola has spoken more than once this season about certain games — pressurized games — offering his rebuilt squad the chance to grow. Real Madrid in the Bernabeu was one. A cup semifinal at Newcastle was another.
With another examination passed, his new team is in sight of another trophy.
MLS and the Saudi Pro League are both “possible options” for Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah this summer, while Manchester United are eyeing Nottingham Forest defender Murillo. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades
TRENDING RUMORS
– A summer departure for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is appearing “increasingly likely,” according to BBC Sport. The Egypt international signed a new two-year deal last year, but in December hinted that he could leave Liverpool midseason and suggested the club has “thrown him under the bus” as he was repeatedly dropped from the starting XI. Salah remained at Liverpool once the January transfer deadline had passed, and he has started every game since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite that, an exit could be on the cards this summer, with the BBC reporting that the Saudi Pro League and MLS are “possible options” for the 33-year-old. Salah has scored two goals in nine club appearances in 2026.
– Manchester United are showing keen interest in Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, according to TEAMtalk. The Red Devils have reportedly scouted the Brazilian “extensively,” making him an option for the summer. A transfer fee upwards of £60m has been quoted following some impressive performances for Forest. He is the third player from the City Ground that United have been linked with, in addition to England midfielders Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White.
– Real Madrid are set to join Liverpool in the battle to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, Mundo Deportivo reports. Los Blancos reportedly have the Germany centre-back down as a top target for the summer, when he enters his final year under contract with Dortmund. Liverpool have been linked with Schlotterbeck, with Ibrahima Konaté approaching the final few months of his contract at Anfield, while Virgil van Dijk‘s deal is due to expire at the end of next season. The Reds have already agreed a deal to sign Jérémy Jacquet from Stade Rennais to help strengthen the defensive department in the summer, but it’s unclear whether Schlotterbeck will join him at this stage.
– Atlético Madrid, Juventus and Newcastle United are all showing interest in signing Darwin Núñez this summer, according to Football Insider. The former Liverpool striker has been left out of Al Hilal‘s Saudi Pro League squad after they registered the signing of Karim Benzema, leading to talk of a possible exit. Atlético are reportedly the most likely to seal a deal out of the clubs named, with Núñez required to take a pay cut if he is to leave Al Hilal.
– AC Milan have added Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson to the top of their transfer wish list of strikers for the summer, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Senegal international is unlikely to remain at Bayern Munich, where he has received just 641 minutes of football so far in his loan spell this season, and will be available on another loan deal with a permanent option included. Milan have made him a target, while they have also shown interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy.
EXPERT TAKE
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OTHER RUMORS
– Liverpool view Real Madrid star Rodrygo as an option to replace Mohamed Salah in the summer, with the Brazil international facing an uncertain future. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are among those also linked (Ekrem Konur)
– Manchester City believe that they are leading the race to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest this summer, ahead of their city rivals Manchester United (TEAMtalk)
– Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are interested in Eintracht Frankfurt defender Nathaniel Brown. (Ekrem Konur)
– Manchester United are concerned about losing Harry Maguire as a free agent in the summer, when his contract expires, at the same time as losing another experienced player in Casemiro. (Daily Mail)
– Juventus are eyeing a possible reunion with Randal Kolo Muani if Tottenham Hotspur do not make his loan move from Paris Saint-Germain permanent. (Tuttosport)
– Sunderland and West Ham United are keen on AC Milan and Mexico striker Santiago Giménez as his future appears uncertain at the Italian club. (AS)
– Manchester City are interested in Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso, having previously missed out on landing the defender. (Football Insider)
– A Newcastle scout was in attendance to watch Parma vs. Cagliari in Serie A, keeping tabs on 20-year-old defender Marco Palestra, who is on loan at Cagliari from Atalanta. (Nicolo Schira)
– Jesse Lingard‘s move to Corinthians edges closer to completion, with he two parties agreeing on a one-year deal with an option of another year, subject to a medical (Fabrizio Romano)
KANDY: Pakistan’s shortcomings were laid bare during their lacklustre T20 World Cup campaign which ended Saturday when the team failed to reach the semi-finals.
From the captain Salman Agha, who was criticised for not being a T20 player, to slow batting rates and the use of all-rounders not up to the job, Pakistan were shown to be behind the times in the rapid-fire format.
Former wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal believes there is a huge gulf in standard between Pakistan and the top sides such as India, West Indies, South Africa and England.
“Other teams have evolved to the demands of Twenty20 cricket, but neither our team nor our players meet those standards,” Akmal told AFP.
“It is like other teams are playing on the moon and we are on earth. We only beat smaller teams but lose to top teams.”
Pakistan had high hopes for the T20 World Cup after sweeping Australia 3-0 in a pre-tournament series.
They boasted a quintet of spinners that should have been suited to the turning pitches in Sri Lanka where they played all their matches.
But they received a rude awakening in their first match against the Netherlands when only they squeezed home by three wickets in the final over thanks to Faheem Ashraf’s 11-ball 29.
‘Failed to handle pressure’
Like most of his predecessors at World Cups, Agha blundered in the pressure-cooker match against India, which only went ahead after the Pakistan government U-turned on a boycott just days before the encounter.
Agha won the toss and asked India to bat. The decision backfired badly as Pakistan conceded 175 and were hammered by 61 runs.
Agha inexplicably held back his mystery spinner and chief weapon Usman Tariq to the 11th over, by which time opener Ishan Kishan had scored his match-shaping 77 and India were well on their way to a winning total.
“How on earth did you bowl at a venue which was suited to batting first,” questioned former Pakistan player Basit Ali.
“After India scored 175 our batters failed to handle the pressure of a chase.”
Agha also held back Tariq’s second over against England, after he took a wicket in his first, allowing captain Harry Brook to build a sparkling match-winning century.
“It was weak captaincy from Agha,” said Akmal, who also took aim at the head coach Mike Hesson and the selectors.
“We were also not helped by head coach Mike Hesson, who has an obsession for bit-and-pieces all-rounders who were neither complete bowlers, nor good batters.”
Pakistan’s insistence in sticking with the out-of-sorts Babar Azam did nothing to help their shaky batting.
The star batsman’s slow scoring at number four interrupted the side’s rhythm.
He was dropped for the final match against Sri Lanka on Saturday where Pakistan finally posted a total in excess of 200, but it proved too little too late as New Zealand progressed on net run rate.
“We are all fans of Azam but he disappointed us by not adapting to the demands of T20 cricket,” said one Pakistan fan, Saud Baloch, who resigned from his job in the United Arab Emirates to go to the World Cup.
“The whole Pakistan fandom is not only disappointed but angry.
“But we know nothing will change and we will continue to mourn such defeats in future.”
Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley were the last ones standing in the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches to earn the right to challenge for WWE titles at WrestleMania 42 in April.
Orton beat Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul, Trick Williams, Je’Von Evans and LA Knight, with some helpful interferences by WWE Undisputed champion Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins, who returned from injury. In the women’s Elimination Chamber match, Ripley was victorious over Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez and Kiana James. Ripley will now compete in her seventh consecutive WrestleMania. With the win, Orton will challenge the winner of Friday’s title match between McIntyre and Rhodes on “SmackDown,” while Ripley will go toe-to-toe with WWE women’s champion Jade Cargill.
Also on the card, CM Punk beat Finn Bálor — again — to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. And Punk’s wife, AJ Lee, will also leave Chicago’s United Center with a title in hand after submitting Becky Lynch in a match for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Here are the biggest takeaways from WWE Elimination Chamber in Chicago.
Ripley’s win was deserving, but not surprising
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Rhea Ripley books her ticket to WrestleMania by winning chamber match
Rhea Ripley wins the 2026 women’s Elimination Chamber match to earn a title match against Jade Cargill at WrestleMania.
A predictable Rhea Ripley win isn’t the worst outcome, but it didn’t help the match.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Ripley won the women’s Elimination Chamber. Seriously, was there any other choice? The outcome was made even more obvious when Ripley dropped the women’s tag titles on “SmackDown” the night before.
While predictable, this was the only way to go for Ripley. She’s arguably the biggest star on the entire roster, and not having her challenge for a world title at WrestleMania wouldn’t feel right. Still, it would have been nice if the WWE found a way to cast doubt on the outcome by building one of the other women as a viable option to win.
The end justified the means. Hopefully, WWE will make the outcome less obvious at next year’s Elimination Chamber. Chamber matches should provide an element of drama for fans rather than clearing a hurdle to the obvious.
Welcome back to the top of the hill, AJ Lee
1:08
AJ Lee wins first title in WWE in 11 years
AJ Lee forces Becky Lynch to tap out to the “Black Widow” to win the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Lee is now a champion, but can she help carry the women’s division?
Lee won her first singles match since ending her decade-long retirement last year. While it has been great to see Lee back in a WWE ring, taking part in a women’s division she helped push to new heights, she is now tasked with carrying a title that was held by an incredible in-ring performer in Lynch. The new car scent of Lee’s return from retirement is officially gone, and she’ll be judged by her work moving forward.
Lee’s match with Lynch was solid, but it was clear that she was knocking off some rust throughout the match. For her part, Lynch has been great in putting Lee over, and her ring generalship has been exceptional. But Lee will now be without Lynch heading into WrestleMania season. It will be interesting to see how WWE handles her next feud. She’s now 3-0 against Lynch in a mixed tag match, Survivor Series: WarGames and now singles competition. We’ll see who Lee faces in her first title defense and if she works with some of the younger talent on the roster.
Is Finn Bálor’s villain run coming to an end?
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CM Punk retains title, cements match against Roman Reigns at Mania
CM Punk defeats Finn Balor to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, cementing his matchup against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
The Punk vs. Bálor match served two purposes. The obvious one was to get Punk a homecoming match in Chicago before he defends his championship against Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 42. Punk winning wasn’t a surprise, but it was great to see his nod to the Michael Jordan era Chicago Bulls starting lineup ceremony, complete with The Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius” and announcer Ray Clay.
The match itself was a solid affair as Punk and Bálor battled to a stalemate until Punk hit his second GTS of the night to get the win and celebrate in the ring with his wife, AJ Lee, afterward.
The second purpose may have been to turn Bálor into a babyface and pull him out of Judgment Day. Bálor has been teasing a split from the group over the past few weeks and demanded that he win or lose his match with Punk completely on his own, without help from Dominik Mysterio or JD McDonagh. Bálor lost on his own, and in a move unfitting of a heel, he shook Punk’s hand afterward. This will almost certainly set up his split from the group and we could be heading to a new era of Finn Bálor in WWE.
The Randy Orton-Cody Rhodes saga may not be over
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Randy Orton wins the chamber, sets up match vs. Drew McIntyre at Mania
Randy Orton wins the Elimination Chamber match to seal a match against Drew McIntyre for the WWE championship at WrestleMania.
Orton is heading back to WrestleMania in a stunner.
Rhodes felt like an absolute shoo-in to win the men’s Elimination Chamber match and head back to the main event of WrestleMania against his rival, Drew McIntyre. Instead, McIntyre inserted himself into the match, attacking Rhodes when it was down to him and Randy Orton as the last two competitors. Apprearing to assist Rhodes, Orton hit McIntrye with an RKO. But just when Rhodes thought the coast was clear, following a successful Cross Rhodes on McIntryre, he ate an RKO from Orton. Three seconds later, and Orton is heading to WrestleMania in pursuit of his 15th world championship.
Who he’ll face is still up in the air because “SmackDown” general manager Nick Aldis — who is fed up with McIntyre’s constant interference in matches — announced that McIntyre will defend his Undisputed Championship this Friday against Rhodes.
Rhodes vs. Orton would be a fresh matchup for WrestleMania. It could get really interesting, given their history dating back to their time in the Legacy stable over a decade ago, where Orton served as Rhodes’ mentor. It’s the right move if they decide to have Rhodes beat McIntyre for the Undisputed Championship on Friday. But where would that leave McIntyre for WrestleMania?
Welcome back, Seth Rollins
0:46
Seth Rollins revealed as masked man, helps eliminate Logan Paul in the chamber
Seth Rollins is revealed as the masked man after he helps to eliminate Logan Paul in the Elimination Chamber.
After weeks of teasers, it was finally revealed that the masked man is none other than Seth “Freaking” Rollins.
The former leader of The Vision got his revenge when he curb-stomped Logan Paul, after a little bait and switch with another masked man. Rollins’ interference seemingly cost Paul a win in the Elimination Chamber match. Rollins pulled the mask off to reveal himself, and now we have to figure out where this is going.
Unfortunately, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed have been sidelined by injuries, which certainly disrupted whatever the original plan was. Rollins and Paul faced off at WrestleMania 39, which Rollins won. A retread of that match three years later doesn’t seem like the way to go, but WWE doesn’t have many options for Rollins at this point.
Hopefully, this is the end of the overran masked men angles.
Danhausen is the newest WWE superstar
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Danhausen makes WWE debut coming out of mystery crate
The mystery crate is revealed to be the debut of Danhausen at Elimination Chamber.
Danhausen was revealed to be in the box that has been part of “Raw” and “SmackDown” storylines in recent weeks.
The reveal of the eccentric goth character was met with confusion from fans. On the surface, he doesn’t look very special with his small frame and unusual face paint. But you have to see Danhausen’s antics to comprehend why he became a fan favorite on the independent wrestling scene. His theatrical sense of humor is an acquired taste, and WWE will be tasked with connecting him with their fans. Nothing about Danhausen is straightforward, and everything is tongue-in-cheek. He’s called himself “Conan O’Brien possessed by a demon” in interviews, and that is a pretty accurate description of the wrestler who is known to break out the Pee-wee Herman dance in the middle of a match. You may not understand him now, but Danhausen is in the perfect place to accentuate his character. Give it time, people.
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